[biggerUniverse]

Is it really wrong to create a 3D RPG, or am I an elitist? I mean, most of us seem to despise the Z axis with a passion; or perhaps we just don't like the unrealistic results (There's something very pervasive and inorganic about 3D games)? Why?

NOTE: RPGDX has emerged from winter hibernation! \(-_-)/ YAY!
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We are on the outer reaches of someone else's universe.

[bay]

well it obviously not wrong, i for one have my views on 2d games for reasons that i think 2d has been forgotten by the mainstream. too many people chase after this new great 3d stuff, which is great and all, but many games use 3d as a gimmick.

the game will still suck if its not a good game, not enough thought into it, too simple or too much.. the method of showing the game visually should be a second thought in many cases.

it might also be the fact that most 3d games ive played dont break the bubble of innovation. "ok, we got a dude, and we got a camera, and an environment. awesome!"

o_O

.02$

[biggerUniverse]

[bay]

[Hajo]

[Mandrake]

[bay]

[Hajo]

Vector graphics saw an evolution:

1) Wireframe
2) Polygons
3) Shaded polygons
4) Textured polygons

So vectorgraphics have a lot of expressions.
Voxels and realtime raytracing are different techniques, so I agree with 3D != vectors in case of those, but they are fairly rare. Please try your voxel engine. I'm really curious about the results :)

Last week I did some experiments with autostereograms as 3D visualization technique, but at least for H-World they are unsuitable. Yet, I'm working on a 3D display module.

If you have H-World 0.4.3 installed try the command line

H-World -3D

it doesn't work fully yet, but it's a start.

When Doom was a hype, I tried to write a software 3D renderer. I've started to port the code to H-World. It doesn't fit and lot's are missing, but the floors are there, and walls (without texture) are there, too.

I would prefer OpenGL but none of my linux boxes has a working OpenGL driver :(

More seriously, someone announced this:

http://rpgcodex.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=6256

Much more 3D, and definitely indie. I have no idea if he will get somewhere.

This is a more professional project, but still independant, I'd say:
http://www.planeshift.it/main_01.html

[Mandrake]

[Hajo]

[Mandrake]

Heh, this is exactly what I'm talking about when I say Voxels get a bad rep. It boils down to about 5 years ago- when the 3d hardware wasn't as up to snuff as it was today, and Voxels were considered this revolutionary leap where 3d worlds looked actually real, etc etc rather than clean and geometric. Now, the 3d cards are fast enough were it doesn't seem to matter as much, and people are complaining, saying voxels are too slow (not really- only in very high resolutions), waste too much memory (that is true- voxels are memory hogs, no denying that), and look bad compared to their 3d counterparts(true only when compared to commercial 3d games. Now- compared to most indie offerings voxels are still respectable).

Some examples of voxels:




and here's something similiar (isometric view) of what I'm trying to accomplish (except I plan on making things more soft, less rigid):


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"Well, last time I flicked on a lighter, I'm pretty sure I didn't create a black hole."-
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[Hajo]

That's also the reason why I try to get you going on that :)

Voxels have potential, no doubt. The questions is how to overcome the obstacles.

I'm happy that you'll try it.

PS: maybe it's better not yet to try the "H-World -3D" thingy. It's way too incomplete, and maybe it's better to wait until it is at least useable a little bit.

I must admit, I don't like polygon models much. If I go 3D I'll try the doom way, 3D landscape and scaled bitmaps rendered into it.

[Mandrake]

There are more reasons why I like voxels.

Mostly because they are basically 3d projections of pixellated sprites, another is that for me, I actually understand the math involved (heh), and lastly, I like the way the look. And the most important reason-> Because so far, I haven't actually seen an isometric voxel engine for people to use. It gets bonus originality points in my book.

Probably the same reason why you would use a Doom-style engine rather than polygonal.
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"Well, last time I flicked on a lighter, I'm pretty sure I didn't create a black hole."-
Xmark

http://pauljessup.com

[Hajo]

I think this example illustrates a similarity and yet a difference between us very nicely.

We actually have the same goal - we like the look of 2D sprites.

But we go radically different ways:

You go for the unexplored, new, groundbreaking voxels. You know they have an edge if done right, and you're confident to solve all the yet unknown problems on your path.

I go for the year-old but proven technology which has known weaknesses, but no unknown problems.

I'm often conservative as can be. I wait until everyone around me confirms that a new thing really works.

You're avantgarde. You're the first one who knows if something going to work.

I wish you luck on your path.

[Mandrake]

Hmm. Avant Garde. I guess I could call myself that. Maybe it boils down to my years in highschool-college days where I was big in the experimental writing scene (got published all over the place, was tons of fun...got bored with it though)? Or maybe it's because I like to take on things that are interesting to me, and exploring things is interesting to me. Exploring stuff I don't understand- experimenting, bridging, burning, solving problems in different ways.

Will it look terrible? Probably. Will it look any worse than some other amatuer first try at 3d? No, I don't think so.

:)
_________________
"Well, last time I flicked on a lighter, I'm pretty sure I didn't create a black hole."-
Xmark

http://pauljessup.com