JPDS~testing - Version 3 released for Week of Tres!!

Post by **Draconisaurus** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 2:21 pm

Hey so, I've decided that soon I'll release a beta version (aka whatever I have done at the time) of the "JPDS~testing" level that I (and the team to some extent) have used to quickly test out new things that we want to do in trespasser, w/out modifying the main level or going through the trouble of loading the whole frakin thing when we only want to work with a few aspects. Also very useful when modifying objects that are to be put in the level before we know that they work, especially since palettes aren't filled up yet. An older version of the level was actually turned directly into LostJungle by Mickey when I told him to go all-out with foliaging. It was originally just going to be a much prettier version of JPDS~testing, but it became clear that it was a level of its own, so I renamed it and developed it further so it could be released. This level still has minimal foliaging (though still looks nice in its own ways) and has a large variety of interesting set-ups around the level.. it also has many new dinosaurs that will be taken out just prior to release..

I've desided to release this soon because I've just stayed up all night to create the working destructible buildings.

Seriously, I was so happy to see this work.. me and some friends were quite amazed to see such a thing in Trespasser. It's supposed to be the sort of thing you find in next-gen games like Crysis, and not an old dinky '98 engine like Trespasser.

But low and behold, it works! Had to try a variety of methods.. and lots of innovation. But I got.

At first, I finally got the Alberta to knock the walls down - but he was always killed off quickly in the process. Stupid physics.. no messing with the wall densities or point of unfreezing helped the issue. I realized that I had to get passed the hit points issue directly, and logically I thought of giving the Alberta mega-hitpoints.. but that's not very realistic, and would keep the player from being able to defeat him. Then I had a wacky idea... I believe it was Slugger who said he managed to create a magnet gun, which pulled objects closer which were shot at, by giving the "Push" variable a negative value. I was looking at the wall script, thinking about how it didn't even have any damage value.. and then a thought occurred. What if I gave it negative damage? Would it really give hitpoints to something struck by it!?!?!? Turns out, the answer is yes.

Trust me.. when you have this level... you'll want to keep doing it over and over and over again mahahahahaa

(Needless to say, this feature will be implemented in JPDS1, along with additional scripting I've thought of to make it even cooler )

Post by **Second Illiteration** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 2:45 pm

So you got destructible buildings...awesome...like I said I kept trying to get it to work and it never turned out very well (but you have a lot more knowledge and experience) so I'm glad to see you succeeded.

Post by **tatu** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 3:28 pm

Awsome man

Can't wait

machf · Post by **machf** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 3:55 pm

Hmmm... as interesting as that sounds, somehow I believe dinosaurs SHOULD be injured in the process of destroying a building, and even killed if the debris fall on them. Leave negative damage for healthpacks, healing guns, syringes, hyposprays or whatever...

Post by **Second Illiteration** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 4:39 pm

machf wrote:Hmmm... as interesting as that sounds, somehow I believe dinosaurs SHOULD be injured in the process of destroying a building, and even killed if the debris fall on them. Leave negative damage for healthpacks, healing guns, syringes, hyposprays or whatever...

I would agree for a dinosaur breaking through concrete...but if you had like a trex breaking through a wooden fence or wall, I would say it shouldn't be a problem...

Post by **Mickey** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 4:59 pm

Draco don't release the level before I do some foliage

Post by **Draconisaurus** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 6:18 pm

Second Illiteration wrote:
machf wrote:Hmmm... as interesting as that sounds, somehow I believe dinosaurs SHOULD be injured in the process of destroying a building, and even killed if the debris fall on them. Leave negative damage for healthpacks, healing guns, syringes, hyposprays or whatever...

I would agree for a dinosaur breaking through concrete...but if you had like a trex breaking through a wooden fence or wall, I would say it shouldn't be a problem...

Hmmm..

Interesting points. Honestly, it's much more fun to have a threatening dinosaur break through concrete walls and come after you (breaking more as he goes), rather than coming towards you through the wall and then dying instantly. The T-Rex in JP1 certainly didn't seem to have any problem.... I'm going to say that I'll be doing a bit of both wooden-type walls and concrete bases that will be destructable in JPDS1. It could be that specific pieces of the destructible environment will be designed to cause serious damage.. as with the Mayan head in As1. We'll have to see where I take it.

Mickey wrote:Draco don't release the level before I do some foliage

LOL!!! OK Mickey

Don't go overboard though lol this is supposed to be a test level like TC's test~zone, only foliage where the landscape is not already busy...

(btw Mickey, I do believe you are the one who said destructible buildings would crash trespasser

)

Post by **Second Illiteration** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 8:05 pm

Do the buildings break if the player touches them or shoots them?

Post by **Draconisaurus** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 8:13 pm

Second Illiteration wrote:Do the buildings break if the player touches them or shoots them?

Nope, not these ones - it would be possible to set up separate scripting to unfreeze specified modular sections that are fired upon. I know in Crysis you have immense arm strength, but I don't think this applies to Anne/Tasha.

If you think about it.. pistols or even spas's shouldn't be able to knock down concrete walls, either. Maybe wooden ones. I think I will end up allowing some walls to be destructible via weaponry in JPDS1, the thing is that all guns create the "BULLET" sound collision when fired, so no matter what, a wall destructible by one gun is destructible by all.

machf · Post by **machf** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 9:09 pm

OTOH, I guess a rocket-propelled projectile should do...

Post by **Slugger** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 9:10 pm

Actually, it was Tele_Kamikaze who suggested using a negative PushValue.

Are you using breakable magnets? Would be better if not the whole wall came down, but bits and pieces of it...

Post by **Draconisaurus** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 9:17 pm

Slugger wrote:Actually, it was Tele_Kamikaze who suggested using a negative PushValue.

Are you using breakable magnets? Would be better if not the whole wall came down, but bits and pieces of it...

Bits and pieces of it ARE coming down.. sort of. There are no magnets in final version - it's based on location triggers that detect the presense of the Albertasaur. This was the best way to get the pieces to fall apart in logical ways, otherwise breakable magnets would have been needed and for example, the magnets on those table legs have a breakstrength of 10,000 and still break with amazing ease. I was astounded that in a couple instances, one of the legs actually remained attached.. the point is that breakable magnets aren't that useful for this sort of application, generally. I would also like to see slightly smaller pieces of the wall come down.. to this I have two things to say. One, it appears in Crysis as though it is primarily indevidual walls that break down in destructible buildings, not pieces of them. And second... well I don't remember the second thing now. But I do plan on trying for slightly smaller pieces in the JPDS1 edition... just remember that the pieces will all have to be box-shaped most likely, to avoid complex collisions that will crash the engine (perhaps this was the second thing).

machf wrote:OTOH, I guess a rocket-propelled projectile should do...

Lol I'm still not sure how we've gotten that to work.

Does anyone have pics? *remembers someone saying Slash had done this*

machf · Post by **machf** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 9:21 pm

Slugger wrote:Actually, it was Tele_Kamikaze who suggested using a negative PushValue.

Yes, and then it was me who suggested using negative damage values for healing...

Post by **Draconisaurus** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 9:25 pm

Really? Nice... I never got any of that previously lol. Anyways this opens up a nice opportunity for the player to skip around on collapsing structures w/out dying, which I can only imagine will be fun as hell....

machf · Post by **machf** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 9:25 pm

Draconisaurus wrote:But I do plan on trying for slightly smaller pieces in the JPDS1 edition... just remember that the pieces will all have to be box-shaped most likely, to avoid complex collisions that will crash the engine (perhaps this was the second thing).

Start making bricks, in other words...

machf wrote:OTOH, I guess a rocket-propelled projectile should do...
Lol I'm still not sure how we've gotten that to work. Does anyone have pics? *remembers someone saying Slash had done this*

I'm going to give it a try myself.