COMMUNITY - FORUMS - GENERAL DISCUSSION
Sometimes it’s hard to see the shine beneath the rough surface

Hail Elyrians!

It is another shiny day! I feel like it’s been ages since the last shiny day, what with me not being available to post a shiny last week or the week prior, but I’m back so let’s shine!

Some of you are probably aware that lately I’d been working on “advanced traversal mechanics” – AKA Parkour – as my primary focus. As the lead designer for the game, I’m the start of the production pipeline. I work with Caspian to translate his vision and designs into actionable specs that the team then takes and implements.

Ground Slide Diagram image (Sometimes there are visual aids!)

For example, when it comes to traversal mechanics, I spent many days working with Caspian, hashing out what was required and what wasn’t to get moving through the world feeling good for an adventuring player. When that head-to-head collaboration was complete, I had a set of rules and guidelines at my disposal that I could use to build an actual specification for each of the world movement actions a character could take. I knew, for example, that a character that had the right knowledge and skill could vault over objects. What I didn’t know was how that would be implemented. I didn’t yet know how far you would move while vaulting, which controls you might use to make that happen as a player, how much stamina that might require, etc.

So, my job over the next period was to take those guidelines and rules and translate them into actual descriptions of what it feels like to perform these actions as a player, what controls are used and any other technical or mechanical considerations (such as how two possible player actions work together) that might be involved. Once this design spec was done, Caspian and I scrutinized it again, going back and forth as we discussed the implications that things like the defined control schemes and level metrics, such as jump height or sprint speed, would have on the design. Only after we were both satisfied was the spec considered “ready.” And once it was ready, that’s where the rest of the team comes in.

Wall Run image

(Super technical visual aids!)

With the ready spec, a cross-functional strike team of folks on the team (folks like Souzou and Jörmungandr) can be brought together to begin the process of implementation and integration, be that in the form of bringing in old prototypes, such as our mine run from Pax a couple of years ago, or implementing entirely new versions of those mechanics, depending on the requirements of the spec. (In the case of the traversal mechanics, we are using a different physics engine than we had been when we made the mine run, which makes integrating some mechanics from an early prototype difficult. Additionally, the spec called for slightly different behaviors based on what we had learned with our past prototypes)

For the last little while, that group has been implementing some of the traversal stuff, including wall climbing, wall running, ground sliding, and a few other mechanics. There’s still a ways to go before it’s ready for prime time, but I’m always happy when I see folks just jump into the work and produce fast results. Our early prototypes really helped in that regard – they taught us a lot about what works and what doesn’t. Thanks to those prototypes we avoided some serious time sinks and had the rough forms of these mechanics, the form you're seeing in the video below, operational very quickly.

But, as I said, there's a ton of polish to go and that does mean that what you are seeing in that video is incredibly early work, but it was in and working quickly, and now we have the time to polish out the rough surface and let the fun shine through.

Well that’s it for today; I hope you enjoy it!

Until next time, stay shiny my friends!


  • Snipehunter
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10/18/2019 12:15:11 AM #16

Keep the videos coming more game time = better shiny


10/18/2019 12:16:14 AM #17

For those wondering, I recorded this using a mouse and keyboard. So rest assured, it will work just fine ;) Nicely, in fact. Real nice.


\[T]/

10/18/2019 12:16:31 AM #18

Posted By Galliad at 5:11 PM - Thu Oct 17 2019

looks nice. but there is really a lack of sounds from second 7 onwards. plus the animation does not look synchronized with the wall. i think it really needs to be moved in general to be more alligned with the surface the character is climbing.

Clicked play, did not read post.


10/18/2019 12:17:34 AM #19

Nice job guys


10/18/2019 12:18:42 AM #20

Looks cool!


10/18/2019 12:20:46 AM #21

Looking cool, tho a bit weary about the console controlling as a lot of games in the past have been awful in converting between the two, especially console games that "Can play on keyboard on PC".


10/18/2019 12:23:25 AM #22

For a PC MMO which relies heavily on keyboard input for dialogue and social interaction, it's a bit odd to do the prototyping with a gamepad.

Parkour system looks sweet though.


Referral Code: 912EC9

10/18/2019 12:27:03 AM #23

Good job :)


"If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking." -Haruki Murakami

10/18/2019 12:30:49 AM #24

Great stuff!


Drake County

10/18/2019 12:30:56 AM #25

Holy crap what a start. Being an older gamer that doesn't do well with controllers. I am so stoked we will be able to execute these moves with mouse and keyboard. Keep up the great work.


Divide et Impera

10/18/2019 12:34:01 AM #26

The slide reminded me of Indiana Jones. I love the slide but maybe for final product half that distance. It was like you were sliding on a slip and slide hehehe! Oohhh or if you do include different textures result in different things having a difference between sliding on a dry cobblestone floor and a oiled/slick floor would change the distance. Regardless it looks really nice!


10/18/2019 12:37:02 AM #27

Sweet slide!!!

10/18/2019 12:41:51 AM #28

Is parkour going to a difficult skill to learn? I hope so otherwise castle walls are going to be pretty useless if folk can just free climb over it. Devs please answer this


10/18/2019 12:51:15 AM #29

The Parkour system is one of my most anticipated systems! Looks great so far! Cannot wait to start jumping from ship decks and climbing rigging! :D


10/18/2019 12:58:10 AM #30

Posted By Galliad at 7:11 PM - Thu Oct 17 2019

looks nice. but there is really a lack of sounds from second 7 onwards. plus the animation does not look synchronized with the wall. i think it really needs to be moved in general to be more alligned with the surface the character is climbing.

What part of "work in progress" and "unpolished" do you not understand.


If you like alchemy, settle in Amestrys. If you can find it...(NA-E)

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