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[DukeS]

Hi,

I would like to create 2D background and put on 3D Characters, so the game will look like Runaway - A road adventure. I did a drawing, colored it and then created .3ds file with 4D Cinema program. I then used Poser and MilkShape and put one character on the scene (it was bee actually  ). I could move it around and blocked areas, waypoints and stuff worked really well.

What I really want to hear is what tools do you, other adventure game developers, use. And the procedure to create a scene and character and prepare both to be ready for engine.

Like I said, first I created colored 2D background, then I created geometry in Poser (to catch dimensions and placement), exported it to Cinema 4D and back in the engine. This process is very slow and painfull (to catch the camera position, etc.) so I think this is not the right way to do it. I also had character problems. How many (maximum) triangles/poligons should character have? What is the best way to create them?

And I would like to hear about your opinion about 2D/3D style. I seems to me that 2D looking backgrounds are more beautyfull than 3D, or you have to be excellent artist to create 3D backgrounds looking as 2D style? Which procedure take more time (2D or 3D background)? You have to create geometry to move character around but you have less work without so many details (which are hand drawen for 2D), but if your game is fully 3D you don't have to catch geometry position in scene.

I know that here are many questions but I thought that you may answer them. I would very much appreciate your help.

Thanks in  advance

Dejan

[Orange Brat]

The characters, in Runaway, are not real 3D in the game. They were created in a 3D program and had a toonshader applied and their animations were saved out as old fashioned sprite animations. The smooth animation is a result of using many many frames and nothing more.

[DukeS]

Ok, silly me...

I checked forum and I found most questions answered...First writing then reading .

If anyone have some opinions please post. And another thing...does geometry have to be that huge or is it just engine thing? I mean my character has to be about 400m tall according to info in Cinema 4D and my scene resolution is 1024x768px.

Thanks

[DukeS]

Oh, I didn't know...but on their homepage http://www.pendulostudios.com/runaway/eng_informacion.htm is different information.

[Orange Brat]

Their use of the word 3D on that website is a bit of misleading marketing jargon. The characters are 3D only in the sense that they were created in a 3D program. You can simply look at the characters and then cross reference that with the minimum/suggested PC specs and determine that they aren't really realtime 3D in the game itself. A top of the line 3 GHz Pentium IV would have to work a little to display model's with such a high poly count, and Runaway only needs a Pentium I or II. Plus, you can tell that they are only sprite animations because although it's smooth, it's not that smooth.