Penguins
Penguins
- Thread starter The European
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I guess that isnt very difficult, since animals can swim/diving in other games too
I‘d love to have diving penguins but I’d rather a surface swimmer than no penguin at all. But yes, realistic animations are definitely the preferred option.
Frontier answered this in a question and answer section at Reddit. He said that diving mechanics was more difficult than animals' climbing mechanics. so it's not simple. is it really hard? or Frontier can't? Is there a problem with Frontier's game engine? ZT2 did this. frankly, Frontier surprised me about this. It's so strange that ZT2 can do that, but Frontier can't. I don't think it's really hard. On the one hand, I think it is difficult, on the other hand, I think it is easy. I think it's really hard when I think of coding and motion calculations. but the fact that the past games did this makes me think it's easy. I do not know exactly what the technical problem is, is it coding? calculation? artificial intelligence? animations? it is important that we know this.I guess that isnt very difficult, since animals can swim/diving in other games too
Sure, it's more difficult than climbing, but there are easy ways around that.
For example: you can make a premade pool, that people can place in the habitat, with the right size for animations, in which you can pre-program the swimming movements
Or if you want more freedom, although it would be slightly harder to program: if a lake is made (or after an edit), the game scans if there is enough room (a preset size) for the animations. If there is, a block would be made in which the penguins (or other animals) would go to to have their pre-made swimming animations in. If there is not enough size n a pind or lake, an overlay could be made which could show an icon or red color.
For example: you can make a premade pool, that people can place in the habitat, with the right size for animations, in which you can pre-program the swimming movements
Or if you want more freedom, although it would be slightly harder to program: if a lake is made (or after an edit), the game scans if there is enough room (a preset size) for the animations. If there is, a block would be made in which the penguins (or other animals) would go to to have their pre-made swimming animations in. If there is not enough size n a pind or lake, an overlay could be made which could show an icon or red color.
they already have a scanning system (hitboxes with shelters for example), so this would be easy for programmers to implement
I think this method is much more difficult.
They never do that. They never spoil the gameplay style of Planet Zoo. this method you say is no different from Zoo Tycoon Xbox.
I think there is no need to exaggerate. I don't think it's too hard. because the ZT 2 did it.
My solution method is like this; Every time the animal enters the water, artificial intelligence will draw a random path in the water. think of it as an autocomplete(Riders) option.
I was thinking more of special animations the animals could do, which would could need a lot of space.
For normal swimming your solution is excellent!.
And if proves again that it isn't that hard and should be easily possible.
From a coding point of view... Hippos can go under water already, so they have code that allows animals under water. They can also calculate the water volume, no matter the terrain we place it in-on, so they have code that "understands" an irregular shape - pool of water.
Entering the water for Penguins is the thing.. where if you create a pool with flat(ish) walls down, they wouldn't walk into the water they would dive into it (how does the code know if its a "flat edge", especially if its not flat all around just some part of the pool, where do you draw the line of smooth enough to walk in or they need to dive) now arguably this is an extra thing that we would be fine without to begin with, and then they could resolve it to make it more realistic.. until that they could just walk in like all other animals.
The swimming under water, with a random path is not necessarily a bad idea, it requires an entry and an exit point, which they have code for (as animals already enter at random-ish points and exit at random-ish points of the water) but it also requires random points in between, and a smooth curve (you wouldn't want your penguins suddenly change directions in 90deg angles, its unrealistic and not smooth). Its more difficult than it sounds, and it needs to take into consideration the irregular shape of the pool. I work in 3D design (Mechanical), I don't know what software they use for games, but drawing random curvy 3D lines is not as easy as it sounds.
I kind of get it.. its a LOT of variables.. and of course Frontier does a lot of research on the animals so beside the random curves there is random speeds and patterns (twists and so) to add. Both coding and animation design seems to be a difficult one for this..
Then again... ZT2 had it... I'm gonna install it again, and have a look at their penguin mechanics, cause I am intrigued now..
Entering the water for Penguins is the thing.. where if you create a pool with flat(ish) walls down, they wouldn't walk into the water they would dive into it (how does the code know if its a "flat edge", especially if its not flat all around just some part of the pool, where do you draw the line of smooth enough to walk in or they need to dive) now arguably this is an extra thing that we would be fine without to begin with, and then they could resolve it to make it more realistic.. until that they could just walk in like all other animals.
The swimming under water, with a random path is not necessarily a bad idea, it requires an entry and an exit point, which they have code for (as animals already enter at random-ish points and exit at random-ish points of the water) but it also requires random points in between, and a smooth curve (you wouldn't want your penguins suddenly change directions in 90deg angles, its unrealistic and not smooth). Its more difficult than it sounds, and it needs to take into consideration the irregular shape of the pool. I work in 3D design (Mechanical), I don't know what software they use for games, but drawing random curvy 3D lines is not as easy as it sounds.
I kind of get it.. its a LOT of variables.. and of course Frontier does a lot of research on the animals so beside the random curves there is random speeds and patterns (twists and so) to add. Both coding and animation design seems to be a difficult one for this..
Then again... ZT2 had it... I'm gonna install it again, and have a look at their penguin mechanics, cause I am intrigued now..
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Water is calculated as surface space (m2). It's not the volume they calculate.
And Yes, Please add Penguins
Animals can already jump into the Water if the Terrain is steep enough. I already saw Bongos, Okapis and Polar Bears do it. I think I do have some Screenshots where one of my Polar Bears is underwater after she jumped in. But I can't post them at the Moment because I'm not at home
I haven't seen my polar bears jump in the water, so now i'm currious to your screenshot
I just checked in a sandbox, they just walked in.. and yes that is correct water is not m^3 as I thought.. so my guess is that the water is a rectangular "tank", deeper than the deepest point, and larger than the surface, so the terrain we put down "hides" the "tank" itself. Clever stuff.. just.. not clever enough... (yet)
Checked ZT2 as well, Penguins just walk in and they don't swim under water.. At least not in the original release. Maybe with the Marine DLC.. which... surely... will be a PZ DLC as well eventually..
Checked ZT2 as well, Penguins just walk in and they don't swim under water.. At least not in the original release. Maybe with the Marine DLC.. which... surely... will be a PZ DLC as well eventually..
we don't know where they have trouble. this is so important for us. I also wonder why they have so much difficulty. I think they are not having trouble, they are not currently focused on the diving mechanics of animals. because diving mechanics of animals should not be so difficult. However, it should not be forgotten that PZ's mechanics are very different from ZT.
A little reminder from ZT2; Bears and hippos or even many more animals weren't diving into the water, but the animals that came later with the Marine Mania expansion pack were diving into the water.
I have a very effective idea in mind, but I don't know how to explain it to you. I will definitely have to make something like a video. It is certain that the Frontier is more capable than me, so I believe they will think of what I think.
A little reminder from ZT2; Bears and hippos or even many more animals weren't diving into the water, but the animals that came later with the Marine Mania expansion pack were diving into the water.
I have a very effective idea in mind, but I don't know how to explain it to you. I will definitely have to make something like a video. It is certain that the Frontier is more capable than me, so I believe they will think of what I think.
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I haven't seen my polar bears jump in the water, so now i'm currious to your screenshot
that looks so cool! thanks for sharing
I think it should be possible to build something like a Diving Rock near a Viewing Area but I didn't do that because it wouldn't fit good in the Enclosure Design. But it would be worth it to try itthat looks so cool! thanks for sharing