Terrain Deformation Suggestion - Rubble

[Cpl Steiner]

Having just seen the artillery video I was very impressed by the way the buildings collapsed. I also noticed that the shell holes were three dimensional because the terrain mesh had been deformed dynamically by the game to create a hollow where the shell went off.

I was a bit disappointed, however, that the rubble left by the buildings was just a very flat square of gray with a few doodads on, the same as used in CMx1. This seemed a waste of an opportunity.

Would it not be possible to use the terrain mesh deformation process used for the craters in reverse, to create a raised area? This could be used to make a mound of rubble where a building once stood. If the walls on one corner were left partially intact and you raised the terrain mesh in contact with their interior sides you would create a very nice effect of a bombed out building with rubble sloping away from the still partially intact walls.

Just a suggestion anyway. I really think rubble could be better if you have the power to raise and lower ground already written into the game.

[Thomm]

Excellent plan!

Execute!

Best regards,

Thomm

[Cpl Steiner]

To add to my suggestion, just think of the possibilities this would open up when we get CMx2 WWII. Stalingrad anybody?

[panzermartin]

Some standing walls or cement columns left even in the final stage of destruction would be better than a flat out block. I liked the way the building sinks after the hit. Very realistic.

[RMC]

It'a possible that is a placeholder and not what the final product will have.

In addition to rubble, I'd like to see more debris strewn about. The new video showing the close ups of troops moving about looked alot like an FPS and made we wish for more clutter in the environment.

[YankeeDog]

Good point. I'm certainly no expert on the subject, but I don't think buildings ususally collapse down to a pile or rubble less than 4' high, unless they're hit by something so big as to actually scatter the building all over the place -- like a 2000 lb. bomb er sumfink like that.

So it would be nice if even totally collapsed structures maintained a bit more height and mass.

In general, the videos look great, tho. New Arty interface seems very intuitive. And even though it's still beta, the advances in graphical eye candy are astounding -- there's just no comparison to those vertically falling black triangles from CMx1!

Cheers,

YD

[atacms]

Yes, better physics effects for rubble being dispersed makes for greater immersion.

And if you guys feel really ambitious, there could be collision detection so that large pieces of rubble can damage nearby units or can act as cover and concelment.

[Cpl Steiner]

Let's not get carried away. I don't think BFC are going to want to put a lot of work into this. My point was that they have already coded into the game the capability to deform the terrain mesh so it might not be too hard create a dome rather than a crater for rubbled buildings.

[Webwing]

I don't know, I think they already look pretty good. You can notice some buildings explode into little pieces, other times in half and then collapse. The animations of the collapsing building starts slow and gains momentum in the end , very realistic. Smoke and dust vary...

Another thing is the transparent balconies and some walls, I really enjoyed the look of that.

Of course there is always room for improvement but if it was released just as it is now I'd already be very happy. It looks light years ahead of the CMx1 graphics.

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[unsobill]

Originally posted by Rollstoy:

Excellent plan!

Execute!

Best regards,

Thomm

mAN i frik0ng laugh R0FL LMA0 ZOMG was so funny wen i read it teh first time

[Thomm]

I beg your pardon?!

[unsobill]

oh, you were serious...

excuse my amatureness in that case...