Acumen
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Posts posted by Acumen
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Nope, no bump mapping; just incredibly gifted artists.
Graphically things will improve during development. We're focusing on implementing the basics for now and will make cosmetic improvements to the renderer further down the line.
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Information on release dates are purely the domain of the "Holy of Holies", so I'll leave that one for Jason.
But, I'll take this opportunity to shed some light on the matter of release dates as it pertains to the nature of an online project.
a] We're new to this. For most of us, this is our first project of this scale. That means a lot of unknowns, a lot of experimentation, a lot of growth and learning, a lot of mistakes and learning from mistakes. In many respects, we simply have no idea how long something will take to do until we've done it.
b] This is a hobby, not a full-time job. We only clock as many man-hours as people are willing and able to give at any time. Members come and go. Stuff happens (I, for example, have been bedridden for the last couple of weeks following an operation, which affects the time I can commit).
And since we're not doing this for a living, we can expect things to take three times longer than they would in the 10-20 hour days of "real world" game development (then double that for insurance). Where, I might add, it still takes several years to ship a game with full-time trained professionals.
c] We want to take the time to do this right. No money, development contracts, salaries, monthly costs, or external influences like publisher mandates are in place to force us to ship a buggy product by Christmas, come what may. We're in the best possible position to have it done when it's ready.
In short, it's tough to schedule and define timed milestones when man hours aren't fixed and performance can't be quantified. Any fixed date could therefore be described as little more than a vague goal to encourage motivation.
However, if you want a guesstimate ... We've made unprecedented progress in the last few months, and I have no doubt that it's going to just keep getting better in the months to come.
Even so, given the ambitiousness and complexity of the project, that the technology is being entirely built from the ground up (including creating a viable infrastructure for TLA and RTS modding), and the circumstances under which we work, I wouldn't expect to see a beta this year. But I do anticipate that we'll see significant progress along the path to that destination.
I say that now because I wouldn't want to see us accused of "pulling a Valve" come Christmas. Nor of hyping the game to unattainable heights a la Tiberian Sun.
But, if you feel that we're taking too long and/or you can't wait, let me offer a suggestion ...
Help.
WFG exists because people all over the world are willing to come together, give up their free time, and work long hours in order to accomplish a highly ambitious dream, and learn and grow in their trades as it takes shape. It is the skill and sweat of such people that will bring us to the seemingly revered beta and beyond.
If you could make a difference, if you have the skill, maturity, time, and perseverance to assist 0 A.D. in rising above the desert of bones that is independent game development, then please contact the appropriate Department Lead for an application form.
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Wonderful! I'm off to go rename all the Persian units and buildings.
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Excellent, thanks! Here's the full list (it adds up, huh?
)Arabian = Tazi (originally from Tayy (an Arab tribe), later used for all the Arabs, also means "arabian hounddog")
Aramaean = Arami
Archer = Kamandar
Armoured = Zerehi
Armoured Horse = Aspzerehi, Zerehasp
Fully Armoured Horse = Asp-i Porzereh
Assyria = Ashura
Assyrian = Ashuri
Armoury = Zerehgah
Blacksmith = Ahangari
Babylon = Babiru
Babylonian = Babirui
Bactria = Balxa
Bactrian = Balxi
Bireme = Dorade
Camelry = Shotorsavan
Cappadocian = Kappadoki
Cataphract, Heavy Cavalry = See Armoured Horse, Fully Armoured Horse
Cavalry = Aspsavaran
Chariot = Charxjangi
Cilician = Silisi
Corral = Jânvargâh
Cypriad = Kebresi
Dock = Langargâh
Farm = Keshtzar
Farmer = Keshavarz
Fishing Boat = Kashti Mahigiri
Fully Armoured = Porzereh
Fully Covered = Porpushesh
Gate = Darvâze
Granary = Jowgah
Harbour = (See Dock)
Heavy = Sangin
Horse = Asp, Spah
Horsekiller = Aspkosh
Indian = Hendi
Infantry = Piyade
Ionian = Yunani (old name for Greeks)
Javelinist/Javelineer = Zhupinandaz, Zhupindar
Knight = Gord
Lancer = (See Spearman)
Light = Sabok
Light Cavalry = Asp-i Sabok
Magus = (See Priest)
Man = Mard
Mede = Mad
Media = Mada
Median = Mad (language = Madi)
Merchantman = Bazargan
Mesapotamian = Miyanrudani
Mill = Asiya
Orchard = Golestan
Outpost = Padgan
Palace = Kax
Peasant = Dehgan
Persian = Pars (language = Parsi)
Phoenician = Fenisi
Phrygian = Frigi
Port = (see Dock)
Priest = Mogh
Ram = Darvazkub
Rider, Horseman = Aspsavar
Ship = Kashti
Skirmisher = Zhupinandaz
Slinger = Tirandaz
Soldier = Sarbaz
Spearman = Neyzedar
Stable = Âxor
Swordsman = Shamshirdar
Temple = Âtashkade
"the Great" = -e Bozorg (eg Darius-e Bozorg)
Thrower = Andaz
Tower = Borj
Trade = Bazargani
Trade Ship = Kashti Bazargani
Transport Ship = Kashti Kasbar
Trireme = Serade
Three = Se
Two = Do
Village = Rusta
Villager = Rustayi
Wall = Divar
War Elephant = Pil Jangi
Woman = Zan, Banu
Zoroastrian = Zartoshti
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Wonderful, thanks! I just have a few more, and then we're all done:
Corral = (A corral is an animal pen, a fenced enclosure where animals are kept; kind of like an open-air stable)
Gate
Dock, Port, Harbour
Priest, Magus
Temple
About the accented a's: yes, please. I've been compiling your translations into a full list, so I'll post the full list once we're finished.
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Tonto_Sanjab,
Thanks very much for your translations. They were a tremendous boon. Could I please request a few more to finish it off, and then I'll run the list by you, if that's okay:
Camelry
Cavalry
Fishing Boat
Javelinist/Javelineer
Lancer
Merchantman (Trade/Transport Ship)
Swordsman
Trader
Babylonian
Cilician
Cypriad
Median
Persian
Phoenician
Zoroastrian
Armoury
Corral
Orchard
Outpost
Palace
Tower
Wall
the Great (as in "Darius the Great")
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Tally-ho! Ta for the publicity, chaps. That'll give one to Jerry, me old rucker.
*takes his medication*
Excellent, gamedev.net were even kind enough to make it a Featured Article.
Also, Jason informs me that they've made a comments thread for it. I was naturally compelled to post a reply almost as long as the original article.
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Yeah, Michael has it right. The Persian mahouts rode the elephant (while the Carthaginians, coming later in history (if that makes sense), used the tower), and garishly painted their beasts in a similar way.
In fact, this image is downright perfect. I've added it to the Persian Profile for future reference.
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Stuart always keeps thinking about how to use things for the game
This is because I have no life beyond this game. I see dancing bananas in my dreams.
Celts should just be a matter of looking for Welsh names, particularly the older ones. Yeah, the Middle Eastern ones will be more tricky, but I'm sure we can track things down when the time comes. I think for the most part once we can find sources to thoroughly cover all unit feedback translations, those sources should also turn up a lot of names.
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Excellent, those'd come in handy in the future for random unit names.
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ZeZar, you'd be amazed how often your questions are already pre-answered by the website FAQ:
We want our games to be accessible to as wide an audience as possible ... We hope that people of all ages will be playing 0 A.D., so we're obliged to circumvent mature topics like child sacrifice (Carthaginians), bloody heads on poles (Celts), and nudity (Greeks and Celts).So to summarise, outrageous bloodletting will be kept to a minimum, in order to avoid outcry from outraged parents. Of course, "blood packs" or someone releasing their own non-affiliated gore mods aren't entirely out of the question, but we need to keep the official release "clean" for the sake of the kiddies.
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To the left of the Civ Centre, just above a large white rock? (grey toadstool-capped whatsit)
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Hmm, where did you see that, Argalius? I certainly wasn't aware that we'd released a beta.
Seriously, there isn't one going on, I guarantee it.Tim used some placeholder text to that effect in the banner for mockups for a website layout he was working on. That's the only thing I can think of. Maybe you looked at the link to it in Tim's sig?
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Thanks again, guys.
What about Bob?Good try, Jason. I think you're right, but I suspect that was also a quote from the original origin.
Actually, I had to do a bit of research for this, but it's apparently credited to Sally Field when she received her Oscar for her role in "Sybil". During her acceptance speech, she said (gushing, no doubt) "Now I know you love me; you really love me!".
It's quite famously ripped off as a pop culture exaggeration of self-obsessed praise-mongering. I vaguely recall Jim Carrey quoting something similar in The Mask.
*throws himself from his academic ivory tower*
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*blushes*
Thank you all for your kind sentiments. I don't get anywhere near this level of attention in RL.
"You love me! You *really* love me!"
- Name that quote.
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The plan (and that's all we've got right now) is to use camera tracks similar to the method in AoM.
I'm not sure what you mean by making units "look different" in cinematics. If you mean have them fire off custom animations (eg throwing their arms around when they're talking, cheer, etc), then yes, we hope to try and do that.
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Apparently it's meant to be a dialogue (thanks, Tim), so here's a version with just dialogue:
Mrs Willings: "Now, what seems to be the trouble, Mrs Palmer?"
Mrs Palmer: "That - that *brute* of a woman! How dare she inflict such a horrid punishment on my poor little Paulie."
Paul Palmer: "Mom, please ..."
Mrs Debra: "Mrs Palmer, the 'horrible punishment' you refer to is what we in the teaching trade call 'curriculum homework'. The class was given 40 sums on Tuesday, and 50 on Wednesday. Paul received the same homework as everybody else. I truly cannot see what you find so objectionable."
Mrs Palmer: "My boy is *special*. He deserves special treatment. He's obviously proved himself to be too advanced for your 'curriculum'. He shouldn't have to waste his time on these silly little square roots. He's destined for better things. Isn't that right, David?"
Mr Palmer: "Yes, dear."
Mrs Willings: "Mrs Palmer, I thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. I recommend that we take an opportunity to consider the matter, and possibly reconvene at a later date. Perhaps when you are able to consider the situation a little more ... objectively? Good day to you."
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Mrs Willings, head teacher of Pseudonym High, steepled her fingers over her elaborately varnished office desk.
"Now, what seems to be the trouble, Mrs Palmer?" she asked, her plastic smile a crescent of insincerity.
The troubled parent primly clutched her handbag over her bony knees, and thrust a quivering finger at the maths teacher sitting at Willings' right hand.
"That - that *brute* of a woman!" cried Mrs Palmer. "How dare she inflict such a horrid punishment on my poor little Paulie."
Paul Palmer attempted to bury himself even deeper in his chair. "Mom, please ..." he groaned, flicking hopeful glances at the door.
The head teacher eyed her desk drawer, fondly recalling the bottle of vodka stashed in the corner. Her hand twitched. Soon. Soon. Consider this your purgatory, she told herself.
"Mrs Palmer," said the maths teacher in the calm reasonable tones she reserved for dealing with the violent and/or inept. "The 'horrible punishment' you refer to is what we in the teaching trade call 'curriculum homework'.
"The class was given 40 sums on Tuesday, and 50 on Wednesday. Paul received the same homework as everybody else. I truly cannot see what you find so objectionable."
Mrs Willings nodded like a turkey in desperate need of a drink.
"My boy is *special*," declared Mrs Palmer. Paul hung his head in his hands, cheeks burning with embarrassment. "He deserves special treatment. He's obviously proved himself to be too advanced for your 'curriculum'. He shouldn't have to waste his time on these silly little square roots. He's destined for better things." She jabbed an elbow in her husband's ribs. "Isn't that right, David?"
"Yes, dear," he intoned obediently, with all the enthusiasm of a zombie. A well-trained, terrified zombie, who was missing his football match for this lunacy.
Mrs Willings' hand lunged for her desk drawer, but she managed to stop herself in time. "Mrs Palmer, I thank you for bringing this matter to our attention." You mad old cow. Why oh why did I ever turn down that position in marketing? "I recommend that we take an opportunity to consider the matter, and possibly reconvene at a later date."
She eyed her over half-moon spectacles. "Perhaps when you are able to consider the situation a little more ... objectively?" When hell, for example, has frozen over, she thought to herself. "Good day to you."
Paul bolted from room faster than . His father quickly followed guiltily in his steps. Mrs Palmer sat and fumed for a moment, a general abandoned by her faithless troops, then stamped out of the office.
The head teacher ushered Mrs Debra from her office, then leaned back in her leather chair, savouring the moment for just an instant. With the nails-on-chalkboard screech of Mrs Palmer's harpy voice echoing in the hallway, she reached for her liquid lunch.
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Right, it all comes down to the degree of uniqueness between the civs. Way back in the mists of time when 0 A.D. started as an AoK mod, then segued over to a full game, the design was still in the mindset of being very much like the mechanics of AoK.
Hence, 12 civs was perfectly plausible, because those twelve would be virtually identical (just a few variations in available techs, a couple of unique bonuses, and a Unique Unit to tell them apart).
The other end of the spectrum is something like Starcraft, AoM, C&C. 2-3 races that are extremely different (in their resource gathering methods, totally unique sets of units and techs, totally different tactics).
We're going for something inbetween those two extremes. Why not make them completely unique? Well, we're constrained by history; the fundamentals of ancient warfare were quite similar from one civilisation to another (compared to the totally alien races of Starcraft).
You had your basic building blocks of swordsmen, spearmen, javelinists, archers, support, cavalry, siege, navy, etc, but there was also a lot of variation in culture, fashion, architecture, politics, organisation, available technology, local resources (materials), trade, tactics, available militia, local wildlife, terrain and so on, that influenced the personality of that civilisation.
And, as pointed out, balancing is very important to us, and balancing civs with a common base is much easier.
Also, there would have been mutiny if we completely cut any civs.
And that's why we need to address no more than six civs at the same time. Trying to do all twelve at all at once with that degree of variation would kill us.
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I like games that give you a Visibility option in the setup config for that session (so you can choose whether you want SoD and/or FoW), so cheating doesn't have to be the only way to do it.
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We opted to divide our efforts into multiple development cycles so that we don't bite off more than we can chew. Plus, balancing twelve civs at once would have been an overwhelming undertaking.
The game is released sooner, we gain feedback on what's most desired for future addons, and we can do a much better job on the extra civilisations from the experience we've gained with the first release. So everybody wins.
The first edition will cover 6 civilisations who were at their peak in the period 500 BC to 1 AD. The expansion pack will add the remaining civilisations for 1 AD to 500 AD.
When the design was streamlined, some proposed civs were also merged because they shared a common base (for example, the Britons and Gauls now branch off from the Celts).
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Agreed and understood.
In fact, the only thing in the above description that I didn't know about was that the guys actually get a *greater* attack bonus against higher ranked units. That's mightily cool, IMO. It means that during a late game, using your counter-units becomes a much more necessary foil than when you're on a more even playing field in the early game.
All I was saying was that you had stated that you intended for each unit to have two bonuses against two other units. I brought this up for cases where that rule wasn't applied, in case there was a discrepancy.
If you've got that covered in other areas and were only intending to use that "rule" as a guideline, then never mind.
I should stop meddling so you can finally submit this thing.
You obviously know what you're doing. -
Don't you be "crawling back to PD"
Sorry, I shoulda smilied that. I was trying for irony.
each unit has 2 things its better against and two things its weaker againstYou probably already know it and are just looking for solutions, but for the sake of summary, here are the remaining circled ones that don't match that 2-type paradigm that I see in the latest diagram:
* Support Units: Only one unit has a bonus against them. There could be another, if you need to allocate more bonuses. (It might seem like a waste of a bonus to be good against things that can't fight, but when you consider Healers, Traders and possibly Standard Bearers when morale gets introduced in an expansion, quickly taking down support units can make a big difference).
* Cavalry Javelinist: Currently only countered by Cavalry Archer.
* Cavalry Archer: Currently only effective against Cavalry Javelinist. Only countered by Infantry Javelinist.
* Infantry Slinger: Has no counter. But, they won't be able to take much of any damage anyway due to their light armour.
So, maybe those could be factored against each other in some way to make up the outstanding bonuses?
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Okay, enough said. *crawls back to PD* Run with it, Mr Bishop.
Ya think we oughta promote him to Co-Lead Designer, too?Given his status, that'd be more of a demotion.
New Screenshots - 8/1/04
in General Discussion
Posted
To answer your question about the trees, Bobby, they do look a little pixelated, although so does the rest of the image, to an extent, so I figured that was probably the result of JPEG artefacts.
A little antialiasing in a future milestone should hopefully improve on that, but the tree meshes are definitely much improved over their predecessors.
And indeed, suggestions for a historically appropriate version of the Celtic temple would be much appreciated.