High quality models - is there any inherent limitation to the game that would prevent me buying high quality assets for it?

[LordStark]

I have a pretty good computer and I would like to be able to zoom in and watch battles close up. In particularly it would be good to be able to make out features clearly like you can in Company of Heroes 3:

Is there anything specific to this game that would prevent the implementation of models of a similar quality?

These guys are cheap and look quite high quality to me:

3D model 12th Century Infantry Arms and Armours VR / AR / low-poly | CGTrader

Edited July 4, 2022 by LordStark

[Stan`]

43 minutes ago, LordStark said:

Is there anything specific to this game that would prevent the implementation of models of a similar quality?

Performance would be a concern. If many of those fancy units are moving around, you're going to hit some frame drops.  Depends on the mesh polycount

Note that those models aren't rigged, so you'll have to find a way to use our rig, or you will have to redo every animation.

License. Those are not open source.

 

 

[LordStark]

16 hours ago, Stan` said:

If many of those fancy units are moving around, you're going to hit some frame drops.  Depends on the mesh polycount

1. If I double the poly count and then halve the population, will there be any difference in performance (My mod only really allows for 60-80 units on the map at any one time anyway).
2. Because the game runs nice and smoothly on my computer currently, does that mean there is likely still quite a bit of room to improve the models without making a noticeable affect on performance? As an example, I am thinking it might be possible to double the polycount without changing the population cap and still have the game run smoothly. If this is try, then my thinking would be to increase the polycount by 400% and then just halve the population cap.
3. Would doubling the polycount likely result in an impressive model or would the difference be barely noticeable? 
4. Can you give me an indication of a poly count that would be a compromise between performance and higher quality models? I assume the fact that I have a pretty good computer combined with a reduction in population to 80 per side would surely help accommodate higher quality models. I would like to be able to see the chainmail on units rather than having them painted on to the same unit model as the topless units.

 

[Stan`]

1 hour ago, LordStark said:

If I double the poly count and then halve the population, will there be any difference in performance (My mod only really allows for 60-80 units on the map at any one time anyway).

Could work. Question is whether you really need it, or if it can be worked around with better textures.

1 hour ago, LordStark said:

• Because the game runs nice and smoothly on my computer currently, does that mean there is likely still quite a bit of room to improve the models without making a noticeable affect on performance? As an example, I am thinking it might be possible to double the polycount without changing the population cap and still have the game run smoothly. If this is try, then my thinking would be to increase the polycount by 400% and then just halve the population cap.

Hard to say, would have to look at the F11 profiler and see if graphics are eating your performance, or if it's the simulation.

1 hour ago, LordStark said:

• Would doubling the polycount likely result in an impressive model or would the difference be barely noticeable? 

Depends. Sometimes less is more.

1 hour ago, LordStark said:

• Can you give me an indication of a poly count that would be a compromise between performance and higher quality models? I assume the fact that I have a pretty good computer combined with a reduction in population to 80 per side would surely help accommodate higher quality models. I would like to be able to see the chainmail on units rather than having them painted on to the same unit model as the topless units.

I don't know maybe 2000 per unit in total. IIRC Assassin's creed has  like 8000 and it's a FP game.

[Grapjas]

4 hours ago, LordStark said:

I have a pretty good computer

What are the specs?

 

Steam hardware surveys can be interesting to see what is 'common' hardware these days and it's honestly not bad at all in 2022. 

@Stan` does 0AD use LOD?

Edited July 5, 2022 by Grapjas

[LordStark]

AMD Ryzen 7 4800H with Radeon Graphics            2.90 GHz

32.0 GB (31.4 GB usable)

64-bit operating system, x64-based processor

[Stan`]

11 minutes ago, Grapjas said:

What are the specs?

 

Steam hardware surveys can be interesting to see what is 'common' hardware these days and it's honestly not bad at all in 2022. 

@Stan` does 0AD use LOD?

https://feedback.wildfiregames.com/

Kind of. We have lod support through the model quality drop down. But not all the models have lower quality alternative.

 

[Genava55]

An old thread but relevant:

Edit: Personally I would say it is not the polygon count the issue but the texture resolution. 2000 is good enough with better textures.

Edited July 5, 2022 by Genava55

[Grapjas]

Interesting that APU's are by far the most used among 0AD players. Not sure how they perform in 0AD but i'd say thats something to consider for anyone wanting to improve the graphics of the game, as they are most likely to be the bottlenecks. 

Edited July 5, 2022 by Grapjas

[Stan`]

4 minutes ago, Grapjas said:

Interesting that APU's are by far the most used among 0AD players. Not sure how they perform in 0AD but i'd say thats something to consider for anyone wanting to improve the graphics of the game, as they are most likely to be the bottlenecks. 

Do note that a lot of those are laptops using the wrong GPU. Hopefully the hint we added in A26 will switch to the correct GPU.

In general they will perform badly, which is why the art upgrades in A23-A26 have taken a huge toll on them.