I got soooo bogged down in integrating the 2007 DXSDK version, from my old 2002 version, literally everything broke...I've been working on this crap for weeks. I've also simultaneously based my "new version" of the engine around a full 64-bit HDR pipeline [ sorry people with old video cards lol, there ain't gonna be any fallbacks ]...also a new character animation system.
I'm re-writing the input/control system to support all the new animations [ turn-in-place animations, strafe, walk back, etc.] I'm also going to use XInput to add full support for SexBox360 controllers in the processes [ pressure sensitivity, rumble/vibration, etc], though unfortunatly I will not add generic joystick support...I'm going to re-do the whole "control/input area" of the game in the next few minutes.
There is a hard-beta-date coming up...and yea. That's all I'm going to say.
You can't rush this kinda shit, and I'm not gonna. I'm going to make sure the game is everything I want it to be. If I'm gonna have this thing out 1st Qtr 2008 I will have to work 24/7 for the next few months...I've been restin' up [relativly] by working ~10 hour days, I'm gonna have to take it back up to 18 to really make this happen...but god damn it's stressful.
AND...also I just realized that my bitangent/tangent had to be mirrored in my skin shader...soooo if my old character renderings look a bit off...that's why.
Anyways...the point of my post...some beautiful character artwork from one of my art studios, as well lots of other misc. art stuff...enjoy :-)
Don't worry, the art is only about 30% completed :-) Lots more to come.
*NOTE these were taken in FX Composer, which has a screwy viewport that distorts a lot of stuff.
Yakuza Gangster A
Cuban Gangster C [ OK this guy looks so familiar.... ]
Cuban Gangster B
Angry Japanese School Girl Gangster A
Showing the detail in the M4. 10 of the 30 weapons are completed right now.
High-res version of the elevated train I'm having designed for the city...based off a Chicago 2200 model...
Train
Car
Irish Gangster C Concept Art
SWAT Team Guy Concept Art
The state of the game...right now I have my HDR + Character scene in the background. The game has close to a 1.5 GIG footprint already, probably 1.1 GIG of that is in textures. If I load all textures [30 weapons, 20 cars, 35 characters] @ their highest resolutions I'm @ ~5 GIG, sooooo yea.
I'm setting the min/rec system requirements the same as Bioshock or any Unreal 3 Engine game.
Notice the face looks much better since I noticed the tangent/bitangent had to be mirrored.
Back to work.
- Danny
Are you sure it's a good decision ?
I don't know much about your sales plan, apparently you have a publisher, but as far as I understand it's not a major one, the game won't go retail on shelves everywhere in the world, will it ? And it won't have a fully funded marketing campaign with ads in magazines.
If those assumptions are correct, aren't you afraid to restrict your already-limited potential pool of customers ?
How many sales are you "realistically" expecting to consider the game as profitable (ie. you got back money you've invested in it) ?