Jump to content

Update #49: Water, Trees, Day/Night, Lighting... All That Jazz


Recommended Posts

Update by Josh Sawyer, Project Director

 

 

Welcome. Today's update is a big one, though not by volume of text. Today we’re showing you our game in action. Specifically, we're showing what we've been doing for our exterior environments. The Infinity Engine games were known for their art, and we wanted to hit the high standard of visual quality established by games like the Icewind Dale series. We also wanted to introduce dynamic elements into the environment that were mostly absent from the classic games, like dynamic water, movement in foliage, and dynamic lighting of the scene.


In a 2D game, this required our programmers and artists to come up with some creative solutions. What they came up with surprised us initially and it continues to amaze us. While we are still working on refining some of the dynamic elements, we're very happy with the progress we've been able to make and hope you feel the same way. Special thanks to Hector Espinoza, our lead environment artist, and Michael Edwards, our rendering programmer, who did a lot of amazing work to bring this environment to life.


Thanks for reading, thanks for your feedback, and we'll see you next week.

  • Like 41

OBSIDIAN ORDER OF ETERNITY - Officially sponsored most generously by Pierre and SD!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Now that I seen the video in HD...

 

This is BOSS! Feels like the those infinity engine game alright. Definitely have the mood and feel of the game! I'm lost for words by how exciting this feels. Ill come back tomorrow after I absorb all this glory!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You weren't kidding; my mind was sufficiently blown. This looks better than I could have ever hoped for.

 

I was always put off by the 3D models that Neverwinter Nights, Kotor, and even Dragon Age took in place of the infinity engine. I always felt that was a severe step back for the genre as a whole. I am more than overjoyed to see these pre-rendered backgrounds make such a triumphant return.

 

And the day/night cycle is icing on the cake. I think a lot of developers underrate how important that is to atmosphere and immersion. I still think back to Ocarina of Time (and MM) in amazement at watching the sun rise and set every day and how it changed the world; same goes to Baldur's Gate to some extent.

 

Fantastic work, I hope this project leads a new wave of more projects that take these classic ideas to heart.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Whoa! That is very cool. I had to watch it in HD a dozen times to catch all the little details. Very, very nice.

 

Maybe a little blurry with the character moving, but otherwise just fantastic! The work and the technology is sublime.

"It has just been discovered that research causes cancer in rats."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow. Just wow.

"Akiva Goldsman and Alex Kurtzman run the 21st century version of MK ULTRA." - majestic

"I'm gonna hunt you down so that I can slap you square in the mouth." - Bartimaeus

"Without individual thinking you can't notice the plot holes." - InsaneCommander

"Just feed off the suffering of gamers." - Malcador

"You are calling my taste crap." -Hurlshort

"thankfully it seems like the creators like Hungary less this time around." - Sarex

"Don't forget the wakame, dumbass" -Keyrock

"Are you trolling or just being inadvertently nonsensical?' -Pidesco

"we have already been forced to admit you are at least human" - uuuhhii

"I refuse to buy from non-woke businesses" - HoonDing

"feral camels are now considered a pest" - Gorth

"Melkathi is known to be an overly critical grumpy person" - Melkathi

"Oddly enough Sanderson was a lot more direct despite being a Mormon" - Zoraptor

"I found it greatly disturbing to scroll through my cartoon's halfing selection of genitalias." - Wormerine

"Am I phrasing in the most negative light for them? Yes, but it's not untrue." - ShadySands

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"You might want to pressurize the room because what you're about to see might make your head explode". Haha, silly Josh and his dry understatement, always kid- HOLY CRAP!

 

-Gggghmrrgmuh!

 

-Squeeeee!

 

-Ooooooooooh.

 

*sound of drool flowing from slack-jawed amazement*

 

Absolutely phenomenal work guys. I honestly never expected the game to look as gorgeous as that. Super pumped.

Edited by Stiffkittin
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It looks like it would take more time making a scene like that in 2D rather than 3D. Is that true? Or will it be faster once you've figured out where you want to be regarding the animations.

 

I noticed that a lot of them were probably just placeholder animations, with a bit more time spent that scene could look really alive.

 

I also have to say, when you zoomed in on the characters ... that size would be just about right for the game default zoom @ 1920x1080 IMO.

Edited by Sensuki
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is just amazing work. I really can't wait to see and play this game when it releases. Thanks so much for the pre-rendered approach! Games like Diablo/Starcraft, Baldur's Gate etc.. to me, they always looked better than the real-time 3D low poly models.

 

I really like and am impressed with how you have incorporated the environment animations. The way the tree's sway and the water goes up and down. It's clever and the lighting from the day to night cycle and the little yellow (firefly?) that comes out of the temple looks awesome.

 

I love the approach and can't wait to stay up late nights exploring this eye candy game.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am more impressed by character models than the animated scenery!

I bet Obsidian can gather $ 500 k more  just because of this video

 

Say what? Tim Cain and Avellone work on this project on top of that?

A dream come true

  • Like 1

  After my realization that White March has the same XP reward problem, I don't even have the drive to launch game anymore because I hated so much reaching Twin Elms with a level cap in vanilla PoE that I don't wish to relive that experience.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...