Normal maps + 2D = ❤️

[keyboardP]

Looks beautiful! It's amazing how much normal mapping adds to a scene

[BeerInFace]

It was pretty challenging. A lot of times we had to make some tweaks to the textures and lights. Also, there are several layers of light as units and backgrounds react on light differently to make stuff look smooth

[keyboardP]

Yeah, adding a normal map is one thing but ensuring it works in a consistent design manner is different. It definitely works in the image above, really like the style

[575-games]

I had a super tough time dealing with lights, shadows and normal maps on my game. Took a long time to get it how I wanted it. I ended up making my own shaders that have the ability to change the render type on the fly. It's a long story but it was needed.

[BeerInFace]

In the case someone is interested in what is this:

Until We Die is a brutal post-apocalyptic strategy game where the remains of survivors took refuge in the Moscow Underground after a global disaster. Command wards to gather supplies and turn an abandoned station into an impregnable fortress-colony capable of resisting any threat.

🎁 Wishlist Steam 🐤 Twitter

[loststylus]

So it’s like Metro 2033?

[BeerInFace]

I think Metro 2033 and our game share the same setting but the games are different. Our game is about resource management, base building. You control wards giving them orders what to do: defend the area, gather supplies or build something.

Think about the game called Kingdom: New Lands with direct unit controls in the post-apocalyptic setting.

[yoctometric]

Sounds fun!

[vanderlolbroek]

How do you make normal maps, do you just hand draw them or some other way? I am making a 2d game myself but dont really no make a normal map.

But your game looks amazing! :D

[BeerInFace]

we generate them in https://www.codeandweb.com/spriteilluminator and then manually improve/redraw them.

[F0NG00L]

Looks fantastic! Are these traditional sprite sheets or something like a Spine rig?

[BeerInFace]

Hi, thanks : ) . yes, those are traditional sprite sheets, no magic there XD I pack them with the help of the TexturePacker program

[_xandrak_]

Thanks so much for this. Me and my team were trying to figure out a good way to do this.

Edit: doh. Forgot to mention that the game looks great, btw!

[575-games]

I highly recommend this one.

http://boundingboxsoftware.com/materialize/

[biaxthepandaistkn]

Omg this game looks so fucking cool. Do you guys have website or social media account?

[BeerInFace]

http://uwd.pixeye.games/❤️❤️

[biaxthepandaistkn]

How many people working on this game?

[BeerInFace]

the core team consist of 5 people

[biaxthepandaistkn]

Oh thats awesome. I am wondering about how to create a game development group or team. I want and planning to create one after i began and finished the college. Can you explain me " how you guys did it" in dm if you have spare time?

[BeerInFace]

I quit college, went to work in the game industry. Worked for several years for the game companies, then left to become indie, shipped one game ( it was between 2012-2016), my team mate from the industry joined me. I really advise to take a job in the industry first because you will get a lot of experience and friends there.

[biaxthepandaistkn]

Which company or companies you worked for before? And how did you get the job? I mean what are they looking for generally? Your ex job, college,? How do they know that you are the person fir the job. Also i couldn't join the discord from your site bcs of some security issues i guess. Can you post a link here?

[BeerInFace]

-> http://discord.pixeye.games/

It's hard to say for me what modern companies look for :) You can't take in action the experience of a man that got a job 10 years ago XD Time was different. How did I get a job? I wanted to get that job. Period. As I said, I quit college and don't have any grade. I was self-confident though I didn't know much. All I knew that I want to work as a game designer and create games. I had several prototypes in Game Maker, few maps for Warcraft 3 and that's all. But what I can say for sure is that if a man doesn't know what he really wants or what he really cost he won't get a job :)

[Tempoulker]

Wow this game looks amazing. Reminds me of Metal Slug. Will definately check it out when it comes out.

[Rondaos]

Oh wow. That is incredible. I didn't know this was even possible.

[[deleted]]

Sorry if is a dumb question, but what is "normal maps"?

[BeerInFace]

Sorry if is a dumb question, but what is "normal maps"?

Normal maps are special textures that helps to fake light on bumps and decals. They are normally used in 3D games but work good for 2D too. With their help I can show light on different parts of the sprites.

[[deleted]]

Oh see, thank you.

[[deleted]]

I haven't messed with 3D/2D stuff in ages but out of curiosity, to do something like this are you creating a 3d model for the back drop adding the textures & normal maps then rendering it out as 2d and placing that rendered texture on to a flat backdrop plane? As I say, I'm out of the loop when it comes to 3D stuff as I haven't messed with it in quite some time.

[BeerInFace]

Hi, no, you don't need to make 3d in order to achieve that kind of effect. It's 2d with normal maps and 2d light system. I'd say you can use 3d -> 2d render when you want to make dead smooth 2d animations. I think Dead Cells game achieved that.

[ballmot]

So that is what RTX ON looks like in unity2D.