Crew on ships

[lordwells]

Just like to say this looks great and I'm hoping to see more!

 

Assuming that you will be able to see crew around the ship, I'm wondering to what extent will they be given time and effort. Will they wander about randomly, will they man the guns and go up the rigging or will they react to events dynamically I.E Marines firing to nearby ships and the crew actually performing the tasks that a crew should.

[admin]

Assuming that you will be able to see crew around the ship, I'm wondering to what extent will they be given time and effort. Will they wander about randomly, will they man the guns and go up the rigging or will they react to events dynamically I.E Marines firing to nearby ships and the crew actually performing the tasks that a crew should.

 

In the ideal world this is all possible and will only require money and time.

 

While money could be available from various sources, including crowdfunding, we don't have time, as we do really want play this game just like you. Many simple things are possible from the start, like manning the guns, yards, etc. Guns and carronades for example are all similar shape and form, thus it could be done for all ships in a reasonable time.

 

The problem with event specific animations lies with ships decks: all decks are unique and the more ships we add, the bigger complexity of this task, taking time from other important features. Manning the capstains or running with ammunition from lower decks, or other event related animation for every ship is much harder. We will have to find tradeoffs in this. 

[lordwells]

Thanks for the reply. I realise that getting the crew to actually do everything is quite a large task, I suppose I was hoping that as long as the illusion of the crew doing things looks good, suppose something comparable to empire total war's way of getting the marines and such to fire on local ships and other such things.

[adambomb]

Maybe you could add some up the crew moments later, but I agree with you , get game made first. lol

[Digby]

I would be happy to settle for some very basic crew activity, such as gunners around guns doing an extremely limited set of looped animations, a couple of stationary officers in impressive hats looking around and pointing, a steersman, a few marines that would walk a fixed route away from combat and conduct a looped animation of load/fire when enemy is near.

 

Really, once in battle crew didn't do much activity aloft, it was too dangerous, almost all crew were serving the guns after a course and sailing trim had been set, so lots of crew animated up and down the ratlines are not needed.

 

How low on the deck is your planned player view, is the intention to have it 1st person, or will the game be a raised 3rd person view with a free camera? Depending on which you choose will of course strongly affect what quality of crew 3D models are needed and what they do.

[admin]

 

 

How low on the deck is your planned player view, is the intention to have it 1st person, or will the game be a raised 3rd person view with a free camera? Depending on which you choose will of course strongly affect what quality of crew 3D models are needed and what they do.

 

we currently have a deck view and an outside view.. good battle camera is lots of trial and error and we are still searching for one. 

[Bobbydylan]

First off, I apologize for this Necro thread. I only discovered this game a few weeks ago.

 

Maybe you could add some up the crew moments later, but I agree with you , get game made first. lol

 

Yeah, I think this is a good idea. Follow the Paradox Development style. Finish the game and add art and functionality down the line. Look at Crusader Kings 2. Started off as a Christian dynastic sim, but over time they added republics, Islamic dynasties and even pagans. 

[admin]

 

 

 

Yeah, I think this is a good idea. Follow the Paradox Development style. Finish the game and add art and functionality down the line. Look at Crusader Kings 2. Started off as a Christian dynastic sim, but over time they added republics, Islamic dynasties and even pagans. 

 

that is exactly our plan