Physics engine

[StefanP.MUC]

This thought just came to my mind:

Do we need a physics engine or would we profit from one? Currently all the acceleration, collission detection, path calculation, metrics and everything is done "by hand". With a physics engine we bascially would only need to define a metric (distance unit, like meters) and the actual path calculation could be done by the physics engine (input: start and finish vectors and the forces).

The downside would be to have another new dependency and we'd have to learn another new API.

Opinions?

[oln]

Does the physics engine do pathfinding? Otherwise there isn't really any "collision" detection to speak of. It could be used of course to make things really fancy, but I think that would be quite overkill at this stage.

[svenskmand]

Yes I agree there is not really a use for a physics engine. But we need a particle editor to make nice looking lights and spell effects, but ogre already has that so we just need to figure out how to use it. That would be better to spend time on. But for now there is plenty of work with setting up lights I think.

[StefanP.MUC]

I meant "path calcualting" as in "calulating the equation of motion". For example the parabolic curve of a cannonball in the gravitational field of the game world.

Another example would be the camera movement: a physics engine already has easy to use functions to calculate the flying curve (I think we wll have some automatic camera movement later on for specific tasks).

But I see the point that a whole physics engine would be overkill currently.

[svenskmand]

You mean something to compute bézier and spline curves?. I agree that they would be useful for camera movement, but using a physics engine for that would still be overkill.

Also looking at the old Dungeon Keeper they had some physics calculations when creatures cast spells that makes explosions or gives knockback, e.g. wind from the pixies. But lets wait with that for much later.

[StefanP.MUC]

Yeah, something like that, for example. But also calculations for momentum transfers on collisions (recoil of a creature that was hit by a cannonball - heavy creatures should be affected less than light creatures).

[svenskmand]

Yeah maybe we would need some light physics calculations. But I think there are more important things to be done right now, e.g. setting up AS to begin to be able to script the game, fixing the team colors, getting something playable So many tasks so little time :S I am currently working on the GUI now, making the creature panel and combat/fighting panel.

[StefanP.MUC]

Yes, a physics engine woul be lowest priority currently, but it's always good to start brainstorming in an early state.

Some hours back I wanted to do some work on the scripting engine. But the newest changes to the path detection and shader system made the game unplayable for me. It won't start for me now (not even with the DirectX driver, if I get to the graphics menu at all). Still need to figure out what's exactly causing this problems.

[svenskmand]

It is olns that is currently working on getting the user files path working. That is what is crashing the game currently.