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[tanooki27]

except for the noses, very Eastman and Laird.

 

[kodecraft]

No of course. A game about martial artist mutants shouldnt have the same amount of flair as a game about ass kicking robots.

The things I read on this forum I swear..

Its all opinions, I care about TMNT as the next fan and will support this on day one. I assume this TMNT will be just as TF Devastation regarding combat and flair.

I also expect is to feel just as budgeted. I never expected this to feel like an AAA title.

 

[shaowebb]

Holy shit...I think I figured out how they are doing this and its definitely not a bullshot if so.

• render your model with its normal texturing in a front and back view.
• Take screens into photoshop, duplicate, turn black and white and up the threshold to get the crazy black and whites you need for the comic book contrasting blacks and clone that layer.
• Take the cloned threshold layers and save them out as various maps like diffuse, specular, etc...generally these are black and white maps that tell the engine how to light, or shade things based on whether its black or white. Some of these effects only appear in direct lighting too like with specular maps.
• Trace over the original renders 2d Pencil detailing like the hatching and such on anywhere you want detailing to be more prominent. This includes various outlines. Duplicate this file and use one on top of your UV maps for the model's texture map. Use the other as a bit of an extra for your specular. Likely with a lot of opacity so it doesn't always show and look traced on. This way you can use an outliner option in your engine to generate outlines, but use the specular to add a bit more emphasis on the areas you want with these traced effects.
• Create ramp shaders based of the threshold layer duplicates and map these with additional low opacity so that they flow as a black and white shadow/lighting effect as light passes over the model on don't look painted on. This is the only part I feel may not be necessary because you can hook a ramp shader up to the engine lighting nodes and generate this effect quite possibly more cleanly.

Trace/Threshold tactics are something I've seen folks do with a 3d reference model for 2d images to create amazingly detailed Cel Shaded looking comics, but it never occurred to me till now looking at it that this may be a way to apply those results backwards onto the model's maps for animation.

Gonna try this. I think I'm right or at least in the ballpark on how to generate these results. I'll work on this to see if it works out well or needs more or less maps/techniques to pull it along.

EDIT: Found it! I remembered a guy using this stuff before for a 3d to 2d work flow. This is what I think they have adapted as a technique to create maps for 3d cel shading of this level
Basically trace in the line work, save some of it for texture maps and other layers of it for specular/diffuse map assistance to help the toon shader outline tools to gain line weight. Setup either you own ramp shaded maps for musculature from threshold layers converted to specular/diffuse maps or if it looks too painted on even as a highly opaque map just rely on rampshader node properties added to your light nodes in the engine. Should only have to draw in details on anything inside the general outline of the character and the engine should generate the rest of your lines on its own and even get assistance from any opaque diffuse/Specular maps you throw in.

Gotta go. Zbrush is calling me.

 

[MAtgS]

Just give me couch co-op and I'm good.

 

[Dr.JayP]

Wow, they absolutely nailed it. This is going to be my first Platinum game and I seriously can't wait. I'm just hoping for respectable length and decent diversity to go along with Platinum's reputation for gameplay excellence and I'm set.

 

[BouncyFrag]

I'd love this game bundled with the recent Transformers game along with a Vanquish remaster.

 

[MoonsaultSlayer]

If they ever make a Thundercats game... I may cry sweet tears of happiness.

Please make a Thundercats game, Platinum.

 

[JobenNC]

Yeah, I'm in. Really hoping for a quality OST too.

 

[Taco_Human]

Faces aside... They're about to get run over by that subway train.

maybe they jumped down chasing someone right after the train went the opposite way?

Would make a cool trailer

 

[Shin-Ra]

You arent trolling hard enough.

It looks like a GBA game.

That's taking it a bit far.

 

[dan2026]

That's taking it a bit far.

I don't believe so.

I have played better looking games on my Wonderswan Colour.

 

[biteren]

yeah, well some people said Transformers Devastation wasnt gonna be good then.

this has got to have 4 player Co-op, my buddy neds to see this game

 

[duckroll]

my Wonderswan Colour.

Was the Wonderswan Color ever officially released in Europe or Australia?!

 

[Cardon]

Looks decent enough to me, weird noses and eyes included. At this point I'm just more concerned with which actors will be voicing the turtles. For me the current cast on the Nick cartoon is the best.

 

[biteren]

Looks decent enough to me, weird noses and eyes included. At this point I'm just more concerned with which actors will be voicing rue turtles. For me the current cast on the Nick cartoon is the best.

maybe they might have the "classic" turtles skin pack as a preorder bonus or somthin, that will fix alot of peoples concerns

 

[Cardon]

maybe they might have the "classic" turtles skin pack as a preorder bonus or somthin, that will fix alot of peoples concerns

True. Though I just hope Acti doesn't have a plethora of skins as $10-$15 DLC packs. Would be cool if stuff was unlockable old-school style but I know I'm dreaming.

 

[duckroll]

True. Though I just hope Acti doesn't have a plethora of skins as $10-$15 DLC packs. Would be cool if stuff was unlockable old-school style but I know I'm dreaming.

Sadly Transformers only had a preorder skin pack. No unlockables and no extra dlc since.

 

[Coda]

Cool looking screenshots. We wont really know what the game is like until we see it in motion but I have faith that Platinum will deliver.

 

[brandonh83]

Well this just leapfrogged over most games I'm hyped for right now.

 

[Kaako]

Please be good. Please be good. Please be good.
Is all I ask, Platinum.

 

[Mista Koo]

I wonder if the game was cancelled during development and that's why it was never announced

 

[Seven Force]

Sadly Transformers only had a preorder skin pack. No unlockables and no extra dlc since.

Well, Korra at the very least had a couple unlockable skins. Maybe this will, too.

 

[Sid]

Looks decent. How is Platinum managing developing so many games at once?

 

[Coda]

Looks decent. How is Platinum managing developing so many games at once?

They have different teams for each game so each team can stay focused on a singular project.

 

[maniac-kun]

Is this a PS4 game?

 

[biteren]

Is this a PS4 game?

yup, while not a looker, i think it will deliver in gameplay.

 

[Sid]

yup, while not a looker, i think it will deliver in gameplay.

Is this 60 FPS?

 

[biteren]

Is this 60 FPS?

Transformers Devastation was, i think this will be too.

 

[Major B.S.]

What's with the headsets?

Is this Wide World of Sports?

If so where's the blimp?

 

[Overside]

except for the noses, very Eastman and Laird.

Except for precisely the faces...

Its really weird. Is it a legal thing? Is someone like Viacom not allowing use of the recognizable designs?

Or is it just coincidence that suddenly the last couple uses of the property have gone out of their way to distance themselves from an iconic and recognizable design?

After platinums spectacular depiction of G1 transformers I was certain they would do the same with an el/mirage style homage... And they did... Except for the faces... Its really weird.

 

[JetSetRadio]

Might give it a shot, turtles>>>transformers/korra.
It's a budget title too right?

 

[dan2026]

Was the Wonderswan Color ever officially released in Europe or Australia?!

It was only released

Spoiler

in your heart

 

[Weltall Zero]

Nothing makes you feel more like the character being a bad ass then the combat system Rocksteady cooked up.

Perhaps, but nothing makes you, the player, feel like a bad ass like mastering a Platinum game and dealing death with true finesse and flair.

Case in point, Transformers Devastation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-gsI6j_C18

 

[philion]

I just know it's gonna be a typical 3rd person view.

Why not do something different and have it 2.5D side scrolling to relive the arcades.

 

[biteren]

I just know it's gonna be a typical 3rd person view.

Why not do something different and have it 2.5D side scrolling to relive the arcades.

even though i probably will be happy with what we are getting, i woulnt mind this idea either

 

[ShockingAlberto]

I just know it's gonna be a typical 3rd person view.

Why not do something different and have it 2.5D side scrolling to relive the arcades.

Instead of making the kind of games Platinum is good at making, they should make something new and different and exactly like the old games.

 

[MoonsaultSlayer]

Perhaps, but nothing makes you, the player, feel like a bad ass like mastering a Platinum game and dealing death with true finesse and flair.

Case in point, Transformers Devastation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-gsI6j_C18

That's a good fucking counter and example. I'd love to see the genuine reaction from whom you quoted.

 

[zackmorris]

Damn so much Platinum hate in here. I thought they were quite well respected.

They were/are and were/are one of the most popular devs, which means that now people have to hate for them that.
It's a trend that been going on a lot for popular games and devs lately.

Platinum are still top tier in my opinion. Transformers was one of the better games I played last year, and I don't expect this to be any different.

 

[Labolas]

Looking good Platinum.

 

[Overside]

Perhaps, but nothing makes you, the player, feel like a bad ass like mastering a Platinum game and dealing death with true finesse and flair.

Case in point, Transformers Devastation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-gsI6j_C18

Absolute truth.

Rocksteadys batman, and all the modern/western games that use similar look how awesome what you aren't doing is combat is so pathetically pandering its painful.


Its like the equivalent of being the finalist in some super hyped contest, with all the pomp and prestige of a huge event, and when the moment finally comes its just connect the dots and coloring a child's picture. But all your competition pretends to be idiots and bend over backwards to make sure you win. Then they shower you with confetti and pretend your ability to actually connect the dots in numerical order was fucking amazing, and how you were able to actually color inside the lines unlike the hordes of morons around you was some inhuman feat, and they clap and applaud and tell you how great you are for doing nothing.

Its hollow, meaningless, degrading, patronizing, worthless garbage.

Thank God for stuff like platinum combat, where if the shit you do looks awesome and amazing, its because you are actually doing something awesome and amazing.

 

[Gaogaogao]

generally looks like transformers, which is a good thing.

but that nose. those faces. why

 

[pixelation]

Get rid of the stupid noses, and fix the eyes... just make them all white. Geez what's with everybody trying to change the way the turtles look for the worse? *kicks cat*

 

[ConceptX]

Those faces are genuinely awful.

I've always been one for substance over style, but I genuinely don't know if I could play this with those faces.

I'm not even sure what emotions I'm feeling it's so conflicting.

I think the general art direction suits TMNT though.

 

[bishoptl]

Holy shit...I think I figured out how they are doing this and its definitely not a bullshot if so.

• render your model with its normal texturing in a front and back view.
• Take screens into photoshop, duplicate, turn black and white and up the threshold to get the crazy black and whites you need for the comic book contrasting blacks and clone that layer.
• Take the cloned threshold layers and save them out as various maps like diffuse, specular, etc...generally these are black and white maps that tell the engine how to light, or shade things based on whether its black or white. Some of these effects only appear in direct lighting too like with specular maps.
• Trace over the original renders 2d Pencil detailing like the hatching and such on anywhere you want detailing to be more prominent. This includes various outlines. Duplicate this file and use one on top of your UV maps for the model's texture map. Use the other as a bit of an extra for your specular. Likely with a lot of opacity so it doesn't always show and look traced on. This way you can use an outliner option in your engine to generate outlines, but use the specular to add a bit more emphasis on the areas you want with these traced effects.
• Create ramp shaders based of the threshold layer duplicates and map these with additional low opacity so that they flow as a black and white shadow/lighting effect as light passes over the model on don't look painted on. This is the only part I feel may not be necessary because you can hook a ramp shader up to the engine lighting nodes and generate this effect quite possibly more cleanly.

Trace/Threshold tactics are something I've seen folks do with a 3d reference model for 2d images to create amazingly detailed Cel Shaded looking comics, but it never occurred to me till now looking at it that this may be a way to apply those results backwards onto the model's maps for animation.

Gonna try this. I think I'm right or at least in the ballpark on how to generate these results. I'll work on this to see if it works out well or needs more or less maps/techniques to pull it along.

EDIT: Found it! I remembered a guy using this stuff before for a 3d to 2d work flow. This is what I think they have adapted as a technique to create maps for 3d cel shading of this level
Basically trace in the line work, save some of it for texture maps and other layers of it for specular/diffuse map assistance to help the toon shader outline tools to gain line weight. Setup either you own ramp shaded maps for musculature from threshold layers converted to specular/diffuse maps or if it looks too painted on even as a highly opaque map just rely on rampshader node properties added to your light nodes in the engine. Should only have to draw in details on anything inside the general outline of the character and the engine should generate the rest of your lines on its own and even get assistance from any opaque diffuse/Specular maps you throw in.

Gotta go. Zbrush is calling me.

Posts like this are why I keep coming back year after year. Really informative.

 

[Mr. Nice_Guy]

If it plays well I don't care how it looks. Last TMNT game I loved was Turtles in Time so I'm ready for a successor.

 

[Sou Da]

I think everyone's focusing on the second screenshot too much.

 

[weekev]

First Transformers, then Turtles....ghostbusters next please to complete my childhood fantasy game shelf.

OT this looks like a typical Platinum character action game and that aint a bad thing by any means.

 

[DeepEnigma]

Posts like this are why I keep coming back year after year. Really informative.

Agreed.

I wonder if it is more taxing doing it this method, but it yields better visual results compared to other cel shaded games.

 

[Petrae]

generally looks like transformers, which is a good thing.

but that nose. those faces. why

Why? Who nose why.

Lame character designs aside, I'm still curious to see how the game turns out.

 

[Coda]

The nose thing is a bit strange but I honestly could care less. As long as the game plays awesomely and like a Platinum game I'll be happy. Also really hoping it has great local and online co-op.