World of Diving News

Johann



It's been about 3 months since our last Development Blog. There's been a lot of developer activity on World of Diving in that time.

First of all; we've made some really big improvements on the performance side. All levels are now running at a solid 90fps on an Oculus minimum spec PC in VR mode. For this, almost all art has seen a complete overhaul which you will be able to see once we put the new build live today. We have also added HTC Vive support.

Personally, I've been doing lots of work on getting everything working again since so many systems have been changed to provide a smoother experience in VR. Next to the systems that have been changed, a lot of systems have also been added:
- A complete re-do of fish rendering. Small fish now all have trailing so their turing is smooth instead of jerky, as it was. Also, a lot of changes have been made to the AI so the fish appear more natural. The improvements for the bigger fish in the game will come soon.- A story has been integrated into the game. Instead of only the first tutorial mission being in the game, the game now guides the player through the game.
- A tablet has been added which now features a lot of the interfaces in the game which did not really have a good place.

Of course we're really excited to have you play this new version of World of Diving, and are eager to hear your thoughts about it.


Trevor



Over the course of the last couple of weeks I have been working on the finalization of features and bug fixes in order to get the game in a proper playable state.Tasks include the implementation of existing UI in the tablet, and the implementation of the redesign of most of these UI's. For this I have been working closely with Bjorn.

There were some interesting challenges with the implementation of the new UI on the tablet. For example, we display some 3D objects in certain interfaces, such as the Oceanopedia and the new mission view. If we were to display these on the tablet, they would appear pierced by the tablet's screen. I have worked on a few solutions to this problem and we finally ended up with creating custom meshes for the screen in the case there are 3D objects displayed on the tablet. Additionally I worked on the blur script which we apply on the screen to blur everything behind it.

I'm glad we have been able to work on the game as a team again during the last period. This has been very pleasant and inspirational for all of us and we are finally able to deliver more of the game we had envisioned to make.


Bjorn



Hi there!

In the past couple of weeks I have been working on the user interface of world of diving. I started out creating a Tablet for use in game to show all the menus, For this I used a concept from our concept artist Bang. Right after that I have been working on a completely new User Interface together with Trevor, one of our programmers. At first I drew some blockouts to get the ideas out of my head and on the paper. After that, I built the new interface while Trevor built it up in engine. We also did a lot of testing in-game to make sure the interface works on multiple platforms and controllers. I really like how the interface turned out and I hope you will enjoy it as well! Below I have collected some screenshots from the new items I made. I hope you enjoy!




Jeff



During my last crunch in World of Diving I have been busy with optimization of art, making sure the performance remains steady on 90 fps.This means setting up Levels of detail for models, culling distance, combining textures and efficiently use the amount of polygons where they matter most.

Something else I have done is placing mission items through the levels; Collectibles; Ocean garbage; mission markers.


In between tasks I have spent a few hours on setting up a block-out of the community shipwreck level that is going to be released in a future update.


U-boat new modular interior


Modelling various new items



Yorick



Hello guys,

So I’ve been working on optimizing the levels to get them to 90 fps. I’ve done this by combining rocks with each other and make LOD’s for them. The meaning of LOD is (level of detail). We work with lod models, because, if you see a model in the distance, you don't want it to have 10.000 vertices. You want it to have 2000 vertices. The closer you get the more vertices you can see. This is how the LOD system works. I also made a lot of LOD’s for the 3d models in the level. I added more fish for the people that have a good PC so they can play in high mode and see more fish. I’ve also been adding new mission markers, instead of the air tanks it became a starfish. We’ve been providing the levels with garbage, for clean the ocean mission, and we’ve been placing the collectibles.

Greetings Yorick

Johann

This week I've been sitting with the artists to do some much needed optimizations. These are mainly important for VR, in which you have to render at a very high FPS to reduce motion sickness. For example; for the Oculus Rift this is 90 FPS. We've began with the first level, Diving Base. We've managed to improve a lot, and after we do some code optimizations we'll reach the target FPS.

As for the GUI conversions; Now all of the systems are converted, I'm currently working on getting everything stable and ready for putting live.


Jeroen

This week I've been working on fixing bugs for support of World of Diving on the Oculus Platform. Steam provides functionality for handling user lobbies, inviting users to a game and matchmaking. This is something the Oculus platform also supports, but in a different way. So another implementation of our networking system using Oculus platform had to be implemented to allow multiplayer to work. We would like to have the implementation and the interface to player to be almost identical between Steam and Oculus.

This is still work in progress, because there are slight variations in how the 2 platforms handle matchmaking and inviting other users. On top of that, there is not always a clear and good documentation on how third party code is designed, so often some experimentation is required to find out how everything works exactly. So the end goal of this is to have multiplayer while playing the game using the Oculus platform that gives almost exactly the same experience to users as multiplayer does in Steam. Please note that this means that matchmaking will therefore not allow a player from one platform to connect to a player from another platform. This is to allow for the functionality like inviting friends through Steam & Oculus.


Vincent

Hi there,

It has been a while since we did a blog. This reason behind it was that we felt the blogs didn't make sense when we don't have anything useful to show for. We are doing a blog right now to show we are still dedicated and working on WoD.

Last weeks I have been working on optimizing the game for VR. This should also be noticeable in the non VR version. I have redone most of the rock in the diving base. Right now there was a lot of 'popping' from LOD models and there were a lot of different materials on the rocks.Now every rock is done with a bigger rock so it are lesser seperate models. I also deleted all the polygons that are beneath the terrain. Normally this would not matter too much but because VR need to run on 90fps we needed the optimisation and it look better to. This is the same for the coral rock which are now grouped and have no more polygon under the terrain.

Hopefully you like it.



Bjorn

In the past couple of weeks we have been working on alot of optimization for the game and we have tried our best to make the game look better than it did before.

Below are a few screenshots of some of the new models in the game, After posting some work in progress shots off some collectables in the past Dev Blog I worked on a few more. Next to this I did alot of optimization work for the levels so the framerate should run alot more stable now.

I hope you guys enjoy and I will stay hard at work at some more stuff to make the game awesome ! :)


Niels

Hello Divers!

My job has mostly been focussed on optimizing current artwork, and I have had the chance to get some work done on new models aswell.
I hope to be creating more visually appealing artwork in the future.




Jeff

I have been working on optimizing existing items, areas; making new items (collectables); Creating new textures; And also well on the way for the community shipwreck.

The ship itself is nearing completion after which it will be turned into an actual wreckage.
Also the environment is being blocked out and concept arts have been made for the look and feel.



Mermaid statue for the shipwreck


Yorick

Hello my name is Yorick. I'm one of the 3D artist at vertigo.

I've been working on some new stuff for World of diving. Mostly I was busy optimizing art.
I've been combining different assets so they use one texture, which is good for performance. I did this for the corals, seaweed and the assets that can be found in the Diving Base level.
I've been making new textures and new assets. If you scroll down you can see what I've been working on.

Johann

This week I've been sitting with the artists to do some much needed optimizations. These are mainly important for VR, in which you have to render at a very high FPS to reduce motion sickness. For example; for the Oculus Rift this is 90 FPS. We've began with the first level, Diving Base. We've managed to improve a lot, and after we do some code optimizations we'll reach the target FPS.

As for the GUI conversions; Now all of the systems are converted, I'm currently working on getting everything stable and ready for putting live.


Jeroen

This week I've been working on fixing bugs for support of World of Diving on the Oculus Platform. Steam provides functionality for handling user lobbies, inviting users to a game and matchmaking. This is something the Oculus platform also supports, but in a different way. So another implementation of our networking system using Oculus platform had to be implemented to allow multiplayer to work. We would like to have the implementation and the interface to player to be almost identical between Steam and Oculus.

This is still work in progress, because there are slight variations in how the 2 platforms handle matchmaking and inviting other users. On top of that, there is not always a clear and good documentation on how third party code is designed, so often some experimentation is required to find out how everything works exactly. So the end goal of this is to have multiplayer while playing the game using the Oculus platform that gives almost exactly the same experience to users as multiplayer does in Steam. Please note that this means that matchmaking will therefore not allow a player from one platform to connect to a player from another platform. This is to allow for the functionality like inviting friends through Steam & Oculus.


Vincent

Hi there,

It has been a while since we did a blog. This reason behind it was that we felt the blogs didn't make sense when we don't have anything useful to show for. We are doing a blog right now to show we are still dedicated and working on WoD.

Last weeks I have been working on optimizing the game for VR. This should also be noticeable in the non VR version. I have redone most of the rock in the diving base. Right now there was a lot of 'popping' from LOD models and there were a lot of different materials on the rocks.Now every rock is done with a bigger rock so it are lesser seperate models. I also deleted all the polygons that are beneath the terrain. Normally this would not matter too much but because VR need to run on 90fps we needed the optimisation and it look better to. This is the same for the coral rock which are now grouped and have no more polygon under the terrain.

Hopefully you like it.



Bjorn

In the past couple of weeks we have been working on alot of optimization for the game and we have tried our best to make the game look better than it did before.

Below are a few screenshots of some of the new models in the game, After posting some work in progress shots off some collectables in the past Dev Blog I worked on a few more. Next to this I did alot of optimization work for the levels so the framerate should run alot more stable now.

I hope you guys enjoy and I will stay hard at work at some more stuff to make the game awesome ! :)


Niels

Hello Divers!

My job has mostly been focussed on optimizing current artwork, and I have had the chance to get some work done on new models aswell.
I hope to be creating more visually appealing artwork in the future.




Jeff

I have been working on optimizing existing items, areas; making new items (collectables); Creating new textures; And also well on the way for the community shipwreck.

The ship itself is nearing completion after which it will be turned into an actual wreckage.
Also the environment is being blocked out and concept arts have been made for the look and feel.



Mermaid statue for the shipwreck


Yorick

Hello my name is Yorick. I'm one of the 3D artist at vertigo.

I've been working on some new stuff for World of diving. Mostly I was busy optimizing art.
I've been combining different assets so they use one texture, which is good for performance. I did this for the corals, seaweed and the assets that can be found in the Diving Base level.
I've been making new textures and new assets. If you scroll down you can see what I've been working on.

Johann

Like the last time; I've been converting several more small systems to the new UI system. This week, the following features were converted:

- The tour 'any button to close' message
- The 'open community mission terminal' button
- The 'loading community mission' message
- The community mission voting view
- The divegame.net profile window
- Fadeout view
- The loading screen
- The air refill point view

The current status of the conversion: There's about one more of these 'small systems' passes to go, after which everything has to be tested and bug fixed, and we'll have to make sure everything has controller support.


Bjorn

Hello guys, my name is Bjorn and i am the new intern at Vertigo Games. Currently i am studying Game Art here in Rotterdam and for the next six months i will work at Vertigo Games for my internship.

I'm excited to work on World of Diving for the coming months. It has been my first week at the office and i started working on some collectables for the game. My first collectable is a Ancient Pot, I made three variants of this collectable. Bronze,Silver and Gold. After finishing up the pot i started on the next one right away. A ship compass. I just finished op the model for this one and will unwrap and texture it in the coming days.



I hope you guys are excited for the new stuff and i am sure you will hear more from me in the upcoming months :)


Niels

Hello divers!

I would first like to introduce myself, I am Niels and I am one of the new interns at Vertigo Games.
I will spend my time at vertigo mostly on creating 3D models and textures.
For the last 3 days I have been working on some collectables together with Bjorn and Jeff wich will soon be added to the game for you guys to be picked up!
My time has been spent on creating a beer tankard wich is collectable in 3 different versions; Bronze, Gold and Silver.




Jeff

My name is Jeff,

I am a new visual arts intern here at Vertigo Games.
My first week here has been a lot of fun and I am looking forward to spending my time here.
Along with the other interns I am currently assigned to making Collectible items for World of Diving.
Below a sneak preview of a ship in a bottle. It features a Brony easter egg.

Johann

Like the last time; I've been converting several more small systems to the new UI system. This week, the following features were converted:

- The tour 'any button to close' message
- The 'open community mission terminal' button
- The 'loading community mission' message
- The community mission voting view
- The divegame.net profile window
- Fadeout view
- The loading screen
- The air refill point view

The current status of the conversion: There's about one more of these 'small systems' passes to go, after which everything has to be tested and bug fixed, and we'll have to make sure everything has controller support.


Bjorn

Hello guys, my name is Bjorn and i am the new intern at Vertigo Games. Currently i am studying Game Art here in Rotterdam and for the next six months i will work at Vertigo Games for my internship.

I'm excited to work on World of Diving for the coming months. It has been my first week at the office and i started working on some collectables for the game. My first collectable is a Ancient Pot, I made three variants of this collectable. Bronze,Silver and Gold. After finishing up the pot i started on the next one right away. A ship compass. I just finished op the model for this one and will unwrap and texture it in the coming days.



I hope you guys are excited for the new stuff and i am sure you will hear more from me in the upcoming months :)


Niels

Hello divers!

I would first like to introduce myself, I am Niels and I am one of the new interns at Vertigo Games.
I will spend my time at vertigo mostly on creating 3D models and textures.
For the last 3 days I have been working on some collectables together with Bjorn and Jeff wich will soon be added to the game for you guys to be picked up!
My time has been spent on creating a beer tankard wich is collectable in 3 different versions; Bronze, Gold and Silver.




Jeff

My name is Jeff,

I am a new visual arts intern here at Vertigo Games.
My first week here has been a lot of fun and I am looking forward to spending my time here.
Along with the other interns I am currently assigned to making Collectible items for World of Diving.
Below a sneak preview of a ship in a bottle. It features a Brony easter egg.