So far we have shown you some concepts of weapons and armors, some of the finished models with proper lighting, and talked about our reasoning behind our design of the weapons. Now we think it would be time to see them in action!
Into the Fray will be a new “series” of ours, similar to the Alley of Artists – a series in which we will be talking about and demonstrating parts of the combat in game. The team has been busy working on the combat system for the past few months, namely the programmers making the basic functionality and the AI, and the 3D team working on the armor and weapon models and animations. The system is by no means complete yet, so this part will only show the basics; The player can pick up and equip weapons, aim down the sights, fire and reload. Just to keep things from being too easy, the NPCs can do the same while attacking the player. Both the player and NPCs also have their health implemented, meaning that they are capable of dying after taking too much damage. Very basic gameplay, but it’s only the beginning!
Announcing Podcasts!
Ever since we started doing regular blog posts and videos, our aim has been to try and explain what we are trying to make and how we are trying to achieve it, as well as reasoning behind some of our decisions. But no matter how in depth we try to make them, we realize that there might be questions left unanswered. For that reason, we are adding in a new medium through which we are hoping to be able to provide all of you with some additional answers; podcasts!
Overmare Podcast FAQ:
- How often will you release podcasts?
- We will try to release podcasts as often as we can, but because we don’t want podcasts to interfere with the rest of the development, we are not going to make one after every blog post.
- When will a podcast be released (if made)?
- Podcasts will be scheduled to be released a week after a blog post. (First will be released next week!)
- What kind of questions are allowed/will you answer?
- Any! However, we will prioritize questions that are related to a blogpost(s) that precede the podcast in question.
- Who’s going to be on it?
- A varying number of team leaders depending on the availability and the topics.
- Will you take any guests?
- Maybe! We are considering letting future contest winners make an appearance, but beyond that we haven’t decided on it. However, if you think you would make for a great guest, or you know someone who would be interested, feel free to send us an email, and we just might consider it!
If you want to ask us something, send us the question on Twitter, Youtube, Facebook, our forums or directly here on our blog, and we’ll try to answer as many questions as we can.
Help Wanted
We have big plans for summer, BIG PLANS! But the bigger the plans, the harder they are to achieve, so we require some additional horsepower to get there.
We are looking for a few 3D modelers, especially those who are specialized in organic models and those making environment models and textures. The more common hard-surface modelers are welcome as well, but the organic and environment modelers are the special kind we could use the most.
When you submit your application, tell us a little about your experience and give us examples of the models you have made before. No need to send the actual models, renders and screenshots are enough. In order to get into the team you need to know at least:
- How to make clean hard-surface models
- How to UV unwrap and texture models
- How to bake normal maps out of a hi-poly model (generating them from textures is not enough)
- How to make detailed textures
- How to make specular and gloss masks
- Knowing rigging and Physically Based Rendering -systems is a huge plus, but not required
When you apply, you will be tested for these skills and how fast you are at completing tasks. The test can also be used for practicing the required skills if needed and there isn’t any set time limit for completing the test, however the longer you take, the higher are the expectations.