Hello all,

I'm am aspiring independent game developer and an enthusiastic amateur with
POV-Ray. My current project is a steampunk-themed hex-based strategy game,
provisionally titled "Ironclad".

For better or worse, I've decided to create the graphics with POVRay. My
rationale is that the ability to programmatically generate large volumes of high
quality graphics is pretty compelling when you think about the number of
permutations needed for different types of terrain and units (which may need
multiple orientations and animations).

To give you an idea, here is a link to an example POV-Ray output file as used in
the game:

http://yfrog.com/5junitsp

And here is a link to an early screenshot of the game in action:

http://yfrog.com/9e100714perfectmapcompletp

Two questions for the group:

1. Do you have any feedback, either on the idea or the execution? I'd love to
get tips on how to make the quality truly professional.

2. Would anyone be keen to help create graphics for the game on an ad-hoc,
commission basis? This might suit you if you have a talent and passion for this
kind of thing and want to earn some extra cash.....

Best regards,

  Mike.

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mikera wrote:

> My current project is a steampunk-themed hex-based strategy game

This doesn't answer your question but you might be interested
to know there was a steampunk-themed irtc competation at
http://www.irtc.org/irtc/irtc?_n&pg=ViewSummary&id=StillImages_September-October2009

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Hi Mike,

Seems like a good approach.  The alternatives (large team of talented 
artists creating pre-drawn graphics or realtime rendering of detailed 
models) are virtually out of reach for a starting indie.

I've dabbled with the same approach for a space game.  I like the 
results so far.

Watch out for too much use of reflection, lighting and shadow.  The 
elements can look fine on individual units.  The problem is when you put 
them next to each other and the effects don't match or interact 
properly.  Example the shandw on your crane truck unit.  If it falls 
partly off the tile then you have an issue.

You get combinatorial explosion if you try to produce each unit in each 
orientation with each combination of several effects at each scale etc.

In a way the higher quality of rendered images means you have to pay 
close attention to the little stuff.

Good luck.

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Christian Froeschlin <chr### [at] chrfrde> wrote:
> This doesn't answer your question but you might be interested
> to know there was a steampunk-themed irtc competation at
> http://www.irtc.org/irtc/irtc?_n&pg=ViewSummary&id=StillImages_September-October2009

Thanks Christian! Some really nice designs for inspiration there!

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Paul Fuller <pgf### [at] optusnetcomau> wrote:
> Hi Mike,
>
> Seems like a good approach.  The alternatives (large team of talented
> artists creating pre-drawn graphics or realtime rendering of detailed
> models) are virtually out of reach for a starting indie.
>
> I've dabbled with the same approach for a space game.  I like the
> results so far.
>
> Watch out for too much use of reflection, lighting and shadow.  The
> elements can look fine on individual units.  The problem is when you put
> them next to each other and the effects don't match or interact
> properly.  Example the shandw on your crane truck unit.  If it falls
> partly off the tile then you have an issue.
>
> You get combinatorial explosion if you try to produce each unit in each
> orientation with each combination of several effects at each scale etc.
>
> In a way the higher quality of rendered images means you have to pay
> close attention to the little stuff.
>
> Good luck.

Thanks Paul!

Glad to hear I'm not the only one thinking this might be a good way to go.

I must admit I've found getting the shadows right a bit tricky. The challenge is
that I can't work out how to cast a shadow onto a transparent alpha plane that I
need in order to place the units on top of arbitrary terrain.

I guess it would be possible with some complicated two-pass approach (one with
just alpha background, one with shadows on a white plane) and then blending the
resulting images?

Mike.

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p.s. For anyone wishing to contact me directly regarding this, my email is
mike(underscore)r(underscore)anderson(at)yahoo(dot)co(dot)uk

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On 07/16/2010 07:51 AM, mikera wrote:

> I must admit I've found getting the shadows right a bit tricky. The challenge is
> that I can't work out how to cast a shadow onto a transparent alpha plane that I
> need in order to place the units on top of arbitrary terrain.

I've used this technique on more than one occasion:

http://www.econym.demon.co.uk/shadowtut/index.htm

Jim

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I've written a few tutorials on creating sprites in POV-Ray. See:
http://isometricland.com/povray/povray.php

There's also a some sprites I created for the POV-Ray Object Collection. 
See:
http://lib.povray.org/searchcollection/index2.php?objectName=GameSprites&contributorTag=SharkD

Unfortunately, some of the objects no longer work properly in POV-Ray. 
I'm exploring how to solve the problem at this moment.

-- 
http://isometricland.com

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On 7/25/2010 1:46 AM, SharkD wrote:
> I've written a few tutorials on creating sprites in POV-Ray. See:
> http://isometricland.com/povray/povray.php
>
> There's also a some sprites I created for the POV-Ray Object Collection.
> See:
>
http://lib.povray.org/searchcollection/index2.php?objectName=GameSprites&contributorTag=SharkD
>
>
> Unfortunately, some of the objects no longer work properly in POV-Ray.
> I'm exploring how to solve the problem at this moment.
>

Here's another tutorial I started last week. I'm working on the "POV-Ray 
example" right now.

http://ja2v113.pbworks.com/Anatomy-of-a-sprite

-- 
http://isometricland.com

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On 7/25/2010 2:17 AM, SharkD wrote:
> Here's another tutorial I started last week. I'm working on the "POV-Ray
> example" right now.
>
> http://ja2v113.pbworks.com/Anatomy-of-a-sprite
>


"POV-Ray example" is now done.


-- 
http://isometricland.com

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