Physics

[Shield Bearer]

I've been following this game for months, but this like my first topic and what I wanted to know was will there be a physics engine in the game, I mean will units helmets and shields fly off when they die and will building crumble as their attacked like in AOE3?

[Ykkrosh]

No - all the animations are pre-computed by the artists, so deaths don't have any real-time physics. It'd take quite a lot of effort to implement (partly on the programming side, and partly on the art side preparing all the models with detachable pieces and defining their collision shapes and chopping up buildings into flingable pieces and whatever), and the benefit isn't huge (it's just a fun graphical effect, not something fundamental to the game), and we have limited resources, so we haven't considered it worthwhile.

[Shield Bearer]

All right I get it. but will the buildings at least crumble and will units fly off when hit by an elephant or something?

[darthturtle]

I highly doubt it, and I think it'll take too much time to get physics working in the code anyway

[Tar-Palantir]

any way I don't care about the graphics as long as the game is good

[Shield Bearer]

darn u, Tar-Palantir, u can go back to playing the third age for GBA, where you can't make out which is a unit and which is the ground.

[buggy123]

maybe it can be implemented later. Good physics are quite entertaining and makes the battle more...spectacular. But I agree, it isn't that important. We should focus more on game play and things like that for now

[Setlec]

i think that a physics engine must be implemented you could use the bullet physics which really good! today's games are more realistic and the most gamers want realistic games even it's a sci-fi or fantasy game.

Cheers

[MrChocolateBear]

At this point in time, implementing real-time physics is not something we are considering due to a number of factors, including the limited number of staff working on the game, and our desire to release the game within an acceptable time period. It is worth noting that most of the benefits from implementing real-time physics into 0 A.D. would be graphical, instead of gameplay, enhancements. We realize that gamers crave more immersion from the games they play, and we hope to give them that in 0 A.D. through our historical accuracy and strategic gameplay.

[Mythos_Ruler]

Adding to what Ari said, of course we wouldn't mind if some brilliant Open Sourcer comes out of the woodwork and submits a fully functional Physics patch for the game. But other than that we aren't going to use Official Team time to code a physics engine.

[Setlec]

i might get that done but i won't promise anything coz i'm implementing to another game engine (with my noobish skill)... but if i am successful on my first implementation then i'll do that here...

Cheers

[MrChocolateBear]

Setlec, I know a lot of people would appreciate a real-time physics patch for 0 A.D. so if you have the chops, by all means! Open-source is all about community, so we really appreciate it when people contribute to making 0 A.D. a better product.