Character Models

Danny200 · Post by **Danny200** » Tue, 2. Jan 18, 17:13

Hey I know people will probably hate me for saying this and will probably say there is more important things... yeah you are right... but maybe just maybe could you work a little on character models so they don't look like old granny and old men or they are from a PlayStation one game? Thank you it's just a little wish... if not that's fine the X universe is still my favourite games ever...

I'm even buying a new pc just for the new X4 game I can't wait

ZaphodBeeblebrox · Post by **ZaphodBeeblebrox** » Tue, 2. Jan 18, 17:42

As an "old man" who shares his life with a granny, I really detest this ageism.

Danny200 · Post by **Danny200** » Tue, 2. Jan 18, 17:53

Don't get me wrong I don't mind an old person in space... just wish there was more variety from the young an the old...

mr.WHO · Post by **mr.WHO** » Tue, 2. Jan 18, 18:13

I made up a logical fiction about why there are so many "old" people in X-Rebirth.

Basically due to technology average human life expectancy has been elongated easily past 100 years. This makes planet overpopulated.

Additionally space is hazardous - radiation, Xenons, Pirates, you name it!

Therefore "old people" are more expendable for space adventures than young and fertile. They are also more experienced and due to technology are still in prime physical and mental condition.

...basically we end up with Badass Space Grannies in Spaaacee

Danny200 · Post by **Danny200** » Tue, 2. Jan 18, 18:23

Aha that's a good one I like it lol if they are strap for time and resources I guess they could just ask a modder to donate some time to help them in return they get a free game and their name in the credits or something

There's already modders who have done it so shouldn't be too difficult...

Post by **UniTrader** » Tue, 2. Jan 18, 18:57

i know my opinion on this will not be popular, but i would prefer ego going for the Stylistic side of the Uncanny Valley instead of the Realistic one. because the latter is a very tough Uphill Battle...

Riccardoman · Post by **Riccardoman** » Tue, 2. Jan 18, 19:05

mr.WHO wrote:I made up a logical fiction about why there are so many "old" people in X-Rebirth.

Basically due to technology average human life expectancy has been elongated easily past 100 years. This makes planet overpopulated.

Additionally space is hazardous - radiation, Xenons, Pirates, you name it!

Therefore "old people" are more expendable for space adventures than young and fertile. They are also more experienced and due to technology are still in prime physical and mental condition.

...basically we end up with Badass Space Grannies in Spaaacee

I love it

UniTrader wrote:i know my opinion on this will not be popular, but i would prefer ego going for the Stylistic side of the Uncanny Valley instead of the Realistic one. because the latter is a very tough Uphill Battle...

That exactly one of the reasons I loved X-X3. It was a strange universe to me in every aspect, and in a positive way
Those Uncanny Valley avatars detatched the games from the monotonousness of reality

Morkonan · Post by **Morkonan** » Tue, 2. Jan 18, 22:04

Danny200 wrote:Don't get me wrong I don't mind an old person in space... just wish there was more variety from the young an the old...

There's a problem with customizing avatars - Just how many resources are you willing to devote to that? How does that focus benefit a game that's mostly about flying spaceships?

Organic vs inorganic - That's the issue. Engines, these days, are more capable of handling both sorts of things, like buildings and hard surfaces vs people and clothing. But, when one character's hair has more polys in it than the entire city block they're driving their car through in a car-driving game, something's wrong. And, if you're trying for that level of detail, you need higher resolution textures, maybe even animation and "real" hair eating up precious processing resources. How many buildings and city streets can make use of dynamic hair that blows in the wind? Maybe that game should be a hair-simulation game instead, if the hair gets more screentime and resources than the car and buildings?

I agree that the player and NPC avatars need to be better than they have been, that much is obvious. But, they can be "good enough." I don't expect "Skyrim" levels of detail. I just don't want to have nightmares if I am forced to have to leave my ship for some reason and walk around on a space-station in order to meet some NPC that needs "just a few things."

PS - I'd be happy to be limited to a 2D menu system, ala "Privateer", to be honest. But, that's not a popular opinion.

Post by **Alan Phipps** » Tue, 2. Jan 18, 22:19

Hmm, avatars.

Maybe if when you dock at a station you never get actually off your ship but just hire a local avatar/surrogate/android from the station manager by the hour. (We already have in-game teleportation planned, so why not?)

That way all you ever meet and speak to in the general-access (commercial) areas are race/faction-specific avatars that look however Ego want them to look and individually differ only in race/faction model and some distinguishing visible feature, name or number to tell them apart. They would still need some different voices of course.

This gets round environmental issues on stations, eases bringing in other old and new races, reduces individual character modelling, ....

Remote comms could use simple portrait models or just an avatar too. Not sure about that one.

Then there are the pirates/outcasts of course.

Just a whimsical thought.

Post by **Santi** » Tue, 2. Jan 18, 23:55

I agree with Danny200, I believe everybody knows that with a small team you need to prioritise things, but characters models really need an update, not because of eye candy and looking at a NPC nose pores and go wow...

But because Crew and Stations are now a thing in the X games, with fully modelled NPC hanging around so they need to look good.

Axeface · Post by **Axeface** » Tue, 2. Jan 18, 23:58

Pretty sure I saw someone from Egosoft say that they have a new character artist on the team?

Post by **Santi** » Wed, 3. Jan 18, 00:01

I thought so, I think it was Linolafett in the latest Twitch stream but not really sure.

Riccardoman · Post by **Riccardoman** » Wed, 3. Jan 18, 00:04

Santi wrote:I agree with Danny200, I believe everybody knows that with a small team you need to prioritise things, but characters models really need an update, not because of eye candy and looking at a NPC nose pores and go wow...

But because Crew and Stations are now a thing in the X games, with fully modelled NPC hanging around so they need to look good.

If modders and dev merge their forces this chapter of X could be the best single player space sim ever made, period

Huge improvements in every way, scripting (X3TC SRM), new content and graphical improvements (X3 XRM) etc

Axeface · Post by **Axeface** » Wed, 3. Jan 18, 00:53

riky rice wrote: If modders and dev merge their forces this chapter of X could be the best single player space sim ever made, period

Egosoft have a long history of incorporating mods into their games post release with the x3 games (terran conflict and to some extent AP might not have even happened if it wasnt the for the efforts of tonnes of modders), we might see something like this for x4.

Danny200 · Post by **Danny200** » Wed, 3. Jan 18, 06:08

It's just since they are gona make character models a big part of the game now it would be good if they was as beautiful as the rest of the game...

egosoft.com

egosoft.com

Character Models

Character Models