Is 3D RPG making a dying art?
Miscellaneous Forums/General Discussion/Is 3D RPG making a dying art?
I was browsing the net for 3D models when I came across a post by Basilstudio (in my sig) who was offering models from their abandoned RPG project - they has been posting all over the place with no real interest:
https://forum.wildgames.com/showthread.php?s=39c916356a2bc04bbc51039836b959fe&t=4079http://www.genesis3d.com/forum/viewtopic.php?topic=1005532&forum=9&1http://www.devmaster.net/forums/showthread.php?t=6286http://irrlicht.sourceforge.net/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=13750&sid=5f34646b55760e5019acbc56626cf83fhttp://www.agency9.se/community/viewtopic.php?t=476&sid=86e1a7a1866877c43ed1e606676efabeA bit of interest here:
http://www.ogre3d.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=156487&sid=c84324ae55f86e57257c08e95cadbc6bI then spotted "maximo" (in my sig as tridnaut) trying to sell his stuff with no replies
https://forum.wildgames.com/showthread.php?s=39c916356a2bc04bbc51039836b959fe&t=2808The web is hardly crawling with animated 3D fantasy RPG characters - Basilstudio's stuff and the animated stuff created by other people in my sig are very rare.
So, if the stuff is rare to find - how come nobody is getting excited over the stuff? I can only guess that 3D RPG making is not that widespread.
I see this as a threat. Forget about interested purchasers, people on those forums are not even commenting on the posts - people like Basilstudio could just quit based on this sort of thing.
Good job I am very vocal on these forums when I spot any of these packs - shame 'guests' cannot see my sig.
> So, if the stuff is rare to find - how
> come nobody is getting excited over the stuff?
Because making a RPG is probably the hardest genre of game to make. People can't finish a 2D RPG, letalone a 3D one. Therefore the demand for these sorts of meshs is naturally gonna be low.
> shame 'guests' cannot see my sig.
I can't either :)
I think using off-the-shelf art is the issue not 3D RPG making.
No way would I make a game using non-exclusive art.
Doing your own content is one hell of a big job.
The point here is that the pre-made packs should appeal to a novice to make their own 3D RPG. It makes your project look really good right from the beginning.
From what I can gather, these things take a long time to make as well.
But novices are often the ones with unrealistic ambitions. That is to say that they underestimate the work involved in making a 3d RPG and would not consider pre-made packs because they expect to be able to create their own exclusive content (or find someone to make it for them).
To be honest, I can't see the point of purchasing and using pre-made packs for the very reason that John Pickford mentioned. I suppose that people might use them as placeholders, but isn't that just a waste of time (finding the packs) and money (purchasing them) when they will eventually be replaced? Isn't it cheaper and easier to just stick with ugly self-made placeholders until then?
And to continue that idea... indeed sometimes the ugly placeholders become the idea itself... they become the game... anyone have a clue as to what I am speaking of? It was a hot game a couple of months ago!
Yeah I too would never use gfx from a pack unless it was perhaps in 2D, like a 2D background or a texture that you can barely notice ingame. 3D models are too stylised, not to mention you have no control over them.
And as JustLuke says, Novices buying gfx packs are just making the job harder for themselves.
"Oh wait, you're saying this model I bought can't walk up the stairs" ? That could happen if the guy/gal who made the model never animated that animation.
And what if you want your RPG character's special move to be a breakdancing spinning roundhouse kick of doom with fire balls coming out of his feet and knees as he gyrates around upside down?
It's more fun using your own work, even if it looks 10 times worse. Also name one 'finished' game that uses any of these gfx packs you keep finding puki? I'd be surprised if you found two, or even one. :)
How about Elder Scrolls: Oblivion? ;)
I would say that 3d development in Blitz3d is a dying art !!
Most 3d development in Blitz3d at least has been pretty much postponed/killed off by the advent of BMax.
Until the BMax 3d module makes an appearance I doubt this will change - most of what's appearing recently from the Blitz stable is 2d puzzle games.
The only 3d project that I can recall recently is Naked War. There may be a couple more but compared to pre BMax - the Blitz3d forum is pretty much dead.
Puki - I'm surprised you haven't purchased "Realm Crafter" yet !! or maybe you have...
I would say that development in Blitz in general seems to be a dying art !!
Yeah, just something tells me that you should try recreating Paper Mario, if you want to try an RPG that'll rock up the wazoo. Of course, to create another Elder Scrolls franchise would probably be a bit on the thoughtful side, to put it nicely...
For an MMORPG, if it weren't for EverQuest series, WoW wouldn't be half as successful as it is now. Tells you that, unfortunately, the console RPGs seem to be trying to one-up on the PC RPGs, maybe the gaming industry's telling us something. Better promote the PC RPGs as still being king, guess we have some work cut out for us.
Until the BMax 3d module makes an appearance I doubt this will change - most of what's appearing recently from the Blitz stable is 2d puzzle games.
Hmm.
What about KeePeeUppy? (finished and released a couple of months ago)
What abouy qoob? (version .10 coming very soon)
What about Blokatak? (WIP)
What about Watchaball? (finished and released a few months ago).
All 3D Blitz3d...
I would say that development in Blitz in general seems to be a dying art !!
Oh. It's not just me that thinks there's less around here than there used to be then. There are a few really promising projects, but the numbers do seem to have dwindled. Perhaps just the loss of off-topic sent people elsewhere to show off their games, and maybe it's not about the dev itself.
I think partly it is because of the lack of Off-Topic and inconsistent enforcement of forum rules by the moderators. Unfortunately the online Blitz community is a pale shadow of it's former self. Of course, it doesn't help that Blitz Max was released without a 3d module either; I wish Mark had kept Max's development a secret until he could release Max and the 3d module together. All of these issues and more have contributed to the current stagnant state of the Blitz scene.
Actually, when you look at the posts on these forums you'll see the same old few names cropping up again and again. Remarkably few people actually contribute to these message boards.
just because there's a lot less mindless bickering on these forums than there used to be, that doesn't necessarily mean less people are developing in blitz
So true to life, Dan... Even tho I still do develop in B3D in Win XP Pro, and starting off with BMax in the Linux platform, my heart still lies in Visual Studio, sorry to say. If there were only a way to link up a Blitz game to Visual Studio's .NET structure, then we'd have something that'll reinvent PC game development as we know it.
There I go losing my mind again, must've been too stressed working with C# again. Maybe Blitz should consider doing a script language for developing interactive game sites on the web. That'll allow for MMORPGs to be made the way they were supposed to be made. Develop inline script with XHTML, and BlitzScript, and you'll have WoW Jr. right there...
My main app started in Blitz3D, I've ported it to BMax - am still developing my BMax app - albeit with a VB6 designed GUI which writes to .ini files.
Don't judge me on using VB6 instead of BMax GUI blah, it's just that I'd a copy of VB6 form aeons ago, have some familiarity with it - and it works for me.
The posts will pick up again once the summers over I reckon....
"Tells you that, unfortunately, the console RPGs seem to be trying to one-up on the PC RPGs"
A little more on this? , because these are very differnt game style's IMO. (with exeptions ofcourse)
Maybe we dont want to get into this again?? lol will turn into "is Diablo an RPG"...and the forum seem to be split on that.
Also did you ask these people if they were getting sales Puki?
Ive purchased some, but I dont post and say "awsome Job!"
Got my damn money...what more ya want? lol ;)
Sam
Hmm, VB6, yeah... I did use that for some games back in 2000 - 2001, and they were somewhat cool, but 3D was almost too much for me back then, even tho I did 3D stills for backgrounds and 3D-style sprites, yet 2D targets, it wasn't exactly what I had hoped for. I mean, 2D gaming, yet using 3D elements seems to be the way things are going anymore, especially for the quick development time for games like that. Wasn't that like some of today's RPGs, using 3D-style graphics in a 2D environment?
Actually, when you look at the posts on these forums you'll see the same old few names cropping up again and again. Remarkably few people actually contribute to these message boards.
Yep, exactly what I was thinking when I posted.
just because there's a lot less mindless bickering on these forums than there used to be, that doesn't necessarily mean less people are developing in blitz
Er.. that's exactly what we were saying.
SNIFFING NORA!!!I got an email from BasilStudio in response to my enquiry as to whether they are doing any more character packs:
Yeah those are from a rpg project we abondened its not really lucrative for me though to sell models on stock as they must be animated to have a chance for selling and this take to much time. So i'm doing exclusive contracts(non animated) for some clients and also working on small casual games for gaming portals such as yahoo and real arcade etc. So there is little time to add new ones to the site as they have to be made working with the various engine including the animations (can be tricky for some formats like torque).
Sniff;
Sniffage;
Sniffalisation.
Gee, that's too bad. You'll have to find a way to rip all the animated models out of Oblivion instead.
I got those already - the horse was one of them.
Animating them is a pig - have to use something like Fragmotion to do them from scratch.
Still, I might find some people in the Oblivion modding community to take care of that for me - I think that via 3D Studio they can just export them out all fully working.
I'm not paying for 3D Studio when someone else already has it and can do it for me.
funny though , if I wasn't working for 'the man' puki I could have done some stuff for you. same old thing. good programmers , need artists and vice versa
@puki: Neverwinter Nights 2 will be out soon. 'Nuff said.
1) Blitz3d Lives.
2) www.voidrpg.com will live at least a year more. (payed for domain 5$)
3)Xbox Oblivion is a RPG for console
4) I had fun reading this little chatt
Were developing in Blitzmax with SOW, and havent really shown much of what were up to. We threw together a pretty decent Aerial Antics demo in SOW in 4 days for a meeting we have next month.
Got a commercial app in the works too, also done in Bmax with SOW. And a third project thats been put aside for the moment.
I'm looking forward to Gothic 3, which is out soon, and may be an Oblivion beater :D
Judging by the huge number of people that are currently working on RPG's in the worklogs I'd say it's NOT a dying art.
I think its the summer, people doing other things, and it could be that the only things coming out of max are 2D because not many of us like coding in OpenGL, and are waiting for B3D Max Style.