i presume you havent done the motion capping yet so will you make a video of it if possible? would be interesting to see the difference between the real marine and the animated one. :)
really great effort for such a young and small dev team so keep it up... cant wait for the alpha *thumbs up*
It would be awesome if you guys could film, or at least photograph the mocap actor in action for a later blog update. I've always thought it awesome to see the actors behind video game roles.
It would be interesting to mocap some animals, like iguanas or crocodiles to get some more "realistic" alien motion as well -- even if it isn't exactly what you want.
locallyunsceneFeeder of TrollsJoin Date: 2002-12-25Member: 11528Members, Constellation
edited August 2009
Just noticed a typo: <!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Inside the mocap studio your on an expensive clock<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> <b>Your</b> should be <b>you're</b>. edit: also <!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->actors wages,<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> should be actor's or actors' depending on how many you have :-) .
If you acquired a military actor, then weight shouldn't be an issue considering just about every soldier, marine and seal are issued body armor. Then again, I don't know what movements would would use in a Space Shooter FPS. You don't exactly jump with 70 pounds of body armor on, you really don't do anything but jog around. A lot of the special forces you see usually wear just the vest piece, or none at all because of its restrictiveness in weight and mobility.
Great post. +1 wanting to see the video against the final animation.
Thinking a bit about how the light and heavy armor moves in NS1, how it might move in NS2 and also how marines move in other games:
In NS1 the normal marines looked like they had very light armor and could move and jump around very well and so they did. Personally I would like them to move more like they are on alert. Maybe you can lower and raise your weapon? I would think it normal for the marines, knowing there is a hostile presence, to have their weapons raised high in most situations. From the players perspective I'm not sure everyone would agree that one need both a lowered and raised weapon aim. Maybe the lowered aim is only on when sprinting (am I wrong reading somewhere that sprinting is in?), and a raised aim when walking, if only on the model view. Personally I don't like that you can't shoot while sprinting in games, so would like it much more with just worse aim.
When it comes to jumping I know people, me included, would hate seeing it removed. Saying that; some of the more realistic marine based games are actually removing jump straight up and replacing it with climbing over obstacles using more of a "push down on obstacles with hand and jump over one leg at the time" approach. Looking at the size of the heavy in NS1 it looks a bit weird if you think of him as not having some kind of exoskeleton help. Really hope you keep his size but I would really like to see some better and faster movement. Know it's suppose to be slow but I think it needs a bit more OMPH! Maybe there is no sprint in heavy and the light armor also have a dodge move (double strafe click). I would definitely like to be able to but not sure if it would work in game and if done wrong it will look silly when jumping against walls, especially if it's a roll.
I know it's suppose to be the future so the light armor is probably very strong and it might also hold some kind of exoskeleton. To me though it always looked kinda silly when the light armor were holding anything bigger then the shotgun. And it looked even sillier when the heavy armor was holding anything smaller then the GL. So I'm wondering if you are making the weapons armor class related now? Or are you making them work better with both armor classes? I have not much to say about the jetpack armor, except that it's the weirdest military equipment choice in the game and very fun. But I'm not surprised if you remove it.
puzlThe Old FirmJoin Date: 2003-02-26Member: 14029Retired Developer, NS1 Playtester, Forum Moderators, Constellation
This is really interesting stuff. I'd like to see a 'before and after' of the mocap at some stage. It's going to be great to have all this material to reference when we've had the game in our hands for a while. We'll know the details of the game intimately and looking back over all of these blogs will be great with the benefit of first-hand knowledge of how it all worked out in the end.
Reading these comments has made me realise how hard a job this is. Guns up or guns down, what do with the guns when jumping, climbing a ladder, swimming?... Good luck getting it right first time, I think you're going to need it.
IeptBarakatThe most difficult name to speak ingame.Join Date: 2009-07-10Member: 68107Members, Constellation, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Diamond, Reinforced - Shadow
<!--quoteo(post=1725047:date=Aug 26 2009, 05:18 AM:name=JAmazon)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (JAmazon @ Aug 26 2009, 05:18 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1725047"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->You should tell your actor that he has to do alien mo-cap too just to watch his eyes bug out :P
"Ok, now put this gorge suit on and waddle around on the floor for us!"<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--quoteo(post=1725062:date=Aug 26 2009, 06:59 AM:name=IeptBarakat)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (IeptBarakat @ Aug 26 2009, 06:59 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1725062"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Ya, tell him to belly slide in a gorge suit.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
"Right, now for the building animation, can you swallow these reflective balls and vomit on the floor please?"
I'm kind of suprised at the story of the martial artist who couldn't take instructions. Then again maybe not, I have known a few people who just love to show off and are very stubborn about changing, shame you didn't get someone more grounded though.
The amazing thing is that you really are still 100% invested into the ns2 development. Not many companies would be so perfectionist, but then again not many companies care for it's community (consumer base) like you guys do. It's going to be utterly brilliant. Now what're the chances of tricking you devs into going toe-to-toe with some of us? :)
Sadly I'm not american as I'd work for you for free, but then again I have no military training whatsoever but still know my way around heavy stuff without tiring myself out.
I'd be curious to see how the weapon reload animation works this time round see'ing as how in the old animation the marine just seemingly pulled a magazine out of thin air.
Although its not really THAT important I just found it kinda odd that the models never had any real tactical load bearing gear or even magazine pouches aside from a little utility belt.
Anyway its reassuring to know the amount of effort being put into the mocap and I look forward to see'ing how it turns out ingame.
BadMouthIt ceases to be exclusive when you can have a custom member titlJoin Date: 2004-05-21Member: 28815Members
Didn't know motion capture made that much of a difference to animation. A great read. Was wondering how people motion capture the jump animation. Cos as far as I know, no solider ever jumps vertically holding a gun. Ever.
Comments
i presume you havent done the motion capping yet so will you make a video of it if possible? would be interesting to see the difference between the real marine and the animated one. :)
really great effort for such a young and small dev team so keep it up... cant wait for the alpha *thumbs up*
To be honest in all likeliness someone like Valve will snap these boys up.
So did you find your actors?
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Inside the mocap studio your on an expensive clock<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<b>Your</b> should be <b>you're</b>.
edit:
also <!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->actors wages,<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
should be actor's or actors' depending on how many you have :-) .
I'b love to see the "motion-capture session".
Like I've always said, the UWE knows what they are doing.
All my wishes to your success!
Then again, I don't know what movements would would use in a Space Shooter FPS. You don't exactly jump with 70 pounds of body armor on, you really don't do anything but jog around. A lot of the special forces you see usually wear just the vest piece, or none at all because of its restrictiveness in weight and mobility.
nice blog :)
Thinking a bit about how the light and heavy armor moves in NS1, how it might move in NS2 and also how marines move in other games:
In NS1 the normal marines looked like they had very light armor and could move and jump around very well and so they did. Personally I would like them to move more like they are on alert. Maybe you can lower and raise your weapon? I would think it normal for the marines, knowing there is a hostile presence, to have their weapons raised high in most situations. From the players perspective I'm not sure everyone would agree that one need both a lowered and raised weapon aim. Maybe the lowered aim is only on when sprinting (am I wrong reading somewhere that sprinting is in?), and a raised aim when walking, if only on the model view. Personally I don't like that you can't shoot while sprinting in games, so would like it much more with just worse aim.
When it comes to jumping I know people, me included, would hate seeing it removed. Saying that; some of the more realistic marine based games are actually removing jump straight up and replacing it with climbing over obstacles using more of a "push down on obstacles with hand and jump over one leg at the time" approach. Looking at the size of the heavy in NS1 it looks a bit weird if you think of him as not having some kind of exoskeleton help. Really hope you keep his size but I would really like to see some better and faster movement. Know it's suppose to be slow but I think it needs a bit more OMPH! Maybe there is no sprint in heavy and the light armor also have a dodge move (double strafe click). I would definitely like to be able to but not sure if it would work in game and if done wrong it will look silly when jumping against walls, especially if it's a roll.
I know it's suppose to be the future so the light armor is probably very strong and it might also hold some kind of exoskeleton. To me though it always looked kinda silly when the light armor were holding anything bigger then the shotgun. And it looked even sillier when the heavy armor was holding anything smaller then the GL. So I'm wondering if you are making the weapons armor class related now? Or are you making them work better with both armor classes? I have not much to say about the jetpack armor, except that it's the weirdest military equipment choice in the game and very fun. But I'm not surprised if you remove it.
Thanks for reading. Keep up the good work.
"Ok, now put this gorge suit on and waddle around on the floor for us!"
"Ok, now put this gorge suit on and waddle around on the floor for us!"<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Ya, tell him to belly slide in a gorge suit.
"Right, now for the building animation, can you swallow these reflective balls and vomit on the floor please?"
I'm kind of suprised at the story of the martial artist who couldn't take instructions. Then again maybe not, I have known a few people who just love to show off and are very stubborn about changing, shame you didn't get someone more grounded though.
I loved the part about striking the gun prop to simulate recoil.
Keep cranking guys.
Although its not really THAT important I just found it kinda odd that the models never had any real tactical load bearing gear or even magazine pouches aside from a little utility belt.
Anyway its reassuring to know the amount of effort being put into the mocap and I look forward to see'ing how it turns out ingame.