Delta Engine Blog

AI, Robotics, multiplatform game development and Strict programming language

Lost Squadron, Day 12: Back to the game

Yes! Finally I got back to the game code after all this Editor and Shader coding and run into some problems when rendering some models with transparency. First of all the models had to be rendered from back to front, but even then the models with multiple alpha layers were completly messed up. So I had to split up the alpha layers to multiple meshes and tryed to render them back to front, but DirectX tries to render per materials and not per meshes, so that didn't work easily.

I had another idea to just test the alpha values for 50% alpha and then skip writing to the frame buffer and that didn't work either (framebuffer is full of false pixels anyway). Instead of banging my head into the wall I just steped back and thought about needing this feature at all and no, there is no need for that in this game: I can just delete or don't use anything with multiple alpha layers. For example the palm had 3 layers of palm leaves, but I killed 2 of them and no everything is working perfectly (I still have to sort objects and to render first solid, then alpha materials, but thats pretty fast). I'm happy I got this solved :-)

The Editor was also improved a bit and everything needed for a full mission can be set there. As you can see on the screenshot there are a couple of new features for the map: Roads, some more neutral objects and some enemy units. Shadows and shaders would be nice too, but there is no time for that right now. Maybe I will be able to put that into the engine next week.

Moving around with the tank and aim and shoot on stuff should work tomorrow. Effects and AI won't be complete till christmas, there will be most likely only a couple of standard effects. Also collision detection is another big issue.


Day 12:
Lots of dummy objects (especially the red car), but lighting works, loading maps from editor works and roads are going to work soon too ^^ Also a lot of gameplay classes done today. More objects will be made and imported soon to improve the game feeling.