EverQuest New Graphics Engine Interview
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Q: In the area of character animations and skinning, what enhancements are you implementing, and what can players actually see that's different from before?
A: In the area of animations, we've added animation blending, which means characters will behave more naturally when moving from one action to another. In the old system, all animations had to begin and end in similar poses in order to minimize character popping. In the new system, we can be halfway through doing one thing, decide to do another, and the character will seamlessly move between the animations.
We've also added the ability for the system to handle random versions of the same action. So, with the new system, our artists will be able to make a number of attack animations for use with a two-handed sword (for example) and every time the character plays an attack, it will randomly choose from them. This will make the characters less repetitive, and hopefully make the game more visually appealing. We've also added animations based on what types of weapons a player is holding, so that when you hold a two-handed sword, your "stance" will be different than if you had a sword and shield, or two swords, for example.
In regards to skinning, we've now got weighted vertices for characters. This means that when they move, the skin will move / stretch in a more natural fashion. In the old system, the skin would move like a series of plates that were attached at the edges.
