Shelly the Elf's Next Quest

[Retera]

Last year, in the hour long monologue video titled "Retera prepares to be killed by the CIA" we described the problem statement for the next evolution of Warsmash. A segment of the video is included here describing the technology:

In order to accomplish the fever dream described back then in 2025 in front of my camera in the middle of night, many hours of research and technology development have been undertaken to create the game experience that is both World of Warcraft and also the Warcraft III at the same time.

A great example of this is the Ironforge Gate screenshot:

After countless hours of software changes to the game engine, we can see that the technology here allows our hero character to travel underneath the world geometry and into the mountainside cavern of Ironforge, as well as still support unit travel above this out on top of the mountain. Experimentation with larger render distance is also underway.

In the meantime, support for the iconic Warcraft III heroes and units such as Arthas, and the nearby dwarven Rifleman, is retained.

A recent development in this technology was also to give Shelly the Elf the ability to obtain the Reforged Ashbringer sword, which shines with the modern PBR shaders despite the rest of the game world using the 2002-2005 graphics and shaders, as shown below:

In an upcoming installment of the story of Shelly, there will probably be a quest where she obtains the Reforged Ashbringer as part of her mission to save the world.

As part of loading Shelly into the world holding this sword, although we start from the common basis of AddSpecialEffectTarget with the custom Reforged sword model, in order to make it look really good we needed to use functions that don't exist on the Warcraft III base game. Namely, I had to use a SubSequencer instance to play a different animation for Shelly's right hand than for the rest of her model file. The code for that looks something like this:

                                        final RenderSpellEffect weaponModel = addSpecialEffectTarget("SwordAshbringerReforged.mdx",
                                                        simulationUnit, "_handr");

                this.handR = (MdxCharacterNode) renderPeer.instance.inefficientlyGetNodeByNameSearch("handr");
                if (this.handR != null) {
                        this.handR.createSubSequencer(this.characterModelInstance);
                        final MdxModel model = (MdxModel) this.characterModelInstance.model;
                        final IndexedSequence handsClosedAnim = SequenceUtils.selectSequence("handsclosed", model.sequences);
                        if ((handsClosedAnim != null) && (handsClosedAnim.index != -1)) {
                                this.handR.subSequencer.setSequence(handsClosedAnim.index, model, this.characterModelInstance);
                        }
                }
                this.handL = (MdxCharacterNode) renderPeer.instance.inefficientlyGetNodeByNameSearch("handl");
                if (this.handL != null) {
                        this.handL.createSubSequencer(this.characterModelInstance);
                }

Using this code, we apply the HandsClosed animation sequence, but only to her right hand! This is very cool. The left hand is loaded with its own SubSequencer as well, so later on this can be used for other characters that need a shield, etc.

Now her right hand is closed around the sword, and her left hand can move freely, and this is a part of the game code and not part of the model file, so we don't have to edit the model to give her a possible shield later!

This seems very cool. I think it is unlikely Reforged will have any modding API similar to this anytime soon -- so it highlights the capabilities of Warsmash adding engine features for fun.

 

[AkulaSubmarine]

This is a very challenging but interesting project you're working on. I can only imagine the amount of effort it's going to require. Good luck, man. Good luck.

 

[Retera]

Thanks for the kind words! I have days where I imagine that the AI on the Earth is conscious and is enslaved my Microsoft Corporation, who doesn't want me to finish this project, so in order to make progress I sort of have to practice living like a secret agent, using FSF endorsed Linux distributions, etc, uphill battle.

So I appreciate the encouragement!

 

[LongbowMan]

Every time I start thinking that I spend too much time on my project, I take a look at yours, and it humbles me, sir.

 

[Retera]

I take a look at yours, and it humbles me, sir.

Thanks. That's what extremism on the internet is for. I get to look at extremists also, who have outdone me, so that I can always justify what I do as well.

 

[Villagerino]

I was always amazed how much brain and effort it takes to do something like this, unique stuff.