Vietnam Island

[mondkalb 1087]

Thanks, but the """real""" Camp is covered in sand and mud. This is difficult to realize in ArmA, although It's just inspirated by the game Vietcong.

Im looking forward to finish this small island next weekend, but I assume that Queens Gambit will take all my freetime...

Anyway, if I make something bigger, you'll see it. And let us hope for a release of usable streets.

[Jarvis 0]

Man do I remember the old Vietnam game, that shit was so much fun. Too bad there aren't tons of people playing it anymore, I thought the 2nd was going to be even better but it was just alright. The first one was kickass though. I remember all the great gaming I had in that game, one of my best experiences.

Neat island btw.

[mondkalb 1087]

I've done some more work this week.

Bamboo bridge (>110kb)

Map in Editor View (100kb)

The Lamps still don't work in night, but I've figured out a solution to the perfomance problem.

Its a big invisible wall containing a View Geometry. The wall can be placed to stop ArmA from rendering buildings/Jungle behind taht wall, that you won't see anyway... I havn't tested it yet, but I think this will solve it once and for all...

What would you think about some bamboo stakes around the US Camp? Barbed Wire will be placed...

[Warrior Xâ„¢ 0]

Looking nice.  

One thing on the rope bridge. I see it goes in a hanging loop, but the ropes on top of it that support the bridge are not following that loop. But i am sure you noticed that yourself.

About the base objects like barbed wire and punji stakes. Yes please    Suggestion: make a dirt wall object with stakes in it. Just a thought.

And the map editor view is promising as well. Small island with enough room for missions. I see some villages here and there i think. Will be a nice testing space for all your island making adventures hehe.

[m4r1ne 0]

same ground textures from vietcong are on those dirt mounds who cares really though, awesome job man.

[sim 0]

Wow, didn't notice this before mate

Looks very nice, you've actually sparked up some inspiration in me for ArmA.

Maybe a bit more ground veg here and there and some more grass for Charles to lay down in.

Keep up the good work

[mondkalb 1087]

The big problem is the bad performance caused by jungle.

Actually I have a way to solve the perfromance-problem, but the realisation fails at this problem. I still havn't found a proper solution.

My very first priority is to improve the performance on this island. After that, I'll try to get error-messages vanish...

When I finished that, I'll go on modelling rice-paddys and VC Camps...

[rocket 9]

Have you worked out whether its the triangle/vertex count that is causing the problem, or the texture size/quantity, or even the draw calls (such as one object having many textures)?

I'm pretty sure that ArmA uses occlusion culling so I'm not sure you'd get any benefit from your "invisible wall" as if the object isn't in the viewport, its not causing the CPU or the GPU a problem in terms of processing (although the textures were probably loaded into VRAM).

If its a vertex problem, try nuking the map with LOD'ing. I've found LOD'ing individual objects has helped performance issues for my models - its just very time consuming. I make my LODs in funny colors for a stard so that I can play with when they come into effect.

If its texture size (using lots of 2k textures?) try reducing them down to 256 maybe. You could try covering all the objects with the same texture, just to see if that makes a difference.

If its the draw calls, you could try making sure that each object only uses one texture. This might reduce the number of draw calls the GPU needs to do when rendering an object I believe.

[mondkalb 1087]

That would affect the Jungle-Objects made by Linker Split...

Im using them massively, its jungle scenery.

So, if I could follow you, there is no proper way to improve performance without editing the Jungle?

But, here some new pictures of a nearly finished US-Camp.

http://home.arcor.de/armed.tactics/NewNuiPek1.jpg

http://home.arcor.de/armed.tactics/NewNuiPek2.jpg

http://home.arcor.de/armed.tactics/NewNuiPek3.jpg

http://home.arcor.de/armed.tactics/NewNuiPek4.jpg

http://home.arcor.de/armed.tactics/NewNuiPek5.jpg

[rocket 9]

I know when he released them he mentioned they were super-detailed (both in textures and poly's), so I suspect that is your issue. I'm not familiar with his jungle models - but they may not have levels of detail set. You could try downsampling his textures (say, if they are 512 x 512 you could resample them to 256 x 256).

You could also get in touch with him and offer to LOD his models for him in O2, should be relatively straight-forward and just lodding a few of the jungle objects should see a massive improvement.

[-)rStrangelove 0]

Mondkalb, i'd just replace all those jungle plants with normal ArmA palmtrees and bushes until someone makes plants with decent LODs.

If you wanna make a jungle island then remodeling plants is not on your list.

Make a cut and finish that island with objects that work.

My 2 cents.

[icebreakr 3159]

I agree with ])rStrangelove.

[mondkalb 1087]

That's what It'll be. When some new, better performance using jungle plants come out, i'll defenitely update this island.

[mondkalb 1087]

So, here's a status update:

-Solved performance problem.

-Island 90% finished

-Major Bugs removed

Im planning to release my Island with a small Campaign at the end of this month.

[rocket 9]

Good work mate, sounds like its progressing well. Hope to see some more screenshots soon!

[Hawkins 8]

Eagerly waiting for this one. Very nice work!

Do you have yn new pictures of the island with the BIS plants and trees in use? I also feel they fit rather well for a jungle themed island, at least as placeholders.

[mondkalb 1087]

I solved the problem in using "setviewdistance 500". You don't need to see in a deep Jungle very far. Atleast since you can't.

For now i think i'll finish the last part of the island sometime later. The areas I finished today are ready to use. And that's what I'm doing right now - Starting the campaign.

[Warrior Xâ„¢ 0]

I solved the problem in using "setviewdistance 500". You don't need to see in a deep Jungle very far. Atleast since you can't.

Indeed. Ya can't see that far anyway. Sometimes you won't even see that frog staring at ya at 3 feet away

Plus lowering the viewdistance only affects the flyboys. Grunts don't need a view that far anyway. Can't see that far, can't shoot that far.

Waiting to see how this will turn out.

[mondkalb 1087]

Release: See first Post.

[Linker Split 0]

don't forget I made models without the tools...

Now that O2 and rvmat editor are out, I'll upgrade them don't worry!

[Grinman 0]

You know how you can use the setflagtexture command to change flags? Any chance of something similar on the mapboard?

also, where are your buildings in the editor, I can only find the benches

[mondkalb 1087]

The mapboard was working last week, but I've wasted the config. The thing you tried is working with setobjecttexture.

Insider tip: Try to fill an ammobox with this:

<table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td>Code Sample </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE">This addmagazinecargo ["MBG_Ricebag",1]

You can carry a ricebag. I made this for a mission, maybe, but only maybe, this mission will be made this weekend.

The buildings are not visible in editor.

I'm looking forward to Linker Split's new Junglepack!

[sickboy 13]

AwesomeNess...

Can't wait for the promised updates!

Anyone compiled a list of 'fitting' addons for the Vietnam Era already? Incl. weapons, units, etc. etc?

[mondkalb 1087]

Yes

Units: Vilas' newest Vietnam units (Get them in his thread)

Weapons: Vilas' Vietnam weapons (Use his Rocketlaunchers)

Skaven's Racs (M14, M16 and M60)

[Warrior Xâ„¢ 0]

Nice island m8! First enjoyable fights i had in ArmA actually.

I had 3 v 3 squads in CQB and had 19 FPS! Where with BIS plants/forests etc i get 6-8 FPS just by myself. Off course the island is made in a fashion from teh old OFP jungle ways. With little undergrowth and more high bushes and tree's, but this is still very good! No doubt it will improve in the future.

p.s. I did actually put down the viewdistance to 500, fog to 0.5 and rain to 0.5. But hell i didn't notice that when i was fighting as i couldn't see far anyway! 2-4 tree's further down is what i saw, and that's about 150-200 away. Why need 1000 + view right  

Nice job m8!