Don't you hate how they have done the shadows? I mean it looks like the sun is at a 90 degree angle constantly, and the air units don't even seem to be flying. I know its not that much of a deal but its the little things which make a game good too and the shadows don't work very well. Maybe they should move the 'light emitter' above the field instead of somewhere on the side. Anyone else found this annoying or anything?
for me i dont really mind the shadows...they look good for me =] maybe if the shadow was abit quivvery and maybe if it moved a tiny bit..then it'll be cool... maybe each different map has a diff angle shadow =]
I think the shadow angles are going to depend on the map. It seems pretty obvious that map makers would be able to set the direction of the light source. Take a look at the screens: the shadows very rarely point the same way, or have the same lengths. If weather and time-of-day get implemented, they'll even change as the game plays out.
Neon has a good point there, and i also agree with ace, the shadows looks fine to me, seeing every screenshots i have seen in the official starcraft2 website, i have seen the shadows in different direction
Its not the direction of them its hard to explain. This is how I see it now: |____ - ____ This is how I'd like it. |_ -_
I don't know what you hoping for... the shadows are really well done from what I can see (reviewing screen shots as I type). Shadows are animated. (After reviewing the game play video.) Shadows are cast onto other units. (Looks cool when you got big units like BattleCruisers, and Collosii) When shadows overlap one and other they don't double up and create darker patches. Direction and Length of the shadows is different from map to map. Shadow's colour and value varies from map to map also. Everything checks out for me at least. I like them just fine.
Yeah, as ced points out, shadows work quite realistically. They're doing per-pixel shading, so you get all kinds of good effects like that. That's why it would be so easy to make the shadows look however you want them to: you just move the light source around.
They're fine as they are now. Changing the light source sounds like fun. I'd like to see some nightfall maps
I don't know why we're complaining about shadows so soon. I mean, I'm no programmer, but don't the final effects, such as shadows come around towards the end of production? I think the biggest issue right now is the designing new units and balencing out abilities for different races. Sorry, I didn't mean to be such a downer in this discussion...
They do the graphics and effects in parallel with the actual gameplay. At BlizzCon, though, (about 7 months ago) they already had the per-pixel shading stuff happening. They may continue to improve it, but my guess is that they're focusing on other things, when it comes to the engine, at the moment.
So, if the graphics parallel with the actual gameplay, does that mean the graphics are still being worked on and might still get some tune-ups?
Once all the balance work is done, expect a graphics tune-up or even model tune ups. No point making everything look perfect if they don't know whats gonna stay or change.
Good, that's what I thought. I hate wishing my life away, but I can't wait to see the finished graphics!
In parallel means that they're always improving the art, always improving models and textures, just as they always improve the gameplay, and always improve the sound.
