Infusion Dev Log #3: Real-time 3D Models

[cyborgboy95]

Dev Log #3: Real-time 3D Models

Hi guys,

One thing that we wanted to overcome for a long time when it comes to Underrail's engine are the limitation of the prerendered character models, and in Infusion we're finally going to do it. Character and creature models are going to be rendered in real-time in a style as closely matching that of the (new) prerendered backgrounds as possible in order to retain the established visual feel of the game.

This is going to allow us to display the exact gear on your character, as well as NPCs. If they are wearing a crafted piece of armor, you'll be able to see exactly from what materials it is made (type of leather, carrier vest, metal, etc) and what kind of enhancements it has. Same for the weapons. Also, this will allow us to model the unique pieces to complete that experience of wielding something as awesome as, say, Balor's Hammer. Some mechanical changes when it comes to itemizations are going to follow with this change as well. I'm currently inclined to make the pants a separate slot and I also have an idea for another slot, but I'm going to talk about that more later down the road.

Furthermore, you'll now be able to customize your character by picking their haircut, facial hair (as well as color of these), and skin tone, and maybe even adding tattoos and other features on top of that.

Also, this will allow us to add a lot more animations to characters and creatures which, in addition to the eye candy, will also make the combat more readable as potentially special attacks can now have their own special animations.
Let us know how you like the new models.

Cheers.

 

[Ol' Willy]

This is going to allow us to display the exact gear on your character, as well as NPCs. If they are wearing a crafted piece of armor, you'll be able to see exactly from what materials it is made (type of leather, carrier vest, metal, etc) and what kind of enhancements it has. Same for the weapons. Also, this will allow us to model the unique pieces to complete that experience of wielding something as awesome as, say, Balor's Hammer.

I dreamed about this stuff in Fallout, but I know that adding all of that in prerendered sprites graphic system is a nightmare, so it's no choice but to go for 3D models.

Remember this thing from Fallout 2 and how it still used regular sprites? No more!

 

[ciox]

I figured they would sooner jump to Diablo 2 style sprite composition, where characters, armors, weapons are all pre-rendered separately and the sprites put together in-game to form a complete character, but going whole hog with 3d characters is good too.

 

[Mac_Orion]

Doing 3d is actually the simplest solution once the pipeline is set up and maybe even the cheapest from a performance point of view, sure its less costly to load a sprite and have a vertex plane with 4 vertices (the way we do our 2d sprites) but loading a 2k texture for every animation and switching it all the time+ the cost of loading and patching it all together, I mean that is the main culprit of the size of our game, 3d is just faster on a modern GPU and the models are not insanely high poly.

 

[Ghulgothas]

Huh, is this and the other graphic upscales coming to OG UnderRail, or just Infusion?

 

[Gangrelrumbler]

Will it be retroactively added to the main game?

 

[waken]

Fashion Rail

 

[Goromorg]

Also, this will allow us to add a lot more animations to characters and creatures which, in addition to the eye candy, will also make the combat more readable as potentially special attacks can now have their own special animations.
Let us know how you like the new models.

New animations are always welcome!

 

[Mac_Orion]

Will it be retroactively added to the main game?

No, maybe as some sort of remaster, but as it stands that would be too much work for our small team.

 

[The Great Deceiver]

Any chance UI and portraits will receive an overhaul as well?

 

[Jasede]

I like the portraits.
The UI does look a little perfunctory. Basically the same as Timelapse Vertigo's first screenshot.

 

[Styg]

Any chance UI and portraits will receive an overhaul as well?

UI will surely be improved upon in due time.

 

[jackofshadows]

I'm a little confused: are all models in Infusion will be 3d? In addition to other visual changes/improves which were shown before. While all models now are just sprites. I'm aware that it'll be a stand-alone expansion but seems that it'll look quite different, mechanically wise a bit too (new slots at least), more like a sequel, right? Not that I'm complaining - seeing every distinctive gear detail is awesome.

 

[Whisper]

Any chance UI and portraits will receive an overhaul as well?

UI will surely be improved upon in due time.

Dont nerf Psionics a lot please. Need some OP builds for hardest difficulty.

 

[Jasede]

**Throws a knife at level 20 for 50 damage, 50 of which are absorbed**
OP builds you say

 

[Takamori]

Any chances we will get gory deaths in Infusion?

 

[Trash Player]

Any chances we will get gory deaths in Infusion?

It should be reasonably cheap and easy by indie 3D standard nowadays. ATOM did it, admittedly on Unity.

 

[Mac_Orion]

Any chances we will get gory deaths in Infusion?

i will at some point research how we could do it, if you ask me, the answer is yes, at least make the enemy bloody.

 

[Major_Blackhart]

Insane enemy deaths would be fantastic. I keep going back to Crusader: No Remorse

 

[Takamori]

Nice! Can't wait for the work in progress and release of Infusion

 

[ItsChon]

Dev Log #3: Real-time 3D Models

Hi guys,

One thing that we wanted to overcome for a long time when it comes to Underrail's engine are the limitation of the prerendered character models, and in Infusion we're finally going to do it. Character and creature models are going to be rendered in real-time in a style as closely matching that of the (new) prerendered backgrounds as possible in order to retain the established visual feel of the game.

This is going to allow us to display the exact gear on your character, as well as NPCs. If they are wearing a crafted piece of armor, you'll be able to see exactly from what materials it is made (type of leather, carrier vest, metal, etc) and what kind of enhancements it has. Same for the weapons. Also, this will allow us to model the unique pieces to complete that experience of wielding something as awesome as, say, Balor's Hammer. Some mechanical changes when it comes to itemizations are going to follow with this change as well. I'm currently inclined to make the pants a separate slot and I also have an idea for another slot, but I'm going to talk about that more later down the road.

Furthermore, you'll now be able to customize your character by picking their haircut, facial hair (as well as color of these), and skin tone, and maybe even adding tattoos and other features on top of that.

Also, this will allow us to add a lot more animations to characters and creatures which, in addition to the eye candy, will also make the combat more readable as potentially special attacks can now have their own special animations.
Let us know how you like the new models.

Cheers.

I need to see how these 3D models will look on the 2D art background. Has some potential to be cool but I can't help but imagine this looking like ass. Styg and his boys haven't done me wrong yet though, so here's hoping!

 

[ciox]

The background 2D art is also pre-rendered, old pixel art aside which is nowhere to be found in screenshots of Infusion.

Only problem I can think of is if there is a difference in timing/fps between the backgrounds and the characters, like the characters are animated at a smooth 60 fps like in the devlog, while the backgrounds animate at 20fps or lower.
But from what I've seen the backgrounds in Infusion also animate smoothly, and Underrail had this issue before anyway as backgrounds usually animated quite slowly if they had animations, and the animation rates were pretty inconsistent across various objects and terrain.

 

[Mac_Orion]

The background 2D art is also pre-rendered, old pixel art aside which is nowhere to be found in screenshots of Infusion.

Only problem I can think of is if there is a difference in timing/fps between the backgrounds and the characters, like the characters are animated at a smooth 60 fps like in the devlog, while the backgrounds animate at 20fps or lower.
But from what I've seen the backgrounds in Infusion also animate smoothly, and Underrail had this issue before anyway as backgrounds usually animated quite slowly if they had animations, and the animation rates were pretty inconsistent across various objects and terrain.

95% percent will be pre-rendered when it comes to the background, I build also an standalone app that allows me to make really quick atlases with a lot of frames and export meta data for the engine so a lot of sprite animations will definitely have more frames than before. Did some tests with crates opening or the ventilator that is smooth as F**, but sure i will adapt it so a lot of content can be pushed out, there is still work to do on the pipeline. First we actually did want to startle the 3d model animations, but if the environment can keep up, why do it?
Anyways these are still design decisions and there is an ungodly amount of work in front of us.

 

[ciox]

The background 2D art is also pre-rendered, old pixel art aside which is nowhere to be found in screenshots of Infusion.

Only problem I can think of is if there is a difference in timing/fps between the backgrounds and the characters, like the characters are animated at a smooth 60 fps like in the devlog, while the backgrounds animate at 20fps or lower.
But from what I've seen the backgrounds in Infusion also animate smoothly, and Underrail had this issue before anyway as backgrounds usually animated quite slowly if they had animations, and the animation rates were pretty inconsistent across various objects and terrain.

95% percent will be pre-rendered when it comes to the background, I build also an standalone app that allows me to make really quick atlases with a lot of frames and export meta data for the engine so a lot of sprite animations will definitely have more frames than before. Did some tests with crates opening or the ventilator that is smooth as F**, but sure i will adapt it so a lot of content can be pushed out, there is still work to do on the pipeline. First we actually did want to startle the 3d model animations, but if the environment can keep up, why do it?
Anyways these are still design decisions and there is an ungodly amount of work in front of us.

Sounds great, you guys shouldn't have any trouble making the characters and environment play well with each other.

 

[Horvatii]

Dev Log #3: Real-time 3D Models

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