problems with next gen games?

#1

hi

what are the main problems facing 3d artists with the new generation of video games?

hoping to start a big thread here , so put your thoughts down

thanks

#2

More detail = more work (on the plus side should = more jobs)

Anyway, speaking as a game player not game artist/designer - here is what I expect from next gen games all of which could be “problems” for next gen game artists.

  1. “Realistic” animation (to film animation/CGFX standards)
  2. Seamless blending between animations -eg: walk cycle to run cycle without interfering with the immediacy required for good control over game character.
  3. Multiple LOD/Breakable scenery = modelling an object and it’s components/LOD.
  4. 3d textures using parallax/normal mapping requires modelling an object in low and high res forms.
  5. Particles such as smoke/fire/sparks need to become more numerous and closer to reality.
  6. HDTV and the amount of extra detail exposed.
  7. Procedual terrain/level generation = bigger projects/less work or more focus on building components??
  8. Crowd simulation (convincing variations in animation/models when hundreds of similar characters are on screen simultaneously.)
#3

You dont need to make a high res model to use normal maps. Infact you just use normal maps to add greater detail to objects. Such as a tank, you can add rivets and deep scratches on you basic model improving the look by quite a lot. On our project we decided against making high resolution models as it would be a waste of our time when it was simplier to make normals in photoshop using the UV map for a template.

#4

I am a inde game developer and am currently developing COD for PC and possible Xbox360. The problem with high-end games is the cost of development. High-end games requires move resources, the best of the best concept artists, high end 3D character/animators and so on. Then there is the CGI render cut scenes.

But i think that the story is the most important of all of the above. Because if there is no story then the game will suck. My game can be compared to Soul Reaver and POP and those where a huge hit.

#5

those are all code issues. not art issues.

  1. 3d textures using parallax/normal mapping requires modelling an object in low and high res forms.

3D textures are never going to hit the mainstream consoles. a single 3D 256X256X256 RGBA texture would consume 64Mb. As for high res models for normal mapping, who cares, it’s not like you have to skin them. Bump mapping has been on xbox/ps2 for some time - you aren’t going to be using the extra texture stages for more maps because there is simply little point. Most people will be using the shader model 3 stuff to improve the quality of shaders & HDR rendering, neither of which affect the art pipeline…

  1. Particles such as smoke/fire/sparks need to become more numerous and closer to reality.

thats possibly the easiest bit of code to write - i think you can expect particles in abundance. The film industry tends to composite in smoke and fire simply because they look real - games will never look as good as film for that simple reason.

  1. HDTV and the amount of extra detail exposed.

no more than your average PC game running at 1280x1024…

  1. Procedual terrain/level generation = bigger projects/less work or more focus on building components??

erm, games tend to be designed. There is no magic makeGameAndAllContent() procedure - even if there was, it would suck.

  1. Crowd simulation (convincing variations in animation/models when hundreds of similar characters are on screen simultaneously.)

you wont get hundreds of characters on screen unless you want the same level of detail (well, much worse for that number) as you have with current gen titles. Crowds in themselves do not make a game - they may add some level of believability for sports games, but thats about it. Also it is worth scaling back your expectations of what the next gen consoles will deliver. I could get almost 200 at a push animating independantly. The problem is that you’d have run out of memory for the rest of the game. 256Mb is not a lot you know… (vs. your 2Gb PC + 256Mb ram on the graphics card)

[color=white]Because if there is no story then the game will suck.

and the story of tetris is?

The bottom line is that the 360/ninty/ps3 will not deliver games above the quality of a current mid-top end PC. They will however offer very powerful machines considering the £150-250 price point. (ie, a Geforce 7800 will easily cost over £300 - what exactly do you expect for £200 ??). The biggest problem with the 360 & ps3 is simply the complexity of coding the thing. The ninty should be a bit easier in that respect. The majority of graphical flaws in next gen games are likely to arise from that.
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#6

I’d say facial animation is light years behind everything else… sux in every game.

#7

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