Plan ahead- do something about ragdolls now

[maturin 12]

Am I correct in understanding that the physics you're using means ragdolls for bodies?

Well, you're all gamers, and you know that the vast majority of ragdolls in shooters look like shit. Studios often just plug in the third party stuff and call it good. People end up looking less realistic when they are shot or are lying on the ground, and end up in mannequin-like heaps, tangled in ways real bodies would never bend.

So I don't want to see any of this:

http://www.bistudio.com/images/stories/arma3/screenshots/scr03.jpg

This guy is either writhing in pain (ok), fell from that roof and shattered every bone in his body, or it's early evidence of crap physics integration like you see in most games.

Also, how's it going to work in MP?

[ProfTournesol 956]

Because you're so happy with how it looks since OFP ? Rigid bodies after playing dying/dead state animation ?

[Guest]

That death looks fine to me.

His knees and hips are bent, his back is completely straight. It looks like he either got shot whilst kneeling and fell backwards, or shot whilst standing and slumped straight down.

I could get into that position right now, and I am not flexible at all!

[jakerod 254]

Because you're so happy with how it looks since OFP ? Rigid bodies after playing dying/dead state animation ?

I've never had a problem with OFP's animations. They can be clunky but I prefer them to ragdoll. We'll see how BI handles it though. I have faith in them.

[Guest]

I've never had a problem with OFP's animations. They can be clunky but I prefer them to ragdoll. We'll see how BI handles it though. I have faith in them.

I like the current animation system from the point of view, that when you shoot someone the pre-recorded anims look very good.

But I dislike it for it's lack of randomness, and especially, when a large explosion happens and this stiff body just floats 400 feet into the air. :p

[maturin 12]

Because you're so happy with how it looks since OFP ? Rigid bodies after playing dying/dead state animation ?

Yes, because then I can take cover behind those bodies. Without worrying about them sliding slowly down a slope as if it's covered in bacon grease, eating up my system resources. Or worrying about them glitching against a hard objects and thrashing around.

In my book, bodies need only ragdoll of there is a flight of stairs for them to fall down. All the animations we have look like normal human beings. Most ragdolls look like cordwood connected by string. Games that do it right use both animations and ragdoll.

Edited May 19, 2011 by maturin

[ProfTournesol 956]

I've never had a problem with OFP's animations. They can be clunky but I prefer them to ragdoll. We'll see how BI handles it though. I have faith in them.

Well the trouble isn't the animation itself (i prefer OFP ones over ArmA2 ones), but how the body is interacting with its environment after dead state.

[metalcraze 290]

People cried that they wanted physics like that

I always thought it is not necessary and what ArmA had was already all right. I don't have the time to watch if that barrel rolled or not during the game.

Now people will cry that ragdolls suck

[Guest]

Either way, it is FAR too early to start speculating and complaining. Especially when all we have to go by is a single image, which proves and shows absolutely nothing.

That could simply be a new death animation for all we know. Wait for some videos.

[jojimbo 0]

yeah if a shot had hit his spine, he would go down like that, its natural for the body to correct itself, but if you lose sensations, you could end up like that.

also soldiers train to hit the body midriff = spinal column.

also the bullet physics, as in the body falls to the impact and lift = good

as long as its done good, ie kinetik helpers which do not allow the

body to defrom in a wierd way its all good so bring ragdoll to ArmA?

it's about time imho

[maturin 12]

I was looking more at the positions of his legs. I can't imagine an animation-maker would handcraft something like that.

It only looks weird if that's an at-rest position. I suppose he could still be falling.

But the point stands! We should tell BI now that their animation has merit and should be coupled with ragdoll, and that all that physics stuff needs to work in multiplayer.

[i3luevein 10]

To be honest - this looks like a great improvement over the current system. Currently your soldier stands to attention then plays some sort of "Noooooooooooooooooooooooooo" animation before he lands in a pre-recorded position from the type of kill.

If your hit by a vehicle there is no interaction other then solid geometry with the soldier not even moving position other then stay rigid until you land back on the floor and then play the death animation.

At least with this there may be more realistic contact interaction between player and objects.

[-=seany=- 5]

I would much rather Ragdoll physics that occasionally make me chuckle, as opposed to the current cardboard-cut-out-rigid-death-throes that make want to pretend I didn't see it.

[Darky88 0]

I'm probably the only one but I find Ragdolls really nice, they seem realistic to me and certainly beat the pre-defined animations. Ragdolls nowadays have weights for their body parts and stuff, so if you define that (which I'm sure BIS did) there wont be any "flying paper manniquins" like from 2005 and they should drop realistically. I look forward to that.

[neokika 62]

I look at that dead guy and seems more then fine/realistic position he is in.

_neo_

[carlostex 38]

It's about time to have ragdolls. If you don't like it stick to Arma 2, and watch dead bodies stuck in towers and buildings by the tip of their toes

[froggyluv 2136]

It's about time to have ragdolls. If you don't like it stick to Arma 2, and watch dead bodies stuck in towers and buildings by the tip of their toes

Amen +10.

I really hope this also adds a "hit" reaction as in a flinch or something as shooting statue-men that don't react breaks immersion.

[i3luevein 10]

Suppose it has to be better than this

rIBw9nQtpj4

[Meek 10]

With ragdolls, you have instances like in that picture, where it looks a little weird, it doesn't happen often.

With baked animations, most of the time it looks very out of place, and when explosions or vehicle collisions are involved it looks extremely out of place.

Personally, I'd prefer occasionally encountering odd ragdoll positions.

[EDcase 87]

Ragdoll doesn't mean arms and legs flailing all over the place. It depends how BIS implements it with the physics.

A person shot dead will crumple on the spot as in the image rather than fall over.

Some of the current death anims work well but they are getting repetitive and its time to update the engine...

This is great BIS!!!!

[dmarkwick 261]

Using the current A2 animation system, dead bodies are always easy to spot & identify, because there's a limited number of poses. Once you've played enough A2, you can spot a body and identify it easily. If RD is implemented, it changes the way you play if you cannot readily identify an object on the ground where you need to move to.

[Nielsen 10]

I must say that I am also quite positive about ragdoll. I'm looking forward to seeing how this will work in Arma3. Imho it is certainly better than the current anims, which often seems out of place to me.

[SprintJack 10]

I actualy remember some RL video in which person after being shot ended up in almost same position.

Looks great BIS!

[dcal 16]

I like the current animation system from the point of view, that when you shoot someone the pre-recorded anims look very good.

But I dislike it for it's lack of randomness, and especially, when a large explosion happens and this stiff body just floats 400 feet into the air. :p

Sometimes it is pretty hilarious though:D

[-GR-Operative 10]

With some kind of moderator (so the joints don't move past 180º) it shall be fine, but animations are okay (except for some ocasions, like explosions and such)