AuthorTopic: Nanovoid  (Read 34886 times)

Offline Lazycow

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Nanovoid

on: December 06, 2008, 04:26:46 pm
Hi, here are some graphics from Nanovoid, a space game which I am working on for quite some time now. The game is planned for the iPhone / iPod-touch, but there could be versions for PC after that, because it is based on a cross-platform game construction kit.

In the game you control a space fighter that has to pass several dangerous sectors of alien empires. (5 different empires are planned)


The Fleet of the Humanoid Empire. [wip]

The objects are modeled with AC3D and rendered with povray. The screen of the iPhone is 480x320, and the average craft size is about 32x32 pixels and the boss-crafts are about 64x64 pixels. (where this is only a rule of thumb, because there is no real limitation) Although the iPhone may have the power to render all the objects in realtime, all the graphics are prerendered. (in isometric view)


Battlecruiser (80x44 /  128 rotation angles, 542 vertices/ 599 surfaces) This is a render-test without a texture map, but with procedural metal textures (chrome and copper) that have been assigned to some surfaces.

C&C about models, style and textures are welcome.

Update: (the game is finished, take a look)


*new* Nanovoid - reigning space, trailer

Nanovoid, it's coming... teaser

appstore link: http://itunes.apple.com/app/nanovoid/id488536633
« Last Edit: December 17, 2011, 03:40:38 pm by Lazycow »
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Offline TrevoriuS

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Re: Nanovoid

Reply #1 on: December 06, 2008, 06:42:06 pm
If you'll be using this real time rendered, you need waaay less triangles for such a small format. If you prerender this, any more than 32 angles won't be noticed by the user once the result is interactive. So far, you're not really well optimized for lo-spec.

Offline Willows

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Re: Nanovoid

Reply #2 on: December 07, 2008, 01:15:00 am
Prerendered, not real-time :)

I'm curious how much more lived-in these will look with textures.

As it is, I'm not sure I'm feelin' any of the ships for what they are. Stargate works, starbase looks more like a refuelling station than a colony/habitation or battle station. Interceptor, Transporter and Supplier will probably pass for what they are, but I think the design on the battlecruiser just doesn't read as battlecruiser.

So I'll pick on it, and leave the rest alone ;)

Thinking "human space battleship", I think edgy, pointy, sharp thing with enormous engines and even bigger guns. Poly limits obviously prevent you from modelling tiny guns, but I think a whole lot more can be done than smooth, organic shapes. Obvious references for my vision of human space battleship would be Starcraft's Battlecruiser

http://www.ambrosiasw.com/forums/uploads/1103566326/gallery_2986_6_1105217392.jpg

and star wars' giant triangle ships, whatever they're called

http://www.stardestroyer.net/Empire/Essays/StarDestroyer.jpg

Edgy, sharp, crude-looking and human. Your battleship looks like a giant carrier/transporter at the mo. That's my opinion :)

Offline questseeker

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Re: Nanovoid

Reply #3 on: December 08, 2008, 06:40:37 pm
The transporter and interceptor are too similar. You might make the interceptor more pointed (narrower back in particular) or add conspicuous cannons etc.

Offline snader

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Re: Nanovoid

Reply #4 on: December 10, 2008, 11:14:17 am
you're using mostly round shapes which makes things feel a bit blobby, try putting in some boxy hallways or something around the starbase, also make some antennae stick out.
As mentioned before the battlecruiser doesnt fel like one, i personally see it more as a transport ship, maybe some sort of luxury cruise thing. it's got no weaponry, no shield and no agressive look.
the small ships don't look too interesting either but thatt'll probably clear up with some textures
do you have some concepts of thumbnails we can see?

Offline Lazycow

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Re: Nanovoid

Reply #5 on: December 10, 2008, 10:38:13 pm
Hey, thanks for the comments!

@snader: My concept art is on paper and as I am no artist, it isn't really impressive to look at. You are right, I should definitely add some details on the starbase. (which is indeed a refueling station) And probably on the smaller crafts, too.

@questseeker: Yeah, more details on the Interceptor!

@willows: Well, what is the "typical" terrestrial battlecruiser? Is it edgy? Is it round? It is hard to say, because there are only fictional battlecruisers to look at. In Star Wars, these star destroyers are edgy, where in Perry Rhodan the terrestrial battleships are all spherical, and in Star Trek it is kind of a mixture, isn't it? But finally, I have to agree with you. The old version really looks like a bigger version of the transport ship.

@TrevoriuS: As far as I know the iPhone specs are like this: 480x320, 24 MB texture memory, textures up to 1024x1024, over 2000 polys with "very good" speed. So yes, 600 polygons for a craft would be indeed way to much. Actually, I still want to keep them prerendered, so the polygons are not the problem, but the 24 MB texture memory. "lowpoly" is with me as a fallback option - let's see how it will develop. By the way, the required number of rotation angles for a smooth rotation depends also on the rotation speed. So 32 angles may only be enough for small, fast rotating objects.


The fleet of the Fanatics Empire / the new Battlecruiser (reduced to 400 polys) better?


A first attempt on texturing. I only wrapped the texture on the sphere of the supplyship, so far. Well, looks a bit boring. Any hints?
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Offline TrevoriuS

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Re: Nanovoid

Reply #6 on: December 10, 2008, 10:46:01 pm
if it's prerendered anyway, make good use of normal maps, and add some greeble to the surface.

Offline Sherman Gill

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Re: Nanovoid

Reply #7 on: December 10, 2008, 11:44:42 pm
new battlecruiser is way better :).
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Offline Willows

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Re: Nanovoid

Reply #8 on: December 11, 2008, 12:57:16 am
Now THAT's a battlecruiser :D

An' it's not even so much what a "typical" battlecruiser is as much as "What does the design of the craft suggest it is?"

What you've got now is pretty awesome, though. Sweet update.

Offline ptoing

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Re: Nanovoid

Reply #9 on: December 11, 2008, 07:51:42 am
As far as prerendering goes, you do not really need to texture stuff, it's better to model and just have flat colours. Cave seems to be doing that for their shmups and it works very well. Good lighting is also very important.
There are no ugly colours, only ugly combinations of colours.