Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => Aces High General Discussion => Topic started by: hitech on April 18, 2014, 04:46:42 PM

Title: This weeks status update.
Post by: hitech on April 18, 2014, 04:46:42 PM
Things have been moving along as we are in the art and detailing of the new terrain engine.

The video and screen shot are only a sample of what the new engine can do, as example we currently are only using 3 tree types and a couple of buildings in the general terrain set.

The core engine is fairly complete and we are adding things like ground clutter( grass) and a new road system, as we continue to create the new art for the system.

Please do not make any assumptions on things like visible ranges of shadows and trees and such, those are most likly to change once we have the full are set and can then balance performance and quality.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INOprubaabU&list=TLVXQTTzxSsMbSkSS3UuPj5L8bOg0-cTqs

(http://www.hitechcreations.com/images/stories/dales/ah3sample.png)


HiTech

Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: MrKrabs on April 18, 2014, 04:49:14 PM
This is gorgeous
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: Midway on April 18, 2014, 04:54:51 PM
Beautiful. :O


Will there be birds and flowers too? :pray
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: Saxman on April 18, 2014, 05:00:45 PM
The trees sway! Is that going to be dependent on wind direction, or is it a canned animation?
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: Copprhed on April 18, 2014, 05:10:32 PM
The trees sway! Is that going to be dependent on wind direction, or is it a canned animation?
My question, too. Hope it means we'll have wind down  low now.
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: The Fugitive on April 18, 2014, 05:17:10 PM
Very Pretty   :salute
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: Oldman731 on April 18, 2014, 05:30:54 PM
The ground fog is impressive.

- oldman
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: craz07 on April 18, 2014, 05:32:42 PM
Looks about as good as it gets these days.. chasing a mustang out of my territory at tree top level without icons would be very very fun  :cheers:
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: Easyscor on April 18, 2014, 05:37:01 PM
Building objects with reflections in the window glass. Now that was an unexpected nice touch.

 :aok

Will we be able to see that enemy GV in those reflections?

Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: Fish42 on April 18, 2014, 06:01:13 PM
Very Nice.  :aok

Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: Puma44 on April 18, 2014, 06:09:24 PM
Way cool!   :aok two weeks, right?  :D
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: WEZEL on April 18, 2014, 06:34:21 PM
 :rock  :salute
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: Chilli on April 18, 2014, 06:41:06 PM
"Summer breeze makes me feel happy.............  blowin through the jasmine in my mind..............."   :x or similar lyric  :uhoh

Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: Plazus on April 18, 2014, 06:49:10 PM
Beautiful. :O


Will there be albatrosses? :pray

Fixed.  :aok
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: NatCigg on April 18, 2014, 07:04:50 PM
looks awesome!  :aok
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: Midway on April 18, 2014, 07:35:33 PM
Fixed.  :aok

You read my mind. :aok

I didn't want to mention it specifically since some people might not want to hear more about it, but I'm glad you alerted Hitech to said question. :cheers:


How cool would that be to see dynamic soaring Albatross while climbing out or while we are forced to ditch out of fuel in the middle of the ocean after a fight, as they fly by. :rock
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: Delirium on April 18, 2014, 07:37:45 PM
"Let us cross over the river and rest in the shade of the trees."

General Thomas Jackson
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: Bear76 on April 18, 2014, 07:39:53 PM
You read my mind. :aok

I didn't want to mention it specifically since some people might not want to hear more about it, but I'm glad you alerted Hitech to said question. :cheers:

How cool would that be to see dynamic soaring Albatross while climbing out or while we are forced to ditch out of fuel in the middle of the ocean after a fight, as they fly by. :rock


Or getting shredded by my propeller.  :rock
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: craz07 on April 18, 2014, 07:50:34 PM
lol I would not want to see an "albatross" in the game... to be honest
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: JimmyC on April 18, 2014, 07:52:28 PM
nice one Boss  :aok
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: Hoplite on April 18, 2014, 07:53:51 PM
"Summer breeze makes me feel fine.............  blowin through the jasmine in my mind..............."   :x or similar lyric  :uhoh



Fixed!  :D  And I agree.

Great work HTC!

Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: jedi25 on April 18, 2014, 07:56:39 PM
Looking it.. HTC  :aok :aok
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: bustr on April 18, 2014, 08:07:38 PM
Did anyone notice the new large airfield, roads to it, and that the town is now villages distributed along those roads?

Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: guncrasher on April 18, 2014, 08:49:06 PM
hitech I just see one problem.  the grass is too high around buildings.  now if you add some sheep they will keep the lawn around the houses well kept.  what do you say?



semp
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: guncrasher on April 18, 2014, 08:55:01 PM
Did anyone notice the new large airfield, roads to it, and that the town is now villages distributed along those roads?



did you notice that the roads or whatever on the first frame right below the www of "www.bandicamp.com" looks like a pig?


semp
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: Tinkles on April 18, 2014, 10:32:54 PM
Very impressive, I can't wait to get my new computer and fly low n slow and drive through all your hard work.

 :salute

And blow it up some  :D
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: Nilsen on April 19, 2014, 12:59:08 AM
Needs sheep
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: JimmyC on April 19, 2014, 01:32:40 AM
Viking alert...
viking alert
give him sheep or he will take your virgins

he might just any way
 :banana: :banana:
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: JimmyC on April 19, 2014, 01:46:01 AM
Side note..and I dont want to bring no negative vibes man......but
whats with those flat roofed convinance store (7/11) buildings.. they dont seem to fit to me..euro etc
dunno but seems outta decade...I could well be wrong..tis my musing is all
dont get me wrong I do love all your work!...just a pointer
This is where I scuttle off :bolt:
《S》
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: Bizman on April 19, 2014, 01:50:07 AM
hitech I just see one problem.  the grass is too high around buildings.  now if you add some sheep they will keep the lawn around the houses well kept.  what do you say?



semp
I noticed that too. On the other hand also the houses look like abandoned, so that could explain the high grass. Maybe the people had been evacuated in the sample we saw?

Seriously talking, the grass in both the current version and in this sample looks like wasteland where a random willowherb pushes through the trash. In natural meadows there's sparse straws growing taller than the underbrush looking exactly like we have in AH, but here it's magnified tenfold which makes it look more like "A Bug's Life" than a massive tank rolling on grass.

 :aok
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: SirNuke on April 19, 2014, 02:04:52 AM
(http://i.imgur.com/KWl6pqT.jpg)
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: BaldEagl on April 19, 2014, 02:13:47 AM
BiP likes turtles.  Are there turtles?

Also Zach likes pie.  Are there pies in the window sills?

Dadkev likes... well... on second thought forget that one.
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: Nilsen on April 19, 2014, 02:28:15 AM
Viking alert...
viking alert
give him sheep or he will take your virgins

he might just any way
 :banana: :banana:

 :devil  :cheers:
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: lyric1 on April 19, 2014, 03:55:19 AM
 :aok
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: Max on April 19, 2014, 05:49:38 AM
Looks great and quite advanced from what we saw in the office last week  :aok
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: Slade on April 19, 2014, 07:08:52 AM
Wow very impressive.

Thank you so much for giving us an update.
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: Randy1 on April 19, 2014, 08:00:39 AM
Would it make coding easier if the time of the day in the arenas always stayed the same? 

The early-late days seem a bit dark.  The current engine is dark in these times as well.  A real good monitor, probably compensates but some of the lower end monitors/TVs might not.

I suggest you have a good but lower end monitor to check contrast as development goes on.  I am guessing y'all have higher end monitors.  I would if I did what y'all do all day.
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: matt on April 19, 2014, 09:34:33 AM
 :salute
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: Nath[BDP] on April 19, 2014, 09:39:45 AM
the airfield looks so much better
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: SFRT - Frenchy on April 19, 2014, 12:17:07 PM
Great improvment. I do understand it's a work in progress. What might make the arena more believable is to place trees along fields and roads like in Europe, not ramdomly scatered. Cliffs of Dover is doing a pretty good job at it for immersion purposes.

(http://www.paramotormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/cross-country.jpg)
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: Rich46yo on April 19, 2014, 02:27:19 PM
I think the new engine is also going to re-energize the GV game. So many vehicles in such nice terrain will be sweet. Most of all if the terrain encourages maneuver like it looks like its going to. :aok
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: Iraqvet on April 19, 2014, 02:42:01 PM
A job done right is its own reward....Keep up the good work. Looks Great  :aok  :salute
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: hgtonyvi on April 19, 2014, 04:45:48 PM
This looks really nice. Finally GV fights will be more enjoyable and more realistic. I'm usually in a fighter but looking at this new layout, I might hop in a GV time to time lol.
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: morfiend on April 19, 2014, 05:11:43 PM
Building objects with reflections in the window glass. Now that was an unexpected nice touch.

 :aok

Will we be able to see that enemy GV in those reflections?




 I agree when I saw that I was all :x and then I saw the trees swaying.....


    Looks like Morf might just venture into the mains abit more after this release!



    :salute
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: uptown on April 19, 2014, 06:14:28 PM
There need's to be a factory tween those trees and the hill  :old:
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: Chilli on April 19, 2014, 06:25:11 PM
There need's to be a factory tween those trees and the hill  :old:

Agreed!!  Where else are the Whos from Whoville gonna work?  ..... and me place my bombs... :devil
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: Midway on April 19, 2014, 06:43:32 PM
Agreed!!  Where else are the Whos from Whoville gonna work?  ..... and me place my bombs... :devil

 :)
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: scott66 on April 19, 2014, 06:45:10 PM
 :aok
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: 10thmd on April 19, 2014, 06:56:01 PM
All I can say is  :O
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: Mitsu on April 19, 2014, 09:12:54 PM
Looks great. :aok

Will old 3D model planes (ki61 ki67...etc) are updated?
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: save on April 20, 2014, 10:39:34 AM
no, only the Bf110 and the sheep's will be fixed
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: Megalodon on April 20, 2014, 02:14:35 PM
There need's to be a factory tween those trees and the hill  :old:

 A tank factory  :t It does look cool  :aok
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: Mitsu on April 20, 2014, 07:22:41 PM
no, only the Bf110 and the sheep's will be fixed

I quit! :furious

 :D
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: SmokinLoon on April 20, 2014, 08:11:27 PM
Wow.  That looks really nice.  It will be a big improvement to what AH currently has, and I'm content with what AH currently has.   ;)

My question is how will this terrain be applied to the current maps? 
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: HB555 on April 21, 2014, 12:36:16 AM
I noticed that too. On the other hand also the houses look like abandoned, so that could explain the high grass. Maybe the people had been evacuated in the sample we saw?

Seriously talking, the grass in both the current version and in this sample looks like wasteland where a random willowherb pushes through the trash. In natural meadows there's sparse straws growing taller than the underbrush looking exactly like we have in AH, but here it's magnified tenfold which makes it look more like "A Bug's Life" than a massive tank rolling on grass.

 :aok

New plane number 173 will be a Craftsman riding mower. When there are no missions, we can mow that grass, pick up the trash,  and make it all pretty.  :D
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: MrRiplEy[H] on April 21, 2014, 01:58:15 AM
New plane number 173 will be a Craftsman riding mower. When there are no missions, we can mow that grass, pick up the trash,  and make it all pretty.  :D

Not a bad idea at all! AH could attract some of the Minecraft folks. In fact, why not let players build additional defenses such as pillboxes, AAA stations etc. around fields?  :x

Imagine the fun of bombing someones 1 month work to smitherines?  :devil

On the flip side, bored players could build a 'maginot line' behind the front that would have additional fortifications to beat before bombing to submission.
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: Slate on April 21, 2014, 08:07:53 AM
 
    It looks like it's coming together great with the new graphics.  :aok

   But My one concern would be (and the same one I have with the current game) the color. I see too much green. Like the old TVs I would be messing with the hue to get a better combination of colors. Black Hills, brown farms and fields, and river and lake colors interspersed to break up the green monotony.
                                                                                         My 2 cents 

                                                                                             Slate
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: Traveler on April 21, 2014, 08:13:05 AM
Lets see, swaying trees and grass or clouds? 
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: LCADolby on April 21, 2014, 08:54:25 AM
Great improvment. I do understand it's a work in progress. What might make the arena more believable is to place trees along fields and roads like in Europe, not ramdomly scatered. Cliffs of Dover is doing a pretty good job at it for immersion purposes.

(http://www.paramotormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/cross-country.jpg)
This pic should go along way, now you need a typical overcast sky, perhaps with some rain in places so they know what weather looks like.
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: wpeters on April 22, 2014, 10:28:51 AM
Great work. It looks better all the time. 

Abandonment of the buildings remind me a lot of DayZ..  Hitech is creating a Apocalyptic graphics engine.  :D
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: Aspen on April 22, 2014, 02:49:47 PM
Looking good!   Game play and modeling of planes and weapons are what matter at the top of my list, but since we are talking terrain, I would like Fall and desert colors on some maps.
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: Tr1gg22 on April 22, 2014, 03:39:29 PM
looks good :aok
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: Vudu15 on April 28, 2014, 06:04:46 AM
but a serious question is can we fire through these trees and bushes or are they still bullet proof?
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: Chilli on April 30, 2014, 06:34:11 AM
Shooting through trees will be somewhat of a tricky request.  Because of the differing levels of view, it could easily be gamed. 

If you are close to the tree, you will obviously see it.  Someone further away might not, and have a clear shot at you  :headscratch:  cover worked against you.

The only way around that is if they were destructible.  That would cost too much in game resources so I heard.  I wonder if that would be true if only trees on the edges of combat areas were destructible?  Keeping it to no more objects than you would encounter on an airfield.  Not every tree need be destructible, only the ones that count.

Anyhow, the tank game will definitely look more appealing, and with new terrain types, I bet it will have some nice perks waiting for us to find.

Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: bustr on April 30, 2014, 12:24:28 PM
Didn't Waffle throw out the idea of different levels of object resources by map area because tanks generally fight in about a 4x4 mile area? While airplanes whizzing by at hundreds of mph don't see anything for the most part at the micro level a tanker will.

I thought the reason the competition has the eye candy, is arenas are limited to 64 players while the arena is 10x10 miles. Then we have 600max, 350 average players, and 20x20 25 square mile sectors. So they get hot eye candy and we get the hottest physics outside of the Air Force.

Wish there was a sticky reminder in the Wishlist forum about the specific differences between AH and the competition related to why we can have 600 players in the same arena and they can only "Allow" 64.

Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: rvflyer on May 01, 2014, 11:46:45 PM
Would it make coding easier if the time of the day in the arenas always stayed the same? 

The early-late days seem a bit dark.  The current engine is dark in these times as well.  A real good monitor, probably compensates but some of the lower end monitors/TVs might not.

I suggest you have a good but lower end monitor to check contrast as development goes on.  I am guessing y'all have higher end monitors.  I would if I did what y'all do all day.


I want real looking night time.
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: SAJ73 on May 02, 2014, 03:02:22 AM
This really looks great, I know it is a fine balance between eyecandy and playability here. If the lot of us with lower end computers are going to be able to continue playing and having any fun at all we simply can't ask for much more eyecandy than this. (I don't even know if my laptop can handle this much, but I sure hope so!)

Perhaps in time we can have a separate arena for the full mindblowing eyecandy that requires top end hardware, then slowly as more and more people will start using that arena because they have invested in better gaming computers the game will continue to expand in the newer arenas? And as people stop using the old arenas they can be converted to new arenas one by one, perhaps keeping one of the old ones just for the few people that might remain there? There will always be a few people left that will be satisfied with playing with the current graphics I think, but the majority of players will most likely head over to the eyecandy pools.

Is that even possible, to split graphics mode into separate arenas?


Just a thought..  :noid
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: Getback on May 02, 2014, 02:45:30 PM
I see mom's house and the grass needs mowed.

Nice!
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: Kazaa on May 02, 2014, 02:50:06 PM
Looks better in the videos.

Doesn't look great in the screen shot.
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: MrKrabs on May 04, 2014, 01:46:00 AM
Didn't Waffle throw out the idea of different levels of object resources by map area because tanks generally fight in about a 4x4 mile area? While airplanes whizzing by at hundreds of mph don't see anything for the most part at the micro level a tanker will.

I thought the reason the competition has the eye candy, is arenas are limited to 64 players while the arena is 10x10 miles. Then we have 600max, 350 average players, and 20x20 25 square mile sectors. So they get hot eye candy and we get the hottest physics outside of the Air Force.

Wish there was a sticky reminder in the Wishlist forum about the specific differences between AH and the competition related to why we can have 600 players in the same arena and they can only "Allow" 64.



Because people don't appreciate meat and potato games enough...
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: Hajo on May 04, 2014, 04:24:52 PM
What impressed me the most were the reflections of the landscape in the windows as the "cam" panned between the buildings.

Well done!
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: realgood on May 07, 2014, 08:37:52 AM
 OMG it is BEAUTIFUL
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: Slate on May 07, 2014, 09:00:16 AM

    I think it will bring back retired players perhaps under new names though... :bolt:
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: Mister Fork on May 07, 2014, 09:43:47 AM
    I think it will bring back retired players perhaps under new names though... :bolt:
That sounds 'shady' ....  ;)
Title: Re: This weeks status update.
Post by: Goat1 on June 27, 2014, 10:14:02 PM
Very nice!!  :aok