SotA & Agile Game Development FAQ ?

That's a lot of BRO's.

 

@Gix thanks for your answer, meshes and textures are probably generic enough that it's better our artists were working on art than answering that. If it were SotA specific, that would be another story. Got any specific questions you think need answered in the Mesh/Texture/Shader category @Rada Torment ?

 

This one would be interesting.

 

I really appreciate everything you wrote here. It makes me feel better about the future of the game
BUT
it also leaves me confused. Which is true now? That the story is finished and won't be "reworked" (LBs words) or that it is far from finished because besides other issues you don't have the right technical tools yet either (phasing...). Or is what you are saying something that will be addressed in Episode 2 an not before.

Not a trick question, honest question ... my favorite answer would be that all this is still being worked on for Episode 1 and the story experienced will be improved significantly before release.

 

No worries.. it was an excellent answer.

 

@Gix

Right! If it's a more generic question I don't want to get too hung up on who answers.. especially if it's a good one.

Maybe the question should be "Whats the texturing workflow you guys using in SotA?", as example.

Excellent question.

hmm I think I'm going to need to change my approach up a bit. I didn't expect great and lengthy answers so quickly. So I think what I will do along with compiling questions in the 2nd post.. I will also link post links to answers. (but it will have to wait until I get home from work. )

 

I will jump in here, because Richard guards his hidden lore and dynamic story with a passion and cannot speak on that issue.

What you are seeing are Lum's quests, which are basically the introduction to the story, putting into context every element that will unfold in the live story arch. And he did a damn good job at it, with so little manpower.

So the answer is neither, there IS a live story which lore I have seen in person (lucky me). We're just not ready yet to make it work with unity, performance being the biggest issue as we well know its necessary to be fluid in a live story.

Phasing is only a temporary possible solution for the introductory quests... Lum's quests wont be rewritten, that is what he meant, but the live story is still being worked on actively, and you have yet to see it.

 

We are working on it to the wire; there are significant changes to the ending Path of the Oracle script going live next week based on player feedback.

 

This is a great thread, thanks for starting it and thanks for all the answers I'm hoping for more answers ...

 

Hmm... I know the question was addressed to Rada, but if I had to ask:
How much of the textures are in an atlas? If any, which ones do you group together?
How many objects and/or revisions does an artist do per day on average?
How many scenes uses Global Illumination if at all? If so, how much of a footprint does the lightmap have on memory? Do houses (or any dynamic objects) have any lightmaps?

Non-Art related:
Do you utilize Unity's NavMesh pathfinding or do you build your own?
Did you ever had to scrap content (a scene or a quest)?

I'm not here to debate on this (at least not in this thread) but since you guys have already put some thought into this, I'm going to pick your brains. What are the projected complications of developing the tech to do phasing within the same instance?

In the example of the B.R.O. scene, could it not be segregated into different points of interests so that they'd independently reflect the player's choice and isolate the variants (dialogue) from within to avoid any complications of scripting the areas?

turning:
B.R.O.- Elf Camp (A), Vigilante Camp (B), Mushroom cave (C).

into:
B.R.O.- Elf Camp (A1, A2), Viligante Camp (B1, B2, B3, B4), Mushroom Cave (C1, C2).

 

It's like a BROrgy!

 

Thank you @Lum the Mad,
thank you @Puuk for answering

It is good to participate in your thoughts.
I wish, we could hear more about your work and challenges while making the story on

Spoiler: Telethons

And sure, if you like, you can tell it in form of a poem or sing it - but it isn't necessary

...

Thank you @Berek.
I like this one:

Thank you all very much for your time to share your thoughts with us - I think we all appreciate this.
It really helps for a better understanding, brings us closer to "what is possible" and "why is it this way" - and at last, it is interesting to receive another point of view

 

ha lol! I posted a agile post like this oh about a year ago, even linked youtube videos. Didn't get near the interest this one has.

 

Feel free to post those links again.

I think a lot of the time, interest is s a matter of timing.

 

Bowen did a great job with the formatting of this topic. Was your thread of a similar quality?

Awesome job by the way, Bowen. I've learned a ton so far about the processes that make up my favorite game!

 

Ok I've started the process of compiling questions and answers at the beginning of the thread in the 2nd post. It's a work in progress as I figure out formatting and such.

 

I know this is all well intended but. . . we have Post Mortems every release and telethons, and questions answered ad nauseum . . . couldn't this time be spent on MORE questions better used actually rounding out the game and finishing items left unfinished or completely broken?

DS and others go to great depths to answer question after question when they are asked . . .

Sorry but we do not need another format of QA, please let them get to working on the project . . . .

 

I did say as time and energy permits. Nobody is demanding answers right away or for anything to be put on hold so answers can be given. Also, these are questions that players don't tend to ask. Let the devs decide what they will answer, when and in how much detail. They're adults, they can manage their own time. And given the level of misinformation and misunderstandings related to development, it certainly can't hurt.

 

Video is such a painful way to search.

 

I watched those a few times. @Bowen Bloodgood you should embed them at the top.