Posted December 04, 2014
:(
But I didn't find your post condescending... Sorry for giving you that impression.
But I didn't find your post condescending... Sorry for giving you that impression.
Azrapse
New User
Registered: Jan 2011
From Finland
kristenmaxwell
New User
Registered: Apr 2011
From United States
Posted December 04, 2014
no no, that was not aimed at anything you said, just chastising myself for not thinking before i insinuate myself into stuff.
Azrapse
New User
Registered: Jan 2011
From Finland
Posted December 04, 2014
Okay, back on topic then. :)
I have been observing how the different craft move in the replays. Also in TIE Fighter.
In particular, when a ship is targeting another and approaching it for attacking, it doesn't seem to keep its aim on its target at all cost.
Instead, it seems that AI ships correct their course like twice per second.
If that is so, it will certainly lower the CPU load. Because currently I was running the AI routines per frame (60 fps). So this will be less accurate, but 30 times faster also than my initial implementation.
Please, if someone thinks I am mistaken with this, just tell me. I can use all the hints you can give to understand how the IA here seems to behave.
I have been observing how the different craft move in the replays. Also in TIE Fighter.
In particular, when a ship is targeting another and approaching it for attacking, it doesn't seem to keep its aim on its target at all cost.
Instead, it seems that AI ships correct their course like twice per second.
If that is so, it will certainly lower the CPU load. Because currently I was running the AI routines per frame (60 fps). So this will be less accurate, but 30 times faster also than my initial implementation.
Please, if someone thinks I am mistaken with this, just tell me. I can use all the hints you can give to understand how the IA here seems to behave.
MjrParts
New User
Registered: Nov 2014
From United Kingdom
Posted December 04, 2014
Not sure if you noticed but I sent a PM a few days ago
Azrapse
New User
Registered: Jan 2011
From Finland
MjrParts
New User
Registered: Nov 2014
From United Kingdom
Posted December 05, 2014
No worries. There is a "settings" section in "account" where you can tick for email notifications of PM's
Azrapse
New User
Registered: Jan 2011
From Finland
Azrapse
New User
Registered: Jan 2011
From Finland
Posted December 05, 2014
Well, one of the things that MjrParts told me in his PM was that the "ships on fire" prototype game I uploaded some pages back wasn't working because it was compiled for 64-bit Windows only.
If any of you have any interest on how that flight sim was going before the project was stalled, and you didn't get to try the 64-bit version, I have replaced it with a 32-bit version (There is nothing new there, so if you saw the 64-bit version, just ignore this).
I tried making a webplayer version, but I am currently using a beta of Unity and that wouldn't work.
Windows 32-Bit .zip download
Controls:
I tried to make it accessible to everyone during the development process, with plans to implement joystick and controllers later on. Currently the controls could be seen as "X-Wing'93 meets Quake".
Mouse: pitch/yaw
X: Laser link toggle
R: Nearest enemy
ENTER: Match speed with target, and keep it matched.
T: Next target.
Y: Previous target.
Then, speed and roll are controlled with WASD.
W: Throttle 33% up.
S: Throttle 33% down.
A: Roll counterclockwise.
D: Roll clockwise.
PD:
This is not how the XWVM flight engine will look like, neither tells anything about of far the progress is with it. That prototype only sports deathmatch AI, while I am 100% focused on mission flight plan AI with XWVM, as Ships On Fire was meant to be a team deathmatch game, and XWVM will definitely be not (just solo or coop), the AI focus is put elsewhere in this project.
If any of you have any interest on how that flight sim was going before the project was stalled, and you didn't get to try the 64-bit version, I have replaced it with a 32-bit version (There is nothing new there, so if you saw the 64-bit version, just ignore this).
I tried making a webplayer version, but I am currently using a beta of Unity and that wouldn't work.
Windows 32-Bit .zip download
Controls:
I tried to make it accessible to everyone during the development process, with plans to implement joystick and controllers later on. Currently the controls could be seen as "X-Wing'93 meets Quake".
Mouse: pitch/yaw
X: Laser link toggle
R: Nearest enemy
ENTER: Match speed with target, and keep it matched.
T: Next target.
Y: Previous target.
Then, speed and roll are controlled with WASD.
W: Throttle 33% up.
S: Throttle 33% down.
A: Roll counterclockwise.
D: Roll clockwise.
PD:
This is not how the XWVM flight engine will look like, neither tells anything about of far the progress is with it. That prototype only sports deathmatch AI, while I am 100% focused on mission flight plan AI with XWVM, as Ships On Fire was meant to be a team deathmatch game, and XWVM will definitely be not (just solo or coop), the AI focus is put elsewhere in this project.
MjrParts
New User
Registered: Nov 2014
From United Kingdom
Posted December 06, 2014
It's all very good if not bloody hard :D and some familiar sound fx too :)
Azrapse
New User
Registered: Jan 2011
From Finland
Azrapse
New User
Registered: Jan 2011
From Finland
Posted January 15, 2015
I have not said anything on a while. But I am still working on the flight sim. Progress has been slow during the holidays, and now I am starting to get traction again. :)
Azrapse
New User
Registered: Jan 2011
From Finland
Posted January 18, 2015
Hi.
While I was taking a rest from implementing the AI, I integrated Tarvis' findings and Laserschwert's audio-files into a webplayer of the flight engine.
Check it here. It requires the Unity webplayer to play on your browser. The music files are uncompressed so it can take a while. It's 90-something MB.
I need to find out why no ships appear on the web player... though...
Anyway, just enable the iMuse controls by clicking on the checkbox and press the buttons.
The ones on the left are for changing the musical theme. The ones on the right are for queueing a game event.
I have kept the audio files uncompressed while trying to find out why I hear some clicking now and then.
Please, report your experience. If you notice audio glitches. Or even if you can see the ships at all. :(
While I was taking a rest from implementing the AI, I integrated Tarvis' findings and Laserschwert's audio-files into a webplayer of the flight engine.
Check it here. It requires the Unity webplayer to play on your browser. The music files are uncompressed so it can take a while. It's 90-something MB.
I need to find out why no ships appear on the web player... though...
Anyway, just enable the iMuse controls by clicking on the checkbox and press the buttons.
The ones on the left are for changing the musical theme. The ones on the right are for queueing a game event.
I have kept the audio files uncompressed while trying to find out why I hear some clicking now and then.
Please, report your experience. If you notice audio glitches. Or even if you can see the ships at all. :(
FekLeyrTarg
New User
Registered: Jun 2012
From Austria
Posted January 18, 2015
Even though I can't see the ships, I'm still having fun with the engine. The audio tracks are randomized well. :)
Some ideas which came into my mind:
When pressing certain buttons, some events could be triggered to go with the music, like:
Inc E Cap -> Let any random Imperial capship arrive
Des E Cap -> Destroy any random Imperial capship currently in the scene
Death Star -> Show the Death Star's surface
Training -> Show the Maze
(Are there any assets available for the latter two yet?)
Also, all keys functional except of WASD.
Some ideas which came into my mind:
When pressing certain buttons, some events could be triggered to go with the music, like:
Inc E Cap -> Let any random Imperial capship arrive
Des E Cap -> Destroy any random Imperial capship currently in the scene
Death Star -> Show the Death Star's surface
Training -> Show the Maze
(Are there any assets available for the latter two yet?)
Also, all keys functional except of WASD.
Post edited January 18, 2015 by FekLeyrTarg
Azrapse
New User
Registered: Jan 2011
From Finland
Posted January 19, 2015
[...]
Also, all keys functional except of WASD.
What you should be seeing is a bunch of shuttles, TIE fighters, Y-Wings and a frigate moving around. But for some bug on the player, they aren't being shown. So there is no point on moving around. :D
The keys were for moving the camera and letting you observe the "mission" (it's actually the one about rescuing Ackbar).
All in all, I was most interested on knowing if you find the sound glitchy, like with chirps and jitter artifacts here and there. I am still trying to find out the best way to merge and buffer the iMuse tracks on the fly without using much CPU for it.
The music tracks follow the iMuse tables as Michael Land created them, and Tarvis kindly extracted them for us earlier in this thread. So they should "feel" the same as in the actual game.
There are some transitions and events that never happened in the game, but that are possible with this little demo. For example, transiting between the Death Star theme and the Training theme to and from any other.
Also, the "Destroy Enemy Capital" event never happened in the game, but is available in the demo. Not sure if it will fit well, though, in case of we restoring it where it should go.
The Death Star theme is quite cool, and I find quite unfortunate that it is only used 3 times in the whole game (TOD 3, Missions 11 and 12, and B-Wing Historical mission 6).
What do you think if we reuse it to have more screen-time? I was thinking, in particular, for the case when the player's ship is fighting a big capital ship (frigate, destroyer, cruiser).
So, for example, the player would start at Cruise or Anxious, depending on the presence of neutral ships.
Then a star destroyer appears, triggering "Incoming Enemy Capital" and the theme changes to Dogfight.
Then the player get's close to the star destroyer, (1.5 km?) and it starts shooting back at the player's ship, and the player isn't dogfighting any other ship, then trigger theme change to Death Star, otherwise, back to Dogfight or Chase.
Or you think the rhythm of the Death Star theme doesn't go well with Dogfight and Chase?
FekLeyrTarg
New User
Registered: Jun 2012
From Austria
Posted January 20, 2015
I've updated Firefox and the Unity Web Player. And I've attempted to use the demo on Internet Explorer as well. No success in seeing the models.
But I wonder why it isn't an issue in other Unity Web Applications, like Howard Day's "TCS Concordia Hangar"
http://www.hedfiles.net/ConcordiaHangar/ConcordiaHangar.html
Maybe he can help out.
Hmmmm.... what do you think of making the demo a non-web application (an application, which is launched from the hard drive) instead?
So far I haven't ecountered glitchy sounds (exception below). Even the transitions are smooth.
Firefox uses between 2 and 11% of the CPU as well as around 300.000K RAM when playing the demo.
I think "Destroy Enemy Capital" fits well and should be restored where it should have been all along.
I'm not sure about the Death Star theme though. The transitions from and to the DS theme in the game (as well as in the demo) aren't very smooth. And I'm not sure if it wouldn't feel out of place in non-DS missions.
(It's also used in B-Wing Historical Mission 5 as well btw)
I've encountered only one minor issue so far: Slowdowns happen when opening a new tab and when loading another website (I think that's normal. Just don't do it I'd say)
But I wonder why it isn't an issue in other Unity Web Applications, like Howard Day's "TCS Concordia Hangar"
http://www.hedfiles.net/ConcordiaHangar/ConcordiaHangar.html
Maybe he can help out.
Hmmmm.... what do you think of making the demo a non-web application (an application, which is launched from the hard drive) instead?
So far I haven't ecountered glitchy sounds (exception below). Even the transitions are smooth.
Firefox uses between 2 and 11% of the CPU as well as around 300.000K RAM when playing the demo.
I think "Destroy Enemy Capital" fits well and should be restored where it should have been all along.
I'm not sure about the Death Star theme though. The transitions from and to the DS theme in the game (as well as in the demo) aren't very smooth. And I'm not sure if it wouldn't feel out of place in non-DS missions.
(It's also used in B-Wing Historical Mission 5 as well btw)
I've encountered only one minor issue so far: Slowdowns happen when opening a new tab and when loading another website (I think that's normal. Just don't do it I'd say)