Matrix Games Forums

OK, its not like EA sports or anything, but I think those of you that enjoy managing PureSim games will love this feature....

PureSim 2006 supports a fully animated ball flight with the appropriate trajectory based on the hit type! Gone is the old "line on the field" method. It's really cool to see a ball with a line drive arc head into the gap and anticipate the hit. Its also cool to be on defense and see a nice high arc lazy fly leave the bat and just know your outfielder will camp under it and make the play.

I was surprised at how much it adds to the in-game experience. Add to that brand new ambient crowd sounds, umpire calls, hot dog and beer vendors, fireworks displays on home runs etc.. and the game just feels a lot more fun.

The animated ball flight looked good enough that my 8 year old said "Dad, that looks cool," which is quite a revelation from that jaded little fellow

Take this stuff, along with new managerial options for bunting for a hit, setting outfield depth and more, and the in game experience has seen its biggest boost in PureSim's history.


I can't wait for you guys to see it in action!

I can't wait for you guys to see it in action!

Me too.

Awesome Shaun!!!! I remember asking for this kind of feature a couple of years ago. Glad to hear you finally considered it!!! Can't wait to see it!

Al

Shaun, this is exactly what I was asking for in another thread. Someone said it couldn't be done. And you did it anyway. Great job. Another reason to buy 2006.

Sounds superb............cant wait to see it !!

So ...next step is to add animated players, a true voice commentator and could be better than the real thing [:)][:)][:)] ???

John

Nice! When you said you were dropping DirectX in, I wondered which feature was driving it!

ORIGINAL: Amaroq

Nice! When you said you were dropping DirectX in, I wondered which feature was driving it!

I remember reading a post where you mentioned I couldn't do graphics because of the HTML and I was dying to tell you how I pulled it off, but I was still in research mode.

Warning geek material ahead....

I actually grab the DC IE is rendering to and create a DirectX 1024x1024 texture from its contents. This becomes my back buffer and then I do 2D in 3D graphics via DirectX8 using that texture (essentially a screen shot) as the background, so when you see the fireworks on the field etc, it is not to the IE screen but rather an image of it. To the user it looks just like the screen they were looking at before the animation started.

Aint I clever

SUPER GOOD NEWS !!!!!

Now its time to release the game! Shaun you have listened to me after all......

dneely

Well, just to be clear, this feature is cool but it's nothing amazing. It simply shows an animated ball flight, that's it. So hopefully I didn't "oversell" it.

Well, I think you "undersold" the ambient crowd sounds. If done right, they will add just as much to the experience as the animated ball flight....

ORIGINAL: puresimmer
I remember reading a post where you mentioned I couldn't do graphics because of the HTML and I was dying to tell you how I pulled it off, but I was still in research mode.

This had me busting up laughing - I can just imagine you having to bite your tongue!

I actually grab the DC IE is rendering to and create a DirectX 1024x1024 texture from its contents. This becomes my back buffer and then I do 2D in 3D graphics via DirectX8 using that texture (essentially a screen shot) as the background, so when you see the fireworks on the field etc, it is not to the IE screen but rather an image of it. To the user it looks just like the screen they were looking at before the animation started.

That is quite clever: you still get the HTML-rendering benefits, and can layer the animations "on top of" it (in this case), or otherwise modify it. I didn't realize you could get IE's graphics context in that way - that opens up a lot of doors, actually.

I might have to stop speculating on your technical capabilities, Shaun - I'm quite impressed! [:D]

Sounds like it will add a lot to the game.[&o]

PureSim 2006 supports a fully animated ball flight with the appropriate trajectory based on the hit type! Gone is the old "line on the field" method. It's really cool to see a ball with a line drive arc head into the gap and anticipate the hit. Its also cool to be on defense and see a nice high arc lazy fly leave the bat and just know your outfielder will camp under it and make the play.

I was surprised at how much it adds to the in-game experience. Add to that brand new ambient crowd sounds, umpire calls, hot dog and beer vendors, fireworks displays on home runs etc.. and the game just feels a lot more fun.

So far I must say that I preferred the old PureSim "line on the field method" of animated ball flight. I think it was quite a bit more "suspenseful". I'm also not all that please with the crowd sounds or the vendors, but perhaps I can tweak them a bit and add more vendor sounds.

Perhaps if you slow the ball down a bit it might look more realistic. Also, I'd like to kill the crowd noises and just listen to the crack of the bat at times. I often like to watch old movies while I play a game or two.

Maybe we can have the old animated graphics and the new???

Well, you are seeing the very first alpha build so we have a ways to go before its all tweaked. Also, as noted in the build notes, the crowd sounds are just some placeholders for me to work with while I tweak the ambient sound functionality.

Beach, you are always resistant to change I remember when I first put the play message on the field you hated it too

I do agree the animation has be slowed down a bit in some cases.

I've been finding it adds a lot.

I don't mind seeing a ball off the bat and thinking "dangit!" ... especially as there's always the chance of an error, or of the ball sneaking through the infield for a single.

I've found home runs / deep flys to be very suspenseful - bases loaded, two outs, losing by one in a World Series game with my 42-HR slugger at the plate, he knocked one that was headed straight for the junction of the wall... I had the most emotional reaction to an in-game PS moment that I've ever had, on the edge of my seat, and then shouting "Yes! Yes!" and pumping my first in the air as the crowd roared...

It worked for me. [:)]

Personally I think Shaun has done a nice job with adding the ball flight graphic! It adds a great deal to the game, keeps the suspence and adds a new element.

Beach I think you will like this once it is completely situated for the game.

DNeely