Pseudocode discussion...

[Serge]

That's totally unnecessary.
I think the only way a physics engine could handle this sort of stuff is by using a node mesh to represent how strong is a component. Example:



In algorithm terms, the nod emesh calculation is really simple to do. Incorporating soft body physics with rigid body physics gives us both speed and some form of distortion. That's why no stock stuff will do.

[Serge]

Softbody physics?

Pure softbody is a bit slow, and AFAIK there is no open-source engine made for game developement, and writing one from scratch would be a nightmare, especially collision handling and so on. That's why combining the two gives us the best of both worlds - fast and stable rigid body physics + minimal soft body physics for component distortion.

[roboman2444]

good idea!
what about the components sticking together, would u use my idea of have them actually interlocking or have some connection point?

[philetbabe]

Pure softbody is a bit slow, and AFAIK there is no open-source engine made for game developement

what about Dark Basic ? it is quick to learn, fast feed back. it propose some collision management etc.

[Serge]

All can be done using these node meshes, so that one node mesh is used for the whole robot, and components don't alway fall of at their attachement point, but at the weakest part. The nodes and connectors can have a different strength attribute to differentiate how strong a part of the robot is.

[System32]

Serge, thank you for explaining that.

[Serge]

what about Dark Basic ? it is quick to learn, fast feed back. it propose some collision management etc.

Why darkbasic, when there is C++, eventually C++ using python for scripted stuff, like RA2. Python is easy enough for everybody to learn, and yet is not proprietary.

[Serge]

Serge, thank you for explaining that.

You're welcome.

[System32]

Hmm. I thiink I remember a Physics engine for that.....

Aha! Endorphin.

Not saying we should use it, just remembering.

Also, Did you hear me out on my Idea to cut down on the cause of LAG on RA2?

[roboman2444]

that would work for wheels, but not for spinning weapons...

[System32]

Gah!

Get out.

That I'm saying is By having an attachment point, and nodes around it, You can just keep an object fixed to another object while still having it move!

With that, You'll be able to have, lets say... a tribar with 3 spikes, and have is spinning while going forward, because the Iron's are Fixed onto the tribar unless it breaks, and the tribar fixed on to the Axle, which in turn is fixed (But still allowed to turn under a control) within the motor, which is what holds the axle!

Attach two pieces of Lego and shake it.

See? It won't fly off, so you Don't need to focus on it unless you hit it off something.

Combine that with the Node system serge talked about and some basic physics and we have out collision system sorted! then we can work on the Movement system, repair calculations and as a final possibility, an improvement on the modifiability that RA2 has given us! (AKA, AIing is made easyer, Components can be made using Txt and BMP files, stuff like that.)

[roboman2444]

ohhhh i thought u ment that it wouldnt have to work out the phisixs for them.

[System32]

It wouldn't! well, the part that causes lag online wouldn't.

[roboman2444]

there will still be some lag... the only way i can think of a way to getting around this is to have dedicated servers and some very good tunneling.

edit: gah why cant atari just release the source! its not like they make much money off of it and they can still sell the other part of it(like the quake and doom series is doing.

[System32]

Somone said that it traces every object Constantly per ping.

THIS IS WHY IT LAGS!

THE MOTHER****ING CODE CHECKS UP ON EVEY ****ING COMPONENT WAAAY TO MUCH, THUS IT LAGS ONLINE!

I'M SAYING WE SHOULD REMOVE THAT BIT OF CODE!

GOT IT!

[roboman2444]

ooooookaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyy mr scary sweary

[Serge]

that would work for wheels, but not for spinning weapons...

Components aren't going to be "bouncy". The constraints will just stretch when enough force is applied.

[BladeDancer]

Wait....So what you are all saying that there's no other source code or phisics engine, that at least mimics RA2?
Damn...Well might as well ask atari if  they won't sell and start some sort of donation...Methinks that enough cash will convince atari to sell the rights to the engine.....(Kinda kidding myself here)

But that still seems a bit imposible, I know it would have to be something that runs on older machines as well, but aren't there any physics engines that enable dents and stuff like that? I mean come on Worms 4 has destructible terrain and that's 3D :|   
Or is it more complex than that.

Also about the mesh idea.
That would be painstaking to write, the code i mean.
But still if there are no other options?
It's kinda time for a new robot destruction game, and i don't mean arcade fighting.....

[Serge]

Wait....So what you are all saying that there's no other source code or phisics engine, that at least mimics RA2?

Well, of course you can use a rigid body physics engine, but that'll just be RA2.5.

Damn...Well might as well ask atari if  they won't sell and start some sort of donation...Methinks that enough cash will convince atari to sell the rights to the engine.....(Kinda kidding myself here)

We tried to get the source code from them. Impossible, since it uses Havok, which has an expensive license.

But that still seems a bit imposible, I know it would have to be something that runs on older machines as well, but aren't there any physics engines that enable dents and stuff like that? I mean come on Worms 4 has destructible terrain and that's 3D :|

AFAIK there aren't any that aren't proprietary. Also, Worms 4 doesn't have a "real" physics engine, just terrain destruction (no complex collision detection).

It's kinda time for a new robot destruction game, and i don't mean arcade fighting.....

It is, but writing a 3d game is a lot of work. I am still working on a graphics engine, however right now I'm on holiday and don't have access to my development box.

[Noodle]

While we're on this subject of engines, I might as well provide you with one that caught my attention.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Molecular_Matter

What do the pros think?