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Here's Screenshot Saturday number fourteen! I've been continuing to work on graphical updates this week. I've finished the umbrella model and texture, as well as an updated umbrella GUI button that you can see in today's screenshot.
I also updated the side/top/back walls. They use to be 5 separate objects each textured individually which resulted in 5 draw calls. I've since modelled them into 1 mesh and UV mapped the textures so they share the same material. Now they are only 1 draw call, which improves performance for each level. I also tweaked the lightmapping that's baked into them as well. These are all small changes that may not be apparent to the casual observation, but combined they equate to better performance and nicer looking graphics overall.
I've also been working on new wall textures for the various level blocks that have been untextured up to this point. You can see some of them in today's image. This level is a bit grey but that is for a few reasons. World 1 in OddBall has a strong warehouse feel to it and so it is mostly brick and cement in style. Actually most of the game has a warehouse vibe, but it's especially true in the first few worlds. I'm also intentionally making the static level blocks appear more "grey" so that the interactive objects (like moving walls, buttons and of course the OddBalls themselves) stick out more. If everything in the game was overly bright and crisp the art style would be a visual mess. Making sure the important game objects pop out, even subtly, helps the player to clue in to important game mechanics.
However, I do still have a few more "wall" textures planned for world 1 that will add some more colour to the vibe, such as wood planks. I will also be using a slightly different theme for each world, which includes unique textures for each. I just need to take my camera out and grab some more photos to make the appropriate textures from. That is what I will be working on this week :).
OddBall #screenshotsaturday #14
I also updated the side/top/back walls. They use to be 5 separate objects each textured individually which resulted in 5 draw calls. I've since modelled them into 1 mesh and UV mapped the textures so they share the same material. Now they are only 1 draw call, which improves performance for each level. I also tweaked the lightmapping that's baked into them as well. These are all small changes that may not be apparent to the casual observation, but combined they equate to better performance and nicer looking graphics overall.
I've also been working on new wall textures for the various level blocks that have been untextured up to this point. You can see some of them in today's image. This level is a bit grey but that is for a few reasons. World 1 in OddBall has a strong warehouse feel to it and so it is mostly brick and cement in style. Actually most of the game has a warehouse vibe, but it's especially true in the first few worlds. I'm also intentionally making the static level blocks appear more "grey" so that the interactive objects (like moving walls, buttons and of course the OddBalls themselves) stick out more. If everything in the game was overly bright and crisp the art style would be a visual mess. Making sure the important game objects pop out, even subtly, helps the player to clue in to important game mechanics.
However, I do still have a few more "wall" textures planned for world 1 that will add some more colour to the vibe, such as wood planks. I will also be using a slightly different theme for each world, which includes unique textures for each. I just need to take my camera out and grab some more photos to make the appropriate textures from. That is what I will be working on this week :).
OddBall #screenshotsaturday #14
This entry posted by Graham
in Velvety Couch Games
Tags: Game Development, OddBalls, ScreenshotSaturday
