Combat animations - updated

Vault Dweller · Nov 9, 2005

Claw said:
It's a difference like day and night to the first versions. These are really great.

Thanks

It helps the regular attack that the weapon is actually well-suited for stabbing this time, which leads back to the issue brought up right at the start: The attacks only look good with the appropriate weapon.

It looks good with a saber too, I'll post it later on when we have a few more animations to show.

Spazmo said:
Could we see them at normal speed?

Yep, give me a few more days, and I'll post more animations with different weapons at normal speed, including these ones. Alternatively I can email them to you, and you can adjust the speed yourself. I'm using Win Media Player 9, there is a slider, move it to 2. PM me your spam-free email address if you want.

But nice stuff in general and, well, to be honest, it's *far* better looking than I expected.

Thanks. I was lucky to find good people.

Can't wait to play the game and find a metric shitton of things to complain about.

Don't forget to equip the ring first!

RGE · Nov 10, 2005

Looks decent now, but at least for the regular attack I'd expect the guy to hold his shield arm out in front of him so as to protect himself with his shield while attacking (if he has one). I assume that there will be animations for dodging and blocking and such? I wonder how to make a good animation for stabbing past an opponent's shield. As it looks now they'd have to voluntarily move it out of the way, won't they? Or won't they always be trying to protect themselves by holding it out in front of them?

Vault Dweller · Nov 10, 2005

RGE said:
Looks decent now, but at least for the regular attack I'd expect the guy to hold his shield arm out in front of him so as to protect himself with his shield while attacking (if he has one).

He may not have one.

I assume that there will be animations for dodging and blocking and such?

Yep

Walks with the Snails · Nov 10, 2005

Vault Dweller said:
I assume that there will be animations for dodging and blocking and such?

Click to expand...

Yep

Graphics whore.

Just going with the others and saying they look much nicer now. Is the power attack slowed down, too? He's still kinda hanging there afterwards, though I guess if he's got a real opponent and is prying the sword out of a good chunk of meat it might look more natural, though.

Vault Dweller · Nov 10, 2005

Walks with the Snails said:
Vault Dweller said:

I assume that there will be animations for dodging and blocking and such?

Click to expand...

Yep

Click to expand...

Graphics whore.

When in Rome ...

Is the power attack slowed down, too?

Everything is slowed down. It looks different at faster speed, more fluid.

Section8 · Nov 10, 2005

Much, much better. Looking good guys. :D

Ismaul · Nov 10, 2005

Great improvement. Much better than what you had before, and they're definitly fine enough for a game that's not about combat.

If you still want feedback (nitpicks really), I'd say the throw animation would need bringing the the back foot to the front on the release. Plus, on the regular attack, the fighter rocks too much his basin, it looks forced.

Otherwise, good job.

Vault Dweller · Nov 12, 2005

Net animation

EEVIAC · Nov 12, 2005

The net needs weights on the ends but otherwise looks good - realistic rope motion.

Naked_Lunch · Nov 12, 2005

Looks fine, just get on with the game!

Claw · Nov 12, 2005

What EEVIAC said, other than that is looks pretty nifty.

I wonder how it'd be implemented into the game, though. I imagine if used in combat, the net would hit the victim more frontally.

just sayin'

Vault Dweller · Nov 12, 2005

Naked_Lunch said:
Looks fine, just get on with the game!

Patience is a virtue

Claw said:
I wonder how it'd be implemented into the game, though. I imagine if used in combat, the net would hit the victim more frontally.

I imagine too. Since both of us have such a vivid imagination, we will leave the animation as is and let imagination do the rest :wink:

ExMonk · Nov 12, 2005

Re the net animation: Why would you drop a net on a statue? :wink:

Seriously, impressive animations all around. I know nothing about your game, though. Is there a previous thread or post that answers questions like, "What is the overview of the game?" "How long has it been in production?" "Who is working on it and how many?" "What is your role in it, VD?" "When is the release date? Early 2006?" and "It is going to be free, isn't it?"

Keep up the great work.

Vault Dweller · Nov 12, 2005

ExMonk said:
Re the net animation: Why would you drop a net on a statue? :wink:

They are frozen in time in ...[dramatic pause] ... turn-based combat!

Seriously, impressive animations all around.

Thanks.

I know nothing about your game, though.

Little is known about this mysterious project, but Patric Stewart has denied rumors of his involvement, so we may conclude that the game is utter crap then :lol:

Is there a previous thread or post that answers questions...

Not really. The answers are all over the place, but I'll summarize them for you:

"What is the overview of the game?"

Age of Decadence (working title) is an isometric, turn-based fantasy game set in a low magic, post-apocalyptic setting. The game features a skill-based system, non-linear gameplay, multiple skill-based ways to handle quests, choices & consequences, and massive dialogue trees.

The in-game events take place a few hundred years after the fall of an Empire caused by magical destruction and devastation during a war against a rival kingdom. The game is focused on a single character who acquires a map leading to a pre-war temple. The temple used to belong to some deity associated with the war that caused the decline. Whether or not there was an actual deity is unclear as the war was a long time ago and all that's left are legends and ruined cities. The legends say that the war was so terrible that both sides called for some supernatural forces that fought alongside men. Then again, legends always say something like that. What happened next is the part that nobody is sure of.

The setting is low magic, which means that you won't be able to play as a magician, won't be able to learn and cast magic spells, and won't be able to find a +1 sword, whatever that means. To compensate you for that loss, we offer you a variety of distinctive character builds like assassin and loremaster, and a crafting system that will allow you to upgrade and tinker with your equipment.

"How long has it been in production?"

March 2004.

"Who is working on it and how many?"

7 people team. 4 are the core: designer, programmer, 3D artist, animator; plus 3 2D artists (concepts - characters and locations, items, interface, etc)

"What is your role in it, VD?"

Lead designer. You can bitch at me for the story, dialogues, game mechanics, etc

"When is the release date? Early 2006?"

Could be. At this point it's when it's done and done well. Summer 2006 is more likely. I want to make the best RPG I can, not some "at least I tried" crap.

"It is going to be free, isn't it?"

Absolutely. Once your cheque clears, it's free.

RGE · Nov 12, 2005

Will there be a throwing motion when the net is used by someone too, or will it magically appear above the head of the target? And I agree with ExMonk about the statue thing. Not enough wriggling to get free there. If the net is going to keep moving like that, the character should too. If the character is frozen in time, the net might as well freeze in time too as soon as the target starts wearing it.

Vault Dweller · Nov 12, 2005

RGE said:
Will there be a throwing motion when the net is used by someone too

Yes.

If the character is frozen in time, the net might as well freeze in time too as soon as the target starts wearing it.

I'll file that under nitpicking.

I'm honored that you guys think so highly of my abilities that you expect only the best and most realistic animations that would bring a tear to an old LARPer's eye, but I'm pretty sure that what we have is good enough to represent that concept in a computer game. We have over 50 different animations, and we don't have enough time to turn each into a state of the art mini-movie.

ExMonk · Nov 12, 2005

VD: Thanks for the answers. Sounds intriguing and something I would buy--if the collector's edition contains an autographed photo of you from your seaman period. Or an autographed photo of you and Patrick Stewart from your seaman period would be even better.

What are the biggest obstacles or challenges that remain?

Vault Dweller · Nov 12, 2005

ExMonk said:
VD: Thanks for the answers. Sounds intriguing and something I would buy--if the collector's edition contains an autographed photo of you from your seaman period. Or an autographed photo of you and Patrick Stewart from your seaman period would be even better.

I'll ask Patrick if he's ok with that.

What are the biggest obstacles or challenges that remain?

None really. Just work, work, work.

Chefe · Nov 12, 2005

Vault Dweller said:
Net animation

Physics!

Looks nifty.

Major_Blackhart · Nov 12, 2005

This game is gonna be sooo sweet.

callehe · Nov 12, 2005

Good grafix AND good RPGing? This game will be good stuff

Nick · Nov 13, 2005

That wasn't an in-game animation - just a 3dsmax low-res preview. There won't be that "statue effect" in real game, as there will be *at least* ambient animation playing.

callehe said:
Good grafix AND good RPGing? This game will be good stuff

Thanks!

GhanBuriGhan · Nov 13, 2005

Chefe said:
Vault Dweller said:

Net animation

Click to expand...

Physics!

Looks nifty.

Now all he needs is some soil erosion, and he is all set for the big times.

Looks pretty good to me VD, although both the standard and the power attack could look a little more dynamic, IMHO. It looks more lika an instructor showing leisurely how the move is done to some students than a guy frantically fighting for life or fame or fatherland. Its not just the speed (IU think you said it will be fater in the game, but that the speed of the strike and the weight of the weapon should have a visible effect on how the body tries to compensate for it, if that makes sense.
I liked the original throwing anim, just for the "cool" factor, although the new one is probably more realistic...

DMKW · Jan 8, 2006

the animations flow very well. very crisp and very clean. ..however the attacker looks sort of tired from to much battle or as if he's demonstrating form. its probably just the speed of the animation though

that net animation is fantistic though!

Vault Dweller · Jan 8, 2006

Yes, the speed is very slow so you can see something. We use twice as fast animations for the game, looks pretty cool even if I do say so myself.

Combat animations - updated

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