Aztecs: The Last Sun News

Devlog #5 - Modules and Optimisation

O mighty Tlatoani!

Games, as a whole, are quite complex. This means that we’ve been hard at work for the last few months focusing on a number of things that are crucial. And very technical. As we live in an age in which some think a 10-hour-long game weighing more than 250 GB is acceptable, we want to make a statement. It is not. We’ve been working hard on limiting and optimising the game. The other thing is that we adjusted the game’s architecture to allow easier work on it.

[h2]Modules[/h2]

One of the huge things that we introduced into the game is the modules. In tech speech - we will be able to create assets and code and add it into the engine which serves as a backbone for the game. What does it mean for you, the player? You’ll be able to get patches, fixes and new content of high quality and the game will also be more stable and easier to update if a need arises. So, more content, more things to do in the game and more fun. Aside from that, there’s also a possibility to support user-made content (mods), but we haven’t yet decided if we’ll introduce such a feature into the game.

This solution also helps us with management and work. It’s all going to be streamlined and easy to plan. It may seem a bit mundane, but at its core it’s necessary. We want to release the game as soon as possible and being more efficient will only help with the delivery.

[h2]Optimisation[/h2]

Making the game run flawlessly demands a lot of time and work. Because of this, we decided to focus on this aspect relatively early in the development process. We’ll go over some methods we implemented and what they mean in practice.

The first thing was reviewing the 3D models. Some of them might’ve had parts of them hidden underground, clipping through the ground. And it would consume the resources to render these invisible parts. Having learned which ones may cause such a thing to happen, we took them and “trimmed” these invisible polygons off. Because of this, your computer will be able to render what’s actually seen.

The next big thing are LODs, also known as low-poly models. When the camera is far away, you won’t be able to see the more intricate details of some 3D models. So, we will swap them for their less-detailed counterparts, seamlessly switching between hi-and low poly models. This method serves the same purpose as the one above - why would you want to have your computer render something that you won’t be able to see? It’s a well-known way of optimisation and it’s an industry standard.

Not to boast too much about our ingenuity, but we used a pretty clever technique when it comes to textures. Normally, a texture for each model is placed in a separate file. We opted to add all of the textures to one file. This does two things: it decreases the amount of RAM used from about 500 MB to 5 MB and it also allows your GPU to work more efficiently, as it only uses a single file for textures. We also worked hard on managing the processes the game needs to run in order to further reduce the amount of RAM used. All of this is to make it run better.

What we aim to achieve is to have the game run smoothly on GeForce 1XXX GTX cards at low details and we’re quite happy with what we’ve achieved so far.

[h2]A big thing for the future
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Aside from all this fancy but not the most exciting work we’ve done, there’s also a huge feature that we hope to present to you sometime in the future. It pertains to expansion and conquest. We still have a lot to do with it, so we’ll cover it sometime in the future. However, it will be one of the most crucial parts of the game.

Make sure to join our social media and Discord server if you want to be up to date about Aztecs: The Last Sun and our other games.

We’re always up for a talk and we appreciate each and every one of you!

Devlog #4 - An interview with a team member - 3D graphic designer

O mighty Tlatoani!

Behind each game stands a team. We present to you an interview today. It's done with Kinga Dąbrowska, one of the 3D graphic designers who work on Aztecs: The Last Sun. She tells you about the work on the game, what she's responsible for, the techniques she uses and her biggest accomplishments. Also, a lot of lovely GIFs and images from the game. Let's go!

[h2]Kinga Dąbrowska - 3D graphic designer[/h2]

What do you do in the project and how long have you been a part of it?

Hi everyone! I’m a 3D graphic designer and I mostly deal with creating landscapes, as I’m an environment artist. My job revolves around designing buildings, plants and all the stuff related to them. Aside from this, I also implement these assets into the game and prepare them for coding. I’ve been a part of Aztecs: The Last Sun since the very beginning of the project.

How long does it take to make a single asset?

Oh my, there’s no general way to say that. Each model is different, so it calls for different measures, methods and approach - a separate estimation is needed for all of the assets. Making 3D models isn’t only about creating a shape, but textures too. The research also takes usually quite a lot of time as well. Making a single building from scratch can take even up to 2 days.

What techniques do you use to create the models?

The main technique’s called “trim sheets”.It’s very important from the performance point of view. We create a PNG file that isn’t very cumbersome for the graphics card and we use it to put texture to even more than 100 buildings, or huge amounts of foliage and surroundings. Thanks to this method we can save time and add more details at once.

Where do you find the reference material?

I use many different sources - from Pinterest, through photos to books about the Aztec history and culture. We scour the internet, while also adding a little bit of our own artistic flair.

How important is it to stick to the reference material?

It’s crucial in this project. We do our best to stay true to the Aztec culture and architecture. We avoid placing tools that they didn’t use or materials that they had either no access to or didn’t process. In the case of buildings, we tend to stick to the forms and shapes they actually used. However, we don’t aim for absolute realism. The employment of magic and supernatural in the game gives us a reason to opt for occasionally wilder designs or colours that aren’t the most accurate but look great. Still, we must not get carried away too much!

What’s more important - the artistic vision or the realism?

The balance. Sure, we are making a game and it’s meant to be entertaining. While opting for ultimate realism would be a decent idea, people want to play, not watch a documentary. And here comes the artistic vision. We’ll drop a number of eye candies and vibrant colours to break up the browns, greens, blues and greys of real life. As mentioned earlier, we can’t get too carried away with our own ideas, so we’ll present a world that is quite similar to ours, but lively and entertaining at the same time.

Let’s talk about plants, as you mentioned them earlier and we haven’t had an opportunity to delve into them.

Working on foliage has been a tremendous challenge. At first, I wondered how to make them appealing, but it turned out that optimisation was the biggest issue. I’ve spent countless hours side by side with Krzysztof, the leader of the programming team. We worked, we discussed and we argued about each polygon and detail until we reached the level of looks that is satisfying, while also maintaining good performance. The techniques we have developed allowed us to render heaps of lush greenery and I’m very proud of that.

Speaking about pride - what was the most satisfying thing you’ve done for Aztecs: The Last Sun?

As I put my heart into each task, it’s hard to point out a single one. My favourites, though, have to be the floating farm or chantli, an Aztec house. What I’m really proud of is the overall amount of work. The way the models and the general looks work in the game’s engine is astonishing and this is something that makes me go “wow”.

That was a fun read, wasn't it? And all the eye candy in this devlog was something special! Thanks for being with us, see you soon!

Make sure to join our social media and Discord server if you want to be up to date about Aztecs: The Last Sun and our other games.

We’re always up for a talk and we appreciate each and every one of you!

Feel the Aztec vibe in House Builder!

Our friends at FreeMind have added an update to their House Builder game. Thanks to a collaboration between our teams, you can build your own Aztec-style house from now on. We hope it will make your time waiting for Aztecs: The Last Sun release more enjoyable.

If you still haven’t got House Builder, it’s the best time now because it’s 20% off.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1244630/House_Builder/

Take a look at the promo video of the update:
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Have fun!
Play2Chill team
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Make sure to join our social media and Discord server if you want to be up to date about Aztecs: The Last Sun and our other games.

We’re always up for a talk and we appreciate each and every one of you!

Devlog #3 - City On Water

O mighty Tlatoani!

One of the aspects that sets Aztecs: The Last Sun apart from other city-building games is its unique setting. In geographical terms. Tenochtitlan was one of the most unique civilisations ever established - not only because of the climate but also because of the fact that it was placed on an island. Aztecs ruled the lands around from that one central hub. This poses challenges for us, the dev team, from the design and art points of view. How to provide grounds, so the players can build what authentically feels like a city on water?

[h2]Historical context and climate[/h2]
The first issue we tackled is the fact that Texcoco Lake, where Tenochtitlan was located, practically is no more. We didn’t have much to go off in terms of accuracy. There are of course plenty of lakes in Mexico and we’ve also seen heaps of lakes in our lives. Water, in most of them, seems quite murky and opaque with sediment. Many of them also lie in marshes, swamps and bogs. On the other hand, Tenochtitlan is located in a tropical climate. Many people conjure images of clear, light water and sandy banks of summertime paradises.

As there are already too many games that try to look like real life (as in they are mostly brown and grey), we opted for a more artistic expression. Thus, the “tropical swamp” concept was born. It combines the beautiful, clear waters of the tropics with marsh or bog-like land structures with small islets and mud separated by shallow water. While it isn’t likely that this is what Texcoco Lake looked like, it makes for quite a unique look that emphasises the hot and humid climate. And allows to build a tropical city on water.

[h2]Playing in mud
[/h2]Having lush greenery and beautiful water is all fine and dandy, but the aforementioned set of islets doesn’t help with establishing a city. There is a need to allow players to express their creativity. Because of this, we introduced mud mechanics. You can collect spare mud that’s left after your building projects (or you can dig up some from some spare land).

Acquired mud will become a resource that you’ll be able to use to either:

expand your land if need be,
create floating Aztec gardens (known as chinampas).

This feature lets people make Tenochtitlan as they envision it. It also emphasises how people have been confronting challenges and taming nature since times long forgotten by history.
[h2]The importance of waterways[/h2]
Aside from picturesque sites, living on a bunch of land surrounded by water poses some challenges. Historical sources state that a lot of transportation and logistics in Tenochtitlan and surrounding areas was done by boats via canals. This will be strongly incorporated into the gameplay.

Let’s talk about an example. Your workers will cut trees down and they’ll bring lumber into the woodcutter shack. However, in the final version of the game, it will not be available to use from the get-go. It will need to be transported to the warehouse, which is usually done in real life. No problem, when both facilities are on the same islet. What to do, though, when you manage to chop down all the trees there? You’ll need to find a new place to get lumber and to get it from that place to the warehouse.

The most sensible thing to do in this case would be to build a canal between the place where you source wood and the warehouse. This will help with establishing a supply chain.

The other thing is the chinampas. They were a type of floating garden which was used to cultivate crops. They will also need to be somehow connected to the warehouses - and the canals come back once again. Think of them as one of the crucial parts of urban design.

[h2]The destructive nature of water
[/h2]Most of the water-oriented events will be strongly tied to the mechanics of the game. While the level of water won’t raise by itself, you need to remember about the possibility of divine intervention.

The game will have something called Grace - more on it in the future. It will reflect how much the gods appreciate you or hate you. One of the negative effects that can be caused by angering the Moon goddess is called “flood” (it may be renamed further in development). She’ll be able to cause water to flood some parts of your city. At first, the water will start damaging and destroying buildings. After that, it will be able to destroy your mud-built structures. In its strongest form, it will be able to eradicate entire islets and you’ll need to either roll with it or rebuild the islet from scratch - by transporting huge amounts of mud to the spot.

We’re also considering other events related to water.

[h2]Conclusion
[/h2]Water is one most important things in our lives. And it’s been that forever. Aztecs utilised their unique location and circumstances to make the most out of their city on water. This background will allow players to come up with ingenious solutions in terms of management, supply, and countering the wrath of the Moon goddess. There’s more to water mechanics, but we don’t want to show all of our cards at this point. Click that wishlist button and wait for the game - you’ll be in for a bunch of surprises!

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Make sure to join our social media and Discord server if you want to be up to date about Aztecs: The Last Sun and our other games.

We’re always up for a talk and we appreciate each and every one of you!

Take a look at gamplay with us!

[h2]Mighty Tlatoani!
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Next week we will bring you the next part of the devlog, and in the meantime, we wanted to show the gameplay demo to those who have not yet seen it.
Thank you for your support, for the fact that our demo was among the 50 most played during the last festival, it means everything to us. Thanks a lot!!!
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Make sure to join our social media and Discord server if you want to be up to date about Aztecs: The Last Sun and our other games.

We’re always up for a talk and we appreciate each and every one of you!