More Moondial Madness!!!

Btw, i guess it is already covred somewhere but i can't find it.
When will thy go live in game?

 

The changes to the Darkstarr Moondial were in R41, the others are coming in R42.

 

With the completion of the last details of the models, the textures, and the core functionality, it was finally the time to take the Ornate Moondials to the next level! Utilizing the skills of Justin to allow us to include new additions to our particle shader, as well as the talents of Damon to bring numerous VFX online, we’ve given these assets a final makeover and last-minute polish pass that really creates a stunning impression. Once you have a chance to approach one of these works of art, you’ll be able to witness first-hand the way these new VFX work together!

Having worked up the code that allows the constellations in our night sky to shimmer and seemingly animate, Justin added this same code to our existing particle effect shader to open up new doors for us when creating the kinds of ambient energies that might surround or emanate from objects in our game using “aetheric energy”. In addition to the standard additive glow of particles, Justin’s additions allow us to set up two different “layers” of animating “noise” that can be used to make large and randomly changing patches of “glow” that allow for the slow shimmer you’ll see when you look at the constellations and similar elements on that texture used to surround the Ornate Moondial, as well as smaller noise patterns that randomly mix and blend in various directions to create a sort of “scintillating” effect that touches all elements at a much smaller, granular level… The overall blend of these two parameters is subtle-yet-rich!

As for the added particle systems themselves, Damon took his cues from the earlier works on the generators, but utilized actual animating textures to create some very beautiful arcing bolts of aetheric plasma which emanate from the Ornate Moondial’s interior capacitors as they pulse outward and upward toward the metal support structures, and toward the world-sphere itself at the center of the construct. Additionally, he added twinkling star effects to the celestial sphere, not only filling it with smaller stars that wink in an out, but actually matching the location and color of the larger constellation stars which will also flash into visibility from time to time. Now consider that all of these effects had to be specifically scaled to work with each of the four different sizes of the Moondial, and you get an idea of how impressive of a feat this was to achieve!

All in all, I’m overjoyed by the effort and outcome of the Ornate Moondials. They’ll certainly leave an impression, whether they end up as a small work of functional art displayed on a decorative den table, or whether they tower over you as you visit someone’s majestic keep! Check out the quick video below to see the effects in place!



Scottie ^_^

 

I hope it would count as a public building for POTs
~Time Lord~

 

Wow, those are amazing @Scottie! I'm so going to go poor during this next telethon...

 

Yes,...I believe you can totally decorate POTs with them!

 

Really sweet! Will that larger one fit inside a village stone basement?

 

Good question! But the largest one was made to just barely fit inside a Keep Lot within the castle walls that sometimes appear on it... It's multi-stories tall! The interior of the Village Dungeon Basement is only about 15 feet tall from floor to ceiling, which would only allow the two smallest sizes I created to fit within (the standard "room"-sized, and the tabletop-sized)... The second largest one just barely fits within the Village Lot above-ground (with room to add walls and such) but is as tall as a large cottage, and couldn't fit in any of the Village-sized basements due to height, primarily...

Scottie ^_^

 

We need one that's in-between the "room" and "village" sizes.

 

Or a dedicated "Orrery" basement with a built-in moondial!

 

@Scottie Should the video have a SotA Logo on it? Screenshots have been edited thus far to have them I've noticed

 

Yes!

 

Good question! Berek posted this on the Portalarium YouTube section,...and I'm not sure how that's done for video...

Scottie ^_^

 

I'm still hoping to sell Starr on this suggestion eventually... I've already been thinking about how I'd put together such a dedicated chamber...

 

I prefer the idea of a planetarium / observatory on the edge of a mountainside with the orrery in the middle of the large dome.

 

So, I have to say the village sized one is quite easier to follow than the Darkstarr version. Probably because its easier on the eyes.

 

I'd be on that like a bum on a bologna sandwich.

 

Just seen how this has advanced and I'm very impressed!

 

Your passion for the creation of these items shows, thanks a lot, theyre beautiful. I cant wait to craft one now.

 

Absolutely! The Darkstarr version is supposed to look more "chaotic".... I'm glad you like this newest one!