Putting the 'role' back in role-playing games since 2002.
Donate to Codex
Good Old Games
  • Welcome to rpgcodex.net, a site dedicated to discussing computer based role-playing games in a free and open fashion. We're less strict than other forums, but please refer to the rules.

    "This message is awaiting moderator approval": All new users must pass through our moderation queue before they will be able to post normally. Until your account has "passed" your posts will only be visible to yourself (and moderators) until they are approved. Give us a week to get around to approving / deleting / ignoring your mundane opinion on crap before hassling us about it. Once you have passed the moderation period (think of it as a test), you will be able to post normally, just like all the other retards.

AoD Lighting sucks. Badly.

crufty

Arcane
Joined
Jun 29, 2004
Messages
6,383
Location
Glassworks
No that my vote counts for anything, but I'd explore shadows as an afterthought. If the engine doesn't have it as easy as "Interior.shadow_cast=true", then it wasn't meant to be. Ping the vendor to get with it, thats what they are there for, and focus on the game play elements. W/lightmaps, it seems like it would be trivial to activate the archetypical gradient shadow for important moving actors, though I have no knowledge of Torque, and so it might be incredibly difficult.

I'd worry about the graphics after the story can be played out from beginning to end...
 

Nick

Iron Tower Studio
Developer
Joined
Apr 21, 2004
Messages
317
Location
Over the hills and far away
DarkSign said:
As Im sure you know, the Torque Constructor will be out semi-soon. That would help.

While I go hunting, you might look into using 3d World Studio for doing interiors. http://www.leadwerks.com/ Perhaps you have already. It's a lot like Hammer (if you've done HL editing). Very easy to use as well. But you've probably considered this program already, no?

I would have thought that the specific wiki page above - especially the part about direct and linked lighting - would have helped.

Here's a thread that also might help (asusming im understanding you correctly:
Custom interior ambient light

If not just pm me with exactly what you are trying to do but cant and Ill keep digging (read as: ask someone smarter than myself)

EDIT: I could have sworn that we had dynamic interior shadowing working. Are you portaling your "interiors?" Im putting quotes around that because I realized that Torque's definition of interior and the common usage are different and I might have been confusing the two. But the portalling question is an important one.

Ah, now I see why we don't understand each other :) You have probably missed the fact that we use DTSs objects for interiors, not DIFs. When you use such terms as "portaling" and "Torque's definition of interior", I'm sure you mean DIF format.
 

Claw

Erudite
Patron
Joined
Aug 7, 2004
Messages
3,777
Location
The center of my world.
Project: Eternity Divinity: Original Sin 2
Which begs the question: If it's so problematic, why are you using DTS objects for interiors?
Didn't you expect the problems? Is there any advantage to using DTS?
 

Nick

Iron Tower Studio
Developer
Joined
Apr 21, 2004
Messages
317
Location
Over the hills and far away
Claw said:
Which begs the question: If it's so problematic, why are you using DTS objects for interiors?
Didn't you expect the problems? Is there any advantage to using DTS?

Why we've chosen DTS:
1) It supports animations;
2) It allows to operate with separate elements of the shape, like hide/show certain meshes;
3) It allows to create mush more detailed models, because DIF format uses only convex shapes and thus has a lot of limitations; remember the Quake maps? That's basically the same technique as DIF (BSP);
4) Making DIFs is a pain in the ass - 3dsmax (that we use for making DTSs) is far superior to any existsing tool for creating or converting into DIF format.
 

Necro

Novice
Joined
Dec 6, 2006
Messages
21
while i agree the game is HEAVILY graphically inferior, it doesn't matter that much since an rpg has never been about graphics, look at fallout 2 for example it was made in 98 and while being ugly by todays standards i still go thru it every few months. My main problem with the game graphics is the lighting as was stated earlier its all so bright which reminds of quake 1 style graphics with no shadows or in an rpg sense a world where there are no roofs :P
 

nihil

Augur
Joined
Jun 11, 2006
Messages
490
Location
Sweden
Project: Eternity
Necro said:
look at fallout 2 for example it was made in 98 and while being ugly by todays standards

I actually think Fallout 2 has more appealing graphics than most new games today (even with its modest 256 colors). They don't seem to get the same level of detail and atmosphere into the 3D stuff, in most cases.

Anyway, back to topic: I agree with the original poster about the lighting in AoD being dull. I actually thought of that early on, but I refrained from commenting on it. I would play this game with its current look, no question about it, but the graphics would gain a lot of depth from more contrast in the lighting. Now, things cast (static/rendered, I assume) shadows, but the shaded sides of the models aren't darker, it seems, or the difference is minimal. It does look like a "polygon_shading" flag has been set to false, or something. I want to make clear, I'm not talking about shadows here, I'm talking about shaded polygons.

If this isn't fixable, no big deal (but it would make me question the completeness of the engine). I just mean it should be looked into. I also want to say that I haven't read all the pages of this thread, so if this didn't add anything to the topic, please excuse my laziness.

EDIT: Ok, I actually browsed the thread quickly now and that outdoor scene with the campfire looks great. That's what I'm talking about. A bit more contrast during daytime lighting would probably help, too, though. So well done and good luck with the indoors stuff.
 

As an Amazon Associate, rpgcodex.net earns from qualifying purchases.
Back
Top Bottom