Most Wanted Feature

by Aardappel on 01/05/2002 03:14, 4192 messages, last message: 04/30/2008 20:02, 2708869 views, last view: 12/09/2021 06:34, closed on 04/30/2008 20:09

Hello all... this thread is for discussing features you would like to see in cube, and in particular those that you find most urgent. If lots of people have the same urgent requests, I may give it priority to be implemented.

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#1341: Graphics...

by Pxtl on 06/24/2004 15:06

Idunno, I don't think anyone would complain if Cube were updated to Q3s feature set - multitexturing, shaders, alpha-blending and halos.

Speaking of which, I was thinking - would multitexturing by overlaying 2 different models in the same place, one with texturemap (a) and one with texturemap (b), and synchronizing their animations so they look like a single model (although they're actually two models with different parts) be a reasonable circumvention of the single-texture limit? That is, you have a model where the arms, legs, and back are one model, and the chestplate and head are a second model?

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#1342: ..

by e:n:i:g:m:a on 06/24/2004 16:53

It would be nice to be able to define rectangles for bounding boxes on mapmodels instead of using radius for size:

Have it be defined as "mapmodel L W H D S" or whatever it is where D and S are distance from the ground and S are snap size...

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#1343: Re: Graphics

by spentron-postcrash2 on 06/24/2004 17:49, refers to #1339

It's a funky group of handed-down monsters. You may learn to love them. As an SP mapper, I consider them the stars of this show.

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#1344: Re: Graphics...

by makkE on 06/24/2004 20:13, refers to #1341

well i would complain, q3 is just totally overdone considering eye candy....

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#1345: Well...

by Pxtl on 06/24/2004 21:09

Its not like you have to use the feature set. Nobody pushes a gun to your head and say "you must use envmaps". It just takes some common sense. Multimodel and multitexturing in player models are great features regardless of the game. Of course all the shiny and glowy shite is excessive, but it would be nice to have player models whose legs can actually move the direction they're running and the model doesn't have to choose between its running or firing animations when both things are happening at once. Not everything has to look like Q3DM17.

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#1346: shaders etc.

by Aardappel on 06/24/2004 23:32

Besides the "keep things simple" idea which cube is about, the problem with advanced graphical features is that they have higher requirements on art/level design.

Adding per pixel lighting for example is not hard, but its pretty useless without a large set of textures with good normal maps... right now there are no free ones available of any kind of quality. Yes the monster models may not be the most amazing, but its what is available for free. If someone wants to model a set of really nice monsters for cube, be my guest.

Right now cube looks pretty "consistent", it has its own graphical style. Part of the success of cube are its low art requirements to make something decent.

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#1347: Re: shaders etc.

by dcp on 06/25/2004 01:38, refers to #1346

>its low art requirements to make something decent>

which in fact fits to describe my modelling skills... if you're paying attention to the word 'low' ;-)

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#1348: CTF

by Jrwr on 06/25/2004 08:20

Cube would be relly cool with CTF

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#1349: Re: shaders etc.

by makkE on 06/25/2004 11:33, refers to #1346

well i like the current monsters :) and the ogro is a very cool and funny player model :) (ever read the readme coming with it?)
Aard is right, one of the greatest things about cube is that editing is so simple and restricted. It forces you do do good stuff by little means, and I think itŽs great for mappers to start with and learn from. Imagine starting to map with ut2004...youŽd never be able to make a level that gets up to the architectural standard of the official maps...unless you commit like a half year to it or so...in cube you can get good results so fast.. :)

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#1350: Re: shaders etc.

by MitaMan on 06/25/2004 14:14, refers to #1349

I agree. Cube is the closest thing to "instant gratification" you can find. The best part is creating a map in "real time", not having to render the map and wait, wait, wait. As far as Cube goes, less is more.
MitaMAN

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#1351: Re: shaders etc.

by spentron-postcrash2 on 06/25/2004 17:05, refers to #1349

"...youŽd never be able to make a level that gets up to the architectural standard of the official maps.."

And try saying you don't care about that stuff and just want to, for example, make UT maps in the current engine. Good luck. But even if you added 100 new things, any lack of the usual will be harped upon. Funny thing about any mapper that's actually gone through the trouble of learning how to fufill expectations -- they start believing that stuff is what's important.

Besides, ut2004 lacks real SP (unless it does Unreal 2, ummm...). Most or all of the games with real SP and much of a community are older than Cube.

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#1352: Re: shaders etc.

by dcp on 06/25/2004 17:39, refers to #1351

oh yeah, and unreal 2 was one of the most dissapointing sequels in PC game history... the graphics were OK but the gameplay... the original unreal was so much better with it's consistent story...

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#1353: well...

by Pxtl on 06/25/2004 20:00

while bumpmapping and strange texture forms create a big pain in the ass, there are simpler engine features that add a lot of gloss and glamour to the engine that, while might be tricky to implement, really don't make mapping much harder.

For examples, take a look at the Doom (yes, Doom 1,2, Heretic, etc) source ports and how the features they've added work with standard maps.

http://legacy.newdoom.com/shots.php?i=3

Coronas are nice looking, easy to implement, and add a lot of ambience to an engine (see AvsP for good corona use).

Alpha surfaces also add a lot. Working coronas/lighting into a fog system create gorgeous effects like the second shot on this page

http://legacy.newdoom.com/shots.php?i=2

There's tons of fun things that don't require making texturing a massive headache. Look at the '99 Unreal engine as a good example - no complex texturing, except for alpha channels and suchlike, nearly no map models, but the maps look gorgeous thanks to simple graphical niceties like that.

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#1354: Re: well...

by Aardappel on 06/26/2004 01:27, refers to #1353

sure, a lot could be added... but none of these features is really impressive... coronas and transparent surfaces are not worth the trouble.

If there's a #1 thing I would like to improve about cube visually, it would be better shadows (& light). The challenge is finding the right techniques that both fit cube, are efficient etc etc.

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#1355: ..

by e:n:i:g:m:a on 06/26/2004 04:10

Well it would be at least nice to be able to specify conic, spheric, and cylindrical lights, as well as a smoother lighting model... (but that could just be my light placment...)

And it would be nice to be able to specify rectangles for mapmodel bounding boxes rather than radius and height, eg. length, width, and height...

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#1356: ..

by SnipaMaster on 06/27/2004 01:08

Dynamic lighting would be good for cube, transparent surfaces would be cool too though, you could have glass doors and stuff.

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#1357: Re: ..

by e:n:i:g:m:a on 06/27/2004 17:23, refers to #1356

Yeah, Dynamic lights (eg: colour change, flicker, pulse, etc) would be VERY NICE

It would be nice too if the light projection on the floors and walls would be smoother (without as many dark patches)

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#1358: Soft selection brushes

by quest1 on 06/29/2004 19:58

I'd like to see soft selection brushes for fast terrain editing and maybe a noise brush to add some ruggedness on appropriate terrain and a flatten brush to make terrain flat for structures.

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#1359: ..

by boeckson on 06/30/2004 10:39

a spectator function ;>

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#1360: Spectator function...

by Pxtl on 06/30/2004 17:00

That would kill two birds with one stone, as it would also solve the problem of dull waiting time in the round-based game modes.

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