Dynamic / flexible dead bodies

[MirceaKitsune]

This is a minor eye-candy idea but I remember when playing UT2004 I used to like how bots / players who died became free flexible bodies that could realistically fall down a valley or pit and between rails and other surfaces with flexible heads arms and legs, which used to look much more real. Currently in Nexuiz (like in most games) when someone dies their character only plays the "death animation" and falls down like a stone, setting on the nearest surface like a snowflake (unless they gib).

For those who don't know the UT example, this is something funny I found a while ago which illustrates exactly how the idea of a body falling that way between surfaces would be like. I loved the way that worked in 2k4 so I thought to throw in the idea here if anyone would be interested to see something like that in Nexuiz instead of the animation-based falling bodies. Not sure if the game engine might not support that though or if it could make things more complicated then they should be.

[ai]

Fun link. Bush is being massacred.
Those flexible bodies as you mention are called 'ragdolls'. I'm not sure if the engine supports that though, implementing it would also, I believe, require more from your connection unless it's clientside.
However, I'm no expert and I'm only throwing guesses here. Someone else should clarify this better.

[MirceaKitsune]

Those flexible bodies as you mention are called 'ragdolls'. I'm not sure if the engine supports that though, implementing it would also, I believe, require more from your connection unless it's clientside.

Something like this would certainly be client-side I think. Only problem is that someone could see the body falling one way while someone else could see it going a bit more differently, but I think it can be avoided with no or very few extra packets. I'm not an expert either so I'm also saying just what I think.

And yeah that flash is fun I'm surprised they implemented such physics so well in such a small flash so maybe that's not hard to do in 3D either. I also found this flash a few days ago and this one is a 3D example of flexible limbs (click-drag the spider in it and its flexible like that) so yeah its probably not hard if you know how to do it.

[HarryButt]

I think as long as there's no model segmentation, there's no chance for ragdoll physics
But I'm not into this either.
There's this thread. It's a little old, but it might explain some stuff.

[MirceaKitsune]

I think as long as there's no model segmentation, there's no chance for ragdoll physics

Indeed, but that depends on how the models in this game engine work. From what I seen in the making of general game characters, there's a simple stick skeleton (like xiao xiao characters but without the head) that itself gets animated and the player model / mesh is put over this skeleton. Each vertex in the player model is then assigned a certain spot in the animated wire skeleton, each in the most appropriated place and so the player model animates.

So if that is the case for Nexuiz then the player models are segmented and the engine knows to separate the knees, feet, head, arms, etc. However its possible that player models may be built in such a way that that each vertex is individually animated, though I'd find that a difficult way to make them so doubt that.

[Ed]

As mentioned in that other thread, dpmod already has a stick figure based ragdoll physics option. Have a look at this video:
http://icculus.org/twilight/darkplaces/ ... agdoll.avi

[HarryButt]

This looks like throwing around some plastic toy. Not very impressive if you ask me.
Personally, I'd prefer good death animations above these stick ragdolls...
As long as there's no real ragdoll system around of course.

[MirceaKitsune]

Something like that vid would be somehow good though indeed it looks like throwing a stone around. Mainly the gravity of the body should be smaller and it shouldn't move and jump that quickly. The system itself looks good enough however, that would probably be just a speed / gravity tweak and it could look awesome.

Anyway, can /(that part of)\ the dp-engine be used for Nexuiz yet? Could Nexuiz have it in an official release anytime soon? Also, has bone control of characters been implemented since 2006 when esteel said it isn't in yet and needs the help of modelers in that thread?

[[-z-]]

I'm not trying to attack you, just letting you know, your signature further pronounces your arrogance. It's like an American going to Japan, not giving a shit about their culture but wearing a shirt with an American flag on it, so "it's okay".

[MirceaKitsune]

I'm not trying to attack you, just letting you know, your signature further pronounces your arrogance. It's like an American going to Japan, not giving a shit about their culture but wearing a shirt with an American flag on it, so "it's okay".

Ok, I removed it. Thanks for pointing that out I guess.