Add an "In front" rendering rule for objects

I have a very simple (and probably not difficult) request.

But right now, objects are always rendered behind the player character. But can i suggest a simple 'Render in front' parameter that can be set in the object file? This would allow content creators to have some objects appear in the foreground giving a great sense of depth by allowing the player to become part of the scene with things like vines, small trees or rocks appearing both in front and behind the player.

other examples might include railings that appear in front of a player on a suspended walkway, dangling wires or chains in a warehouse, roof supports in a mine...

It adds a huge amount for so little

 

I support this idea!

 

I certainly like the sound of that, the amount of things I could do while building would increase greatly, and exploring jungles and caves would be that much more immerse.~ Icouldalsohideintallgrassyay.

 

I would love this

 

Idea supported!

 

I wonder if it's really that simple

 

In forests, maybe trees will be randomly generated to be either in front or behind? Would add some serious immersion.

 

If they're small things,ok.
Bigger things would cause complications,lot's of 'em.

 

Yeeep.

 

That alone will change so friggin much about the gameplay and design.. i dunno it sounds hella interesting

 

Could add a script to a froeground object to let players "hide" behind it and have a meta stealth game-mode

 

One problem with this is that enemies would be able to hind behind objects. Small enemies sometimes do this already by hiding behind large non-hostile monsters, which is annoying. Maybe you could have transparency or the option to adjust transparency on the foreground similar to zoom level? Otherwise I like this idea, could add a lot to the game.

 

I don't see that as a problem but a feature.

Make a player jump if a mob suddenly pounces on them out of a shadow. Could even have enemies who delibratly hide, like how in minecraft creepers delibratly try position themselves in small alcoves out of players line of sight.

 

I was thinking more like how some games have large objects in the foreground that obstruct your view so you sometimes can't see what you're fighting, what's going on, etc.
Although I could see some creatures purposefully hiding in an attempt to catch you off guard, even staying quiet (no idle noise). All the more reason to be constantly swinging your weapons right?

 

-Enemies that are not suposed to be hidden would turn to colored silhouettes when hidden by an object or a mob.
-Also in the wild only thin terrain object will have that ability to spawn in front.
-When crafting, support beams, door cases and pillars will always apear in front.
-Hidding feature skills and techs for multiplayer and hidding ability using mobs on singleplayer- thats a cool ui.

As long as its small its ok, ive played lots of games wich in characters are outlined when behind an object and it only ads to the atmosphere.

 

....How would you place them?

 

the who and the what?

 

This has been suggested so many times, Ryuujin, but since most of us know that you are a modder yourself, I am intrigued on what you might find in a way to do this.

I don't support most fore-ground block suggestions because the suggestion itself is broken, and the OP didn't think about the ease of access to place the blocks, take them away, and how EVERYTHING would be affected.

One quick thing to ask you, Ryu. Did you think about how much more lag people like me would get, since we would have to load (or render?) a whole new plane of blocks?

 

I'm not proposing a new layer of blocks - as you say, this would be impractical, increase lag and really not have a lot to offer for it.

My proposal here is to add a JSON parameter that allows a content author to tag an object (not a tile) so that it is rendered in front of the rest of the scene. Objects are always in the foreground layer (the one the player exists in), but they are always rendered behind the player or NPCs. Objects with the tag would instead be rendered in front of the player, and thus give the illusion of depth without requiring any new layers (Think of side scrollers like limbo, and how having stuff both in front and behind the player work to give a sense of depth).

Think of the gantries in the prison dungeon, but the platforms and railings are instead rendered in front of the player instead of behind them, so it looks like you're stood on a paltform, instead of occupying the same space

 

Okay. That makes much more sense. All of the other things that I saw (that seemed so similar) was adding a fore-ground layers to tiles, but not objects, so . . . .

This would be quite cool, and just simply adding that tag would give the game a one-up to others of the genre/style AND allow modders to have a bunch more fun with making fore-ground objects and such.