Mid Summer Update

[admin]

Mid summer update:

 

Most of the June plans have been implemented and we are currently fixing bugs on shooting, sailing, and visualization performance. HMS victory modeling is almost done and first iterations of sailor animations are being tested. We are getting closer to the complete combat system and once it is ready we will invite select group of players for testing.

 

We will post more information on the next steps and August Milestone within next 2 weeks.

 

Here is how the game looks now: screenshots from the build. Please comment if you find any visual bugs or modelling problems. 

 

Brig

 

Frigate

 

Schooner

 

3rd rate (74)

 

 

[LTao]

Pre-pre-pre alpha is looking surprisingly pretty. It's a good feeling now that the final game will look significantly better than this, include visible crews and run well.

[Storm Hunter]

WOW! I really like the waves, they look so real. Ship details are amazing. Will there be damage visible on ships? (holes from cannon balls, ripped sails, man overboard etc...) Also, will players be able to edit ships? (Paint, replace figureheads, have images on sails etc)

 

Keep up the great work!

[CaptainTJ]

Wow these pics are amazing. Great

[admin]

WOW! I really like the waves, they look so real. Ship details are amazing. Will there be damage visible on ships? (holes from cannon balls, ripped sails, man overboard etc...) Also, will players be able to edit ships? (Paint, replace figureheads, have images on sails etc)

 

Keep up the great work!

 

we will have crash models yes. so you will be seeing damage on sails and ship hull. Editing ships will be possible to the realistic extent - meaning figureheads, flags, various paint schemes. We are not sure about images on sails yet. But who knows. 

[kutusov1986]

wow looks amazing for pre-alpha

[adambomb]

Love it, and this is just alpha,, Can't wait to see finished ships.. THANKS for the preview. I'm retired, so if you need troops to test something just let me know.

[Ntweedie2007]

^{Hi devs.}

 

^{I just discovered this game and am VERY excited! I, like others here I imagine, play Pirates of the Burning Sea, and its really good to see a new game in this genre.}

 

^{I hope to be able to help test the game!}

 

^{keep up the good work.}  

[Digby]

Could you make less spray around the bows and along the sides of ships? The clouds of fine spray look odd, sailing ships never make such effects at sea, unless its an extremely high wind and sea by when sail would be shortened. Foam on the surface is a more accurate effect with waves washing out to the sides as the hull forces the volume of water to its flanks. Remember how slow sailing ships move, not much more than a brisk walking pace or a jog for a man, for a big ship. A frigate of the 1790s in good trim and a stiff breeze would rarely exceed 12 knots, so big impressive wakes and bow waves look very odd in computer games. Empire Total War had dreadful cartoony sea graphics and the ships in that game rolled and pitched far too much and too rapidly.

Could you add more yellow/warm tones to your sail cloth? I think a linen type of colour would add at least some variation, maybe patched areas from repaired damage, or the lines used to furl the sail and secure it to the yards which could make distinctive patterns breaking up the large featureless surface of the cloth..

Translucency effects and reflections on the water are very nice. I especially like image 4. But we have that crazy spraying up bow wave again when the ship hardly seems to be moving.

Lighthouse in image 2 is maybe a bit modern? I don't believe painting them in distinctive colours began until about the 1830s.

Images 6 and 9, ships seem to me to be carrying too much sail for those weather conditions. Will a player be able to (forced to?) reduce sail in high winds and seas?

 

But mostly looking very nice. Well done so far!

[admin]

Lighthouse in image 2 is maybe a bit modern? I don't believe painting them in distinctive colours began until about the 1830s.

Images 6 and 9, ships seem to me to be carrying too much sail for those weather conditions. Will a player be able to (forced to?) reduce sail in high winds and seas?

 

But mostly looking very nice. Well done so far!

 

you should have seen lighthouses by italian architects in st petersburg russia  

 

the art work is from 1860 something but they were painted this way on the day they were built in 1810

[Digby]

I would say that was decorative and not an actual aid to navigation seeing as they seem to be sited as part of a docks complex and not marking dangerous waters.

 

There's going to exceptions to almost all statements but please make the game show the norm or average useages of things.

[admin]

Could you make less spray around the bows and along the sides of ships? The clouds of fine spray look odd, sailing ships never make such effects at sea, unless its an extremely high wind and sea by when sail would be shortened. Foam on the surface is a more accurate effect with waves washing out to the sides as the hull forces the volume of water to its flanks. Remember how slow sailing ships move, not much more than a brisk walking pace or a jog for a man, for a big ship. A frigate of the 1790s in good trim and a stiff breeze would rarely exceed 12 knots, so big impressive wakes and bow waves look very odd in computer games. Empire Total War had dreadful cartoony sea graphics and the ships in that game rolled and pitched far too much and too rapidly.

Could you add more yellow/warm tones to your sail cloth? I think a linen type of colour would add at least some variation, maybe patched areas from repaired damage, or the lines used to furl the sail and secure it to the yards which could make distinctive patterns breaking up the large featureless surface of the cloth..

Translucency effects and reflections on the water are very nice. I especially like image 4. But we have that crazy spraying up bow wave again when the ship hardly seems to be moving.

Lighthouse in image 2 is maybe a bit modern? I don't believe painting them in distinctive colours began until about the 1830s.

Images 6 and 9, ships seem to me to be carrying too much sail for those weather conditions. Will a player be able to (forced to?) reduce sail in high winds and seas?

 

But mostly looking very nice. Well done so far!

 

1. bow wakes are not final and will be continued to be improved, but in a computer game to connect ship to water visually some exaggeration is needed so ships do not look hanging in the air. 

2. yellow warm color - questionable.from references we have there were lots of variations of color and we like this one but again this is not final.

3. damage and patches - computer game to work with normal fps needs less textures. if we have unique textures on every ship that will kill the performance. Adding unique details to textures will make all ships have the same damage patch at the same spot and that will look very ugly. 

4. lighthouses - there are references we have that show similar colors and that really makes the visuals a lot more beautiful. but this is currently the only model and a lot more will be added in the future (historical and beautiful). But please post lighthouses that you want in the game in a separate post. 

[Kala4]

3. damage and patches - computer game to work with normal fps needs less textures. if we have unique textures on every ship that will kill the performance. Adding unique details to textures will make all ships have the same damage patch at the same spot and that will look very ugly. 

 

you can make some different patches (5-10 or more) & place them using some random generation procedure (with checking if it fits fine)

[Digby]

True, I understand that if you were to include the struck sail lines on each sail you'd need a specific texture for each sail. Kala4 has a good point though, something like decals to represent patches with a randomised placement. A single 1024 x 1024 texture with about 25 different decals on it would make ships sails seem endlessly variable.

 

I'm keen to see how things develope from here, perhaps with a bow wave, less spray and more foam on the surface would be one way to show the ships contact with the sea.

[admin]

True, I understand that if you were to include the struck sail lines on each sail you'd need a specific texture for each sail. Kala4 has a good point though, something like decals to represent patches with a randomised placement. A single 1024 x 1024 texture with about 25 different decals on it would make ships sails seem endlessly variable.

 

I'm keen to see how things develope from here, perhaps with a bow wave, less spray and more foam on the surface would be one way to show the ships contact with the sea.

 

I am in a constant heavy fight with our art director. Fleet was fresh painted before Trafalgar (source http://www.amazon.com/Line-Upon-Wind-1793-1815-ebook/dp/B002AU7MVI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375050474&sr=8-1&keywords=a+line+in+the+wind) and i want my ships nice, clean and taken care of. Our art director wants ships to be worn, a bit "rusty", sails dirty and with patches. 

i guess compromise can be found eventually. 

[Barberouge]

I am in a constant heavy fight with our art director. Fleet was fresh painted before Trafalgar (source http://www.amazon.com/Line-Upon-Wind-1793-1815-ebook/dp/B002AU7MVI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375050474&sr=8-1&keywords=a+line+in+the+wind) and i want my ships nice, clean and taken care of. Our art director wants ships to be worn, a bit "rusty", sails dirty and with patches. 

i guess compromise can be found eventually. 

Since the ships will be partly customisable, why not include weather-worn options ?

[Digby]

Yes, well more nice textures always means more bandwidth load and PC/server power needed. Nothing that looks pretty is free

 

I mentioned decals because they are about the most efficient way of getting variable textures cheaply.

[BungeeLemming]

But then:

We live in 2013 with quadcore/8-core/12 core etc CPUs.. GPUs are soo much potent these days..

Why should a developer save on intensive Computerperforming gamecontent if it can make the game-experience better?

 

Just make different detail levels so everyone with a decent PC can run the game..

I would hate to see such beatuful beginnings end up in sth. ugly like any browsergame can do..

 

And the screenshots so far look AWESOME!

[Digby]

Not everyone has a powerful computer. Its also simple good design logic in PC games to make them as efficient as possible and able to run on a low-end system well at mid-settings (then those with hi-end systems can enjoy the game with all settngs maxxed). Appealing to a wide range of systems and not just the top10% or so widens your market as well, probably the most critical factor.

 

Always better for a player to have some CPU or video mem capacity spare than for players to get frustrated watching slide shows.

[lordwells]

Looks Good!

[Flip]

I am in a constant heavy fight with our art director. Fleet was fresh painted before Trafalgar (source http://www.amazon.com/Line-Upon-Wind-1793-1815-ebook/dp/B002AU7MVI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375050474&sr=8-1&keywords=a+line+in+the+wind) and i want my ships nice, clean and taken care of. Our art director wants ships to be worn, a bit "rusty", sails dirty and with patches. 

i guess compromise can be found eventually. 

 

Sounds like a good way to introduce maintenance fee's for the wealthy... or maybe "Pirates" would have the rusty, dirty, patched ships while others would not.

[admin]

nice avatar

[Flip]

nice avatar

 

nice game

[Oleg Gello]

Screenshots look great. 

[adambomb]

The ships look find to me.. love to see more soon.