Messages

661

Offtopic / Re: Daiky's x-com project

« on: October 05, 2010, 07:07:21 pm »

I'm more with SupSuper in for 2D... open source... moddable...

Unless I can use the team of Blizzard that created the artwork for Starcraft 2 to make me all the models of X-Com UFO.

662

Offtopic / Re: Show your project

« on: October 05, 2010, 01:06:58 pm »

My favorite project always has been UFO:Cydonias Fall, the models really look nice and authentic.
Their goal is the same thing I wanted to do years ago with my project.
But there is not a lot of news, I don't know the current status if it.
https://ufo.yaa.dk/index.php?categoryid=3

663

Offtopic / Re: Daiky's x-com project

« on: October 05, 2010, 12:39:47 pm »

Yeah, the problem is, I got 4 projects atm.
I got the project Xcomufo3D,  which I quit 4 years ago. It's current functionality is very basic, loading a map in X-Com style, with 3D objects on it, pathfinding and shooting stuff.
I got the project which I called XcomufoHD, started this year. It's goal was to end up as close as possible to the original, but with some higher resolution 2D graphics. It is playable with terrain destruction, explosions, fire, smoke, line of sight, spawnpoints, routes and AI,... lots of stuff that is not in the xcomufo3D project yet.
This project has 2 other branches, the one with 3D shadows blended on top of the 2D. But technically this is stuck now.
And another branch with a totally new user interface.

I have quit the Xcomufo3D project, because of the main focus on such a project is the art. I do know it would be great to see all the XCom units and maps in a 3D environment. But in such a project I would like to do all the 3D modelling first and keep the game engine for last.

The only project where I can see a light at the end of the tunnel is the xcomufoHD project with the new user interface. On the other hand it is true that 2D isometric is totally outdated now, no matter how high the resolution of your sprites...

Choices...

664

Offtopic / Re: Daiky's x-com project

« on: September 25, 2010, 11:06:30 am »

That official kick off will be at september 21st, when I'm back from a short vacation, it will be back online with a new website with blog, code repository, bug/feature tracker, forum,...

It's september 21st already Where is your new site?

Well, there is a new blog, but it's not public yet. (there is not a lot of news since last time)
I'm still looking for that extra programmer (in the irrlicht 3D community), because I'm struggling with a few issues there. The performance is still really bad; the reason is that for example a simple barn is treated as almost 200 seperate 3D objects. It should be one object, but that means creating meshes dynamically. Another thing is the current version of irrlicht 3D has really bad shadowing functions. I'm waiting for version 1.8, because it would include better shadows.
Not that I'm not doing anything in while I'm waiting, just not anything 3D at the moment.

665

Offtopic / Re: Daiky's x-com project

« on: September 10, 2010, 01:18:44 pm »

Great work Daiky

when i see your work its look like was build using LEGO, add some simple colours and we can start play.
i have some crazy idea, it will be fun if you can allow to have dynamic LoF template image a possibility to blow holes (or new windows :>) in walls.
you can do it in 2 ways, by adding new template and replace old in that square (or some bit mask) or allow every square have they own LoF data (around 512B per square, 6MB per map, you dont need read all this at once only when you try see or shoot something)

Thanks.
The desctruction works pretty much like it was in the original (it already works btw). If you blow out a wall, the wall is replaced with a destroyed wall and the model in the 3D world is replaced by the destroyed model.

666

Offtopic / Re: Daiky's x-com project

« on: September 03, 2010, 11:06:40 am »

It's a very interesting approach, although the LOF templates are just approximations so you'll inevitably lose some detail.

True. The detail was just fine for line-of-fire and field-of-view checking. When I go one step up and use their shadows and lighting, it's just when I try it, to see if it usable. It is possible I can't use the LOF templates for everything and have to create a few custom models.

PS. you'll notice how floor/rooftops and walls are build up in small pieces. It produces strange visual effects, but I'm working on a procedure to merge these objects at run-time. It should not only remove the artifacts, but dramatically decrease the number of polygons.

667

Offtopic / Re: Daiky's x-com project

« on: September 02, 2010, 08:44:43 pm »

A farm map, quickly rendered in 3D using the original LOF-templates:


Note that there are a lot of artefacts and stuff that needs to be reworked, but is is used as a start for the shadow/lighting effects in my remake.

The explanation what I'm doing with it is in my post:
https://www.daiky.be/2010/09/2d-3d-x-comufo25d.html

668

Suggestions / Re: Ideas for improving soldier usability

« on: September 01, 2010, 03:35:40 pm »

Impressive and nicely written down list of suggestions bramcor!

About the soldier screening, I think it should be better if the pool of soldiers you select from always have the same cumulative worth. Supposing they already had a pre-selection sorting out the slackers.
But that you are able to screen them for their strengths and weaknesses. So you can make actual strategic decisions instead of doing a boring job sorting out good and bad.

If you win a battle, then you think by yourself "Hmm, I did a nice job selecting the soldiers to make a nicely balanced winning team. I like this game, because I'm good at it."
That is what makes a strategy game a good strategy game.

669

Open Feedback / Re: OpenXcom performance for dummies

« on: August 25, 2010, 01:53:46 am »

actually I was more interested in the part about how coding OpenXcom in c++ is different from how UFO was made and what impact it has on the systems that execute the code.

Big parts of the code of XCOM UFO must have been copy-paste from Laser Squad (Julian Gollop's creation), which was the game XCOM UFO was based on. That game was written for systems like ZX spectrum, C64,... Proof of that is for example in a lot of the variables that had a maximum of 255, that is 8 bit. Also one of the reasons why initially the game was split up between 2 executables, to save memory. Data that needed to be loaded are very compact binary blocks, byte by byte read from disk directly into memory. Such things were a typical way of working in assembly written software. The reason why XCOM UFO was so easely ported to Amiga was also because of that, the Amiga could nicely run ZX spectrum, C64, etc games.
Anyway, when the game was released, hardware was already far beyond the minimum requirements of XCOM UFO. Later on, it was ported into one EXE and compiled to run on windows.

670

Open Feedback / Re: OpenXcom performance for dummies

« on: August 24, 2010, 07:12:07 pm »

Hi bramcor,
I think you are mixing up game timers and performance (or FPS) here. Let me try to explain:

A game timer is something that calls a function at fixed intervals to do some recalculations and update the state of objects in the game. In this case, it is used to update the in-game time for the day-night cycle(which updates the globe), monthly calculation of base costs, ... later maybe movement of ships(which will update the globe), AI, etc...

It is very important that on every system this is at exactly 10 times per second, increasing that frequency will just make the gametime go faster, and certainly has nothing to do with performance like you say in your title.

If you would check the real FPS openXCOM gets, I bet it is a lot higher than you get in Call of Duty 4

671

Offtopic / Re: Daiky's x-com project

« on: August 18, 2010, 10:29:53 am »

Daiky - do you plan to release some tech demo maybe?

Some day maybe.
The only thing that I have planned now is for to get the project back on track (this open xcom project inspired me), getting one or more extra programmers to join it for a new kick off, where I also want to have the role as a Project Leader. I hope to find programmers in my country, so we can actually meet IRL also. I don't know how realistic that is
That official kick off will be at september 21st, when I'm back from a short vacation, it will be back online with a new website with blog, code repository, bug/feature tracker, forum,...

672

Suggestions / Re: Support for interchangeable gameplay features from all 3 X-Com Games

« on: August 16, 2010, 10:42:56 am »

I think I have to check out apocalypse (I never played it) for this gravity influences destruction. Because I wanted to implement such a thing in my battlescape, but I never figured out how, maybe apoc can give me ideas...

673

Offtopic / Re: Daiky's x-com project

« on: August 15, 2010, 10:05:19 pm »

I wish OpenXcom will have the same UI as original but with shortcuts for each action so mouse will be used only on map, but not on the panel.

I totally agree with the shortcuts for actions!
I don't agree with same UI as original. For me it always has been a weak point in the original game; and today with higher resolution screens, UIs can contain more info for the user, so you have to click less buttons to get the same info (like a minimap and a soldier selection panel, see my blog link below)
https://www.daiky.be/2010/08/good-day-for-user-interface-prototyping.html

PS. And if you look closely to the screenshot, you will notice a subtile shadow at the feet of the soldiers... very small enhancement, but it makes a difference

PS2. I was also looking for a way to soften the edge of the fog of war (by using shaders), but that enhancement is currently on hold.

674

Offtopic / Re: Daiky's x-com project

« on: August 15, 2010, 06:41:05 pm »

Yes, TomVD, that's me. And I had registrated xcomufo3d.com for my project, that's already 4 years ago

675

Offtopic / Re: Daiky's x-com project

« on: August 15, 2010, 05:10:54 pm »

I fixed the blogpost so the images are clickable to view them full size.

I'm inspired by the UI of SC2 in the design I'm currently working on... minimap on the left, unit information in the middle, actionbuttons on the right... simple and functional.

OpenSource, yes, but only after some code maintenance and refactoring because clean code was never a priority. I already have to write clean code at work, at home I can let myself go