Hi!
The playtest received its final update and we've switched back to developing the remaining key elements of the game before the eventual release. The work proceeds at a steady pace: the focus is now on getting all the remaining Operations ready. Some nice features are implemented along the way too - like
Fast Move command avoiding engineering obstacles automatically.
Meanwhile, it seems like a great moment to take a look at the art of Regiments. In late 2020, after a publishing deal with MicroProse was signed, a team of artists was assigned to help make Regiments better. That included replacing older assets and creating new ones to support extra nations, like Belgium, the UK, and a few others that will be revealed at due time. As the game release is closing in, we are here to tell you about the way Regiments art assets are created, and what is the logic behind some of the decisions.
[h2]Preliminary Work[/h2]
Research is always the first step. We try to find as much information as we can: archive documents, books on the subject, articles, and photos. Sometimes, we can get advice from experts on the subject matter. The community has been really helpful too, pointing out inaccuracies like the livery on Alpha Jet or an incorrect anti-air machine gun used - the last one was spotted on a 640x480 VHS-style screenshot of T-55, which makes it even more impressive.
All T-55s in-game now sport correct DShKM machine guns instead of NSVT which were fitted only to a small part of Soviet-modernized tanks.An important part of the research is to make a correct list of vehicles for each nation and regiment included. It’s always an interesting balancing act between authenticity, gameplay functionality, and workload. While emulating an on-paper order of battle is rarely a goal - the formations are supposed to represent combat formations with ad-hoc attachments and/or combat attrition - we still want formations to 'feel' correct.
An interesting example of this is the ubiquitous and well-known T-72. It’s a strong contender for the title of The Most Iconic Soviet Tank Ever - and thus seems like a no-brainer choice for the soviet unit line-up. However, if we look a little deeper, we’ll find out that Soviet T-72s were only deployed in limited numbers in the Central Group of Forces (CGF) in Czechoslovakia. Regiments focuses on the soviet formations in the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany (GSFG), which was equipped with T-64s & T-80s.
T-64BV - the workhorse of the Soviet Forces in GermanyThus, we’re modeling only the export T-72M & T-72M1 in service with Warsaw Pact allies - the soviet versions will have to wait for some sort of southern expansion that’ll include forces of CGF.
Gameplay is always a consideration too. Some vehicles that were not realistically present are included, BMP-3 being the primary example. It’s not too far-fetched to see a limited number rapidly redeployed prior to hostilities and it brings a lot of unique flavor to the several Task Forces. BTR-60/70/80 are an inverse of this consideration. While all modifications were in service at the relevant time and place, they present no meaningful differences in in-game stats and are thus all ‘compressed’ into BTR-70.
[h2]Vehicles[/h2]
Now that we have decided on the list of vehicles and stocked up on references, let us briefly show the process of making the models themselves.
We start with creating a highly detailed model, also called high-poly.
It usually consists of millions of polygons and has all the bits and pieces you could find on a real vehicle, down to the last rivet.
A high-poly model of an FV433 Abbot - 105mm British self-propelled artilleryOf course, the high poly model is far too detailed to be used directly in an RTS hoping to achieve a reasonable performance level. So the next step is building a low-poly model around it, the one that would be actually included in the game.
A low-poly modelThen we unfold the model, projecting 3D shapes onto 2D. During a process called "baking", we transfer all the details from the high-poly into a set of specialized textures. Normal map, ambient occlusion map, and the like help create the illusion that all the details are still in place, despite no longer using distinct geometry to show them.
This is the low poly with baked maps applied. Oh, shiny! This material setup also helps to spot and fix smoothing artifacts.After that, it’s time to paint the vehicle. The industry standard for texturing is Substance Painter, which allows us to paint directly on the model in 3D. With well over a hundred vehicles and aircraft, it is important to make sure the art style stays cohesive. This is why we start with applying a Smart Material preset and then adjust the wear and weathering manually.
Some texturing tricks are inspired by the coloring techniques of the scale models. Although this goes against physically-based rendering axioms, this makes vehicles look better both up close and from distance.
Most Regiments vehicles use a complex shader and texture setup that allows changing vehicle camouflage patterns, insignias, tactical numbers, and symbols on the fly.
FV433 Abbot with final textures - outside the game...
...and inside the game.Our models have fairly low polycount by modern standards, about 10K tris for most vehicles, and a single 1024x1024 or a 2048x2048 texture – this is probably about the same level of limits as you would get in an FPS shooter in 2006. But with hundreds of vehicles that can be on the screen, optimization is key, and we’ve strived to make it look as good as possible within those limits.
Notice the rough anti-slip pattern on the surface of this M1A1 - and the gaps in it on the blow-out panels. Those holes are leftovers from an ammo reloading system that was trialed in the late 80s but wasn't accepted. The plugs (called by the crews as "sleeping bag mines" as they ruined a nice flat spot on the turret) were eventually eliminated, but the "crop circles" stayed.
So-called „Nadboi“ anti-radiation lining on Soviet tanks not only offered protection from Reagan’s neutron bombs but also provided extra insulation for the tank equipment and crew.
[h2]Characters[/h2]
Even if the vehicles play the most prominent role on the 1980s mechanized battlefield, the regular grunt remains an indispensable element of any army.
The process here is largely the same, with a few extra bits. Instead of using hard-surface modeling, we use digital sculpting of a high-poly model. In addition to the texturing, we paint the so-called ‘skin weights’ which tell what parts of the model should deform during movement. Animations themselves are pre-baked into optimized data structures which allow to offload the whole animation system off to GPU.
We’ve included a lot of details even while working against harsher technical limits - it’s entirely possible to have over a hundred soldiers in a single frame. We have meticulously researched uniforms and equipment, so be assured, those 3 pixels of infantry on the screen would be pretty close to their real-world prototypes!
Territorial Army and Regular British soldiers. You can still feel the WW2-era influences in the character on the left, with his old-school DMS boots, comfy lightweight pants, Pattern 58 webbing, and Mk 5 Steel Helmet with scrim. The character on the right, however, is much better protected with his brand-new CBA body armor and a Mk 6 ballistic nylon helmet.
All nations have several types of infantry available to them. In some cases, a certain amount of artistic license is taken to further differentiate the types of infantry: like the VDV wearing berets in combat or Belgian recce infantry using the 1990's camo uniform.
[h2]Weapons[/h2]
You could probably ask, why would one even care about handheld weapons in an RTS? Well, we asked our Senior Weapons artist that question too. He didn’t listen and did stuff down to serial numbers on them. Since it’s extremely optimized with each weapon being just a few hundred triangles and using a 256x256 texture we let it slide.
Some of the infantry weapons available in-game [h2]Environment[/h2]
And last but not least, the environment.
Regiments is using a custom system for creating maps. Standard Unity terrain was too unwieldy and memory-hungry for the strategy of this scale. In our system, the map is first defined as a set of simple vector shapes and points.
After the markup process is done, an automatic generation tool is launched. Using the splines as an input, it will produce terrain meshes, place objects and deconflict the overlapping areas.
While the system was
quite complicated to develop, it provides a great deal of flexibility and supports quick iteration times. As the map is defined only by the markup and a bunch of configuration files, updating an old map with new assets and even new generation logic is reasonably easy too.
Urban areas require a finer approach. We can’t just scatter the objects randomly, but we would rather avoid having to place each bench in the park manually too! Individual objects are assembled into blocks, usually organized around a single building with a variety of props around it. Then we place the blocks themselves. During the generation step, blocks are further randomized by choosing random prop variations, which helps remove repetitive patterns.
A prefab of a small industrial area.
The same block in the game.And now we've looked at all the key aspects of the Regiments art process. Even a surface-level overview resulted in quite a devlog post!
That's all for now, thanks for reading, and stay tuned for further updates!
