Flying Squirrel Entertainment
Developer's Corner => News & Announcements => Topic started by: Olafson on November 17, 2018, 06:42:12 pm
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Developer Blog 32 (https://www.fsegames.eu/devblog33.html)
Battle Cry of Freedom
Hello and welcome back to the Battle Cry of Freedom developer blog! This week we are going to talk about Graphics and historical accuracy.
(https://www.fsegames.eu/images/devblog30.jpg) (https://www.fsegames.eu/devblog33.html)
Graphics Part 1/3
Graphics are an important part of any game and to that end it is something we have spent a lot of time on during the creation of our game. However we are not planning on making the next Crysis! While graphics are important and can make the first impression for many potential players we prefer to focus on gameplay. We also are restricted by the limitations of our chosen game engine and have to work with the tools we are provided with. Despite this, as things stand we are very happy with the way the game looks. It may not be cutting edge compared to some high budget triple A titles but that is not everything. We believe that our models, textures and sounds combine together well enough to create an immersive 19th century experience. We are of course far from finished, and there is a lot more to come!
Face Customization[/b]
Facial customization is not currently implemented and instead faces are created randomly, but this is something we plan to change in the nearest future. We have created a large number of selectable faces, haircuts and beards that can be chosen by the player at will. Additionally, players will be able to select their hair color and accessories like glasses, tobacco pipes or cigars. All of our faces, beards and haircuts are recreated from historical photographs and based on both well known persons, like Joshua Chamberlain, but also on photographs of privates who’s name no one remembers now. This creates what we believe to be a fairly realistic period accurate look.
Below are screenshots of 11 of our 23 different face and haircut variations, in their default layout as well as some of our accessories. Maybe you will recognize some of the faces! Please note that while some of the units below are carrying artillery tools and are placed around a 32pounder, they are not dressed to be of a single unit or exclusively artillery. Clicking on any images in this blog will open a higher resolution version of them.
(https://www.fsegames.eu/images/beards1.jpg) (https://www.fsegames.eu/images/beards1.jpg)(https://www.fsegames.eu/images/accoutrements.jpg) (https://www.fsegames.eu/images/accoutrements.jpg)Weapons[/b]
We currently have over one hundred unique weapons in the game, each with its own graphics and unique gameplay (Read our previous Blog (https://www.fsegames.eu/forum/index.php?topic=40088) to learn a little about how our weapons perform within the ballistics system). As such, there is much to show. Here are a few screenshots of some of the more well known and important weapons in the game, none if which we have featured in previous blogs.
(https://www.fsegames.eu/images/blogrenders2018_6.jpg) (https://www.fsegames.eu/images/blogrenders2018_6.jpg)(https://www.fsegames.eu/images/blogrenders2018_5.jpg) (https://www.fsegames.eu/images/blogrenders2018_5.jpg)(https://www.fsegames.eu/images/blogrenders2018_4.jpg) (https://www.fsegames.eu/images/blogrenders2018_4.jpg)(https://www.fsegames.eu/images/blogrenders2018_7.jpg) (https://www.fsegames.eu/images/blogrenders2018_7.jpg)(https://www.fsegames.eu/images/blogrenders2018_8.jpg) (https://www.fsegames.eu/images/blogrenders2018_8.jpg)(https://www.fsegames.eu/images/blogrenders2018_9.jpg) (https://www.fsegames.eu/images/blogrenders2018_9.jpg)(https://www.fsegames.eu/images/blogrenders2018_2.jpg) (https://www.fsegames.eu/images/blogrenders2018_2.jpg)(https://www.fsegames.eu/images/blogrenders2018_3.jpg) (https://www.fsegames.eu/images/blogrenders2018_3.jpg)(https://www.fsegames.eu/images/blogrenders2018_10.jpg) (https://www.fsegames.eu/images/blogrenders2018_10.jpg)Historical Accuracy in the game
When creating a game set in the past, research and staying as close to reality as possible is one of the most time consuming and difficult tasks. It is extremely important to balance both historical accuracy and gameplay to make a fun but authentic gaming experience. Looking back at our previous game, Napoleonic Wars, we could have done a much better job on research. We did not realise it at the time, but we now have a much better understanding of the subject and how to do proper research.
We started re-enacting in June 2014 and joined a Dutch Napoleonic re-enactment group, that reenacts the “85ème régiment d'infanterie de ligneâ€. At first we thought that everything they did was historically accurate, but a year later we slowly started realising that most re-enactors are anything but historically accurate. This might be a surprise to anyone who is not in the re-enactment community, as it was to us. However, the truth is that most re-enactors do not do much research at all. Many re-enactors even make up their own facts, because “It makes senseâ€.
With that in mind we decided to instead form our own group that also tries to re-enact the “85ème régiment d'infanterie de ligneâ€. As we did our research we noticed more and more things that were wrong with our previous understanding of the subject and with re-enactment in general. Ever since then we have been trying to improve our performance/impression of the time and are still continuing to do so.
At about the same time, we also started our own Civil War reenactment group, the “110th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantryâ€. Now with a lot of our research focused on the American Civil War, we started seeing more and more issues with our uniforms and equipment in the game.
(https://www.fsegames.eu/images/22.jpg) (https://www.fsegames.eu/images/22.jpg) (https://www.fsegames.eu/images/33.jpg) (https://www.fsegames.eu/images/33.jpg)(https://www.fsegames.eu/images/4.jpg) (https://www.fsegames.eu/images/4.jpg)Having started work on BCoF right after finishing Napoleonic Wars we barked up the wrong tree due to our poor research and general understanding of the subject. On account of this we decided to redo most of our models and textures for BCoF. Many of them were based on sloppy references and had problems. For example, their colors were wrong, their stitching patterns were all off and on some of them. even the scale was completely off...
Research for the game is now practically no different to the research we do for our re-enactment performances or as a historian might do it. Primary sources, originals and photographs are regarded as the only reliable sources. Secondary sources are only used if it is absolutely impossible to find anything else and preferably if they can be corroborated. This produces not only more accurate content but also much better looking content. Reality always looks better than some made up stuff, at least in period gaming. The problem with this approach is that since we are progressive re-enactors, this is our passion and we sometimes like to focus on unnecessary details like inspector and manufacturer stamps that no player will ever see...
Below is a small series of screenshots showing some of our old and new old equipment pieces like haversacks, knapsacks canteens etc. I am sure you will recognize the new models.
(https://www.fsegames.eu/images/vincerequest1.jpg) (https://www.fsegames.eu/images/vincerequest1.jpg)(https://www.fsegames.eu/images/vincerequest2.jpg) (https://www.fsegames.eu/images/vincerequest2.jpg)Despite that, in terms of gameplay we try to limit ourselves and we do not want to go into extremes. A game has to be playable and in certain aspects we have to cut corners to make it work. For example, if you were to strictly follow the drill manuals, many of the animations would take to long to execute and would destroy the flow of the game.To this end some animations have been sped up by cutting out movements. Some of the actions have also been combined and we also used different drill manuals to create more visibly distinct actions. For example, we are using both Hardees Revised, Gilhams and Caseys manual as a base for our musket animations.
The melee animations in particular had to be made up from scratch and are based on no real manual. We need each swing direction to look visually distinct from another and this would have simply not been possible if we had followed actual manuals.
With our small team it would also not be possible to make uniforms and equipment pieces for all regiments from 1861-65. Certain equipment pieces will be intermixed and worn in a way that does not strictly reflect history. Differences in the time period of 1862-65 are fairly minor though, and it should not be a big issue. For example, the backpack featured above is from 1864, while many of our units are based around 1863.We will obviously continue adding more content to the game during development and after release, so hopefully we will be able to create enough gear to represent all of the years accurately.
(https://www.fsegames.eu/images/sceneprop.jpg) (https://www.fsegames.eu/images/sceneprop.jpg)We admit that we have made mistakes regarding historical accuracy in the past and we will continue making mistakes. We are not infallible. As such we do not claim that our game is historically accurate, we merely claim to be inspired by history. There are various things in the game that we are aware need to be changed, but are very low on the priority list. For example after making all of the ammunition and ammo crates, we took another look into the ordnance manual and found out that some of our ammo crates and cartridges are wrongly colored. This will have to be fixed, but it is by no means a huge mistake. It certainly can wait until after release.
Anyway, we hope that you now have a better understanding about what we are trying to achieve in regards to historical accuracy in the game, and how we try to approach things.
Once again, thank you for reading this weeks installment of the Developer Blog and we will hopefully see you next week!
In next weeks Blog we will be talking about Graphics.
Flying Squirrel Entertainment
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That knapsack is só good. And it does exactly right what other modelers do wrong; the envelop-part is much thicker then the other side. Owning period equipment and clothing really does help with better understanding how everything looked and worked.
Totally unrelated unimportant fact: I'm actually visable in all three photos. I'm the one laying down on the Napoleonic pic, the corporal in the front on the 'black and white' ACW photograph (argueably not a great photograph and definitly before we received our better gear), and finally I am the sergeant on the left of the last photograph (with the shirt colour popping out). That was one great event too; the confederates were supposed to defeat us, but kept retreating whenever our undersized batallion moved to engage them. Shame we can't make it this year due to Eckmühl.
If you what to see more of our re-enactmentgroup, here is a link to our Facebookgroup. And yes, we are recruiting and we have (some) depot gear.
https://www.facebook.com/conscrits1812/
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wow thanks for the update! 33rd!!
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woho! another blog
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NICE!
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I will soon be used to getting these updates so frequently, thanks for another great blog Olafson!
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3 blogs = 3rdArk ofc
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3 blogs = 3rdArk ofc
Shat up, leave me alone :(
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3 blogs = 3rdArk ofc
BAN! jk
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So you guys spent all your time re-enacting, and that's why it took it a year to get some more dev blogs. ;)
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im excited for the new meme vids that are sure to come
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Hi gents and congratulations on your progress.
Are you aware on iPads part of your site does not display properly? I am on an iPad Pro 10.5 inch and about 20% of this update is not visible on the right side.
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People are spewing a lot of hate, jeesh. Honestly as long as it looks as okay as M&B I couldn't care less about the graphics. Just looking forward to the game modes that should be included here and the diversity of armaments.
And yes I know they are different...but if WoR does not include some kind of AI command/bot system, I cannot see it lasting very long. Variants on commander battle is one of the things that makes Civil War shooters/mods unique and at least keeps me coming back to Napoleonic, Blue and Gray, etc.
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im excited for the new meme vids that are sure to come
Can't wait !
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Great blog guys. Really like how you are paying attention to detail.
Great stuff!
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great dev blog thanks for showing stuff off
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The great catch up rush of Dev. Blogs.
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Hi gents and congratulations on your progress.
Are you aware on iPads part of your site does not display properly? I am on an iPad Pro 10.5 inch and about 20% of this update is not visible on the right side.
Yeah we are aware of that and are planing to update our website within the next 2 months to work on mobile devices too. Sorry for the trouble right now. I suggest opening the link below. It should be slightly easier to view there.
https://www.fsegames.eu/devblog33.html
previous blog: https://www.fsegames.eu/devblog32.html
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Hype intensifies
https://youtu.be/hw2sb8MXUAk?t=7116
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I also reenact the War Between the States and the first set of images I expected out of anyone making objects for a ACW game. Then I saw the second set of equipment and was blown away. Those seriously look damn good. Not fresh, but worn. Worn, but not worn out. Just as a soldier would have been expected to maintain for his uniform and equipment. Well done! Looking forward to seeing more.
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Mite b cool
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Nice Dev Blog! and the re-enacting part is a nice bit of extra info ;D
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Loving that Henry rifle! Which class/regiment/rank/whatever will be able to use repeating rifles like henry and spencer rifles? Also who will use breech-loaders like Sharps rifles?
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This game looks really awesome guys. If you guys are looking for any more reference material there is a fantastic but very hard to come by book called the Columbia Rifles Research Compendium It is a fantastic resource for living history and just material culture of the Union infantry in the eastern theater during the Civil War made about 13 years ago. If you can find a copy I highly recommend. Thanks so much again for sharing these great updates.
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Loving that Henry rifle! Which class/regiment/rank/whatever will be able to use repeating rifles like henry and spencer rifles? Also who will use breech-loaders like Sharps rifles?
Cavalry, sharpshooters and the like will get access to repeaters and breech loaders. Certain other regiment of infantry were also issued with these rifles and will therefore get access to them too.
This game looks really awesome guys. If you guys are looking for any more reference material there is a fantastic but very hard to come by book called the Columbia Rifles Research Compendium It is a fantastic resource for living history and just material culture of the Union infantry in the eastern theater during the Civil War made about 13 years ago. If you can find a copy I highly recommend. Thanks so much again for sharing these great updates.
Additional material is always good to have, and definitely needed. Many thanks for the tip, we will be on the lookout for it.
We just acquired a copy of American Military Equipage by Frederick P. Todd, which took over a month to arrive from the US, so we are quite happy that we finally have it in our hands. It is fairly easy to copy stitching patterns etc. from photographs of original pieces, but none ever list the dimensions of the objects portrayed. This is where books like these come in very handy, plus they help with getting an overview over the entire spectrum, which certainly helps.
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so you finally explain what took so long
makes sense
cant wait to get my hands on some good old tnt!
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Wow! A line battle game with more weapon variation! Very cool to see and I must say that I am impressed!
Has cavalry already been implemented and artillery?
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Sadly cavalry has not yet been touched. We have the Cavalry Class and weaponry, but we do not have any riding functionality yet. Artillery is implemented already.