Hehehe. That is a very important point since the
actual number of people working on their own MMORPG is
now five. Please include me as I'm working, with some
friends, on a game we're calling RuneWar. :):)
Personally my biggest concern with Java3D, still
reading and learning the API so bear with me, is the
ability to modify the terrain structure in real time
and manipulating actors.
I need the ability to modify the terrain mesh in real
time so that I can construct "mud builder" tools into
the game interface itself. This is so that my
building crews can build, excavate, apply textures and
blend textures while in their avatar form and so it
will get properly rendered by the game engine.
Another point is that I want my players to have the
ability, with restrictions, to accomplish many of the
same tasks. So that if a Wizard tosses a fireball at
a spot on the ground, it shouldn't remain green. It's
texture should be changed to a burnt one and the
Z-axis values should be decreased a little (he dug a
hole in the ground).
Another question I have, which will be answered by the
API no doubt, is how actors are manipulated. I
already realize that there isn't a particle system,
which is a little annoying, but actors are pretty much
required to have anything other than utterly static
displays.
Another thing I was considering was to continue
working on Java3D but dividing my code into rendering
and game oriented sections and then using JNI to
interface with an existing library.
For that purpose there are a couple pretty solid
libraries out there that are written in C/C++ which
should do very nicely.
Tools such as:
http://www.egerter.com
http://www.edgermage.com
http://www.jet3d.org
http://www.genesis3d.com
http://crystal.linuxgames.com
Any answers please?
ed
--- John Wright <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Setting aside the issue of Everquest's game design
> (which I personally
> think is horrible) it has shown that excellent 3D
> graphics can be done
> in a massively multiplayer online game. And I know
> at least four people
> on this mailing list like myself that would like to
> produce this type of
> game.
>
> A big question is "Can Java 3D be used to match or
> beat Everquest's
> graphics?" And to that so far I'm favorably
> inclined, so far I would
> say Java 3D is definitely up to the task.
>
> A key to why Everquest's graphics are so effective
> is that they have
> very low polygon count creatures with well painted
> textures. That
> certainly can be done in Java 3D. One thing I don't
> see a way to do is
> to match their lighting effects. EQ has some good
> lighting effects
> (setting aside the point that "humans" can't see at
> all at night and are
> unplayable).
>
> As a community another key goal we might want to
> help each other with is
> some standard character animations. Java 3D needs
> an "example" for how
> to animate a character walking.
>
> Also there has been some bashing of the flaws and
> glitches in Java 3D.
> We seem easily able to overlook the flaws in a smash
> success like
> Everquest (have you ever seen the face texture for a
> creature applied to
> it's butt?). I'd like to see "perfection" as much
> or more than anyone,
> but let's face it the industry we are functioning in
> is FULL of bugs.
> Windows has thousands of bugs, even hardware can be
> very tricky to get
> just right. Damn I hate to sound like I'm saying
> bugs are ok, but let's
> not trash Java 3D when it's no worse than the rest
> of the industry.
>
> - John Wright
> Starfire Research
>
> Steve Pietrowicz wrote:
> >
> > Man, I *wish* Everquest had clouds like that.
> Phew....that's a really
> > cool URL.
> >
> > The clouds in Everquest are actually just texture
> maps, done in some paint
> > program. I'm not sure which they use. It could
> have been generated by 3D
> > Studio Ma. You can turn the clouds off
> completely (I think), or have one
> > layer or two layer clouds. It's been a while
> since I've had one layer
> > going, but I think they have clouds painted on a
> blue background. The two
> > layer effect is using the one layer texture in
> conjunction with a second
> > layer of clouds in a texture map with transparency
> turned on. The texture
> > maps move at different rates, and you get a nice
> looking cloud
> > effect. ...At least as nice as current Everquest
> technology can do. I
> > would expect EQ2 and other games will have even
> nicer effects.
> >
> > Anyway, the cloud textures appear to me to be
> thrown onto the inside of a
> > giant sphere that encapsulates the whole outdoor
> zone that you're in. The
> > best place to see this effect is on the "good"
> boat to Kunark, right after
> > you zone into the Finora Vie area. If you face
> away from where the boat
> > will dock, you can see how the sky curves towards
> the edge of the zone.
> >
> > I believe they change the tint of the background
> on the textures as day
> > progresses to night.
> >
> > It's a pretty simple technique, but fairly
> effective.
> >
> > ....At least, that's my guess on how they do it,
> based solely on
> > observation. :-)
> >
> > If anyone here wants to try Everquest, I highly
> recommend the game. The
> > graphics aren't state of the art by today's
> standards (They have to deal
> > with system requirements for systems that are a
> year or two old, since
> > that's when they started it), but the game itself
> is very
> > compelling. Pretty addictive too. I saw
> someone's quote on a message
> > board once... "Everquest makes Crack look like
> Diet Coke". Man, that's
> > the truth.... :-)
> >
> > Steve
> >
> > At 04:02 PM 9/29/2000 -0700, Paul Byrne wrote:
> > >Hi Dave,
> > >
> > >Check out
> http://vterrain.org/Atmosphere/clouds.html
> > >
> > >Rgds
> > >
> > >Paul
> > >
> > >
> > > >MIME-Version: 1.0
> > > >Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
> > > >X-Priority: 3
> > > >X-MSMail-Priority: Normal
> > > >X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE
> V5.00.2615.200
> > > >Date: Fri, 29 Sep 2000 18:51:07 -0400
> > > >From: David <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> > > >Subject: [JAVA3D] Clouds
> > > >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > > >
> > > >Hi all:
> > > >
> > > >I have scoured the web looking for techniques
> for generating clouds ala
> > > >Asheron's call and Everquest. Even came up
> blank on Gamasutra. Can anyone
> > > >toss me a hint? In particular I am looking for
> moving clouds. Should I be
> > > >using a multi-texture for highlighting a plasma
> function?
> > > >
> > > >Dave Yazel
> > > >
> > >
> >
>
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> >
> >
>
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>
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