Planning a new Flare HD mod
I plan making a new Flare mod using HD graphics soon.
Planned is a new campaign like the current, but with some changes. A different story, maybe combine the character class (ranged, adept, brute or how they are called) with the skill system, where you can decide in the game what you want to be and different characters starting with different stats.
I don't know where to start, I know about another flare project / demo that uses HD assets, but I don't know if it uses a different engine version.
Do I need to fork the engine and make bigger modifications to the engine?? Also I don't have any experience in flare modding right now.
Before making the campaign I want to experiment with modding and making some sort of demo mod, including some test maps.
From your short description, you shouldn't have to fork the engine. Flare mods are created with INI-style text files that set assorted properties for the engine. Clint's "HD" mod works on the latest copy of the engine, so it may be worth looking at: https://github.com/clintbellanger/wandercall-ch1
ok, i will try it soon. Also I got the idea experimenting with a more simple art style that goes faster and still looks good. (Simple textures, details in geometry, a bit more stylized by using shapes)...
I tried doing some basic stuff now and got the problem that my own tiles are not rendered in the game.
I got following error:
INFO: Map: Loading map 'maps/spawn.txt'
INFO: Map: Loading map 'maps/testmap.txt'
ERROR: MapRenderer: Tileset or Map corrupted. A tile has a larger id than the tileset allows or is undefined.
ERROR: MapRenderer: Removing offending tile id 256.
ERROR: MapRenderer: Removing offending tile id 178.
ERROR: MapRenderer: Removing offending tile id 175.
ERROR: MapRenderer: Removing offending tile id 177.
ERROR: MapRenderer: Removing offending tile id 174.
ERROR: MapRenderer: Removing offending tile id 173.
ERROR: MapRenderer: Removing offending tile id 176.
ERROR: MapRenderer: Removing offending tile id 172.
How can I solve this problem / error?, also for what are these files in the tilesetdefs directory?
fl_errrror.png 74.6 Kb [4 download(s)]
If you open the Map Properties in Tiled, there should be a custom property called "tileset" with a value such as "tilesetdefs/tileset_cave.txt". This tells the engine which tileset definition to use. The tileset definition sets the tileset images to be loaded and the indicies, bounds, and offsets of the tiles. If the property isn't there, you need to add it yourself.
The format of tileset definitions themselves is documented here: https://github.com/flareteam/flare-engine/wiki/Tile-Set-Definitions
It works, but there is still an issue, when I added another tileset, it only shows the one that is set in tiled. So I set the value to the new one and the new is rendered, but not the old...
Can you post the contents of the map (in Flare's txt format) and your tilesetdef? It's likely that you need to include the old tileset inside the new one. Try adding this to the top of your new tilesetdef:
[tileset]
INCLUDE tilesetdefs/tileset_garden_ruins.txt
Remember to add [tileset] above your own tileset (see here: https://github.com/flareteam/flare-engine/wiki/Tile-Set-Definitions#multiple-images-in-a-single-tileset-definition)
the text data (content from "data=" replaced with "*numbers*" to shorten the message)
[header]
width=80
height=40
tilewidth=128
tileheight=64
orientation=isometric
hero_pos=32,16
tileset=tilesetdefs/sand_128x64.txt
title=Testmap
[tilesets]
tileset=../../../tiled/wandercore/tiled_collision_HD.png,128,64,0,0
tileset=../../wandercore/images/tilesets/grass_medium_128x64.png,128,64,0,0
tileset=../../wandercore/images/tilesets/sand_128x64.png,128,64,0,0
[layer]
type=background
data=
*numbers*
[layer]
type=object
data=
*numbers*
[layer]
type=collision
data=
*numbers*
update: i tried adding this to the tilesetdef, but this crashed my game, here the first lines of this file
# medium grass
[tileset]
INCLUDE tilesetdefs/sand_128x64.txt
img=images/tilesets/grass_medium_128x64.png
#row 1
tile=16,0,0,128,64,64,32
tile=17,128,0,128,64,64,32
tile=18,256,0,128,64,64,32
...
So from what I see, your "tilesetdefs/sand_128x64.txt" file should look like this:
[tileset]
img=images/tilesets/grass_medium_128x64.png
tile=...
[tileset]
img=images/tilesets/sand_128x64.png
tile=...
In fact, you may want to try using this: https://github.com/flareteam/tilesetdef-generator
works...
i created another testmap, where I loaded another tileset first, this swapped my grass and sand tiles ingame...
fl_buuug.png 392 Kb [3 download(s)]
Adding another tileset might have altered the IDs of the tiles. Make sure the tile ids in your tilesetdef match what is shown in Tiled. You can check the tile id of the current layer's tile in Tiled by looking at the status bar (see attached image)
Screenshot_20191203_160153.jpg 12.7 Kb [1 download(s)]
it looks like I need to update my tiled version - I have still 1.03, looking soon
edit: updated and saw the numbers, even they were in the old version too...
is there a way to fix this in tiled if this happens?
Also the whole thing with the order of these tileset was an experiment, as I already read something about IDs in this document: https://github.com/flareteam/flare-engine/wiki/Creating-a-Map-in-Tiled
I don't think there's a way to fix it in Tiled, but you can edit the TMX file in a text editor to rearrange tileset order. Pay attention to the "firstgid" and "tilecount" attributes of the tileset objects. The firstgid attribute is the only one that would need to change, but the tilecount attribute can help you figure out what firstgid needs to change to.
Here are my suggestions for a new flare mod
Please please have more variety of graphics than the The Empyrean Campaign. The Empyrean Campaign was nice and long, something really good to see in a free software rpg, but oh boy did some of thosse graphics get repeatative.
Have leveling up actually make stuff better, some of the level ups on skills didn't really seem to improve them.
Equipment was a bit boring, basically just levels and it was too easy to see what gear was better than what other gear, so like more variety, say, multipule atributes on a piece of gear.
Writing - Despite what some people say, I really don't think The Empyrean Campaign was badly writen, while I won't pretend it was the best pieces of ingame lore ever, it was not bad, and quite enjoyable in places.
If you would like some help with quest/storyline writing, I would love to help.
experimenting with a more stylized artstyle - the ground tiles are based on an earlier version of these tiles.
the rock wall is a quick sculpt using blender 2.81 new remesher, this tile has still a few issues, but texturing was really fast - using the pointiness attribute and some ao...
rockwalls_test.png 592.5 Kb [3 download(s)]
Hey, that looks pretty nice, would be cool to have everything redone like that.
Hey, have you seen the HD ogre and Wyvern models Clint and I made. He and I have been wanting to do a higher resolution version for a while, so it might be worth getting what you can from Clint (advice, assets, etc.)
Yes,I make the whole game in this new style. I have seen the HD version of the ogre too.
updates on the rock walls, added a second one, polishing and a lot of material experimenting...
rockwalls_test2.png 206.6 Kb [3 download(s)]
i made even better rock walls, there are some more elements to be added soon
rockwalls_test3.png 304.6 Kb [5 download(s)]
a few more walls added, stuff fixed and rendered with a cartoon shader...
the basic part is finished, planned 2x2 corner tiles and a cave entrance now...
map_new_walls.png 1.4 Mb [4 download(s)]
Looking good. Are you planning on making a swamp tileset? I know you made some swamp plants, but I was thinking about making a whole tileset in that environment, with weeping willow trees, mangroves, etc. Perhaps we can join efforts.
i planned a lot stuff, including a swamp tileset, but in future. My plan is to make all these assets in this new style, redoing a lot stuff, including new water tiles or new plants.
As an observation the graphics in the Flare packages, most of them look great but they are awefully repetitive. If I had any artistic capabilities I would absolutely spend some time to create some to add to the project. I think Flare simply needs more variety all the way around. There are not enough models to go around on enemies, terrain and buildings. I wish I had enough money to hire a full time graphic artist and release these things in a creative commons license.
A few things I would love to see would be variety in outdoor modular building pieces. Things like castle walls, stone towers, rickety wood fencing. Hay bails? Gardened tiles, like farmland? I do not think I have seen road/pathway tiles unless I am missing them. Having something like matching grass texture on two sides but a pebble or sand type path in the middle would be excellent. I am grateful for what there is to already work because it absolutely helps prototyping my projects.
@reefcrazed: I would encourage you to just dive into Blender and go for it, you'd be surprised at the results you can get with little "artistic capabilities". And you can always post your stuff on this website and ask for constructive critiques and general feedback.
I may try my hand at it, but I am still a newbie about all of the other portions that are more in tune with my skills, so I have to figure those out first.
the finished tileset is coming soon... including source files
Currently I have split up the tileset in 2 sheets (1x1 and 2x2 take different space).
One question: Is this ok for flare to split them or should I put them both in 2x2 tiles, so I can use less sheets in flare???
test_01.png 1.2 Mb [3 download(s)]
rock_walls_1x1.png 568.7 Kb [6 download(s)]
rock_walls_2x2.png 657.3 Kb [5 download(s)]
@rubberduck It's mostly a matter of preference, but there are some technical reasons as to why you might want to keep them split:
@rubberduck: great stuff, as usual.
@dorkster: would that imply multithreading? If so, does that mean that c++11 will be allowed? Specifically, std::thread
@m7600 SDL provides a means of doing multithreading without having to break our "no C++11" rule. I would look at using that before something like std::thread.
Ah, cool. Thanks for the link, I'll look into it. I'm following LazyFoo's lessons on SDL but I haven't gotten to multithreading yet.
I just decided that I make some more smaller rock / stone and grass tiles and upload it then together as a whole tileset - including some newer ground tiles I made for this mod...
more progress with this tileset... finished tileset coming close
rock_forms.png 214.3 Kb [4 download(s)]
grass_bushes.png 52.2 Kb [4 download(s)]
it was a bit more work than expected, one more week and I should be finished.
The green cube is just a size reference for the player...
testmap_01.jpg 672.1 Kb [2 download(s)]
Maybe this is too much to ask, but I was hoping for some other types of terrian besides grassland, maybe some desert, swamp or even a field of flowers.
I decided to put a more stylized look in the game, this is why I make all tilesets from scratch now. Other tilesets are coming in future, but before I will focus on trees and some buildings.
I know that this takes a bit more time. Before i changed the art style my plan was to replace some default tilesets with newer ones (for example the cave tileset, it does not fit to my newer ones)
Rubberduck that is simply gorgeous!! i love what you are doing, doesnt feel like its even the same game; any chance of you uploading a video of the tileset on use?
Something like a video with my flare mod that uses this tileset? Good idea. Maybe a bit later. Also I planned to show some methods / tricks used to make this tileset.
That would also be appreciated, this game lacks practical tutorials really bad; i had a hard time trying to understand spreedsheet making and still have many doubts. Its not accesible to newbies at all.
@rubberduck: looking great.
@Danimal: I think I know what you mean. I think that the problem, in general, is that we tend to assume that other people would have no difficulty in understanding something that we already know. But there's a lot that one can contribute. For example, you might not fully understand how to make a spreadsheet yet, but you do understand how to modify existing 3d models (like the upgraded minotaur you made) and how to make models from scratch (like that snapa kappa creature you posted a while back). So you could contribute with your own tutorials on how to make and modify 3d models. There's Clint's tutorial on how to make isometric tiles in Blender, and dorkster's tutorial on how to make a Flare map, but there's no tutorials on how to make 3d models.
Well, i think making 3D models is the least needed tutorial, since blender tutorials are something you can find easily around. About modifying them, i guess that could make for a nice tutorial, its actually very easy, since the models are made in a very lazy way (but overly clever and fast).
Havent you guys considered about creating a real guide of "How to´s" for the game? the one in the wiki is hard to understand. Starting from the easiest and going to the most complex; maybe it just needs to present the current tutorials into a simplier way, or going from creating a character to making a simple campaign.
I feel Flare just needs a flashing campaign to be more popular; and overall be more accesible so more people try to do their own.
I started with the "how to" in the wiki too. It is very old using blender 2.6. Some things like camera settings and angle are still the same, while lighting and rendering changed a lot.
I work a lot with references and do many test renders until it looks good for me. I tested these rock walls a lot to be sure they are tilable and work well. Over time I got more experience in 3D / art too, which helps me a lot - not just when doing something for flare.
Some other things I learned from opening blend files from older tilesets - for example keyframing the models, so they can be rendered out automatically.
Making these rock walls was really tricky. I decided to sculpt these, but how to make them tilable - even with other pieces?
First I created a blockout mesh with a rough shape.The trick was creating a detailed "connection" piece, then joining them using the new voxel remesher and sculpting with masks and then using bool operations to cut into tiles.
Textures were relativly easy for me, procedural textures in blender, using the pointiness atrribute (geometry node). Again, I experimented a lot before I had the final look.
flare_workflow_01.png 418.3 Kb [1 download(s)]
I still use blender 2.79. I tried the 2.8 version but it was just too different. They changed a lot of keyboard shortcuts for example. I've heard some great reviews about 2.8, though.
Switching to blender 2.8 is really worth it. In the beginning it was unusual for me too but got used to it ... and the new features are really great.
Opening a file made or edited with 2.8 in 2.79 does not work in most cases. I tried it by myself, some files even crashed blender 2.79.
I finished my tileset... finally!
https://opengameart.org/content/stylized-grassland-tileset
Congrats man, its a pretty nice work, will you release a video of it now?
what kind of video do you mean?
- some kind of making of?
- showing the tileset in action / gameplay of the new mod including these tiles?
- something else?
showing the tileset in action / gameplay of the new mod including these tiles?
Yes, that one would be nice; and i guess the first one as well in the future, since your mod might become the new standart of Flare so people can build upon.
Im really curious to se it all in action.
It is on my to do list. There are some smaller things I want to do before like adding a bit more content (trees, basic wooden house / cabin) and maybe fixing the player character size which is oversized right now.
som wip trees, not too many branches, more stylized than realistic to fit the new style
stylized_trees_wip_1.png 603.8 Kb [2 download(s)]
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