Room time!! Starting rooms today!

Update: 1hr 30 minutes into a room and I should have about 2 hours left until lighting… =) awesome!!!! It took me at least 40 hours a room last time lol and with far less detail and items around. There is about 20x more detail and polygons in these scenes =) NO MORE 3gs support =P… More later.. I should be getting the level into lighting tomorrow sometime. More later!

15 minutes in and a level starts to form. Unity is awesome! The asset store is also pretty awesome to boost game making speed. After I get the base level together I add in the creepy stuff. More Later.

I think I found more work time non holiday easily then holiday with all the freinds and family so active… But things are still moving. Now it is time to create the rooms!… I need to start with a sketch and then build them in unity which is pretty doggone fast to build in. More later!

Character Stats

I am finalizing today how character stats and items work together. Not real exciting so not much to say =P… More later and hopefully on to more exciting stuff…..

Back to work today!

I have to figure out why a collider is not triggering on a mesh with a NavMesh AI unit. Quite tricky but I hope to get that done. Then get on to building the first rooms!!! I have the AI in and attacking in Melee fashion and that will do for now. I will come back to it pre Alpha testing and really tweak it up. It is VERY easy in  unity and all the scene awareness tools they have.

So I expect to begginning level 1 today by creating the first set of rooms. I am not sure of the final count but I think I want the first levels to be composed of at least 5 rooms to combine in random ways to create the level like I did in ME 1. I need to create the systems to not allow them to collide with each other, close doors, create down ramps or stairs to the next level etc. Lots to do here but once complete I will be 85% done with the game and I will just have to fill in story and art assets.

So off to work.

Almost done with the ragdoll system

Update! Rock and ROLLING

I have combat working. I can now shoot the poor guy. And he then switched from animation to a ragdoll and collapses =)… awesome.. a lot to do still but we are there!

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I removed it out to a copy in system so it is not always using resources even when disabled. Then once something dies copy in the ragdoll and apply forces. I cannot wait for grenades to be done. I will apply the rag doll take a vector from the bomb to the ragdoll parts and apple force.. thus flying bodies! =)

More later…..

Combat Time

Update: Took a detuor and got ragdoll physics on my created characters. It was quite complicated to copy all the correct items in. I still need to finish it but after that on to more combat!

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In 3 hours I got up and running what seriously took a month in my own engine. I also used nav meshes but I wrote it ALL.. Collision detection, path finding, targeting, sight lines etc….Unity gives me compact fast great solutions for all that. I just have to write the finite state machine =).. AWESOME.. So now the AI can fall land with animations then come after you and attack with a melee attack. Now I need damage and death to occur. I have a stats class already that all items use. I will add a container class called CharacterStats. This will contain base stats (for speed so I do not have to process all items on every change) that are built from all items worn and used to create the character, modified stats which are the stats after all buffs are applied (these get processed every time a buff is applied), and current stats which vary base on the game conditions. IE hit points, mana energy that change. Then another array of buffs that are currently applied.

On an attack these values are changed and when HP = 0 death. Pretty simple. The more time consuming part is designing how the attacks occur. I am thinking of sticking them in the state machine. Store in the character the range which is derived from the weapons. No weapons = melee range, rifles are X, pistols are Y, thrown items are Z. So when the stats are built the range is also derived for AI only. Simple! … more later….After combat I finally get to clean up level 0 and start level 1!…

AI State Machine time!

Update: Freaking insane… in an hour I had attacking AI even making the animation =)… So they drop out of the sky.. land with animation..when they see you they then walk to you and smack you in the face… now time to kill them COMBAT TIME!

More later =)… Combat time!

Update: Wow I LOVE Unity… I have the state machine in and running. Here you see an AI falling from the sky and hitting the ground then showing the land animation. He then stands up and next will be chasing you =)… sweet! This is moving very Quick!… Next will be combat!.. I should be killing baddies within 2-3 hours of work time. Amazing. After that I will clean up the main base and get the elevator working which access the first ten levels of the drill site. The room generator will be next where I create one room and create the scripts that will build the levels. Good freaking stuff 6 weeks of after hours and sporadic day work times in….I should moved to Unity from my engine a year ago, however not having the GUI tools would have REALLY slowed me down. SO I am ok with just moving on it now.

Today I need to get the state machine started. I want to start with AI dropping from a height and landing animating a land and recover. Imagein walking down a dark hallway and things drop out of holes in the ceiling from a random script added to the level all around you.When they land they stand and attack. Some take cover. You Pop five abilities to protect yourself and fight out of there. Once clear you use Reyem Neas summon to blow the whole room to hell. =) That is the kind of action that is my goal for Mission Europa 2. With Unity that should be a breeze =)..

More later….

AI time!

Update: Wow one day guns in almost in one day. Next day AI walking around a nav mesh chasing me. Good stuff Unity!…

Now.. there is a bit to go on the AI of course but that are in walking around and animating as seen in my little test area. They are also being constructed from parts in a database and then placed in the world with all the items needed to make them work. I need to add weapons and items etc to them but first I want to be able to shoot them and kill them =)… finally some fun testing =P..

Update: Another praise is unities simplified shader and surface shader systems….I popped out a normal mapping diffuse and specular mapped shader in about 4 minutes… so good yum..

Another think out-loud day. It is time to start working on the AI. I want the AI to tie into level events that are random and built into the level.

How this is going to work.

1. Each level is constructed from a set of 5 rooms. They are interlocked at doorways. In each room there are several positions defined as a type. The types will be pipe burst, spark, intrusion (a model comes through), steam vent, blood spray, oil spray, electrical short, etc. There is a trigger placed in the scene tied to this item. They go off once but not all are used. At runtime some are disabled and some enabled. As you approach the boss of the level addition items are added to the event IE a taunting scream earthquakes while the main boss roars. This will be the event system. Some rooms will have rock falls etc. not always though. Just to spice up the level.

2. AI Spawn. At load time when the rooms are assembled. In each room are markers where AI can spawn. There is a module called AIMgr in the level. There is stored 3 types of walkers, 3 types of flyers, a possible mini-boss with good loot by chance but very tough, and the level boss. The items they are made of create the stats. The bosses have a boost ability of some type assigned to them.

I need to research instancing to increase the number of enemies. However, if it shows to be a problem I am more in the mood to have better reacting AI then hordes. The hordes can be achieved by the fliers.

After I get the above functional I will attack the AI taking cover. Welp.. more later!

One last step for the weapons.

Update: Crimy Unity is well designed… my only concern is the speed in areas… but I can get around that with creative coding..Sooo after watching al the AI tutorials I got that down super easy. I created a spawner that pulls from the part database and created the below character. Next I need to fix up the first level and create the NAV meshes. Then I need to simply attach the nav controller to the AI and work with the animation states when they are moving and not moving!.. sheesh so easy… I had to write my own nav mesh system last time from scratch and it did not have all these bells and whistles.. It is moving faster and faster and faster!

NOTE that is not final artwork at all.. just test for now.. IT is the beginning of a blood zombie.

Update: AI time I think this is perfect…now there are also sparks where the bullets hit =) My GOSH unity is easy… sooo easy I wish Idid the switch a LONG time ago =) But in all reality I am glad I waited for the new GUI system… it saved months of time I think….

Update: Shooting Done! =)… I need to clean some stuff up and add some lights for a light flash then on to AI! =)… Moving very quick…

Update: working on decals now and a decal manager. I think at first at least I am going with simple decals as the other decal system I have is not so fast in unity. So first the simple version which is going nicely. Then possible replace the sub system like changing a tire to the more complex version. A decal system can be processor consuming as the  method includes looking at the whole sub mesh for triangles that intersect a volume. If they intersect they are copied to a new model. That models material has a bias or is set to a different cull mode to draw over the surface they are on and the model is placed in the world to disappear when more are needed then are allowed. Pretty simple but a bit of processor is required. So I will simply drop a plane just above the surface for now. The drawback… on edges you may get floating decals.. I could detect for that but it would be just as bad as building a decal. Anywho back to work!

I have a pretty sweet setup. So each mod that makes up every item (up to 3) has an effect. This effect controls the animation of your arms, the muzzle flash type and timing, the shell ejected, and the bullet shot. So using an item can do so many different things. ALL items run off of this. So that leaves this puppy open to a HUGE amount of actions on the use of the items be it guns armor or consumables. They all use the same systems. VERY cool =)

Here is a shot of the shells ejecting. I am down to the last segment. Firing a gun and showing a hit on static objects. This is well documented and should go very fast just like the shells ejecting did. Now that the base system is down I just plug and play assets with scripts an whalla hundered if not thousands of types of guns off the base parts… Say you have 10 stocks 10 main sections and 10 barrels. Then you have 6 quality levels. Well that is 10 x 10 x 10 x 6 different types of combinations. That is 6,000 different types of guns not including the level differences. 6000 rifles,6000 swords,6000 axes,6000 pistols,6000 armor pieces per slot… pretty mind boggling.. =)

Here is the shot of the shell more later!

Almost done with weapon functionality

Update GOT IT! … now to ejecting shells which I forgot… THEN shooting bullets (supposedly easy in Unity)

I have all the animation systems working. I am still trying to get the transform positions for the muzzle flashes ejection of shells etc to copy correctly to the assembled model. Then the last step is to emit bullets of which there are a ton of examples. Sooo more later hopefully a mission accomplished banner and I can move on to the enemy AI. So far I am still VERY in love with Unity I have only hit a very few speed bumps of a learning curve or a bug with the exporter for blender which is a bit shady at times =).. more later

Wow got stuck with a blender or unity importer bug

Update: So animations for shooting working. Now to get them shooting. First I have to make a system to also combine transforms so I have the location for the ejecting shells and the muzzle for the flash… not sure that will happen tonight.. it is saturday and it might be movie time =)

Update: funny as soon as I posted that I found an answer…. moving on….

Another silly sticking point… I cannot figure out how to detect a GUI click through. IE you clicked a button so do not shoot the gun… this is useless on the IOS BUT I will not be on the IOS for a while and am planning some web testing… we shall see… argh… the new GUI documentation is lacking.

Usually you add multiple animations in the event editor. So I did this BUT some would not import or only one. I spent 2 hours trying different settings and searching the web… Then I decided I would just keep them in different files as that is the only way to go anyway with the timeline running all the animations. Well back to work. I am not partying tonight its a work night =) and partially a recovery night from last night 😉

Weapons time!

Update: Weapons in!… now to make them shoot. These are now what is equipped.

Now to getting the lead and shells flying!

(click image for larger as always)

This is more fun for sure then user interface monotony. I am going to think out loud on the blog here.

All weapons,skills,usable items will have 3 stages.

1. Start (Press button)

2. Charge (hold button)

3. Fire (release button)

These will be handled via scripts. These scripts will do different things based on what they are. A energy weapon will charge while holding while a machine gun will fire continuously. A grenade will build throwing distance ( O and I am so happy to have a better physics system then I had in ME 1 sooooo Happy…).

Item Mods have weapon effects. They have Start,Charge,Fire

All mods are activated if they have a script

Script design:

Player Controller (Left Fire,Right Fire, Dual Fire buttons)

Player presses Right Fire The weapons script for the right handed weapon is called Start. (Weapon Script = WS)

(Example Plasma Gun):

Start – Mod[1] Has a WS on start it says spark at the end of the barrel.

At the end of the barrel is a transform for location called muzzle on all weapons (they also have an eject transform for ejecting shells). It is where the effects are.

Swords have one at the tip and bas of the sword and bottom of the hilt (same for all melee).

Now while player is charging the script is told it is charging. On this weapon it increases an effect to full power over whatever time it takes.

The player release the button and fire is called. A plasma ball is emitted from the muzzle location and sent into the world.

The plasma ball has a callback on hit for effect. Detect if it hit an AI if so then use Combat Script to do damage based on the weapons stats plus the players stats.

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Example: Saw Machine Gun

Player presses Right Fire:

Weapons Script start has nothing.

Charge:

While holding emit a bullet every X time with a script attached.

Fire: stop firing

When bullet hits do the same with combat as above.

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Off to work!

Equipment and Inventory Done…

Ok naming right and window tweaked… all looks right with the GUI time to move on to the gun

Update: Ok renamed the mods that make the gun. The stock is called SIMPLE, the mid working section 5.52 Saw, the barrel OF THE PEOPLE… all meaning average gun. Of course the first term is the quality decrepit being the worst and GOD LIKE the best.

Cleaning things up then I think I will attack the gun shooting next. Then AI and the design of the AI construction. I am REALLY looking forward to the scene action scripts… I am planning currently on many systems that make the environment come to life while you explore. Of course the spawning bad guys and what not. However, I have an idea where I place empty markers and the father from the enterance and closer to the event they have different actions. For example the farthest from the even may have a temor and a distant scream. Close maybe an explosion and a roar of something bad. Closer and spikes come through marked places and a taunt of a bad guy. Then the event and the boss shows… pretty simple stuff but think legos all the way and mix and match events for randomly generated highly active levels. =).. this will be a can of awesome =)

Here is another item:

Update Item information window done:

Update fun with body parts lol

Now I need to create an item window so you can truly inspect an item. After that shooting guns!… Then AI… this is moving ridiculously fast….it so nice not writing an entire engine.

Here I am trying on some blood zombie parts =)

as always click for larger and more later!

Equipment Window up and running with animations.

Update: Going to have to make an item window that shows everything.. no mouse over tool tips on touch screens….. thats next… then weapons..

You are alone…..

Update: Here is the system working. I have replaced my upper body with blood zombie parts.. and the model is generated! So you can wear ANYTHING that is on ANY humanoid =) o and looks like my right foor is set to blood zombie more later!

Here is the full blood zombie.. low poly of course for TONS on screen if Unity lets me =P.

Starting to look pretty good. That is a fully generated model from a bunch of pieces… as seen below… It is time to make level 1 armor! =O…Good Times!! moving FAST! Then I need to get the first enemy working! on ward and upward!

More later…..

Chest piece:

Arm piece:

Getting really close to totally done with the GUI!

Here is where it sits. The character is built from pieces and I still need to get the animation in. I also have to make it update when the player drops items into the inventory.

Going strong! More later!

Went to a painting date tonight they wanted us to paint bunnies on a hill so I did 😉

Get ready for bad ass =)

I am super excited… as I now have such a grasp of unity Mission Europa 2 will be a can o whoop ass….no a tanker of whoop ass.. I have ideas like when the summons are called everything freezes..camera pulls back to 3rd person and the summon occurs… zooms back to first person… devastation ensues… then back to full on whoopass in fps =)… so easy in unity!..

So back at it tonight.. working on finishing the not so whoopass stuff but drooling to get to the whoopass =)..

More later!

Still finishing UI and functionality

Update:

Here is the gui all except fora few controller buttons and the equipment window working.

This is flying. I am really excited now that I know almost all of unity and the inner workings all the things I will be able to pull off to make the game exciting and different from all the on rail games out there!

Here is the scaled up GUI. Still a lot to do. I need to get the character equipment window finished with your character showing in the window. I need to get the usable items able to be used. I still have to get stacking working. After that I should be done with the GUI. I may add a lot more slots and a slot flipping device. So you can have multiple screens of in game items and inventory items. After the GUI it is time to finish the enemies and how they work. The last step before we look into first possibly internet browser testing and then IOS is the first level. The IOS version will start testing much further out as Unity charges 75 per month for the engine and then 75 MORE a month just to be able to build towards the IOS.

Going Strong

Uh ooooo Gui IN! .. good stuff.. I do like the new GUI system in Unity but there are quite a few learning hurdles in the right and wrong way to organize your gui.. =)… Now my skybox disappeared again so off to tackle that but here is the beginning of the game UI….

Got stuck last night.

Update: Inventory totally working in a few hours!.. I can drag and drop items. I can drop items to the world. I can pick up the items from the world. Awesome!… now to finish out the UI =)

Update: Here it is complete. The blue grab button will place it in your inventory if there is room =)

Update here is a better shot of a human head in the case. So when you approach this is what you will see. I will also add a pickup button so you can pickup the object and add it to the innovatory. Love the new gui system in Unity.

Update: Here is an example of a chest that was moused over displaying stats. The menu look itself has a long way to go but it is working finally and I can move forward!..

I have a tool tip that poops up when you mouse over (for now) a chest. I cannot seem to get this new GUI system to only render to a certain camera in world space. Once I get that done I will be back to the inventory. I also need to place the border buttons for all the abilities and items like Mission Europa 1. More later!!

Here is the generic chest Ta Daaaaa..

Update:

The new GUI system is AWESOME! … This is going to save MONTHS of time! =)…. I am making the item tool tip right now. Then I will move to finishing the new inventory system with the new GUI system. Freaking LOVE UNITY! Every step of the way I am pleasantly surprised with a good design decision or a good implementation that follows the inherent design workflow. Anywho wanted to stop and shout it from the mountains!.. My only real concern later is performance once I start on the IOS.

Ok now time to create my own inventory with the NEW gui system in unity. I was using a free one before that was VERY cumbersome code wise. It would just be easier with the new tools to create my own. So tonight I hope to have the new gui created. It would be really cool to get an entire inventory system done in one night….. that would show the power of unity! =)

Pretty simple it pulses red to let you know there is a present box ready for you to open there =)… More later!

Ok busy time over

Update:

Currently I show all items in the game when they are dropped. I am concerned this will really KILL performance with texture memory as all items are generated. THUS.. I think I am going to move to a generic container not unlike destiny does now =).. I l Like the surprise of opening a present also. Good stuff =)… That is tonight!

Yesterday was the wifes birthday so I had a ton of things to do. Also my son had select baseball try outs…. so not much done on M.E.2. However, today I finally should get a tton of time. Here is the blood zombie parts.. Like me the parts will mix and match to make many enemies. You can also equip their body parts =)