It's the "10,000 renders for one scene? Are you mad?" post...
Added 2021-05-28 16:41:29 +0000 UTCHi, hi!
Apologies for the quiet of late. I've been massively focussed as you'll see in a mo. First things first. As is, seemingly, the custom these days let's start with the bad news.
The bad news
Well, other than polishing Sarah's mission taking three weeks as opposed to three days there isn't any. So that's progress? But it did take a while. Much longer than I expected with the animation count for this one scene leaping from around 30 animations when I started the polish and ending up with 63 animations by the time I finished...
The entire scene, this one scene, has rocked in at around 10,000 renders with over 7,500 of those for the naughties. Around 250 stills with the rest all being animation frames.
The three weeks went, obviously, on the additional production of animations of course, but there were also some failures along the way. The largest was a special effect that I so wanted, and would have been so fitting for this scene. I did the work, made the renders and even bought some additional software to blend it all how I wanted it...but the CPU couldn't process it fast enough for high definition and so the end result ended up being far too grainy. Hell, I wanted it so much I even started cutting it together by hand but with the number of frames involved....not a bright idea.
So some IT limitations strike a bit I'm afraid, but not for want of trying. The sooner I'm 3090 system armed the better. I need it for more than just speed now it seems.
The good news
That said what we do have is spectacular. Feedback from the testers is overwhelmingly positive. Which, given the effort expended on that scene, I'll confess is a relief. It was, as you'll see (path depending) a hell of a piece of work with some very custom animations culminating in a 4 minute movie at the end. At that point it's a scene you can just sit back and relax and watch once it starts.
Was it worth it? I dunno. Artistically, yes. No doubt about that. It's nicely done. Very nicely done. The hype is, as they say, real. You will have seen nothing like this before. Promise.
Patron wise/Value for money wise, maybe? You will have to be judge of that. It could have been done with, say, 60 renders. Not 7,500 frames of animations that required perfect timing and editing to hit various beats. So once this chapter is out we'll sit down and talk about this a bit more.
The other news
So we're in testing phase now. I'll just keep passing stuff to the guys over the next couple of weeks and let's bring this one in.
I want a couple of days away from the main game (well, after spending three weeks on one scene, a small break would be nice) and so I'm looking to clear those outstanding commissions which you have so patiently put on hold whilst I animation wrestled.
So for those who do have some outstandings, please drop me a line either here, the forum or discord. I'll also catch up on messages etc over the weekend.
Comments
Ditto.
Sulring Durgul
2021-05-31 15:08:57 +0000 UTCI am a bit worried that new hardware will give you a boost initially, but then you will want to do even more animations, better renders etc., and as a result development pace won’t be any faster at all.
Adrian489
2021-05-29 17:58:37 +0000 UTCThank you for this, and zero need to apologise, I don't think you're being rude at all - in fact I share your views entirely. The pace of my delivery frustrates the hell out of me as much as it must you guys, especially when it comes to a hardware bottleneck. In some ways its even worse for me as I know the entire story and all the planned scenes and day after day all I can do is watch the renders flop out with no way to speed it up. It is of course why I do pause, issue refunds etc. It's the only way I can, even though working on it constantly, try and make amends until the hardware issue is resolved. It's a tricky position I find myself in. Knowing that with the better hardware (and hence all the refences to the 3090 card machine - which would be three times as fast renderwise as my 2080) then I can make this game not only to the quality you will shortly see, but also at a fast and sustainable pace. I could have made this chapter much more easily and much quicker. Of that there is no doubt. It wouldn't have been as good however, and with the scenes so inflexible in terms of when they have to happen I can't get a second bite of the cherry. By that I mean, I only have the one chance to make the scene in the chapter. The mission scene, when you see it, you'll understand why I made it the way I did and why making it any other way would have been a missed opportunity. So I'm gambling. Instead of compromising the chapter quality, I've made it as though I had the 3090 already. Showing you all how the game will look and be - and then hoping that enough of you will stick around so I can get the hardware to triple the render speed and start knocking this out every three months.
Nottravisgames
2021-05-29 05:28:32 +0000 UTCMy 2 cents here, and sorry if I am being rude. This time I think you messed up a bit. You had to cancel patreon's charge a cople of times, but the fact is that you're not making a Hollywood movie... it's still a f***g game, good as it may be. You say that there will be 10 chapters... so how long shoul we expect for the final version? 5 years approx? I will not cancel my patron because you really are the best out there, and I know you're doing it with all your heart, brain and soul. But you have to find a tradeoff. I will re-play from the beginning because I almost can't remember all the bits I played 5... or 6 months ago? People will soon loose interest, and that's too bad because you really deserve the best. Don't let this game become your mental masturbation, while it's right to seek the best possible quality, it's still business as usual. Maybe this is only the point of view of an old disenchanted man, but believe me, I am writing this because I really think you deserve the best and not to get lost in the fog of the "he was so good, but he never deliever..."
Valerio De Ambroggi
2021-05-28 19:05:50 +0000 UTCIt wasn't too shabby was it :)
Nottravisgames
2021-05-28 19:00:44 +0000 UTCOne word to describe this one scene - Epic!
TotesNotThea
2021-05-28 18:32:34 +0000 UTC
