Take On Mars discussion (continued from off-topic)

[jeza 5415]

I find it a little bit sad that this game was considered one of the "big PC exclusives" announced at E3 along with Total War: Rome II and some indie games. Reminds me of how low the PC has fallen in terms of exclusives. Don't get me wrong, I do like simulators but for one to be one of the best PC games of E3 is just..odd.

Just wait, it may well turn out to be, thankfully we in this PC market do not expect the best from the most popular.

[mrcash2009 0]

Well going by what your saying that's E3's issue, I dont think people on this game were gunning for that title, but it all helps.

[OrLoK 20]

Hello there

Perhaps it shows that the PC market is just packed full (commercially) of the "same old games" and this idea has piqued people's interest.

I believe we are starting to see a very definite shift in PC gaming, so the next few years should be good 'uns.

Good on ToM and it's dev's for winning the award!

Rgds

LoK

[dram 14]

Thank you all for your support! At the end of last week we finalized the tech tree, so something to look forward to.

[mrcash2009 0]

At the end of last week we finalized the tech tree

Excuse my ignorance, but what does that mean? Finalisation of work flow/code?

[dram 14]

Excuse my ignorance, but what does that mean? Finalisation of work flow/code?

Finalized in this case means set down exactly when and where you will gain access to better technology. That is, you start off with the simplest, lowest technology - that being the Small Lander, and from there you work your way up to the 6-wheeled behemoth that is the Large Rover. Instruments are also incorporated into this as well.

[kylania 567]

Woo! Pre-ordered! Can't wait to try this. :)

[gossamersolid 155]

Not sure if this has been asked:

Will there be an alpha/beta program for pre-orders a la ArmA 3?

[dram 14]

Not sure if this has been asked:

Will there be an alpha/beta program for pre-orders a la ArmA 3?

It will be released at the end of the month, thus it would not make much sense to do so.

[gossamersolid 155]

It will be released at the end of the month, thus it would not make much sense to do so.

Oh derp, I should have read the release date first :)

[jeza 5415]

Great news, will preorder on friday if I am reminded! Very respectable price as well.

[ziiip 1]

Is the game rich in scientific text so we learn about the stuff we are supposed to be doing in the campaign without having to google too much?

[jeza 5415]

See below:

Is the game rich in scientific text so we learn about the stuff we are supposed to be doing in the campaign without having to google too much?

Well, as I am a Mars fanatic, I tried to recreate everything as close to reality as possible. That means the gravity matches reality (3.711m/s^2), air friction is close to accurate (games use damping, so not totally accurate but close enough), rover parts weigh relatively realistic values, however the differences between parts must not be too excessive or the forces can be too strong for the joints, again limitations of real time physics calculations. Movement speed of the rovers is 3x normal, that is so that gameplay is not too excessively long-winded. This modifier is campaign-side, so can be adjusted without issue.

Well the only weather you really get on mars is radiation from the sun, winds in the morning and evening (due to atmospheric heating/cooling), and dust storms during dust storm season. The real vehicles are made to handle these issues, except for the dust on solar panels, which was an issue for Spirit and Opportunity. This we do not simulate at this point, but I do hope to add it in either post release or before (if time permits).

Chemical/spectral/etc analyses will return realistic data, so there is that educational factor there. Regarding life, that I don't want to go into too much detail, but you won't incrementally find signs of life, it will more be part of a mission. The missions themselves are aimed at scientific research, so expect to do that which Curiosity and Opportunity do on Mars. The scenarios will involve relatively realistic situations, such as running low on power, sun going down with you in shade and needing to get to a sunny area to recharge the panels at least a little. As for the poles, that is something that would be epic, but considering the impact it has with regards to gameplay (vehicles cannot survive there in winter) we chose to leave them out, also due to time restrictions. Remember, we will have 3 locations (4x4km) on release with a planned free dlc (Mars' moon Deimos) post-release.

We currently limit the free fly camera to about 2km high, with it not being able to go beyond the terrain bounds. In editor mode, there is not limitation (you might need to get a rock from below the terrain for example). Zoom is a part of the camera and is adjustable with the mouse wheel (default), and the camera's fly speed is also adjusted with the wheel. The camera movement itself is very fluid and smooth by default (changeable in the options menu) to allow for pleasant movement around the terrain and to allow for smooth camera shots.

[ziiip 1]

I meant, for example if we wind x and y chemicals in in rock samples, can we read about them ingame?

[Woodpeckersam 18]

Ever thought to look at Kerbal Space Program? Its a good little game that allows you to seamlessly travel between planets.

Well this is Take on Mars, you dont need to go far out, but it can most certainly be done in another engine im sure.

Mining on Deimos and transferring the load to Mars would be great... if you have the time for it.

Back to reality:

I am very interested in this, just wondering (i may have missed a post or two) what is the scale? I thought I remember reading that this will take place in that big crater on mars? Am I correct?

[jeza 5415]

Ever thought to look at Kerbal Space Program? Its a good little game that allows you to seamlessly travel between planets.

Well this is Take on Mars, you dont need to go far out, but it can most certainly be done in another engine im sure.

Mining on Deimos and transferring the load to Mars would be great... if you have the time for it.

Back to reality:

I am very interested in this, just wondering (i may have missed a post or two) what is the scale? I thought I remember reading that this will take place in that big crater on mars? Am I correct?

Have a look below , as you can see the size there. I like your idea about mining, trips to Phobos & Deimos would be most fun, maybe it can be modded in but would seem rather difficult or maybe not i'm not sure.

Some questions:

1. How many areas/maps will be available at launch and how large are they? (Individually.)

Answered here. Three terrains, 16km² (4x4km) each. :)

2. What is the theoretical upper limit of map sizes in the engine? Does it support streaming/paging for large terrains?

3. How difficult will it be to create new maps? Is it possible from within the game or will there be separate modding tools?

[chrisb 196]

I think this project (game) sounds really exciting. The fact it will have the Editor in there is even better. I will be buying when its out and having a good look around.

I wish you great luck with this, it offers huge potential, what with the editor, ability to mod, possible new terrains etc.

Will be nice to have a change.:).

[bratac 10]

My question might have been answered already but I couldn't find any indication for it.

Will this game feature multiplayer capabilities, modded or built-in, because with the economics mode this would be a very cool thing to have.

[dram 14]

My question might have been answered already but I couldn't find any indication for it.

Will this game feature multiplayer capabilities, modded or built-in, because with the economics mode this would be a very cool thing to have.

Due to time constraints, this was not possible. I personally would love to see others driving rovers and driving alongside them, but unfortunately at this point it appears this won't be happening. I do not want to make false promises, so in all likelihood this will not be present, nonetheless it is not ruled out for later addition.

I think this project (game) sounds really exciting. The fact it will have the Editor in there is even better. I will be buying when its out and having a good look around.

I wish you great luck with this, it offers huge potential, what with the editor, ability to mod, possible new terrains etc.

Will be nice to have a change.:).

Thank you for the kind words. Just a note, the editor is not the same as the ArmA editor. In fact it's a completely different engine. The game will have an in-built editor for mission creation and just messing around, as well as an external editor for particle/sound/terrain/etc editing. This will be provided separately, of course for free.

[bratac 10]

Due to time constraints, this was not possible. I personally would love to see others driving rovers and driving alongside them, but unfortunately at this point it appears this won't be happening. I do not want to make false promises, so in all likelihood this will not be present, nonetheless it is not ruled out for later addition.

Thank you for the information. Is it possible to build a multiplayer mod until we get an official solution or is this not part of the modding sdk?

[mathmanx 10]

Bohemia Devs,

I have been following the Mars missions since I was a kid, and check Curiosities raw images (http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/multimedia/raw/) almost daily. One of the most exciting moments of last year was when one of the thing things I noticed and fretted about, a bright reflection in one of the early scoops, was brought up and discussed during the Curiosity periodic briefings.

I only bring that up so you know excited I am that you seem to be building a mars exploration tool that isn't fantasy-ified. I'm excited to be able to build rovers through versions, and emulate real technology advancements, etc. I hope that an early rover will find something, and we'll be able to send a more advanced rover to the same spot to investigate.

Really, this looks like it will satisfy the astronaut from my childhood and the (software) engineering self of today.

Thanks for working on this for us. Whether it is a commercial success or not (and I hope it is), you are providing an experience that will likely not be recreated for decades. Maybe in 2040 you can make "Take on Europa" :)

Mike

[dram 14]

Thank you for the information. Is it possible to build a multiplayer mod until we get an official solution or is this not part of the modding sdk?

As I said I don't want to promise multiplayer so as not to disappoint anyone. As for modding in multiplayer, that is an interesting question. As practically the whole game is written in script, it means you can do almost anything. However, there is no script command at present to send information through to an IP address or anything similar. That said, a similar case was for Thief 2, where some clever modder added a whole multiplayer client.

Bohemia Devs,

I have been following the Mars missions since I was a kid, and check Curiosities raw images (http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/multimedia/raw/) almost daily. One of the most exciting moments of last year was when one of the thing things I noticed and fretted about, a bright reflection in one of the early scoops, was brought up and discussed during the Curiosity periodic briefings.

I only bring that up so you know excited I am that you seem to be building a mars exploration tool that isn't fantasy-ified. I'm excited to be able to build rovers through versions, and emulate real technology advancements, etc. I hope that an early rover will find something, and we'll be able to send a more advanced rover to the same spot to investigate.

Really, this looks like it will satisfy the astronaut from my childhood and the (software) engineering self of today.

Thanks for working on this for us. Whether it is a commercial success or not (and I hope it is), you are providing an experience that will likely not be recreated for decades. Maybe in 2040 you can make "Take on Europa" :)

Mike

Thank you very much for the kind words, I too have watched the Mars missions since Sojourner back in 1997. Our tech tree does mean you start with a low-tech lander with only 2 cameras, and an instrument or two, while later on you'll move to the larger rovers up to the behemoth of the large rover.

There will be areas you will investigate with, say, tech level 3, and you will then return later with tech level 10, for example.

In any case, I truly hope the game does meet your expectations.

[Dohman 10]

Hi!

I just learned about this game yesterday, and I must say that I cannot wait till I get my hands on it. It was an instant pre-order. Just now after reading most of this thread and all of the other threads, I had this idea, not sure if this should be posted in suggestions, or if it's already planned.

I propose a 3D camera for the rovers. I'm not sure what scientific purpose it would serve, but the coolness factor would be great. The reason I'm asking is, that I'd like to see Oculus Rift support for this game. As in with Vireio support. Exploring Mars in it self is pretty cool, but if it were in 3D, wouldn't it be even cooler?

I guess you could have 3d in external views too, but for hard mode, if the external views are disabled there, an 3d camera would be cool. It could be an advanced form of photo camera, or even an advanced navigational camera, with colour.

It would be like running 2 cameras and then some in terms of power drain..

And I'd also like to state how pleased I am with your responses to the public, I think you're handling it all really well, thumbs up from me :D

EDIT:

Additionally, using head tracking to control the cameras would require more power, as to move the camera close to as fast as you can move your head. This makes me think about whether or not it's possible to shutdown certain cameras to conserve power.

Head tracking coupled with 3D really gives a whole new sense of scale and your spatial sense is incredible.

---------- Post added at 09:32 ---------- Previous post was at 08:49 ----------

How possible would it be to mod in small drones that could fly either like a plane or like a helicopter?

Edited July 18, 2013 by Dohman

[jeza 5415]

How possible would it be to mod in small drones that could fly either like a plane or like a helicopter?

I'm sure its possible as long as it adheres to the games atmosphere parameters assuming they are accurate enough, then any modder may consider this link below as a good place to start.

http://wingsovermars.arc.nasa.gov/solving.html

[Dohman 10]

I'm sure its possible as long as it adheres to the games atmosphere parameters assuming they are accurate enough, then any modder may consider this link below as a good place to start.

http://wingsovermars.arc.nasa.gov/solving.html

That is an interesting article. Depending on how hard it will be to make models on par with the models already in the game, I will be making a drone mod. On the subject on modding, will there be a modding section for this game? It would be useful if the modding scene gets big enough.

I will have to learn the new scripting language, but it shouldn't be too hard as I'm already programming simple stuff in C# :)

I figure the hardest part will be to have the visuals of a mod to live up to the game it self. With 60-100 parts in a rover from what I heard, it will be interesting to say the least.