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    These forums date back to the game's origins as the Crysis mod Traction Wars. Over the years the game and internet habits have evolved and discord.gg/vanguardww2 is now the principle home of the community.

    The team continue to read and reply to posts here, but we can be contacted more quickly on Discord.

Vegitation

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MrGuybrush

Member
Gave it another go last night with Naga and it was alot more enjoyable. Much more teamwork on the server and we got some very nice games going.

Being able to attach your weapon on a wall would be a brilliant feature for TW (not sure you can do that with FH2?). I'm also having issues trying to navigate the maps without being sniped by people lurking in bushes 500yards away. I'm naturally avoiding open spaces and keeping to hedgerows, crouching/proning and running in short bursts. But I still get killed from knowhere! Which kit has the smoke grenades btw?

I also have an annoying habit of being shot when i'm respawning, which can be very frustrating.

Designing the vegetation for TW will be a challenge, as you'll need to consider how it will impact gameplay. Using the Crysis Bushes will cause all kinds of issues with campers, therefore you'll need to put collisions on the larger bushes to stop that. You'd probably also need to consider how vehicles will pass over them and incoporate that into the design to prevent you guys from going over old work in the future.

Be amazing to see a Sherman tearing a chunk out of a hedgerow with a hedge cutter. But that ability might get abused. I've never thought of it before, but having destructable hedges/bushes might be an interesting feature.
 

Sir Apple

Well-known member
We are making most all new vegetation for TW.

Hedgerow fighting is tuff though really. Its hard to be aware of your surroundings when your surrounded by hedgerows and grass fields - which is what makes Normandy fun :).

I'm not so sure we will do anything like Fh2 does, and put an actual solid wall to prevent vehicles from coming through. When I saw this in Fh2 I was odded out by it, and the only reason I can think of them doing this is to make it so the tanks have limitations in mobility.
 

MrGuybrush

Member
We are making most all new vegetation for TW.

Hedgerow fighting is tuff though really. Its hard to be aware of your surroundings when your surrounded by hedgerows and grass fields - which is what makes Normandy fun :).

I'm not so sure we will do anything like Fh2 does, and put an actual solid wall to prevent vehicles from coming through. When I saw this in Fh2 I was odded out by it, and the only reason I can think of them doing this is to make it so the tanks have limitations in mobility.

Well Maniche and I are probably between us the most experienced modders when it comes to destructable objects in the Crymod community. I've also done alot of vegetation (you use my pine trees) for Exodus so I know the potential flaws and issues you may come across. I'm actually giving a mate of mine from Petrograd a hand with his pines too.

I was thinking that you could give the bushes/hedges touch bending. The only problem with that is you can't give the object any player restrictions (i.e. the player/vehicle would be able to walk over them and flatten them). Therefore it makes more sense to have them destructable (but only by explosives). Therefore if you fire a tank shell/grenade or run them over the hedge will be destroyed/flattened.

The only problem with this solution is you'll find that all vehicles will be able to drive through them (although it would damage the vehicle). If you try driving a jeep through my demo walls that I sent to Naga then the jeep will be heavily damaged and will normally get stuck on the wall. But a tank will drive over them with no issues at all (it's good fun :))

The answer might be to layer the destruction layers. i.e. placing 3 walls deep rather than 1. I seem to remember doing a test where I tried placing 2 walls deep and then driving a jeep/tank through them. The jeep destroyed the 1st wall and damaged the 2nd (getting stuck), while the tank drove over them fine (but did slow down). That'd probably be the solution. But replace walls with hedge trunks/vegetation. Therefore you could drive any vehicle into the hedge but it'll either get your vehicle stuck or damage it too much to use.
 

Maniche

Level Designer
Pathfinder Games
To answer on the Crysis limitations we're facing;
there's is a command in the GameContext that had an server command called "params.maxPlayers"

It's possible to change this command too whatever you want and let people connect, but none have, after what I know, tried it with more than 32 players/letting the 33+ player(s) successfully join a game.

Perhaps we could try and have 33 players ingame, one day?
But then again, people are talking about immense server lag. But who knows that for sure if none have tried?

Anyway, Raise max limiter and Memory injected hack as for the last one; with this hack, and yes I know that's prohibited for anyone too talk about, it's possible with this injection.

Note to all that have read the above; this was only to answer the question and me nor any other Traction Wars Developer will take any responsibility for your actions regarding this hack. It was meant as an answer to what the other repliers were talking about and me nor any Traction Wars Developers support this hack in any form whatsoever

Maniche
 

Fuchs

Vanguard Backer
The reason that FH2 has no destructable walls and hedgerows is simply that it would make BF2 lag like hell if every obstacle in Normandy is destructable. And now mappers can force you to take a historical route. Plus theres alot of holes in the walls and hedgerows to let you tankers through.
 

VonMudra

Well-known member
The thing about the hedgerows ingame is that they're meant to be impassable to tanks because in reality, they mostly WERE impassable to tanks.....
 

Sir Apple

Well-known member
Well Maniche and I are probably between us the most experienced modders when it comes to destructable objects in the Crymod community. I've also done alot of vegetation (you use my pine trees) for Exodus so I know the potential flaws and issues you may come across. I'm actually giving a mate of mine from Petrograd a hand with his pines too.

I was thinking that you could give the bushes/hedges touch bending. The only problem with that is you can't give the object any player restrictions (i.e. the player/vehicle would be able to walk over them and flatten them). Therefore it makes more sense to have them destructable (but only by explosives). Therefore if you fire a tank shell/grenade or run them over the hedge will be destroyed/flattened.

The only problem with this solution is you'll find that all vehicles will be able to drive through them (although it would damage the vehicle). If you try driving a jeep through my demo walls that I sent to Naga then the jeep will be heavily damaged and will normally get stuck on the wall. But a tank will drive over them with no issues at all (it's good fun :))

The answer might be to layer the destruction layers. i.e. placing 3 walls deep rather than 1. I seem to remember doing a test where I tried placing 2 walls deep and then driving a jeep/tank through them. The jeep destroyed the 1st wall and damaged the 2nd (getting stuck), while the tank drove over them fine (but did slow down). That'd probably be the solution. But replace walls with hedge trunks/vegetation. Therefore you could drive any vehicle into the hedge but it'll either get your vehicle stuck or damage it too much to use.

Well like I said, we are going to be doing most all new vegetation. Crysis Wars doesn't have near the amount of vegetation we need, at all really. Your pines are nice, but however those are not to super common in areas of Normandy. Those pines would be like, a rare placed tree in comparison to allll those other kinds of trees (to many to name, but you get the point). Unless there is an area done that is specifically a pine forest.

The hedges themselves, are/will be designed so that infantry can pass through them. Remember there are no tanks in first release anyway. We've somewhat discussed destructible walls internally, and its to my knowledge that we are still un-decided on it. We aren't going to make a solid decision on it till we test the hell out of it anyway :p.

It has to suit realistic combat though, while maintaining fairness... but not to fair. :p And besides, as Mudra said, tanks/other vehicles couldn't pass through most hedge rows anyway.
 
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MrGuybrush

Member
Well like I said, we are going to be doing most all new vegetation. Crysis Wars doesn't have near the amount of vegetation we need, at all really. I have decent experience in vegetation (some), and we 'know people'. Your pines are nice, but however those are not to super common in areas of Normandy. Those pines would be like, a rare placed tree in comparison to allll those other kinds of trees (to many to name, but you get the point). Unless there is an area done that is specifically a pine forest.

The hedges themselves, are/will be designed so that infantry can pass through them. Remember there are no tanks in first release anyway. We've somewhat discussed destructible walls internally, and its to my knowledge that we are still un-decided on it. We aren't going to make a solid decision on it till we test the hell out of it anyway :p.

It has to suit realistic combat though, while mainting fairness... but not to fair. :p And besides, as Mudra said, tanks/other vehicles couldn't pass through most hedge rows anyway.

I'm a pretty big critic of our pines, we rushed them to get them out of the door and released to the public. They were always meant to be placeholder trees initially, yet the community seemed perfectly happy with them so we left them be.

If you're going for a realistic mod here chaps, why can't vehicles go through these bushes/hedges but infantry can? Besides weren't Shermans fitted with Hedge Cutters anyway? My history is a little fuzzy! Earlier when I was discussing my walls I was discussing the theory behind the collision meshes. Not the models per say, but how they could be adapted to suit a hedgeway, probably got wires crossed :p

In my opinion, if you guys want to make something a bit more unique, then destructable assets would be the way forward. Not only do you get more cinematic battles, but its also a feature that hasn't been included in any WW2 mod from my knowledge. But having said that, we were never able to test the destructable test models online with a high number of players. So I have no idea how much it will effect the server :)
 

Sir Apple

Well-known member
Tanks in WW2 simply could not get over a lot of the hedgerows. These aren't just little baby hedgerows remember, these things are high hedges, they often had ditches, dense brush and etc.

The Sherman and I believe Stuart tank was fitted with Hedgerow cutters, yes, but even then, the tank couldn't just plow over any hedgerow - it could only cut down dense hedges in some areas. The whole reason for the hedgerow cutters was to clear paths in hedges for other vehicles, infantry and such. But even then, it was maybe like 1 in 5 Shermans or even less that were fitted with a hedgerow cutter (I don't know the exact stats of this) - but it was not a regular thing.

As far as destructible statics. Some are planned, but not all out - just some... :). Which ones, when and where, is not yet fully decided.
 
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Fuchs

Vanguard Backer
Any tank could have been fitted with hedgerow cutters, just not until Operation Cobra before they came up with it.
 
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VonMudra

Well-known member
And only 100 were fitted, and most were destroyed in combat in the first days.

Also, hedgerows WERE basically impassible to infantry also. Some were so overgrown and the dirt turned to basically concrete that the germans actually turned them into underground bunkers, complete with machinegun nests, living quarters, etc..., all inside the actual hedgerow itself. Its not just trees, but dirt and rock and often walls that have been built up over hundreds of years, and strengthened by the inclusion of the roots and vegetation, to the point that it sometimes wrapped over the top of the road and made veritable tunnels out of the road systems. Infantry could only pass through in certain areas, and tanks almost no where. But for the most part, it was like having an out of bounds wall in a game, you couldn't pass through it, but you could sure as hell shoot through it, and the germans did that very, very well.... I remember one case in the first days of normandy where an entire airbourne company was slaughtered when during the day they stopped in a field to rest. What they didn't know was the hedgerow was completely ringed on 3 sides by the german hedgerow bunkers, and the 4th side, after they moved in, was capped off by german soldiers, who quietly pushed their guns through small holes in the undergrowth. A flare went up, and the germans opened fire. The entire company was killed or captured, with almost no losses to the germans.
 
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MrGuybrush

Member
Yeah, I've just done some research on the hedgerows about 3 hours ago when you guys were mentioning it. I didn't realise just how complicated these hedgerows are!



Apparently engineers used to plants charges to blow holes in them for tanks to pass. But as you say, they were impressive barriers and certainly caused alot of havoc!

Thought i'd load up sandbox before I went to bed and an hour later I came up with this:

[imgtd]http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/3977/normandyhedgerowtest1.jpg[/imgtd]

Could do with some optimisation but it was pretty easy to construct. I used the Round_Leaf_Bush_Tree with the Tall Bushes to add some more shape and then added in a few trees to give it some height. Then simply finished off by placing grass on the banks with a few flowers and random bushes.

Certainly shows off what you guys can achieve! Now hop to it :D
 
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Sir Apple

Well-known member
Trust me mate we have some *leak leak leak* stunning map progress internally :).

Eh anyway, are those trees and hedges in Crysis wars?
 

VonMudra

Well-known member
[imgtd]http://image52.webshots.com/152/3/76/90/2911376900042751015TKnboz_fs.jpg[/imgtd]

[imgtd]http://www-cgsc.army.mil/carl/resources/csi/gorman/Images/II76a.JPG[/imgtd]

And an example of German positions in hedgerows, you can see how they basically set each field into a kill zone, then would fall back onto the next hedgerow, etc....
 
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MrGuybrush

Member
Trust me mate we have some *leak leak leak* stunning map progress internally :).

Eh anyway, are those trees and hedges in Crysis wars?

They're in Crysis so I assume they'd be in Crysis Wars. The only custom objects in that screenshot is the crop road texture, the haybales, fences and the flowers.

Leak a screenshot in the forum to keep us all entertained :)
 

Guderian

New Member
The reason that FH2 has no destructable walls and hedgerows is simply that it would make BF2 lag like hell if every obstacle in Normandy is destructable. And now mappers can force you to take a historical route. Plus theres alot of holes in the walls and hedgerows to let you tankers through.

A real shame, but perhaps for BF3 :)
 
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