New Opening Screens
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Wait, we have the original game already. Can't we "simply" add it with Unreal Engine 4?
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@Pisarz
Well this thread was (originally at least) about modding the original game's splash screens. Are you talking about splash screens in UE4? Any animation would be possible in UE4 as a splash screen. -
@bilal
We can modify the original game, and the splash screen could be ours, but we should put the original credits and the original trailer somewhere in the game. Another option in the main menu maybe?
Yeah, an animated gif could work.
Or, how about a short video, using the same format that the opening animation and trailer use? -
@Pisarz said:
@bilal
We can modify the original game, and the splash screen could be ours, but we should put the original credits and the original trailer somewhere in the game. Another option in the main menu maybe?
Yeah, an animated gif could work.
Or, how about a short video, using the same format that the opening animation and trailer use?Why? I mean; It's not like we made it. Plus you'd probably have to edit a binary file which we wouldn't know the formatting for to tell it which video to run, and after that, the videos I believe use Rad Game Tools' Bink Video which requires a license.
Either way doesn't make much sense/matter imo.
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@bilal
Considering those arguments... I guess you are right. Do you mean that we need the source-code (just like what happened with Homeworld Cataclysm? That they couldn't remaster it?)? Or is it due to our current level of knowledge and/or experience? Either way, I guess I exaggerated a bit with the copyright issue.
But, I have to ask the following (from a technical, not legal, point of view): which things can we modify in the original game? Which things can't be modified? What are we intending to do with Unreal Engine 4? Are we going to make a re-release of the original game using the same AI (that would be a huge problem, considering pathfinding issues, etc.)?I apologize for the amount of questions, but it's difficult for me to keep up with some of the technical concepts.
We can simply stick to @Judas' original proposal using technical drawings or outlines. One splash screen with wiredforwar.org and some grunt next to it (the schematics of it). -
@Pisarz
So with any program, unless the developer allows it, nothing can be changed by the user.In other words: Unless the machines developers made the program have some interchangeable path to a video to play before the game starts, it cannot be added or modified. However, since hard coding paths is often a bad idea, programmers can use files to read data that can be added easily without changing code and recompiling.
Moving on, I know that one video is played before the game starts, which is sort of the trailer for the game. So, if there is a file or some changeable option that says "load this video," with proper decoding (you would have to know how it is encoded, unless it's not encoded at all), you could change it to say "load that video."
That's why most of Judas' modding posts are basically file data changes.
Another example is that the images that are shown before the video are loaded, but they are not hidden anywhere and can be seen or modified. So to mod those, one could just replace the picture with a different picture of the same name and have that picture show up when the game loads.
Anyway if someone really wants to put video in the original game, he/she could go ahead and investigate on how the game loads its video at the start and just replace it. I doubt that we would have the ability to add more videos in without changing source though (which isn't available).
With UE4 we're trying to make a very, very early version of a new machines game with just viable AI and netcode, since both don't work very well in the first game. What it will be at the end will hopefully be a community collaboration of ideas.
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So, you say, after you guys do all the A.I. and internet playability stuff, everyone can contribute? Sounds fair.
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I have an idea!
@bilal, you have the original game's models right? Could you send them to me or tell me where can I get them? Because if I open them with Blender, I think I can achieve the outline effect! The tutorials are above in the thread in case that you want to try ;) -
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Awesome! I'm intending to put the grunt with twin weapon systems in some interesting pose (I think that the loading page of the original game had something like that. I'm going to look for it in my files since I think that I took a screenshot of it).
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@bilal
Found it!
Yet, I'm having some trouble with the .obj (wavefront) files.
According to this site,
http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Extensions:2.6/Py/Scripts/Import-Export/Wavefront_OBJ
if the .mtl files are matched with the .obj files they will be imported too, but instead I get both the parts of (in this case a level 3 grunt) and some other polygons that, in the game, are not visible (it looks like the International Space Station though XD).
At least I had no problem importing the files :) -
Yeah, I could not get the material files to load either. Also, the models are not necessarily the whole unit. For example, weapons are in different files, I think the reaper only has one leg, and other stuff. All of that needs to be fixed up before using a unit model.
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Yeah, saw that thing with the models too. I've once tried to load "Ninja" or "Gorilla" unit in Anim8or, and what I've saw looked kinda weird.
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We could use this method: http://www.the-blueprints.com/modules/tutorials/images/tut-maya/7.jpg
But it wouldn't be very efficient.
Does UE4 do the same thing? -
@Pisarz Oh, my friend programmer did this a lot. Makes your models feel realistic if you do it correctly.
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@Pisarz
You mean the method of using perspective sketches when modelling?
Imo you should always do that if you have the time unless you don't need exact results.I also saw this before: http://www.blenderguru.com/tutorials/quick-tip-how-to-make-a-wireframe-render/
Easy and fast way to get a wireframe effect. -
@Encrypted
@bilal
Yeah, it is quite useful for drawing, but since I still haven't used any 3d rendering software much, I had to ask. I've seen people use it for adding characters in filmed footage, but industrial design is way more accurate. This method is used a lot in engineering though, so it might depend on the software itself (like AutoCad, etc.).
Maybe we should try, since the machines' models are quite simple.Thanks for the link! I didn't know that it was called like that (we could use both wireframed and outlined models).
For example, wireframes could be used for the splash screen, press kits, units' descriptions (for @Judas' MACHINES' app idea, for example), etc. And outlined models could be used for a strategic and tactical guide, a booklet with everything you need to know about MACHINES!
Also, I've been thinking about the following: this will be a product open to the public since it is going to be made thanks to the collective contributions of this community. So, what if we put as a splash screen a line-up of different machines similar to the original concept art? That way we could represent the variety of people that form this gestalt. Simpler, and it could be used as promotional material as well.
Besides, we will need to fix the original models anyway. Right?
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@Pisarz
Making sketches for a model or using reference images in the background really helps with any model really. They really do help speed up the modelling process.Yes, anything (viable) from the community can be used in the game including code, art, etc... However, I don't know if a splash screen would really be a place for something like that. Maybe an animation that pans a camera through them quickly or something? I mean I don't know how important a splash screen really is anyway.
Yeah, I think original models need to be fixed. If you look at the coverart:
versus the ingame reaper:
You can see that the "artistic vision" (melodramatic?) wasn't really achieved. You can see details like face plating and weapon attachments and different coloring between legs and body parts are ignored.
I think that if we would want to revamp this model for example, a 2D artist would have to paint out concepts based on the shaping of the coverart reaper.
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I guess Machines is like that because Acclaim and Charybdis didn't have too much time. And money.
They've promised so much: weathers that affect your machines, placing mines in buildings, commanders assigning your machines to do whatever you want so all you have to do is to click a button... yet we've got visibly less. But... I'd still say it's because they didn't have time and money.
Later on, Acclaim got bankrupt and tried to save itself by releasing a bad game which, honestly, didn't made it. And then... kaputt, hasta la vista, auf wiedersehen...
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@bilal
@EncryptedI have to apologize, since I didn't express myself correctly (now that I think about it, I was quite ambiguous, again, haha).
The line-up that I was talking about is this one:
According to the game's original website, this is the only concept art available. I was referring to the fact that the machines are together :)
It's interesting to point out the design issue though, since that's basically the aim of concept/production art.Also, that pretty much summarizes what happened. Yet, I think that the designs of the game actually stick to the concept art quite well considering the low amount of polygons per model.
