0AD units upgrade

[Enrique]

Added 3 bones to the rig for capes animation. All capes in the game already rigged and set up to work with the armature, now I just have to animate those bones on the anims I already have in stock. Animated shield in the back of the chopping animation, have to test it in-game when I fix my PC.

Here is a glimpse of some more animations on the way...

 

[WhiteTreePaladin]

Very nice. Looking forward to more.

[Rahman 535]

On ‎26‎/‎05‎/‎2016 at 1:53 AM, Enrique said:

Added 3 bones to the rig for capes animation. All capes in the game already rigged and set up to work with the armature, now I just have to animate those bones on the anims I already have in stock. Animated shield in the back of the chopping animation, have to test it in-game when I fix my PC.

Here is a glimpse of some more animations on the way...

 

awesome!! Great job!! New model with new animations... But maybe we need to make new shields and axe with highpoly model.

 

luar biasa! Tetap semangat!

[Lion.Kanzen]

Just now, Rahman 535 said:

awesome!! Great job!! New model with new animations... But maybe we need to make new shields and axe with highpoly model.

 

luar biasa! Tetap semangat!

No, the poly numbers is ok

[Rahman 535]

apakah new model dibuat hanya dalam poly numbers?

[Rahman 535]

very good in normal map

[Rahman 535]

its amazing rts when we zoom in and see the shield is very smooth

[Lion.Kanzen]

17 minutes ago, Rahman 535 said:

apakah new model dibuat hanya dalam poly numbers?

I don't understand 

[Rahman 535]

new unit model is very good, but the axe is old.. It's not fit for the new model..

 

just my opinion

[thamlett]

@Rahman 535 The pick axe or the wood axe?

[Lion.Kanzen]

I'm sure he asking for wood axe

[Rahman 535]

of course, I asking for wood axe

[Enrique]

Hey guys!

I've been really busy these past months, but I bring some juicy updates!

I've been slowly but steady progressing on the animations developement whenever I could. Here's a teaser with what is currently in store, and the current state of the new animations roadmap.

 

Here's the status of the new units animations roadmap.

Blue: finished  

purple: WIP  

red: Planned    

orange: needs review

!NOTE! Last updated:  (11/22/2016)

ATTACK IDLE:  IDLE READY WALK RELAX: WALK READY: attack_2h_a Idle_relax....(generic) Idle_ready_2h walk_relax (generic) walk_ready (generic) attack_2h_b Idle_relax_generic Idle_ready_bow walk_relax_bow walk_ready_2h attack_2h_c Idle_relax_2h Idle_ready_hoplite walk_relax_healer walk_ready_bow attack_bow_back Idle_relax_bow Idle_ready_javelin walk_relax_javelin walk_ready_hoplite attack_bow_hip Idle_relax_female Idle_ready_pike walk_relax_shield_hoplite walk_ready_javelin attack_javelin Idle_relax_female_long Idle_ready_slinger walk_relax_shield_javelin walk_ready_pike_bigshield attack_shield_sword_a Idle_relax_female_short Idle_ready_swordshield walk_relax_shield_pike walk_ready_pike_smallshield attack_shield_sword_b Idle_relax_healer idle_ready_guerronshield walk_relax_shield_spear walk_ready_slinger attack_hoplite_a_b_c_d_e Idle_relax_hoplite   walk_relax_shield_sword walk_ready_spear attack_spear Idle_relax_javelin   walk_relax_female walk_ready_guerron_shield attack_pike Idle_relax_pike   walk_sup_trader walk_ready_guerronshield attack_howdah Idle_relax_slinger       attack_dualsword Idle_relax_spear       attack_slinger Idle_relax_sup_trader                                     JOG RELAX JOG READY RUN RUN READY SUPPORT / COMMON jog_relax_generic...(bow) jog_ready_hoplite run_generic run_ready_2h death_a jog_relax_healer jog_ready_javelin run_shield run_ready_bow death_b jog_relax_shield_bow jog_ready_pike run_relax_2h run_ready_shield_spear sup_build jog_relax_javelin jog_ready_slinger run_relax_javelin run_ready_shield_sword sup_gather_berries jog_relax_pike jog_ready_shield_spear run_relax_shield_generic run_ready_shieldarm_hoplite sup_gather_chop jog_relax_shield_javelin jog_ready_shield_sword run_relax_shield_javelin run_ready_shieldarm_spear sup_gather_chop_shieldcape jog_relax_shield_sword jog_ready_shield_javelin run_relax_shield_spear run_ready_shieldarm_sword sup_gather_mining jog_relax_shieldarm_hoplite   run_relax_shield_sword   sup_healing jog_relax_trader   run_relax_shieldarm_hoplite   promotion jog_female?       chariot_rider         sup_carry_berries         sup_carry_meat CAVALRY CAVALRY HORSE IF TIME PERMITS/LOW PRIO.   sup_carry_ore cav_gallop cav_horse_gallop attack_ballista   sup_carry_wood cav_trot cav_horse_trot idle_ballista   sup_gather_fruit cav_walk cav_horse_walk attack_oxybeles   sup_gather_meat cav_idle cav_horse_idle idle_oxybeles   sup_farming cav_attack_spear cav_horse_attack_spear idle_phishingboat   sup_seeding cav_attack_sword cav_horse_attack_sword row_phisingboat   sup_slaughter cav_attack_javelin cav_horse_attack_javelin push_ram   sup_gather_treasure cav_attack_bow cav_horse_attack_bow attack_ram     cav_death cav_horse_death idle_ram     cav_carry_meat cav_horse_carry_meat idle_lithobolos     cav_promotion cav_horse_promotion attack_lithobolos     cav_slaughter   idle_polibolos     cav_elephant_attack_bow   attack_polibolos     cav_elephant_attack_javelin   ptol_fishing_idle     cav_elephant_walk   ptol_fishing_row     cav_elephant_idle   ptol_fishing_fish         scorpio_dile         scorpio_attack

[Thorfinn the Shallow Minded]

Excellent job on the animations.  The one matter that I think is problematic is the two-hand sword.  To start, the weapon the swordsman uses in the animations isn't strictly a longsword.  Two-hand weapons generally differed from their counterparts by having longer hilts for both hands.  While the current length of the hilt may be slightly plausible for a @#$% sword, it does not provide enough length.  Generally the hands would be positioned at the furthest ends of the hilt to ensure maximum manoeuvrability and so that the individual hands would not interfere with each other.

[LordGood]

I have a few individual critiques, but overall your walk-run and idle cycles are fantastic. This is a lot of work. 

Your attack animations feel a bit slow, though, the javelin animation in particular feels a bit "wobbly" too. Faster strikes would give more of the aggressive look that attack animations need. 

I started making some overlapping animations as well, I'm fine with cutting out the swordsman animations unless you think we can make use of them, but I'd like to get my slinger animations in. 

[LordGood]

Bows could also use animations, since it's more or less needed for slings. 

[Phalanx]

Do we already have code that will differentiate between idle and ready anims?

 

And are we planning on having charge anims?  Like ones that combine the ready run and an attack?

 

EDIT: These look AMAZING by the way.  Nice work!

Edited November 19, 2016 by Phalanx

[Enrique]

27 minutes ago, Thorfinn the Shallow Minded said:

 The one matter that I think is problematic is the two-hand sword.  To start, the weapon the swordsman uses in the animations isn't strictly a longsword.  Two-hand weapons generally differed from their counterparts by having longer hilts for both hands.  While the current length of the hilt may be slightly plausible for a @#$% sword, it does not provide enough length.  Generally the hands would be positioned at the furthest ends of the hilt to ensure maximum manoeuvrability and so that the individual hands would not interfere with each other.

Thanks for your input Thorfinn. These 2h weapons animations were developed having in mind the unit "brit_champion_infantry" already in-game which has a 2handed stance and uses a sword with longer hilt and blade as you correctly pointed. I do not know if equipement is accurate or not (I presume it is though). Even if we don't end up using them, I think it'll come in handy for modders to have 2-handed weapons animations in the library for them to use.

 

18 minutes ago, LordGood said:

I have a few individual critiques, but overall your walk-run and idle cycles are fantastic. This is a lot of work. 

Your attack animations feel a bit slow, though, the javelin animation in particular feels a bit "wobbly" too. Faster strikes would give more of the aggressive look that attack animations need. 

I started making some overlapping animations as well, I'm fine with cutting out the swordsman animations unless you think we can make use of them, but I'd like to get my slinger animations in. 

I'm open to any critique you may have on the animations. I've just seen your swordsmen animations and look awesome!  I don't see the reason why we shouldn't add it into the game too!. The more attack variations, the merrier

Regarding the attack animations speed (and all animations shown tbh): You have to keep in mind that the speed of the animation in blender is non-important (except the pace of the motions taken during the same animation) since the overall speed of the loop is defined in the actor xml.

What I mean is: if it looks great in slow-mo, speeding it up or down is going to look good as well. The overall speed don't need to be tweaked in blender.

But I agree with you in the javelin attack: it will look less wobbly when its sped up in the game, but I'm still not happy with it (too much wind up and recover, unbalanced) will probably be redone.

28 minutes ago, LordGood said:

Bows could also use animations, since it's more or less needed for slings. 

I've thought of that too. But discarded the idea currently since it will have very little impact on the whole animation and became very low priority for me. Slings being animated is a must though. (I remember you did some amazing work on that area already)

 

Some more input about the animation developement: I got to the same conclusion as you LordGood, max range of melee units is too short. A quick test of two swordsmen in atlas attacking each other, they'll come close enough to kiss before they start using the sword, and then their attack animations overlap a lot.

This is essential for the animator to nail the attack loops spacing

, so I barely focused on attack animations until this is discussed and addressed in the team.

10 minutes ago, Phalanx said:

Do we already have code that will differentiate between idle and ready anims?

And are we planning on having charge anims?  Like ones that combine the ready run and an attack?

I think the code is not there yet. At the moment just manual definition in the actor of which of the walk/jog/run variations the unit will use when moving. Charging is just moving the units faster to the enemy which would just trigger the run_ready variations until they get to a position where they can reach the enemy to start the attack animation or back to idle_ready if the charge does not reach the enemy.

Improvements on the animation system that all these stances allow are:

• Select between the walk/jog/run depending on the unit speed on the map. (and even have acceleration from 0 until the unit reaches destination)
• Modify the unit's animations from relax to ready depending if there are enemies nearby or if the unit was tasked to attack.

[wraitii]

I never realized how strong the women were in the new meshes haha. Amazing work!

[wowgetoffyourcellphone]

These are fantasmic, enrique. Only thing I would say to you is the hoplite shield is heavy so the guy should lean backward a little bit to balance the shield.n Also, the archer should have stiffer, straighter left arm, IMHO (maybe more elevated too).  Other than that I am excited.

Edited November 20, 2016 by wowgetoffyourcellphone

[Phalanx]

15 hours ago, Enrique said:

I think the code is not there yet. At the moment just manual definition in the actor of which of the walk/jog/run variations the unit will use when moving. Charging is just moving the units faster to the enemy which would just trigger the run_ready variations until they get to a position where they can reach the enemy to start the attack animation or back to idle_ready if the charge does not reach the enemy.

Okay!  What I had in my head was kinda like a roman infantry charge in Rome II.  If there are still plans to create alternate fires (hastati throwing pila, etc) then the really cool run, to short skip, and throw, to charge would be amazing.  I'll see if I can find a good example on the internet.

 

EDIT: I know this is a crappy video, but at 6 seconds, what the Triarii on the left are doing is what I'm envisioning, IMHO.  It looks really cool.

 

Edited November 20, 2016 by Phalanx

[Enrique]

Updated the animation roadmap list to final version. Please feel free to check and inform if you think something is missing. Will try to add it in the following days to an updated official pending task thread.

[Lion.Kanzen]

Capture animation? We don't have any apropiated.

[Itms]

4 minutes ago, Lion.Kanzen said:

Capture animation? We don't have any apropiated.

We desperately need those indeed. For the record, I think that something along the lines of kicking down doors was the best solution brought up. Currently some units use pitchforks, which looks a tad ridiculous. Some people were in favor of using the healing animation but that would look "magical" - however cheering with weapons and armor would be a nice addition to kicks and bumps.

[Lion.Kanzen]

1 minute ago, Itms said:

We desperately need those indeed. For the record, I think that something along the lines of kicking down doors was the best solution brought up. Currently some units use pitchforks, which looks a tad ridiculous. Some people were in favor of using the healing animation but that would look "magical" - however cheering with weapons and armor would be a nice addition to kicks and bumps.

The cavalry will need something different