Hapax OT: Magnificent Desolation

Started by Legend, Dec 21, 2020, 03:29 PM

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Legend

I have struggled for months with my environments. As a lone dev I don't have the manpower to do things the traditional way but I still need near photorealistic results. Outside of a few test rooms, everything has been in graybox.

Finally think I've solved it. I'm building "smart" materials that can be applied within Unity per triangle. Each material is a procedural system that can then adapt to the geometry of the surface and place 3D objects as needed. For example if used inside a modern house, it would automatically add paint, molding, wall outlets, light switches, and pictures. Every element can be customized by hand as needed.

I can then add more dynamic "clutter" by hand the traditional way.

Legend



This new device is part of my gameplay rework. It takes over a few major functions from the previously shown hexagonal device, which helps simplify the player experience.

One of these days I'll tackle environmental graphics and UI but not today!

SWORDF1SH

I have struggled for months with my environments. As a lone dev I don't have the manpower to do things the traditional way but I still need near photorealistic results. Outside of a few test rooms, everything has been in graybox.

Finally think I've solved it. I'm building "smart" materials that can be applied within Unity per triangle. Each material is a procedural system that can then adapt to the geometry of the surface and place 3D objects as needed. For example if used inside a modern house, it would automatically add paint, molding, wall outlets, light switches, and pictures. Every element can be customized by hand as needed.

I can then add more dynamic "clutter" by hand the traditional way.
Have you got any screens of some of the environments you've made using smart material?

Legend

Have you got any screens of some of the environments you've made using smart material?
I should get a teaser screenshot fully polished up, shouldn't I?

Making empty rooms by hand was still too slow so recently I've started using procedural tools for them as well. Primarily it's just about saving time, but it has also allowed me to better achieve my vision. Environments feel less blocky and I scaled up the world. With ~4,420,229 m2 of floor space I can really push the feeling that this is a "real" spaceship not designed with the player in mind (even though it very much is).

Legend



Here's your environment! An entire month just to get a lot of repeating monkey faces. (dear gosh this month sucked)

Spoiler for Hidden:
<br>I had to spend such a long long time trying out different methods to arrange semi regular triangular prisms with no gaps, while conforming to pre-existing curves. I still have a lot of improvements to make but I can finally move forward.<br><br>Every triangular prism acts as a cage for deforming a source mesh. In this case it&#39;s a monkey, but in the finished game it&#39;ll be a whole bunch of unique level chunks. A separate algorithm I set up first makes sure that chunks are distributed in a logical and self consistent way like in this video:<br><br><div style="text-align:center;margin:auto;padding:5px;max-width:560px;"><div style="position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;padding-top:0px;height:0;overflow:hidden;" class="youtube 7ffT_8wViBA"> <iframe style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7ffT_8wViBA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> </div></div><br><br>I thought that&#39;d be the hard part but nope. Building the irregular triangular prism mesh sucked.<br>

Legend


Legend

Steam page is ready, just waiting on the trailer  ;D

I'm only able to work part time but maybe I'll get that finished next.

kitler53

so like actually close then?

...and what's this about a steam page.  I thought this was a ps exclusive?!?!  


Featured Artist: Vanessa Hudgens

Legend

so like actually close then?

...and what's this about a steam page.  I thought this was a ps exclusive?!?!  
Closer than it was yesterday, that's all I can say for sure.

Sony does not care at all if a game releases on pc. PS exclusive just means no xbox or nintendo lol.

So yeah a Steam release is nearly free money.

the-pi-guy


Legend

Liking the new press kit page.
Thanks.

Cleaned up the Hapax logo, remade the VizionEck logo, and made the press kit a bigger focus. Was wondering when someone would notice.

the-pi-guy


Legend

How did I do?
Logos and content changed a few days ago but the press kit link was only swapped in this morning. Very good!


The old VizionEck logo was such a quick job. I put very little thought into it. Not like studio logos really matter, but it's nice to have a better one.

kitler53

just noticed the vizioneck change on the main page so I can see what you were talking about. 

the font for izioneck is great.  the V does not.  it just looks out of place.  maybe you have reasons for making it clearly different than the rest but I find it jarringly mismatched. 


Featured Artist: Vanessa Hudgens

Legend

just noticed the vizioneck change on the main page so I can see what you were talking about.

the font for izioneck is great.  the V does not.  it just looks out of place.  maybe you have reasons for making it clearly different than the rest but I find it jarringly mismatched.

I'm assuming you're talking about the V in this white logo, not the V in the black logo?




It's a continuation from the previous logo.

It's mostly just a nostalgia thing. I plan to use the black logo's design for things that matter, but it's not like indie studio logos really matter in the first place. So many successful games don't even have them.

Game logos though, they're needed everywhere for marketing.

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