Varium Info

[sponge]

I would hope that the engine plus the 3 original modules wont be much more than $20? I know I'm not the only one that's not too fond of the purchasing parts of games at a time (which this essentially is to me)

[randall]

[Dihnekis]

[Guest]

[Robotbeat]

[randall]

I am always a little more harsh on Robotbeat than I should be. Thats just the way our relationship goes, as sick and twisted as it sounds. Still, his input has been taken seriously, regardless what I actully spew out in the forums.

The heightmap had been brought up quite a while ago. Before the summit if I remember right. Logically, that is the BEST way to create an outdoor terrain mesh; I only wish this system was in place when I created the massive map I have now. However, innaccuracies will happen, and some areas may look weird because the edges are turned the wrong way. Thats what testing and refinement is for.

It still doesn't resolve the issue of UV rotation, vertex color, and surface ID (for lack of a better term).

I should point out that the terrain I have created is actually a poly/tile hybrid. So Robotbeat wasn't too far off. Some of you may read this and say "huh?", but here goes.

The entire terrain is laid out in a loose grid. Each poly is given a surface ID, that determines its texture. There are about 120 terrain textures- with 6 different surfaces: snow, drygrass, brownrock, bluerock, dirt and special (special can be water, brickpaths, etc).

Each poly/surface ID points to one of those textures. It can be any texture (or even a player skin of you want to get crazy). However, ALL polys with the same surface ID will have the same texture.

So if I wanted to create "overly-rundandant-and-ugly-world", I would give every poly the exact same surface ID.

This is where UV comes in. UV can rotate that texture 360 degrees. The UV is dependent on the poly, not the surface ID, so even if the polys have the same texture, it can be rotated differently. this can break up a pattern and prevent an overly tiled look.

[James S]

Be SURE that you make a dedicated server host application for a desktop computer for Varium that I can set up on my cable connection at home and let others connect to it to play each other. And make it free, too. That will really increase the amount of servers available, atleast. I know I'd be glad to host a Varium server, provided my upload speed isn't TOO terrible.

[sponge]

It seems like too complicated for what it's worth to me. Why should the user handle the IDs, can't the engine do that itself during the compile? From what I gather of it, it could be.

Seeing as you've designed maps though, it must not be too bad.

[randall]

[Robotbeat]

I'm seriously wondering about this automatically-downloadable-from-server map/skin thing. Is this possible? Are you guys going to do something like this ever?

[randall]

No, we won't be forcing our shit onto anyones computer or device. Although this is considered a "service" to some, I find it to be an intrusion. Even if they ask me first.

If I want a map, I'll install it myself.

Seriously, skins are SO unimportant, except when they NEED to be identified in a team game. In general deathmatch, you just kill anyone that moves.

Besides, skins are just begging to be abused. I can seriously make an invisible skin, making the player completely invisble. I can make him semi-transparent. I can camoflage him to look like the terrain. So if a player is FORCED to DL that skin, and he's invisible, what fun is that?

Not having a specific skin/model will not prevent you from logging in to the server. In fact, it doesn't even care what skin/model that anything is using. I could turn everyone into walking crates if I wanted. I can turn all the weapons into banana peels. All that matters is the configuration of the model that determines his running speed, health, the weapons and amount of ammo he can carry, etc.

[sponge]

[Guest]

[randall]

[sponge]