Thanks. Here is a new update on my new engine (WIP!) on real hardware. I didn't implement back the physics/controls, so don't pay attention to that. What's new : compressed per-vertex animation with interpolation (a bit like Crash and Quake 2), VDP2 transparency fade in, per-vertex realtime lightning (on Sonic), audio using tones, splitscreen (not seen here), octree instead of an uniform grid for culling/collision, paletted/CLUT sprites, LOD model autogenerated for distant quads and probably many other things I forgot to mention. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J51wKAvJL7g For a better view on the per-vertex animation : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9q5zSLxVBAI
I'm not sure, but I guess it was. Quake and Wipeout both did it and I guess it was automated. It makes a huge difference in rendering speed and CPU usage.
Could you explain more about this? I know he mainly helped with SGL at STI, but Quake didn't use SGL. Coffin mentionned that a lot of his research was used in games, but I don't think it was used that much in the Slavedriver engine since it was completed while Coffin was still busy working on Sonic X-Treme. Quake just improved some aspects of the Slavedriver engine.
Man, seriously... give life to Tiara Boobowski. It was my dream to see her working, and it would be really nice to see her in this game. Nice progress, it's very impressive and incredibly sweet!
I'm not an artist and I don't have a low polygon model of her, so it probably won't happen. If I do put her in the gameplay would be exactly the same as Sonic's gameplay as I would never have enough time to code different play styles.
'Hope you don't mind me posting this, but it's too good to not show off. Splitscreen! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3ClV-6aLdQ Fantastic engine work! What's the plan for turning this into a game once the engine is ready?
No problem at all. Right now I'm focusing on just having something out for Sage, but my personnal life is quite busy atm so I will not have time to do everything I want. Few things on my list, other than fixing the physics and adding back ennemies, rings and special interactions : -Animate another model (Tails or Metal Sonic I guess). -Realtime light on the whole level. I got an idea to make it happen at little CPU/GPU cost, but it involves using a hardware "bug" that makes it possible to have gouraud shading on paletted sprites - which according to the Saturn technical documents was impossible to do. It would also involve using the SCU DSP, but I haven't learned assembly yet to it might take a while for me to code for it. -Better VDP2 support : the current backgrounds are boring, I would like to make it more like what STI did for Project condor, with clouds and all, but I want to make sure it works for splitscreen. -Better multiplayer gameplay. I won't have time to make proper coop gameplay and anyways the current levels are maybe too easy for that. Right now I'm just thinking of letting the players decide if they want to do VS or Coop, but coop would be limited to interactions such as both players jumping at the same time, causing a boost in the air and stuff like that. -Jollyrodger said he would attempt to use the Saturn's sound CPU for advanced 3d operations, so if he succeeds more effects might be possible. As for a complete game, alone at coding it would take me - I guess - maybe 1 or 2 more years, but then relying on people who aren't very motived or good would slow me down more than anything.
Are you planning to evolve the engine to a more standard 3D Sonic experience? Like making the physics more akin to Sonic Adventure. It would be fun to see this evolve into a whole game with original assets someday in the future. Maybe you can't find other coders who know the software, but people who can provide other assets could be something to consider down the line.
On that note, I won't be available for at least another year, but I admit I'm watching this project really closely because I've been daydreaming about doing art for a Saturn game.
For the physics, not really. I want to have 2 different gameplay styles depending on if you use the 3d controller or the normal controller, but overall my vision for it is more like Super Meat Boy than any previous Sonic games. The loading is quite fast for the Saturn (5 seconds more or less for a 1 MB map), so finishing maps in a quick succession doesn't hurt the flow.
The only issue I have with the game are the animations. Sonic's walking animation looks more like he's shuffling along rather than walking, and his running seems a bit too stiff as well. I assume these are aspects that will be altered once everything else is ready, though. Otherwise, great work.
I will have to play a bit with the animations, but I'm not an artist so the results won't be perfect. I'll see what I can do.
This sounds fantastic. Especially, with bite-size levels, you'll have alot more flexibility in how/when to release. 2 more questions: You said you're aiming for showing something for SAGE this year... does that include a release so we can play it too? What are your thoughts on the fish-eye lens effect, at least as an optional feature? Would it be possible without negatively impacting performance? Would it be harmful to gameplay? It sure looks cool, so I'd love to see it explored someday.
I'm aiming for a release, but I'm running out of time. I'm a bit struggling with the collision/physics atm since I aim for dynamic framerate (like 20 to 60), which means it has to behave the same no matter the framerate, unlike previously released versions which were locked at 60. It would certainly kill performances to add the fisheye lens. I'm not saying it's impossible, but I know I can't do it. The Saturn is very old now, that effect is quite taxing. I would prefer to keep things like realtime lightning and transparency instead of adding the fisheye lens. Plus since I'm using the Sega Graphic Libraries - which never included their source code - I can't modify the matrix implementation, so I would need to add it on top of everything just like I did for the transparency, which will impact the CPU usage. I think the 90 degrees rotating camera is a better solution overall.
Well, the only new thing I had time to add is Sonic's shadow, the rings' sprites, the drill enemy model and some basics analog controls. I moved to a new house so I really didn't have time to put much work in the game. I only have some 2 weeks and a half to fix the physics, add back the water animations and entities and maybe - if by some miracle I manage to have enough time for it - some paletted lightning. So I guess the next showing will be at sage if I make it in time.
Remember, take things at your own pace, don't rush for SAGE. If you have to take your time on making sure it's all polished and miss the deadline, it would be better that way rather than trying to rush out a buggy mess to SAGE. This project is looking really nice, it's very interesting to see projects like these for me. Keep up the good work.
