New Terrain

[gerard_]

Hi all,

Today I experimented with a new way to render the terrain. It looks like this:

There are different terrain textures (currently 4) which are blended for a transition between the terrain types. Unfortunately the texures I used are non-free (I already sent a mail asking to free them), so I can't create a branch for it yet. Attached is the patch.

TODO:
* Textures for all terrain types (currently done, but non-free: yellow desert, dirt, rocks, pavement)
* New decals (the roads and craters will need to be cut out or remade so they will blend in with the terrain)
* New map format + editor, so you can create maps with these textures
* Converter from old map type to new map type (already done: the tile -> terrain type logic for the Arizona tileset)

So, tell me what you think and get going on these tasks!

P.S. For those curious about the code, I attached a patch.

[Zarel]

Looks amazing.

Only problem is that structures and units will look a lot worse on it. We'd need to improve all the other textures while we're at it.

[elio]

wohooo
i'm curious about the water, are you planning to use some shaders for the waves?

TODO:
* Textures for all terrain types (currently done, but non-free: yellow desert, dirt, rocks, pavement)
* New decals (the roads and craters will need to be cut out or remade so they will blend in with the terrain)
* New map format + editor, so you can create maps with these textures
* Converter from old map type to new map type (already done: the tile -> terrain type logic for the Arizona tileset)

So, tell me what you think and get going on these tasks!

i would suggest the craters be like rocks (-> 3d object)

Looks amazing.
Only problem is that structures and units will look a lot worse on it. We'd need to improve all the other textures while we're at it.

it's surely a motivation seeing worse structures on nice ground to redo them

[Per]

Unbelievable.

[Jimmbob]

Wow they look incredible! Its amazing what an affect that has on the whole look of the game.

[DevUrandom]

Sheesh!

[whippersnapper]

.

very impressive, gerard - makes a world of diff in the 'immersion'.experience.... zarel mentioned how the rest of the gxf will pale side by side but i think artists will be inspired to create new models (as elio expressed). one thing you will have test (among other things to be sure) is running an MP game with at least 4 players.i really don't know your netcode but Pumpkin's would always seem to break with gfx upgrades of this high quality with 4 to 8 players..

'craters' can indeed be done as 3d objects-models.... you need put them in 'map features'....gotta know your chit too cause
it ain't "a piece of cake" to do..... you'd think it way easy, but it's not... best bet is to "break" the model over 4 tiles.. looks way better than a tertile crater, no doubt 'bout that.

prize for best looking water in an RTS - has to go to "Red Alert 3".

..

[psychopompos]

if i thought i would have half a clue about the description, i would ask "how?".
thats pretty incredible.

[Tenoh]

Thats awesome! Greate job! I bet devs could do stuff with this!
Hmm.... wish there were grass and real looking trees there! and more realistic building would be nice too!

[EvilGuru]

Gerard is is a dev! (Who also works on the Lua branch.)

Regards, Freddie.

[gerard_]

I did some more work on the code (which you can't see in the screenshots), and I replaced the textures with free ones. I committed my work to the terrain branch in svn.

Here are some screenshots with the new textures:

[Dr_Frodo]

I like the new terrain textures very much, except for the foliage/plant life. It looks weird especially being flat, besides, there shouldn't be plant life in WZ should there? the nuclear winter would've wiped out pretty much all ground based life (and certain aquatic life too, but that's not important).

If the textures you have used are free/OS then would there be a way to re-texture most things in-game with a similar style, as it looks very nice. (especially the cliff faces)

[fisk0]

That looks awesome, could really help the game engine look more modern to new players.
As for plantlife, there's already plenty of it in the original game, especially in the snow enviroment, but the desert tileset had small green bushes all over the place.
I really think a lot of plantlife would survive a nuclear holocaust better than animal life and humans would, just like a forest fire. Especially since (If I remember the story correctly) the game takes place some time after the war, which I guess would allow some plants to regrow.
Personally I'd love there to be more plantlife in the urban enviroment - that would in my opinion make it look much more apocalyptic. Think of the pictures of Chernobyl you've seen, with plants growing up between the tiles on the abandoned city square, and plants on the walls up even on the tallest of the buildings.
I remember reading as a kid how in only a couple of years (edit: of course, by 'a couple' I don't mean like "in two years", but in only a decade or 'only a few years" or so) much of the world's cities would be overgrown if humanity would suddenly disappear. Granted, a lot would be burned up in the blast, but I guess many roots underground could survive.

[fisk0]

and hey, as for the flatness, remember that you'll be playing most of the game zoomed out pretty far, and I think some bumpmapping could handle the rest.

[Deus Siddis]

HOLY SHIT!

This is an unbelievable improvement!