Cliff Notes

[loboLoco]

[youtube]cpUawoSEtaY[/youtube]
Video link:

This week, Tommi has been creating stranger wolf behaviors. Andrei has been setting up wolf customization. Susan has been researching secondary missions, and our new developer Zach has been working on multiplayer. And I’ve been a bit obsessed with rocks.

One reason for our trip to Yellowstone was to see rocks up close and personal since, strangely, those are not common subjects of photography in Yellowstone. (Hmm, what else could people be taking pictures of?) The cliffs of Amethyst are made of conglomerate rock (formed from mudflows mixed with gravel stream deposits), along with some sandstone and siltstone. To create these cliffs, our rock artist Omar has created a number of repurposable cliff models. I then experimented with several shaders (which determines how light reflects off objects in a 3D environment) to find the best way to create the cliffs for the game. Today’s video shows that process.

One reason to put this effort into the cliffs (besides being a good challenge) is because these cliffs are the domain of the bighorn sheep, which was the top vote-getter in our February blog poll for a new animal to add to the game. We’ve partnered with Games-in-Motion, a 3D art firm in Slovakia, for many of our new game animals, and they just delivered the bighorn model, which is just as handsome as the elk and mule deer which they made for us last year. We will share more about the bighorn when we get the whole family animated.

[Echodextrous]

Wow! The cliffs are looking absolutely stunning! I am so excited to hunt Big Horn Sheep on and around them! This looks like its coming along amazingly, and I think its going to be well worth the wait.

[Rhaena]

Gorgeous; patiently waitin' the day an announcement for 3.0 will arrive, I'm thrilled to see the Bighorn getting a family.

EDIT: You mention that Tommi has been creating Stranger Wolf behaviours, will we get a video showcasing them once done? The same question applies to Susan researching the second mission.

[SolitaryHowl]

Interesting, I don't know much about rocks but the cliffs look lovely. Much better than before.

And I'm excited to hear Bighorn sheep won! That'll certainly add some prey variety.

[Phasoli]

Those cliffs are absolutely beautiful! I really hope that my computer will be able to handle the new and improved graphics. The new models, new terrain--it's all so amazing! I'm always left wondering what more can possibly be done to enhance this game, and the devs always come back with something surprising.

[Windstrider]

Everything looks beautiful! And I can't wait to see the bighorn model when it moves, it looks really nice so far!

[xc92u3]

Ooooh, so cool! Good job on the rocks and everything else!

Hmm, bighorn sheep... wow... and cool! Amazing job!!

[thirteen889184]

Everything looks so amazing. I can't wait to see more, and for the game to be released! I'm so excited lol.

[Black Burn]

Amazing! I actually forgot today was a new update, so it was even more of a surprise!
The bighorn sheep looks great! I can't wait to learn how to hunt it in WolfQuest3! And the rocks looks so realistic!
Keep up the most awesome work ever WolfQuest team!

(And to tell the truth... I've been obsessed with rocks too lately..!)

[paperpaws]

This rocks.

The textures look beautiful. Nice to see the much-desired bighorn sheep pop up as well. I'm really eager for the moment we will first get to explore WQ in its fancy, all-new coat.

(Side note; you've probably noticed this, but the audio has some issues. The music is a tad loud in comparison to the voiceover, and I think the voiceover is mainly or completely coming from the left speaker?)

[wolf_whisperer98]

Absolutely tranquil and mesmerizing! It looks as if I could reach out and feel the textures in itself. The team is doing an amazing job so far, and I can't wait to see my wolves running and navigating their way through the terrain, learning all that there is to learn with the new and improved maps! Keep up the good work!

[PearlyReborn]

I like how you have an artist specifically for rocks.

Anyway, the cliffs in the old game always bothered me (spiderwolf's domain... ) so I'm glad they're getting an upgrade!

[ForeverEverest]

That cliff rock looked really good with the gravel. I know most people think rocks are boring, but I think they're pretty amazing. Just thinking about how long it took for them to form, and what they're made out of. I think those cliffs are looking great, and I'm sure I'll have fun exploring them someday.

[howl-ite]

cliffs are looking great guys, it’s nice to see how much attention to detail you put in.

[loboLoco]

(Side note; you've probably noticed this, but the audio has some issues. The music is a tad loud in comparison to the voiceover, and I think the voiceover is mainly or completely coming from the left speaker?)

Yeah, I finally upgraded to Final Cut Pro X and it didn't handle the audio in quite the same way. Gotta pay more attention to that in the future.