Dynamic 3D clouds + shading model?

[cylab]

A good idea but I'm not yet ready for this kind of technic 

Actually it's quite simple and the two first GLSL examples/tutorials you find will handle lighting and normal mapping. To create a normal map, just use gimp and search for the normal mapping plugin. Load in the sprite and apply it. You can play around with the emboss filter, contrast before generating the normal map to improve the results.

For the fake reflection, you can take the normals and the eye-vector to create some reflection vector to look up pixels in your background or foreground layer to mix into the color of the sprite pixel. Also calculate some kind of ambient color from the sun and overall environment theme and mix it in, too.

I would say in the worst case you need two weeks for this and the result should be great. And once you have started with shaders, think about bloom, too

[cylab]

BTW, I've just implemented the Light Scattering effect.

While overall great, I think the effect on the bullet is too much and makes the scene flicker too much. I would exclude bullets from this effect - even if only to prevent epilectic spasms

[wondersonic]

While overall great, I think the effect on the bullet is too much and makes the scene flicker too much. I would exclude bullets from this effect - even if only to prevent epilectic spasms

Bullets removed!

For the normal map / reflection, it is maybe too much for the main sprite. Although it is a great technique, letting the ship with such a contrast will be important during the game (in which you must dodge enemies and bullets).

BTW, some pixel art to improve the ship:

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[wondersonic]

And now a procedural thunderstorm...

[Riven]

And now a procedural thunderstorm...

Nice!

I'd advice you to remove the fading gradient at the top though It looks a bit fake.

How would you integrate this into the game? It looks like a front-back view, and the game is clearly side-view.

[wondersonic]

And now a procedural thunderstorm...

Nice!

I'd advice you to remove the fading gradient at the top though It looks a bit fake.

How would you integrate this into the game? It looks like a front-back view, and the game is clearly side-view.

Hmmm, maybe speed it a little. I think it is part of a real lightning, see this video on the left. It seems light is coming then leaving from the very origine of the lightning.

Hmmm, for me it is a side-view. I'll just put my gray clouds at the top of the screen. 

[CommanderKeith]

Cool! I like how the trunk of the lightning bolt has a wider width than the branches.

It's nice the way it's dynamic and isn't just a frozen picture, it seems to actually animate over a short time.

How did you make the algorithm if you don't mind me asking?

[wondersonic]

Cool! I like how the trunk of the lightning bolt has a wider width than the branches.

It's nice the way it's dynamic and isn't just a frozen picture, it seems to actually animate over a short time.

How did you make the algorithm if you don't mind me asking?

Thanks!

Indeed, there are some quick animation since a lightning takes about 700ms to appear (800 for me).

You can find all the sources here.

It relies on GL_LINES, line width, blending, pseudo-bloom and cool sound effects

The lightning lifecycle is:

1   2   3   4   5   6

-1 produce sound -2 create lightning arcs randomly with some recursivity for smaller arcs -3 display quickly the lines (but not too quickly in order to perceive the "animation") with bloom then growing circle flash at the origin -4 when the whole lightning is displayed, make the screen completely white during 10 frames -5 then display lightning again fading out (transparency increasing) with decreasing circle flash -6 wait some seconds and goto 1

[Nate]

Looks really sweet! I noticed the clouds popping into view in the upper right hand corner, especially the last few seconds of the video (the one on the last post of the first page).

[wondersonic]

Looks really sweet! I noticed the clouds popping into view in the upper right hand corner, especially the last few seconds of the video (the one on the last post of the first page).

Indeed, I had problem with frustrum

It is corrected now thanks!

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[CommanderKeith]

Ah nice, thanks for the description and link. Very neat 

It's funny how you play the sound and then the lightning, because it works well and seems right, but in fact during a thunderstorm you see the lightning before you hear the thunder since sound travels more slowly than light

[wondersonic]

Ah nice, thanks for the description and link. Very neat 

It's funny how you play the sound and then the lightning, because it works well and seems right, but in fact during a thunderstorm you see the lightning before you hear the thunder since sound travels more slowly than light

I did as you said since it seems natural however:
- the thunderstorm is very close
- the samples I used have some delay at the very beginning (downloaded from http://www.sounddogs.com)

[wondersonic]

Starting the integration... start of the 3rd level of the game: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5H18Pt1GAM