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In the last episode of Developer Diaries, we told you about how physics in World of Tanks will change in 2014.
Today, we will tell about the upcoming changes in graphics.
In brief, everything will become more detailed, clearer, and more realistic.
What is the most important feature of a game about tanks?
Of course: the tanks and other vehicles.
When World of Tanks came out, vehicle models had about 8000 polygons.
A limiting factor was the performance capacity of personal computers of that time.
More vehicles have been introduced as time has gone by.
The newer models are more detailed.
Some of the models in the game today have twice as much polygons, up to 18,000.
However, the graphical details of vehicles are about to improve significantly.
When the graphical upgrade is implemented, typical models will have 50,000 polygons, while the most complex ones will have 100,000 polygons.
What is the advantage of so many polygons?
Well, you probably remember those octagonal wheels, or decagonal gun barrels.
These shapes were the result of low polygon counts.
High-polygonal detailing is needed to smooth all the roundish surfaces to the point when they don’t resemble a pencil anymore.
At some point, the constant improvement in model quality started becoming a problem.
There are hundreds of vehicles in the game.
So, remaking vehicle models in order to meet the current performance capacity of personal computers threatened to become a never-ending process.
This is why it was also decided to change the technology of model-building itself.
Now we use a process called normal mapping.
What is normal mapping?
Roughly speaking, an ideal model of a vehicle is built first. It has millions of polygons.
Then, this model is optimized to the point that present-day video cards are able to process it.
Once these millions of polygons are baked in a texture, the quality of details will be undistinguishable from real geometry,
and the load on video cards will be much less.
Objects will look more realistic, not only due to an increased number of polygons.
An advanced texture mapping system will be introduced as well.
The underlying goal of the new material model is to let players understand the size and weight of the vehicles —
to give you that feeling that your tank is a massive chunk of metal.
Just by looking at them, everyone should feel the weight of these monsters.
When artists create materials for objects, they work with photographs, as well as with real patterns if they are available.
Now, with the transition to HD, artists have a new tool.
To show some unique features of certain vehicle textures, we use a 3D scanner.
Joints, texture, small details, everything is transferred onto the in-game model of the vehicle.
Scanning allows making those vehicles that have even never existed in metal look more authentic.
We have a set of texture for each nation.
Thus, the texture of cast turret of a Soviet tank is different than, for example, the texture of an American tank.
Now, we can construct the look of the vehicles that existed only on paper with a maximum accuracy.
We do this by applying the armor texture of that nation, the correct time period,
and the factory where an experimental vehicle was expected to be built and produced.
If a vehicle had been produced, it probably would have looked like this.
Creation of vehicle external appearance has become less and less the result of creative work.
It has become a result of a meticulous reconstruction.
In some cases, our vehicles look more like the real vehicles of their time than examples of those vehicles sitting in museums.
Some details of the museum vehicles may be missing.
They also may be reconstructed inaccurately or incorrectly.
Scuff marks on paint or the way the thin vehicle panels become deformed, such details create the atmosphere of realism.
To create them, we studied how combat vehicles wear out.
A tank should look like a tank that is being actively used.
Historians have told us about the crew, how and where crew members would move, and what they could carry with them.
Thus, we know where tankers would likely scuff tank armor to shine.
Along with the appearance of new vehicle models, the world around them will change as well.
The new system of texture mapping will be applied not only to new vehicle models.
Buildings, surfaces, water, and rocks — everything will look more realistic.
We’re giving special attention to the atmosphere on the maps.
We want a player who, for example, waits in ambush for an enemy vehicle to notice and enjoy details of the scenery.
New effects will be added into the game, while the existing ones will be remade.
Now we’re working on improving the quality of the textures that we use to create effects like smoke and fire.
If a tank is burning, bursting flame will bend around some features of tank construction: for example, around the turret.
Flames will curl around other projecting tank parts.
Effects make a long and complicated journey from artists to players because they are evaluated not only in terms of aesthetics.
All effects must be approved by the art-director first, as they should fit in the general environment.
Then, they are approved by game designers, because effects should not interfere with the game process.
And after that, the QA department has to make sure that effects don’t reduce the number of frame per seconds.
Night maps, extremely thick smoke from destroyed vehicles, and other effects failed to pass all these tests.
However, the features that did make it into the game look really interesting.
Now we’re working on adding more wind to our effects.
Not only to the effects, but to the game setting in general.
Ambiance on some maps was a bit static before.
The environment in World of Tanks is about to become livelier.
Trees and grass will respond not only to wind, but also to shell explosions.
Shots and movement of tracks will raise clouds of dust.
Season will change, weather will vary.
Now we’re experimenting with server-side visibility that will depend on what the weather is at the given time.
We want it to be dynamic.
It’s not as if visibility range has to be a perfect 600 meters, except on maps where it’s constantly snowing,
so that visibility range is always 300 m.
For example, visibility can be good, until a heavy snow sets in, five minutes after the start of the battle.
And five minutes later, the snow stops.
No one will know when exactly it will happen because it will be triggered by a server command.
A dust storm or a downpour can start suddenly.
Either one will drastically reduce visibility range.
We’ve told you about major upcoming changes in World of Tanks graphics.
Follow the news and updates.
We’ve got more interesting things to tell you this year.
Good luck on the battlefield!