Automated Battle Damage

[Dr. Nasakcuf]

I've often wondered if it would be possible to implement this.

Rather than using textures that have bullet holes or "wear and tear" built into them, could not the textures be altered "on-the-fly" to create this effect? Damage could be added to the texture as it happens (and in the way it happens, i.e. bullet holes vs. explosive scorch marks) so that the visual environment would degrade as the battle progressed. Since LOS is tracked by the game, it ought to be possible to know where something was hit, and alter the texture at that specific spot. I'm specifically thinking about buildings and vehicles...

[Gremlin]

Well, it's certainly done in many other games with "decals," like bullet holes or scorch marks being left on walls. But that means more things for the engine to draw and keep track of.

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[sbg2112]

Like everything else (it seems) with CM, this has been discussed before. I seem to recall BTS saying that they couldn't do this at the time because it would up the requirements on video memory. And from what (relatively little) I know about graphics, there's a wee bit of work involved not so much in trying to slap the "decal" on, but making sure that it's clipped and everything. For example, what do you do when the round hit the front corner of a tank's hull? (For me, I'd say just pick one face or the other -- just give me an approximation of where the hole is.)

But I'd also like to see it. I suppose there are gameplay issues as well -- would ruin AT ambushes if you could examine your newly perforated lead tank to get a sense of where the round originated. So it'd have to be done without adversely affecting FOW. Perhaps the holes wouldn't be visible until you're surveying the field after the battle.

[aka_tom_w]

Originally posted by Dr. Nasakcuf:

I've often wondered if it would be possible to implement this.

Rather than using textures that have bullet holes or "wear and tear" built into them, could not the textures be altered "on-the-fly" to create this effect? Damage could be added to the texture as it happens (and in the way it happens, i.e. bullet holes vs. explosive scorch marks) so that the visual environment would degrade as the battle progressed. Since LOS is tracked by the game, it ought to be possible to know where something was hit, and alter the texture at that specific spot. I'm specifically thinking about buildings and vehicles...

To be fair to CMBO this DOES take place already to a very limited extent.

Bridges can be destroyed and a whole new broken down bridge graphic replaces the old one. Perhaps this is a little too "large" or global for your liking but it the same idea you suggested only for bridges.

And buildings, they too blown up and fall down, only they are simply reduced to a 2D flat picture of a hole in the ground or a "rubble" tile. As an inbetween step with out altering the graphic code Charles coded the * and " ** " rating system to determine the damage level in buildings as there was no way in CMBO to show buildings in a partial state of destruction, I think it is fair to look forward to some form of graphics for partial building destruction and 3D rubble graphics in CM2. BUT that is ONLY my uninformed opinion.

Now we have something like that when tanks are KO'd the turret is set off kilter and the main weapon droops sadly.

So these things are in the game just not to the very refined extent you are suggesting.

the concept of grpahics textures being swapped for pictures of the damaged graphics does happend in CMBO but we are all hoping it will how happen (with the new 32 bit VRAM memory min for CM2) in the more nicely refined manner you are suggesting.

Rememeber the min VRAM standard they programed CMBO to meet was very limited. Was it 8 or 16 Megs of VRAM?

can't remember.

-tom w

[This message has been edited by aka_tom_w (edited 01-28-2001).]

[aka_tom_w]

same topic as

another thread

both are now at the top

-tom w