As the week comes to an end, the web team is busy adding final touches, and improvements to our real time Veil News Network (VNN) game camera. Jesse added an animated logo that fades in and out, as the camera takes a tour of points of interest across the island. We talked over a few improvements, like making the live stream indicator sticky, and future features as well. The drone camera is a great way to see what’s going on in the game, and gives a basic guide to the lay of the land.
Speaking of the lay of the land, we talked some more about creating a 3D game map. We are already using a topographical map of Lahaina as a base in the game, with a few minor changes to roads, and areas that have been reclaimed by the jungle. We talked about things we could do to make the map work without burning up your GPU, and what things would be important to highlight, (main trails, large buildings, and possibly bases down the road).
We did a lot of audio work this week too. We’re working through some issues we’re having with Wwise, but have made good progress. Every area, and large building will soon have its own specific ambient noise to add authenticity to the wilderness, and the right tone to exploring the creepy abandoned structures. In addition to these general noises, we’re adding specific audio components to a number of things like: gun reloads, arrows being knocked, footsteps, and other various weapon noises. We want players to be able to feel the joy that can only come from hearing ammunition being loaded into a magazine, and the wet thud of a club smashing heads in combat.
Jesse continued his work adding more Hawaiian touches on our logos, and other game elements. We took a deep dive into the traditional symbols and art of the islands, particularly on the history of tattoos for inspiration. Traditionally, body art consisted of geometric designs like squares, triangles, and crescents with an occasional figure. One of the most prominent symbols are shark teeth, called niho mano. Each island has their own style of niho mano, so you can tell where someone is from, or where they got their tattoo, just but looking at the style of shark teeth inked into them. Using that as a guide, Jesse is working on a stylized logo that incorporates Maui specific symbols.
The art team continues their materials improvements too. We’ve converted over most of the old home furnishings like chairs and tables, and are now focusing on things found outside the home like signs, fire hydrants, and sporting equipment. All of our totems will be getting a facelift too. We’re also making a final pass at images for basic components from recycling. Elements like phosphorus and potassium, as well as wood, minerals, and metals will all get some attention. We’re fixing some minor issues we’ve run into with a couple different gun sights, and have finished the first phase of our programmatic building system. Not only does the system give us a big performance boost, but it allows us to make custom buildings quickly and easily, whether they are a one room shanty, or something much larger. As you can see in the shot below, the beach shack has never looked better.
We’ll have more updates and pictures for you next week
