rough size comparison with BE medium's hull: Not an amazing render but you get the idea. Still in the process of solidifying the geometry but I want to start texturing it soon. Suggestions and thoughts?
Looks good to me... but I thought there was already one of these models in the works? Textured and almost in the game? Did that fall through?
You're thinking of this one? https://forums.empiresmod.com/index.php?threads/redesigning-the-empires-art.18708/page-8 I don't know what happened to it but the more competition the better IMO.
ooh you changed the turret a bit, will the ml go up and down with the gun? Actaully where the hatch is makes no sense, its right above the gun breach, you should swap the ML and hatch
Wait, the tube goes all the way through the turret hull? Thats some armour weakpoint if i ever seen one.
I'm failing to put into words what I wanna say so I'll say this: What I'm trying to ask is if the model could be visually damaged on the side it's being shot at. Like armour slightly damaged 90% -> scratches and metal burned up a bit. Armour at 75% -> some hull armour missing; and so on I suppose it would need some code support but maybe you can experiment. As for the weapons that devs have said might get their own models, don't forget the scripts must be clear and not changed every 6 months. Like, will the ML have 4 or 5 rockets/missiles? Would be important for the if we need a rocket canister for example...
ML won't pivot without additions to the vehicle code, since it's pivot axis would be different from the cannon. The mg will probably pivot with the cannon, though. I see that the hatch doesn't make sense but I'm not sure about where to move it, cause the ML will stay on the port side. The hatch might also end up significantly smaller because I don't have a good idea of the scale of the passenger relative to the tank yet. I'm not sure where else to put it. It can't go on top because it would block too much of the passenger's view, and on the outside of the turret it looks silly and ruins the profile. I think having the exhaust for the missile tubes point out the rear is important too. I think it's a priority to have a visible ML on the model both so modular weapon models can be supported in the future and because it will probably be using missiles more than cannons. With a bit of code support it would definitely be possible to drop a few gibs off a side when damaged, it also requires underlying geometry where things would fall off, which has to be modeled as well. I think it's a possibility though. Another approach would be to use material proxies and lots of code support to have a damage overlay show up more and more as armor plates are lost, though to do it on one side only, the UV mapping of a vehicle would have to be specially suited to it.
Its how this is done tbh, the Armour would be present inside the turret, so if the launcher gets hit the internal Armour protects against problems. I distinctly remember some german anti air tank to have a similar recoilless cannon mount internally accessible in the turret as main gun.
youll need quite some armor as the pressure of the explosion wont be able to escape as easily, but whatever its not about realistic isnt it. but compaired to the diameter of the tubes, the launcher is way to long (or the tubes too small) - imo. also why are there barrels on the side, and why are they so small (compaired to the turret hatch) and - ofc its also a matter of final texture size - i think there are many small features which might be too filigree to appear well defined on the normal. also may i ask how many triangles youre at? (its not subdivided as a whole, is it? just some round features like lights, gun and the barrels?) just out of curiosity.
We will see how much we will leave in as actual geometry. On his first attempt Varbles took the hull down to around 3k, which I think is fairly acceptable. This could be scaled down further if we actually use LODs and model detail settings.
Sure, but I like the idea of not having any more triangles than necessary. If you can bake it in to the various textures and create proper LODs I'd be very happy. I doubt you can get 64+ tanks in a fight right now without introducing a client-side lag fest (although the server probably won't be able to handle it either, will it?)
Thats more to do with the crappy model optimizing and the actual code related to driving and so forth then with the models themselves having 'too much detail'
