Would there be any room for astronomical events?
Such as a moon cycle, where every say 6 days you get a short like 10minute long eclipse, turning everything dark haha. Or very cloudy, dark miserable days of endless rain. . .Dust storms. . . jet stream effect ~ volcanoes around Lavastorm would give Faydwer occasional smoke covering the sky. . .
Although to be honest I'd expect a continent like Lavastorm to be far cooler given its location right next to north pole, but then again I think that Norrath continents were just laid out aimlessly as the expansions come and go in thought 'hey this fits here.'
I expect Odus to be to far left of the world map between feerrott and Karan, and a bit over further to left than where Mara is. . .
Then when we get Velious its going to be down at very bottom of map by that little peninsula is
Just my predictions!
Anyways. . . Yea will we get cool effects like eclipses, dark cloudy days, dust storms, etc.
Katanallama@Mistmoore wrote:
Would there be any room for astronomical events?Such as a moon cycle, where every say 6 days you get a short like 10minute long eclipse, turning everything dark haha. Or very cloudy, dark miserable days of endless rain. . .Dust storms. . . jet stream effect ~ volcanoes around Lavastorm would give Faydwer occasional smoke covering the sky. . .Although to be honest I'd expect a continent like Lavastorm to be far cooler given its location right next to north pole, but then again I think that Norrath continents were just laid out aimlessly as the expansions come and go in thought 'hey this fits here.'I expect Odus to be to far left of the world map between feerrott and Karan, and a bit over further to left than where Mara is. . .Then when we get Velious its going to be down at very bottom of map by that little peninsula is Just my predictions!Anyways. . . Yea will we get cool effects like eclipses, dark cloudy days, dust storms, etc.
I believe there are already lunar and solar events that happen regularly. You just have to be in the right zone at the right time.I distinctly remember a solar eclipse in the Thundering stepes a few years back. (or I was hallucinating, either way, it was awesome.)
Is the shader in eq2 just 1.0 now(b4 the shadow map coming)? It looks better then using shader 1.0 in eq2.
Imago-Quem wrote:
Katanallama@Mistmoore wrote:I wonder, will the sky ever be accurate? cause I don't think around ice cap you'd have the sun right over head at any point of time - in fact should be night / day for weeks at a time >.>Anyways, look forward to new shader changes! Coming soon to a PC near you. . . LLAMAS IN 3D!We'll see. When I start looking into the sky system I'll see if it's feasible to do this.
I wonder, will the sky ever be accurate? cause I don't think around ice cap you'd have the sun right over head at any point of time - in fact should be night / day for weeks at a time >.>Anyways, look forward to new shader changes! Coming soon to a PC near you. . . LLAMAS IN 3D!
I wonder, will the sky ever be accurate? cause I don't think around ice cap you'd have the sun right over head at any point of time - in fact should be night / day for weeks at a time >.>
Anyways, look forward to new shader changes! Coming soon to a PC near you. . . LLAMAS IN 3D!
We'll see. When I start looking into the sky system I'll see if it's feasible to do this.
Wouldn't that require making whole new skyboxes for each zone. Is that how it is right now... or is it just one Skybox run though filters?
Such as a moon cycle, where every say 6 days you get a short like 10minute long eclipse, turning everything dark haha. Or very cloudy, dark miserable days of endless rain. . .Dust storms. . . jet stream effect ~ volcanoes around Lavastorm would give Faydwer occasional smoke covering the sky. . .Fawdwer is too far away for the smoke to carry there, plus the prevailing winds blow most of it to Nek Forest. Although to be honest I'd expect a continent like Lavastorm to be far cooler given its location right next to north pole, but then again I think that Norrath continents were just laid out aimlessly as the expansions come and go in thought 'hey this fits here.'It would be cooler if it wasn't for all that Melted Rock all over the place...that tends to keep things from getting cool.
Fawdwer is too far away for the smoke to carry there, plus the prevailing winds blow most of it to Nek Forest.
It would be cooler if it wasn't for all that Melted Rock all over the place...that tends to keep things from getting cool.
tkia wrote:
Freliant wrote:tkia wrote:Imago-Quem wrote:I'm sure when I get to the flora system it will be a completely new system, just like the shadows.When you get to that point could you consider a bit more differentiation on height in the flora? I've had to turn flora density down, not for performance issues but because half of my height challenged toons can't actually see where they're going in first person view lol, are you asking a dev to mow the lawn so halflings can see better??That is actually funny!Well I'm sure Brenlo will appreciate it just as much as my fae
Freliant wrote:
tkia wrote:Imago-Quem wrote:I'm sure when I get to the flora system it will be a completely new system, just like the shadows.When you get to that point could you consider a bit more differentiation on height in the flora? I've had to turn flora density down, not for performance issues but because half of my height challenged toons can't actually see where they're going in first person view lol, are you asking a dev to mow the lawn so halflings can see better??That is actually funny!
Imago-Quem wrote:I'm sure when I get to the flora system it will be a completely new system, just like the shadows.When you get to that point could you consider a bit more differentiation on height in the flora? I've had to turn flora density down, not for performance issues but because half of my height challenged toons can't actually see where they're going in first person view
I'm sure when I get to the flora system it will be a completely new system, just like the shadows.
When you get to that point could you consider a bit more differentiation on height in the flora? I've had to turn flora density down, not for performance issues but because half of my height challenged toons can't actually see where they're going in first person view
lol, are you asking a dev to mow the lawn so halflings can see better??
That is actually funny!
Well I'm sure Brenlo will appreciate it just as much as my fae
I'll definitely look into it. Seems feasible, and cool.
Pitt Hammerfist wrote:
Imago-Quem wrote:Ya, there's a huge difference between single player and multi-player. The single player experience is "much" more controlled, as well as lacking in continuous in-game server updates. MMO's usually display a ton more characters on screen, moving objects, etc. as well. Even just the number of possible armor sets displayed at once, each with their own shader and texturing, causes a huge drop in framerates. A lot of sets will even have multiple textures and shaders used for a single set. In any case, I'm always looking for ways to optimize what we've got.Surely Ground Textures and Flora couldn't be that taxing ?Both of them wouldnt need any client/server communication. They just sit there all on the client side ? Maybe just have an option for 1024x1024 ground texures (optional downloadable texture pack, like oblivion and fallout 3), and a new flora system with a slider for transparecy and density ? hehe not asking for much am i?
Ya, there's a huge difference between single player and multi-player. The single player experience is "much" more controlled, as well as lacking in continuous in-game server updates. MMO's usually display a ton more characters on screen, moving objects, etc. as well. Even just the number of possible armor sets displayed at once, each with their own shader and texturing, causes a huge drop in framerates. A lot of sets will even have multiple textures and shaders used for a single set. In any case, I'm always looking for ways to optimize what we've got.
Surely Ground Textures and Flora couldn't be that taxing ?
Both of them wouldnt need any client/server communication. They just sit there all on the client side ?
Maybe just have an option for 1024x1024 ground texures (optional downloadable texture pack, like oblivion and fallout 3), and a new flora system with a slider for transparecy and density ? hehe not asking for much am i?
I really couldn't say anything for the texture downloads. I also don't "think" it would be very easy or quick for our team to be adding in extra textures to upgrade the zones. In any case, I'll mention it to the art team.
As far as the flora system, I'll definitely see if we can add transparency, density, and height sliders... when I get to building the system.
NrthnStar5 wrote:
I would love to see each zone have their own weather random weather patterns. Most zones have zero weather which, disappoints me. Lotro seems to have a very good weather system. The sky has always been one of my major issues too, look at Lotro and Vanguard's skies for inspiration.
I would love to see each zone have their own weather random weather patterns. Most zones have zero weather which, disappoints me. Lotro seems to have a very good weather system.
The sky has always been one of my major issues too, look at Lotro and Vanguard's skies for inspiration.
I haven't looked into our weather system a whole lot, but when I get there I'll be sure to see how the system works across zones, as well as gaze at the glory in LOTRO and Vanguard for inspiration, hehe.
Eschia@Antonia Bayle wrote:Imago-Quem wrote:- better skyboxes Do you mean the cloud layer? Right now it can look really aweful at times. It looks like a scrolling flat surface with a texture on it. It can sometimes be yellow and pink acid clouds, and looks very unrealistic. EQ1 has one up on it. A new cloud layer would be awesome.Particularly, yes, the cloud layer. There's not a lot of coding beyond that, besides the bloom and sunset colors. But more effects could be added in like a more vibrant sun or other effects visually that interact with the sky such as heat shimmers, dilating effects, God rays, etc..
Eschia@Antonia Bayle wrote:
Imago-Quem wrote:- better skyboxes Do you mean the cloud layer? Right now it can look really aweful at times. It looks like a scrolling flat surface with a texture on it. It can sometimes be yellow and pink acid clouds, and looks very unrealistic. EQ1 has one up on it. A new cloud layer would be awesome.
- better skyboxes
Do you mean the cloud layer? Right now it can look really aweful at times. It looks like a scrolling flat surface with a texture on it. It can sometimes be yellow and pink acid clouds, and looks very unrealistic. EQ1 has one up on it. A new cloud layer would be awesome.
Particularly, yes, the cloud layer. There's not a lot of coding beyond that, besides the bloom and sunset colors. But more effects could be added in like a more vibrant sun or other effects visually that interact with the sky such as heat shimmers, dilating effects, God rays, etc..
I remember going to Italy for the first time, driving through Switzerland on the overnight coach. I woke up sometime around dawn (having fallen asleep on a motorway in France) with clouds below me and mountains above...
Imagine that from a sokokar in Kylong Plains Breaking through the cloud layer flying from Teren's Grasp from above, into driving rain over Karnor's Castle.
Okay, so it probably won't happen like that... but I can hope.
Dragowulf@Nagafen wrote:
Josgar@The Bazaar wrote:Imago-Quem wrote:Eschia@Antonia Bayle wrote:Imago-Quem wrote:- better skyboxes Do you mean the cloud layer? Right now it can look really aweful at times. It looks like a scrolling flat surface with a texture on it. It can sometimes be yellow and pink acid clouds, and looks very unrealistic. EQ1 has one up on it. A new cloud layer would be awesome.Particularly, yes, the cloud layer. There's not a lot of coding beyond that, besides the bloom and sunset colors. But more effects could be added in like a more vibrant sun or other effects visually that interact with the sky such as heat shimmers, dilating effects, God rays, etc..Could clouds cast shadows?That would be nuts.
Josgar@The Bazaar wrote:
Imago-Quem wrote:Eschia@Antonia Bayle wrote:Imago-Quem wrote:- better skyboxes Do you mean the cloud layer? Right now it can look really aweful at times. It looks like a scrolling flat surface with a texture on it. It can sometimes be yellow and pink acid clouds, and looks very unrealistic. EQ1 has one up on it. A new cloud layer would be awesome.Particularly, yes, the cloud layer. There's not a lot of coding beyond that, besides the bloom and sunset colors. But more effects could be added in like a more vibrant sun or other effects visually that interact with the sky such as heat shimmers, dilating effects, God rays, etc..Could clouds cast shadows?
Could clouds cast shadows?
That would be nuts.
We actually want to add this, and funny as it is, I don't imagine the implementation being extremely difficult, not like new shadows and a shader system. We've only been constrained by time and resources at this point. I'm "the" graphics programmer, so we have to take these one at a time. It takes research, prototyping, integration, optimizations, crazy bug fixing, and time on Test and more bug fixing to make it into the game. We have to take all of these into consideration when thinking about what we're going to add in next. The time it takes to make these systems really makes us think hard about what we'll be adding in next.
vochore wrote:
havnt seen this posted yet or i might have just missed it but do you have any plans of adding ingame aa anytime so we dodnt have to keep doing the ini hack to get aa to work.
No plans right now. Autenil messed around with it a while back, but it hasn't been touched in a while.
Jinj@Antonia Bayle wrote:
Would love to see a corn field that small races/shrunk toons can't see out of and tall races just see tracks of bending corn as the tiny ones move through it!Also, with weather...let druids make it rain or stop it raining (as in EQ, was fun and you felt, kinda, powerful!)
Would love to see a corn field that small races/shrunk toons can't see out of and tall races just see tracks of bending corn as the tiny ones move through it!
Also, with weather...let druids make it rain or stop it raining (as in EQ, was fun and you felt, kinda, powerful!)
We'll see. Details like this are a bit too atomic right now. I think this would require a bit more coordination with team members' work and a bit more work to add in.
Meaghan@Lucan DLere wrote:
Vanguard uses SpeedTree for tree foliage and flora. It looks awesome and runs very smoothly. Any chance of bringing that over here?
I'm sure I'll be looking into a few systems to find out which works best for our engine. It really depends on how things can be added into the game. With an engine already developed you have to bend around a lot of corners to get new techniques to work in old, but HUGE, systems.
How hard would it be to add some sort of displacement/vertex tool to the engine? The Source engine uses it to make terrain and some models with little to no performance decrease and it looks really good. Right now terrain and trees looks sort of bland because everything is seems squared off. I've used Valve's Hammer Editor and believe it or not, the displacement tool is sooo easy to use.
I doubt you dip any part of your body in this deparment, but it's worth a try.
