This is more of a "is it easily possible?" or a "how can this be done?" to the techies out there who know 3d modeling and making games:

I was looking at the new Unburied screenshots, namely this one (http://us.media.blizzard.com/1901200114/_images/screenshots/ss81-hires.jpg).


On his own, the Unburied looks pretty cool. When there are three or four standing next to each other, exactly identical, it looks kind of less-amazing. What I want to know is can there possibly be a RANDOM generation of features on mobs (particularly big ones like this guy where you really notice it) such as the position/number of spikes on his back, the size and shape of head and limbs, etc?


Does this put too much strain on CPU/GPU to be feasible? Will creating the code for this random model maker take a team of coders six months of hard work to get working? Would it be easier to just design say, 10 models of each mob and then when populating a map with mods, randomly select from these 10 models?

Or just 2-3 models for each type of mob (possibly just different skins/surface textures) to keep it interesting.
Say one zombie model is missing half their head, and another only has half an arm. Things like that.

on the topic of monsters Will we be seeing any returning monsters (other than like Diablo). Like "Fallen" or "leapers". i would love to see leapers return. they were my favorite monsters

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Q u o t e:
Fallen FTW. they should bring the shaman back too. it was a good mechanic for the shammy to rez the fallen so you would have to take him out first then the fallen themselves.

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Take a closer look at a certain user's avatar in this very thread.

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Q u o t e:
on the topic of monsters Will we be seeing any returning monsters (other than like Diablo). Like "Fallen" or "leapers". i would love to see leapers return. they were my favorite monsters

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I doubt he's gonna answer that. lol

But yeah, I agree that (maybe not these Unburied) for example, any monsters that TEND to cluster (e.g. Zombies, or pack-based (dire wolves) / tribal (moon clan goatmen) monsters, should have at least 3 small variations in texture to create a more realistic effect.

^ That should be quite easily accomplished, just by modifying the texture masks slightly (of only a few types of monsters that need it), the original monster models do not even need to be touched.

Of course, a different colour tint (like rare/unique monsters with coloured bodies in D2) can mostly work too, but those should not be extensively used and should only be reserved for special mobs.

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Q u o t e:
There will be creature variations, but it's not quite the same as randomization of body parts.

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Like slight variations in size, as seen on the Gnarled Walkers in the gameplay trailer?

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Q u o t e:
Well to be perfectly honest all of these shots are set up. Generally you're probably not going to run into that many at one time. So a couple dispersed within a sea of every other monster, you don't see the stark repetition. I don't think normal spawning conditions would have that many facing you at once, especially because they're kind of tough.

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Sneaky! Well obviously it is set up to some degree since there is no hero to be seen! Unless you figure that corpse in the center is the remains of our hero :O


The visual similarities won't be that noticeable or hindering on smaller mobs like skeletons and the like (half the time I didn't even notice my Necromancer's pets had different armour or weapons, for example) but it really is noticeable with these big guys. Nice to know that they won't clutter rooms and show off their obvious identical nature.


Thanks for the reply Bashiok, now go whip those dev's into shape and tell them we need LAN and/or Oceanic servers :D

Multiple monster models for the Unburied does seem useless since you won't be encountering a cluster of these.

However, since this big guy will be one of the tougher monster to take out, it would look cool if you had maybe three different models for it. I suggest maybe a huge gash in it's stomache with guts and such hanging out. There must be gore in the game! (Like the siege beast biting off the barbarians head)

But, when you say "What does it matter if the monsters will be lying on the floor dead in the matter of seconds anyways", I definately agree 110%.

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Q u o t e:
on the topic of monsters Will we be seeing any returning monsters (other than like Diablo). Like "Fallen" or "leapers". i would love to see leapers return. they were my favorite monsters

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I do believe the new "Scavenger" monsters are pretty much the equivalent of a leaper :P

Leapers? Fallen? We all know that only one monster type truly counts.

I can see what you see not.
Vision milky, then eyes rot.
When you turn they will be gone,
Whispering their hidden song.
Then you see what cannot be,
Shadows move where light should be.
Out of darkness, out of mind,
Cast down into the Halls of the Blind.

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Q u o t e:
Well to be perfectly honest all of these shots are set up. Generally you're probably not going to run into that many at one time. So a couple dispersed within a sea of every other monster, you don't see the stark repetition. I don't think normal spawning conditions would have that many facing you at once, especially because they're kind of tough.

As far as having randomized creatures... mmm... it would take a lot of work but of course it wouldn't be impossible. The question is though, does that massive undertaking just to make sure a creature doesn't look the same as the one next to it matter when they're dead within a matter of seconds? Probably not.

Or a more important question is, how many unique types of monsters do we cut from the final game so this guy doesn't always have an arm in the same place?
The stark reality of production schedules! They give me nightmares too.

There will be creature variations, but it's not quite the same as randomization of body parts.

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Production schedules? What happened to the "It's done when it's done" approach?

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Q u o t e:
Production schedules? What happened to the "It's done when it's done" approach?

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Even with this approach you still have to have schedules. You do a milestone that you set yourself, try to keep on schedule, but if it's not good enough you give yourself more time.

Without a doubt Blizzard has internal schedule (that they will never reveal to us, unfortunately), and they try to keep to it. It's done when it's done is only for public, when they'll be nearly on the finish line they'll tell us - that means, when everything is polished, and they think that no unpredictable elements will appear.

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Q u o t e:
Production schedules? What happened to the "It's done when it's done" approach?

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literaly LoL'd on that one

I don't think skewing a few colors would put a big bruise in production...

I also don't imagine Blizzard would be so boring as to make all similar creatures look the exact same, I would imagine at least different tints of skin/armor color. It is almost obvious to say that they will surely change the look of champions and uniques

"The stark reality of production schedules!"


I wonder if he could elaborate on this a little....

well, even tough theres probably a "its done when its done" attitude to every blizzard game. they'l still have to give the boss of blizzard, or whoever the development crew awnsers to, a progress report.

Besides that, you cant start development on anything large scale without having a well planned shedule.

it would be too chaotic and the game would take so much longer to complete.

"Hmm, what shall we develop today, i feel like a new monster, don't have a shedule to follow anyway"
that day a new monster gets done 1/4th and the next day it doesnt get worked on anymore.

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Q u o t e:

"Hmm, what shall we develop today, i feel like a new monster, don't have a shedule to follow anyway"
that day a new monster gets done 1/4th and the next day it doesnt get worked on anymore.

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Oh how I wish game development would work like that :D

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Q u o t e:

Production schedules? What happened to the "It's done when it's done" approach?

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Yeah, and then your paying all these blizzard game developers/artists, etc etc $20,000 each in salary per Month this adds up very fast even for Blizzard. Sure a few different looking mobs would be cool, but the few weeks they take to do that would cost them alot of money. These guys are getting paying triple digits.
They have to have a timeline, if they wanted to wait til it was completely perfect blizzard would go broke.