Wow, some serious progress going on!
Looks impressive man. I’m fully learning, but would be superhappy if I could ever make it to your skills!
respect!
Now he looks like he’s delivering stock. 
[img]http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/2997/resstock1.jpg
Image RemovedThat resource ground will pile up as I further develop the game and more resource types come into play.
Here’s some screenshots of my Code progress…
Image RemovedImage RemovedImage RemovedImage RemovedImage RemovedImage RemovedImage RemovedA long way to go still before I can turn my attentions to graphics. I won’t start swapping graphics and detailing until I finish the entire game around level one.
I increased my texture resolution some because the detailing wasn’t showing enough. Big difference. 
Image RemovedI was looking around at all the top RTS games out now. The best graphics goes to Mejesty2 and Settlers 7 (S7 best). If I could pull close to Mejesty2 graphically, I would be contempt with graphics (given performance). We’ll see at project end if I can do that. Can’t wait to get some shadows in.
Gameplay is where I can eventually slip through the cracks. There is nothing on the market in the image of what I’m creating (gameplay wise).
I read post after post of “gamers” talking about how RTS games get boring because they just focus on the City Building and not Combat enough. Some want more story, others want less story.
“Gamers” will forever have issues with games, so want I want to do is create an RTS that will not bore them. One that will keep them glued to their seat and entertained throughout the entire game.
Of course, that’s easier written then executed. 
PS,
I noticed several point and click games with pre-rendered backgrounds made with P3D. Something of this nature (my RTS) would be a nice addition to completed projects with P3D. A project like this is much more fps intense, so it can bold well for what P3D can do on the all 3D graphic side.
Just realized I wasn’t using flattenStrong correctly. A test of mine confirmed this. Therefore, my current place holding trees are not effective, even as place holders. I might take the time to model some good trees, so flattenStrong can take effect (since I learned the correct way to do it). I wasn’t looking to do that stuff until way later. 
Image RemovedI’m not sure how the particular tree model you’re using can affect the way flattenStrong works.
It was modeled wrong, texturing and all. It was also exported incorrectly.
I had another model that was not correct as well. I went back and re-modeled, applied a texture mat with one material and flattenStrong took effect.
I don’t know all the ins and outs with flattenStrong, but for the time being, everything seems fine. My goal in the future is to model in a way that avoids the usage of flattenStrong (since so much changes when it’s called). FlattenStrong can be a game saver, but it can also created unwanted results, which ties to the contruction of the model itself (based on my experience using it).
Image RemovedThese new models are built to work correctly with flattenStrong(). The detail is very low because of the low resolution texture mat. I plan on making three different texture databases any way. Ultra High (HD), Medium (default) and low.
These trees will also stand out more with shadows later. Other tree types will vary in trunk shape. Since these are lumber trees, I need the trunks straight up.
Image RemovedOk… 
After numberous lighting issues on objects (and different solution tests; no avail), I’m going to have to re-model again; but this time doing it in a way that’ll force lighting to at least appear as it should according to light sources. The newest trees turned out fine. I’m going to remake the palm trees now.
Image RemovedMan… P3D developing is tiring.
Image RemovedI know, I know… I’m getting into visuals and I shouldn’t be doing so, yet.
Well I’m backing out now.
I’m thinking about taking a couple of days off too.
Another day, another byte typed…
I’ve been taking some time off from all the programming and resting up. I will most likely continue to do that until some time next month. You have to take some time off while developing a large project, or you’ll drop dead.
However, I have been putting several hours a day into some lighter work surrounding my game’s development. I guess I did get in some programming too; my path finding AI needed some work done on it.
My Actors would run into an obstruction and sometime change their minds several times about which way to go around the obstruction before they actually went around. This didn’t look good at all and it became annoying fast the more I saw it.
I decided to give the path finding AI an over haul. Man oh man does the path finding look good now! My Actors will not only instantly make up their mind on which way to go, they will do it logically. In other words, if going around left is closest to the goal, they will go around left instead of right.
If going around left or right is equal in terms of distance to the goal, it doesn’t matter which way. Actor movement looks better as well. Before they moved almost in a “zig zag” way, going from point A to point B because of the obstacles they dodged. Now they follow the road way more and make clean turns around corners.
Really, it looks just about perfect! 
The best thing about the path finding AI I wrote is the fact it does not use any Panda3D collision detection; it is entirely mathematical. In fact, the only Panda3D collision detection I use is for the ground surface, because the terrain is uneven (will be more so in other levels. Level 1 is like a tutorial level).
I won’t start working like crazy again on the project until some time next month, but I can tell you this…. The game already looks different. I took the time to get rid of the poor looking building structures and inserted some higher detailed, quality looking ones.
So don’t expect things to look exactly like it did in previous screen shots. You might be in for a sweet little treat! 
Although, I won’t concentrate strongly on graphics until that phase comes around.
PS,
Please keep all the contents of this thread within this thread. Do not post or link any material that’s here, across the internet.
Thank you.
I’ve been trying to create a look that’s human like, but with a slightly different muscle contour. These are Alien people after all.
image removed by markjacksonguy, because host was an idiotThese Characters will have on outfits, but I wanted to make sure their Alien bodies underneath are prepared some just incase skin does show.
I’ve been sleeping like a hog lately. That’s what happens when you get behind on sleep. I’ve been putting in long hours on this project since the start of this year. Time off was much needed.
I added more camera control to the game. In addition to scrolling the camera, I can now rotate and flip the camera.
It’s amazing how the incomplete visuals look from different angles. The game is already starting to look like quality.
I had a little online chat with a true developer (by true I mean someone who has produced commercial material and has dealt with a publisher) a couple of days ago (I won’t tossed his name out here) about dealing with the current publishers now and days.
He gave me some really good advice so I won’t be in the dark later or get taken by surprise. One thing he told me keeps repeating itself in my head…
He said…
“Make sure you have a playable demo that really impress and stands out.”
When you think of all the games publishers look at every week… It should kind of freak you out if you’re developing your first professional title.
Just think… You have to beat out other developers just to get a spot with a publisher, since most of them will only publish so many games a year and those are the ones that really shine.
So…
Seeing my Project starting to bloom some visually is a good sign. I just hope I can really poor it on during the graphic phase of development later on. Keeping performance up will surely create thin ice to walk on.
May everyone in the P3D community pray for me.
What I’m going to talk about here is the concept behind my Pathfinding AI. This explanation will be short because the concept is so simple, but yet powerful if used correctly (which I have).
In the image you can see there are two types of grids; static and dynamic.
Static Grid – this is your basic grid where each cell is connected to another cell. If you had a Character sitting at cell A of the Static Grid, that Character would have to pass over the next connecting cell as it moves along its path. The “Navmesh” concept is similar to this one.
Dynamic Grid – I’ve never seen this type of grid used before in any game, so as far as I know, it came from my head…because it came from nowhere else that I know of.
This concept is different from the Static Grid concept because each cell in the grid is NOT connected! In fact, each cell is free to move around and position itself where ever. It doesn’t matter where your Character will start or what cells they pass over with this concept. Why?
For starters, your Character does not pass over cells of the Dynamic Grid. Instead, your Character will move around the cells of a Dynamic Grid. The only time a Character will pass over the cell is when the cell is empty, but there is no need for an empty cell. One could just delete the cell if that’s the case.
Unlike the Static Grid, Characters moving on the Dynamic Grid do not have to trace out a direct path to a goal. Instead, Dynamic Grid Characters will move directly towards the goal until they come in contact with a cell. Characters that come in contact with a Dynamic cell will then perform a mathematical pathfind around the Dynamic cell. What makes the Dynamic Grid so cool is the fact, the pathfind code only has two directions; left and right (for each side of the cell, which is four). Your Character will attempt to go around the cell left or they will go around the cell right. Which way chosen is entirely depended on the distance to the goal itself; which his measured from the corners of the current colliding side of the Dynamic Cell.
When a Dynamic Grid Character is under the control of the pathfind AI, they will move parallel to the cell’s sides, going left or right. Once the Character reaches the edge of one side of a cell, they will turn the corner and move just a little along the new side of the cell. At this point, the pathfinding AI breaks and allows for the Character to make another attempt to move straight for the goal.
In a Dynamic concept Panda3D environment, there is no grid present. Each blocked cell of the Dynamic Grid concept is represented by a perpendicular square region around each object or structure. Everything in the 3D world sits on a Dynamic Cell except for the Actors. It’s easier to keep each cell the same size, but you can make them different sizes. This will however, create additional coding.
With the Dynamic Grid concept, I am able to place down a building, tree, rock, etc within my RPG RTS game and not worry about my Actors moving around the object if they need to. I don’t have to pre layout an environment in a modeling application just to single out invalid moving space or cells, either.
When placing buildings close, road way is also automatically defined. All I would have to do is lay down tile for the streets if I wanted to, or just leave it as bare ground.
Because Actors move so cleanly along the sides of the Dynamic Cells and turn corners, the pathfind looks really good. I can mark any object or any position as a goal for any Character and they will move from their current position to the goal with perfection. The surface layout of the level does not matter at all. You can have a really uneven (realistic) terrain and it will not matter.
Even if the Characters’ goal was moving, it would not matter. They will simply continue to move towards the goal and go around anything that’s in their way. With the Dynamic Grid concept, it is easy to create more realistic walk cycles for NPCs as well. All one would have to do is change the goal or point and the NPC would start moving toward that goal or point and make their own way around objects. Thus, no NPC would take the same path every time but would still end up where they should be.
This makes NPCs look a lot more like they are alive and thinking, because they don’t take the same robotic path. They will take the same path if it is the honest, closest path.
Pathfinding this loose and accurate can support a lot of game ideas that involve movement. I don’t feel pathfinding AI is needed for most games, but I will surely continue to use the Dynamic Grid concept with future games that do need pathfinding AI (at least with Panda3D).
Can’t wait until I have a video ready. Seeing is believing.
Concept Art - Designing Alien Race From the Ground Up
Image RemovedAlthough much skin will not show on the characters since they will have outfits, it’s nice to have the “birthday” outfit ready just in case. The muscle contour looks Alien enough for me.
The “gamer” will play this race of people, but they will be of variety more when I get to characters. By default, things like skin tone, eyes and hair will be randomized (as well as body types).
I was thinking about allowing the “gamer” to set a standard for their race of people, thus controlling the randomization of each character if they wish to.
That is only a consideration at the moment.
As for the planet the game takes place on -
I already know I want to divide the planet into two regions; the outer continents and the central continents. Each Central continent will be more like a large island.
There will be many races on this planet, but the two leading races will be the one the “gamer” plays and their number one enemy. The “gamer’s” race and their number one enemy are both scattered across the outer continents; at least, that’s the way it started.
The main enemy race, as the story goes, did something that was not expected. It was over looked by the “gamer’s” race because it did not cause direct threat. After some time passed, things started to get out of control within the Central continents.
Thus the story begins…
Of course, there are a lot of holes in that explanation, but that’s because I don’t want to give the story away.
The story is designed to give reason behind the actions of your race of people. That’s one of the things I like to do, give reason behind things and not leave something without reason because that raises questions unanswered. There’s a reason why the King/Queen of your Race wanted to establish cities in the Central continents.
While you are doing that, you are also ordered to take care of the issues that have surfaced, which are directly related to your number one enemy. The other races of my game world will either be allies of your race, allies of your enemy or neutral.
All the different situations occurring will create missions, which make up whole scenarios, thus making the bed for “RPGish” game play.
Been awhile since my last “digital diary” input –
Right now, this project seems to break down into three major parts to develop on the programming side (unless something changes that). I am just about near the end of major part 1. I have the city building part of the RTS working; at least 95% of it. (I have some smaller things to do still, but nothing serious)
Right now, I think I want to move into the combat system. The combat system is major part 2. The basic movement/pathfinding for the characters is complete, so I have to add commands and attack animations. Doing the combat system will also create work within the GUI, relating to combat control.
As a player of the game, you will not control your Heroes directly in combat, but you will be able to build their combat AI, to increase their chances of success. You will be able to direct a specific soldier to attack a specific enemy and you will be able to move them individually or as a group.
I’m basing the combat system on old school RPGs like the famous Final Fantasy series of the past, except the action will not be turn base; it will be real-time action as that of an RTS. Your military is not really called a military in this game, just as soldiers and commanders are not called soldiers and commanders. You have Heroes who have a specific Title according to their status; rather they’re a leader or a follower.
Right now, the number of max Heroes under the “gamer’s” command will be ten (although I’m programming it for twenty).
My goal now is to push as much as I can on this project; in other words, make the most out of the remaining April Month.
Then I will post up the results of long, hard, tiring, development work for April.
I think it is an interesting concept to have the player build up the ai for the heros instead of directly controlling them.
Take a look at these they will help you when doing your characters skin.
navate.deviantart.com/art/SKIN-a … -145160154
I haven’t done any character skins yet, just concepts (mainly muscle contour concepts for alien race). I’m not working visuals and characters will be amongst the last thing I get too.
There’s way too much programming work to do, so I can’t afford to jump into graphics yet; and I love doing detailed face maps. 
All the different detail on detail that makes up a realistic skin…right down to the lip texture that makes them look kissable. Freckles, finelines…you name it.
Keep in mind, this project is based on a fantasy world and not planet Earth. Think of starwars; this game will have a lot of unusual living races that have their own look and structure/appearance.
PS,
I have however, elevated the overall level visuals some. I didn’t want all of you looking at the “crappy” buildings and bad mountain range texturing the entire project. 
Believe it or not, that has already been done in a game before.
Have you ever played Final Fantasy 12? If I remember correctly, that game did the same thing except it gave you the option of directly controlling the characters as well. I believe the system was called “Gambit” or something like that.
I guess you can say I’m doing something similar except you can never control your Heros directly (combat wise). You can only train them AI wise the best you can according to what skills/techs they have available.
My goal is to truly capture a traditional RPGish combat feel, but wrap it up in a sweet little RTS package. I have different ideals about capturing closeup combat action, especially when one of your Heros perform a skilled attacked. Wish me luck. 