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DevDiaries #8: Camera, sky and optimization
Part of the work in this direction has already been done for the BoE: 1914-1918 project, developed on the same game engine Gem 2. The creators of the game desired to realize large-scale battles of the First World War and these led to the fact that the average number of soldiers and equipment on the battlefield is double times higher than in the Men of War. So first of all, our programmers upgraded the rendering system of units, which should take into account this feature. Furthermore, they added some useful graphic features from the new engine Gem3 into Soldiers: Arena, and transferred functions for optimization of graphics calculations from there (e.g. restriction for drawing particles while a large number of special effects on stage). Game works much more fluiudly, while the visual quality of the picture is not affected.
As mentioned earlier, we are implementing a more detailed models and special effects into the game, using the high-resolution textures. Their proper configuration and optimization lay down as a heavy burden on the professionals in relevant departments. It concerns also to the configuration of distances at which objects begin to appear in front of the camera, and configuration of the distances, at which models are replaced by lower poly iterations, and the creation of simplified models themselves.
One of the Men of War multiplayer’s problems is unreasonably large number of maps, designed for a different number of players. Some maps have turned out more successful, some didn’t fully meet the needs of the gameplay. This led to the fact, that the actual number of used maps was small, and the choice, what map to play wasn’t determined by its quality, but the number of players in the session. In Soldiers: Arena, we decided to reconsider the approach to the creation of maps: now each of them and each game mode adapts to the size of the team. The excess part of the area cuts off, spawn and capture points (flags) adapt to the size of the gaming session. This approach solves several problems: makes optimum use of the map, cuts unnecessary objects, thereby increasing performance, simplifies the process of searching and creating of the game session. And as a bonus - saving team’s resources and directing its efforts to create better maps to the suit the numbers.
Game camera in Soldiers: Arena is now behaves a little differently. Unlike other games in the series, where the scrolling of the camera with the mouse wheel moved the camera in a straight line relative to the center of the screen (zoom in/ zoom out), now it will move along a trajectory specified by the player by setting the desired tilt angle. For example, no one now will not prevent you to manage your units from a third person - you need only tilt the camera to the desired angle, then you can easily switch to a strategic view and back by using the mouse wheel. Do you like to do things the old way? No problem: set the camera almost at right angle to a unit, and it will behave as before. You can see here, how it works: https://youtu.be/Q4KVKUNgItM Such camera work allows us to solve a number of unrelated problems: increase the ease of operation, reduce the number of objects simultaneously entering the screen, thereby speeding up the drawing of the scene, and correct the imbalance of the bird's-eye view (when you could see the half of the map, zooming out at maximum). And as an extra candy, we have changed the visualization of the sky and its interaction with the fog limiting the vision of the map. Map’s borders look more natural now. It is worth noting that ALL the innovations relate directly to Soldiers: Arena. Classic Men of War’s multiplayer, which we include in the project for the fans of the series, will be, as promised, unchanged. Classic means classic!
[ 2016-02-25 19:08:45 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hello! And once again in touch with you are the developers of Men of War/Soldiers:Heroes of WWII with our the new project - Soldiers: Arena. At this time, we will talk about the of games’s optimization. It is no secret that the low FPS turns intense dynamic battles into turn-based boring slideshows, that gets your eyes tired fast. Taking into account the characteristics of the game’s type of synchronization, where each individual event occurs for all players at the same time (as we wrote in our previous diaries), the question of optimization comes important. But the optimization itself is quite extensive work and consists of many factors. Let's look at some of them separately.
Code optimization
Part of the work in this direction has already been done for the BoE: 1914-1918 project, developed on the same game engine Gem 2. The creators of the game desired to realize large-scale battles of the First World War and these led to the fact that the average number of soldiers and equipment on the battlefield is double times higher than in the Men of War. So first of all, our programmers upgraded the rendering system of units, which should take into account this feature. Furthermore, they added some useful graphic features from the new engine Gem3 into Soldiers: Arena, and transferred functions for optimization of graphics calculations from there (e.g. restriction for drawing particles while a large number of special effects on stage). Game works much more fluiudly, while the visual quality of the picture is not affected.
Configuring the the appearance of objects, map levels, lods
As mentioned earlier, we are implementing a more detailed models and special effects into the game, using the high-resolution textures. Their proper configuration and optimization lay down as a heavy burden on the professionals in relevant departments. It concerns also to the configuration of distances at which objects begin to appear in front of the camera, and configuration of the distances, at which models are replaced by lower poly iterations, and the creation of simplified models themselves.
Automatic adjustment of maps and modes for the number of players
One of the Men of War multiplayer’s problems is unreasonably large number of maps, designed for a different number of players. Some maps have turned out more successful, some didn’t fully meet the needs of the gameplay. This led to the fact, that the actual number of used maps was small, and the choice, what map to play wasn’t determined by its quality, but the number of players in the session. In Soldiers: Arena, we decided to reconsider the approach to the creation of maps: now each of them and each game mode adapts to the size of the team. The excess part of the area cuts off, spawn and capture points (flags) adapt to the size of the gaming session. This approach solves several problems: makes optimum use of the map, cuts unnecessary objects, thereby increasing performance, simplifies the process of searching and creating of the game session. And as a bonus - saving team’s resources and directing its efforts to create better maps to the suit the numbers.
Game camera improvements
Game camera in Soldiers: Arena is now behaves a little differently. Unlike other games in the series, where the scrolling of the camera with the mouse wheel moved the camera in a straight line relative to the center of the screen (zoom in/ zoom out), now it will move along a trajectory specified by the player by setting the desired tilt angle. For example, no one now will not prevent you to manage your units from a third person - you need only tilt the camera to the desired angle, then you can easily switch to a strategic view and back by using the mouse wheel. Do you like to do things the old way? No problem: set the camera almost at right angle to a unit, and it will behave as before. You can see here, how it works: https://youtu.be/Q4KVKUNgItM Such camera work allows us to solve a number of unrelated problems: increase the ease of operation, reduce the number of objects simultaneously entering the screen, thereby speeding up the drawing of the scene, and correct the imbalance of the bird's-eye view (when you could see the half of the map, zooming out at maximum). And as an extra candy, we have changed the visualization of the sky and its interaction with the fog limiting the vision of the map. Map’s borders look more natural now. It is worth noting that ALL the innovations relate directly to Soldiers: Arena. Classic Men of War’s multiplayer, which we include in the project for the fans of the series, will be, as promised, unchanged. Classic means classic!
[ 2016-02-25 19:08:45 CET ] [ Original post ]
Soldiers: Arena
Best Way
Developer
Best Way Soft
Publisher
To be announced
Release
Game News Posts:
122
🎹🖱️Keyboard + Mouse
( reviews)
The Game includes VR Support
Soldiers: Arena will take you to the battlefields driven by the largest and bloodiest conflict of all time - World War II. This is the height of war, this is the time for real heroes.
Both new and already battle-proven multiplayer gamemodes to the original tactical gameplay are waiting for you. Interactive destructible environments and the ability to direct-control any combat unit. Steam support: matchmaking, workshop, steamcloud. Redesigned graphics, models and special effects. Conceptual new interface and convenient control, new battlefields and new opportunities.
Both new and already battle-proven multiplayer gamemodes to the original tactical gameplay are waiting for you. Interactive destructible environments and the ability to direct-control any combat unit. Steam support: matchmaking, workshop, steamcloud. Redesigned graphics, models and special effects. Conceptual new interface and convenient control, new battlefields and new opportunities.
Features:
- Revival of the “Men of War/Soldiers” game series. This multiplayer tactical RTS absorbed the best of the original series, favourite of players all over the world.
- Huge roster of units. Within a single game session, players will have access to a large number of unique units for every nation: tanks, vehicles, infantry and artillery of various types.
- The “Direct Control” mode. This mode provides the ability to play from the third person for any unit in the player’s army. The movement of the unit, firing the various guns, control of ammunition types, etc. all relying and directly controlled by player and thus the game conveys tactical action in it’s very essence.
- Destructible interactive environments. During the battle almost any object of the game can be destroyed or set on fire. Furthermore, all objects, including craters from explosions, may be used as cover.
- Atmosphere and realism. Even in large-scale game battles, it is necessary to take into account factors such as the supply of fuel and ammunition of each single unit. The precense of inventories for each unit limits the number and size of transported objects. Guns’ accuracy and penetration decreases with distance. Tired soldiers reduce the movement speed during long crossings. The influence of these and many other factors makes possible to reproduce the battles of World War II with a adequate degree of realism, most involving the player into the atmosphere of heated battles of the past.
- Modular realistic damage system. Any vehicle, regardless of its type, is composed of a set of modules that can be broken or destroyed. Types of ammunition, characteristics of guns, shooting distance, angle of armor, armor plate thickness and the threshold of material fatigue are taken into account, when calculating the piercing capability and damage caused to each of the component. Additionally, there are calculations of the probability of detonation of ammunition, engine fires, damage to wheels or tracks (which leads to immobilization of combat units). If a component is not destroyed, it can be repaired.
- Wide range of opportunities for infantry. Intelligence, combat, capture and repair of equipment, installation of anti-personnel and anti-tank obstacules of different types, construction of protective structures, health treatment, cover usage, ability to change through primary and secondary weapons, capture of buildings and territories.
- Great number of different types of weapons and ammunition. Pistols, submachine guns, machine guns, rifles and carbines, various types of grenades, dynamite, mines, knives and other items of equipment that are unique to each nation.
- Advanced Artificial Intelligence (Advanced AI). Infantry’s behaviour based on the feedback information from their own sensors (vision and acoustics), as well as allies’ signals. This allows the use of diversionary tactics, sending scouts into the enemy's rear, as well as to open the visibility with the help of special devices - observation towers, binoculars, telescopic tubes and sniper scopes. The morale of the infantry depends on the balance of forces on the battlefield - the soldiers may decide to advance or to withdraw from the fight.
- Conceptual new interface for convenient control.
- Enhanced game engine Gem2. Reworking of the game engine allows to provide a new level of graphics, the implementation of new and improvement already familiar to users game mechanics.
- OSX, Mac. Linux support.
- Full Steam support. Matchmaking, workshop, steamcloud, tradecards, achievments, steamstats, inventoryitems.
MINIMAL SETUP
- OS: Ubuntu 12.04
- Processor: 2 GHz Intel Dual CoreMemory: 4 GB RAM
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Graphics: 3D Hardware Accelerator Card Required - OpenGL 3.0 compatibleNetwork: Broadband Internet connection
- Storage: 5 GB available space
- OS: Ubuntu 15.04
- Processor: Intel Core i5-2.5GHzMemory: 8 GB RAM
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 or AMD Radeon HD 7750 with 1 GB VRAM or betterNetwork: Broadband Internet connection
- Storage: 5 GB available space
GAMEBILLET
[ 6138 ]
GAMERSGATE
[ 3395 ]
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