Quadruped Movement and Alien Designs

Sirot

These are fairly simple thing to discuss and honestly don't deserve their own threads.

Issue 1:
Natural Selection, to my knowledge is one of the few games that have a faction nearly entirely comprised out of quadrupeds (skulk, gorge and onos). The one issue with four-legged creatures is that often have unnatural animation on non-flat surfaces and clipping is an issue with the rear of the creature. I know that it is a bit much to ask, but is NS2 going to have something in place to prevent that? For example, each limb being treated independently and having the player's rear collide with the objects and impend movement if needed to ensure proper clipping.

Issue 2:
NS1 looked extraordinary on the HL1 engine. Now that NS is going to be using more modern technology, are any of the models going to be updated? I am talking about adding more detail to the figure and making the textures on them to be less "messy" which I think was a by-product of technology. Ideally, I would like some species to evolve and change to keep things fresh. Also, could you change the posture of the Fade? It currently is too human-like and I always felt it was odd when compared to the rest of the alien cast of NS1, which included a rhino death elephant with tentacles.

What does everyone else think?

Align

HL2 supports legs bending individually (though they'll still hover some distance over surfaces if you get unlucky), and since they got the Source code, that should be in by default.

I expect the models will be all new, or at the very least heavily updated. Using HL1 models in a Source game, even as good models as NS1 had, is just asking for trouble.

Sirot

Good thing to hear about the leg thing, thanks.

I know that the models will be updated, but looking at some of the concepts; I do think some of the aliens do need a slight tuning in design. Looking here (http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns/concept/), I think that the Lerk, Fade and Onos are the ones who would look a little bit odd when done again at a higher poly count.

Squeal_Like_A_Pig

All of the aliens are being re designed from a visual stand point (and some aspects from a gameplay stand point). Some of the aliens will change pretty dramatically, some less so. But they will all retain the spirit and basic feeling and functions of the originals, so there should be no confusion as to which of the new designs matches up to the old.

And they will certainly all be getting all new higher res models and textures to take advantage of the new technology.

I can't speak about the clipping issues, since that's not my area, but I know Max has plans for addressing and minimizing clipping issues.

--Cory

locallyunscene

<!--quoteo(post=1693652:date=Nov 17 2008, 11:31 AM:name=Align)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Align @ Nov 17 2008, 11:31 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1693652"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->HL2 supports legs bending individually (though they'll still hover some distance over surfaces if you get unlucky), and since they got the Source code, that should be in by default.

I expect the models will be all new, or at the very least heavily updated. Using HL1 models in a Source game, even as good models as NS1 had, is just asking for trouble.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
FYI, they're not using Source any more. Not that changes the fact that the things you mentioned are probably in the new engine..

Align

Yes, I know. But they still licensed it and got code out of it.

locallyunscene

<!--quoteo(post=1693677:date=Nov 17 2008, 05:59 PM:name=Align)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Align @ Nov 17 2008, 05:59 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1693677"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Yes, I know. But they still licensed it and got code out of it.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
If they don't plan on selling their engine to anyone then that would be possible. IMO It seems likely that they'd want to retain the complete rights to their engine, and not include another engine's proprietary code in it.

Sirot

<!--quoteo(post=1693665:date=Nov 17 2008, 01:54 PM:name=Squeal_Like_A_Pig)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Squeal_Like_A_Pig @ Nov 17 2008, 01:54 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1693665"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->All of the aliens are being re designed from a visual stand point (and some aspects from a gameplay stand point). Some of the aliens will change pretty dramatically, some less so. But they will all retain the spirit and basic feeling and functions of the originals, so there should be no confusion as to which of the new designs matches up to the old.

And they will certainly all be getting all new higher res models and textures to take advantage of the new technology.

I can't speak about the clipping issues, since that's not my area, but I know Max has plans for addressing and minimizing clipping issues.

--Cory<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Thanks for the quick response! This is very reassuring.

SentrySteve

<!--quoteo(post=1693609:date=Nov 16 2008, 10:34 PM:name=Sirot)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Sirot @ Nov 16 2008, 10:34 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1693609"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->For example, each limb being treated independently and having the player's rear collide with the objects and impend movement if needed to ensure proper clipping.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Oh god I hope not.

Nothing was more annoying in the Call of Duty series then pressing your prone key in a firefight only to have "Not enough room to prone!" pop up.

I don't even want to think how skulks would maneuver with an advanced anti-clipping system in place.

steppin'razor

<!--quoteo(post=1693665:date=Nov 18 2008, 04:54 AM:name=Squeal_Like_A_Pig)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Squeal_Like_A_Pig @ Nov 18 2008, 04:54 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1693665"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->All of the aliens are being re designed from a visual stand point (and some aspects from a gameplay stand point). Some of the aliens will change pretty dramatically, some less so. But they will all retain the spirit and basic feeling and functions of the originals, so there should be no confusion as to which of the new designs matches up to the old.

And they will certainly all be getting all new higher res models and textures to take advantage of the new technology.

I can't speak about the clipping issues, since that's not my area, but I know Max has plans for addressing and minimizing clipping issues.

--Cory<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
QFT <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/marine.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="::marine::" border="0" alt="marine.gif" />

PseudoKnight

I support bounding box collision physics, aesthetically pleasing animation aside.