Explosions

[evilnate 0]

Recently I saw a video of ArmA demonstrating the explosion effects, and it's soo close to realistic I can almost taste it.

The thing that makes me think it's not quite there is the time dust and smoke travel from the explosion. When I watch war footage on cnn, the initial dust and smoke that evacuates the explosion happens really quick. In the ArmA video, it looks like slow motion.

I hope the guys at BIS hear me on this one.

[Stendac 0]

Yeah, the smoke blows out in a split second. Anyone want to mention any games that do a good job of this?

[Chunder 0]

yeah some things are looking pretty cool especially texture wise.

the render of the hip looks pretty cool but in game it looks to be missing something compared to the U.Shelicopters texture wise.

[jaffo 0]

The speed isn't too much of a worry to me, if you watch something like the Javelin vid that's been around a while, that seems to billow out in a pretty similar way... maybe a little quicker.

The real things that bug me about the explosions are the really obvious patterns in the smoke and debris trails and the fact that there's no huge fireball in the initial blast (again, compare it to the vid).

[Kode 0]

The explosion depends on the weapon you use, the javelin is a heavy AT weapon, I don't see an artillery shell make such an explosion.

Al depends on the weapon, and you cannot make a smoke-animation for each explosion, I think the smoke they have took quite some time to make, especially if you compare the quality to other games.

[jaffo 0]

Al depends on the weapon, and you cannot make a smoke-animation for each explosion

I'm hoping the explosions we've seen in the vids so far are like the other animations, ie. just placeholders that will be changed when the animations are finalised.

I think the smoke they have took quite some time to make, especially if you compare the quality to other games.

Well, I had hoped they would have been better than FlashFX and ECP but imo they aren't.

[Chunder 0]

Whilst it's okay to say they need to be more dynamic, actually modelling them to be so is very hard to do. I hope we don't get into a realism debate about smoke and fire effects, sure its great to have variations, but it's been a fantastic effort in the improvement in the effects already.

I like what I see, I spose most people here too, with a release date now set at least somewhere, we should be 'nudging' areas that increase immersion that dev's might have missed, we already know that they are likely to be tying up loose ends in other areas.

[Scillion 0]

A few video's of smoke can only give us so much information. Was that smoke the only smoke type? Is the smoke easy to altar for size and type? Is it easy for programmers to tweak?

The smoke was a huge improvement and something I didn't have on my top 10 to improve list. I just assumed it would be better with directX 9 graphics. They went way further.

[dmakatra 1]

I personally don't care how the smoke/explosions look. I just want lots of smoke and the AI not being able to see through it.

[dreday 1]

The speed isn't too much of a worry to me, if you watch something like the Javelin vid that's been around a while, that seems to billow out in a pretty similar way... maybe a little quicker.

The real things that bug me about the explosions are the really obvious patterns in the smoke and debris trails and the fact that there's no huge fireball in the initial blast (again, compare it to the vid).

Jaffo,

Please keep in mind that the T-72 that was used as a target in this video was packed with C4 explosives in order to emphasize the on-target effects of the Javelin. This is not how the real tanks behave upon penetration.

If you don't believe me, just search the google for discussions of this "test".

Peace,

DreDay

[Scrub 0]

The explosion depends on the weapon you use, the javelin is a heavy AT weapon, I don't see an artillery shell make such an explosion.

Al depends on the weapon, and you cannot make a smoke-animation for each explosion, I think the smoke they have took quite some time to make, especially if you compare the quality to other games.

For the different explosions, I'd hope it's a 'seed' and scale that can be changed or randomized based on weapon type, target and terrain. But who knows. Just hope that explosions in water shoot plumes of mist and not just dirt.

I like the explosions a lot, just think they need to pop a bit more, and have a difference between a vehicle strike, and a ground hit.

[evilnate 0]

I'm definatly not complaining about the explosion effects, I think they are awesome!

I just wanted to share my observation about the differences between ArmA's explosion and the explosions seen IRL.

Here's a very good example of what i'm talking about.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7798847181021525607

Here's some video clips of real explosives.

http://www.combatvids.com/showvideo.php?id=2231

[llauma 0]

The speed isn't too much of a worry to me, if you watch something like the Javelin vid that's been around a while, that seems to billow out in a pretty similar way... maybe a little quicker.

The real things that bug me about the explosions are the really obvious patterns in the smoke and debris trails and the fact that there's no huge fireball in the initial blast (again, compare it to the vid).

That video shows a Javelin hitting a tank stuffed with explosives. Not a very good example as it's very exaggerated.

[metalchris 0]

real tankexplosiones are more like giant flashes (very short visible fireball) and ALOT of smoke and dust

[deanosbeano 0]

Altho the "fluer de lis " type explosions do look very good, there seems to be a uniformity about them , as in the pieces of debris from every explosion then emits smokerings from it whilst traveling.

I will reserve final judgement when the game is out.

anyway like Placebo also said , it will be interesting once the baby is delivered how the community will bring it up.

[Uziyahu--IDF 0]

There has been some debate as to whether a Javelin could produce the kind of results shown in that video without a little help in the form of explosives underneath or within the tank.

Most explosions resulting from high-explosives don't produce the big Hollywoodish fireballs without the help of some slower-burning ingredient.

[jaffo 0]

That video shows a Javelin hitting a tank stuffed with explosives. Not a very good example as it's very exaggerated.

I was aware of that, I was just using it as an example of how the debris/smoke etc billows slowly like the ArmA vid (which looks ok in that respect).

It's the lack of flash in the explosions and repetition in them that spoils it for me. Hopefully, there'll be some variation in them by release.  

I just want lots of smoke and the AI not being able to see through it.

Couldn't agree more  

[bravo 6 0]

smoke pic

how will the smoke shadows work?

[l etranger 5]

Smoke effects don't have shadows (for now so far)

[Zander 0]

you can find hundreds of vids of explosions on internet, one of the similarity from the smallest to the biggest explosion is violencesomething you dont feel at all in arma.

[bravo 6 0]

i believe they will do something to explosions to improve them, somehow.

[Espectro (DayZ) 0]

Smoke effects don't have shadows (for now so far)

it would be awesome if smoke and clouds had shadows...

[zigzag 0]

think i read somewere that the clouds in flaspoint elite has shadows, is that true

[l etranger 5]

clouds (sky one) have shadow in ArmA

[rekrul 7]

Here's a better video;

http://www.atwar.net/download.php?view.119

and another one;

http://www.uglyjackass.com/media/videos/?id=losat

Although there is a fireball, it's so short you don't see it.