What is generally considered "too much" when modeling an add-on

[Jubel]

Due to my lack of BL knowledge, I am left a bit unaware on what is considered too much in terms of detail or polycount in models. While it of course is all subject to difference between each person, I'm just looking for a general idea of when the polycount for anything is deemed too high.

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[TheKhoz]

So most guns should be no more than two thousand polys, but around one thousand is generally considered alright. I think 750 is the most desirable, but quite often it isn't viable.

[Zeblote]

So most guns should be no more than two thousand polys, but around one thousand is generally considered alright. I think 750 is the most desirable, but quite often it isn't viable.

Ignore these people.

Use as many polygons as you want, as long as the result looks good.

[TheKhoz]

Ignore these people.

Use as many polygons as you want, as long as the result looks good.

The issue is that if you use too many polys in a gun, it ends up looking cluttered. It's a stylistic limit, not an actual one.

The thing with polycount is that it has no actual impact on gameplay/function, but it generally corresponds with the style of blockland to have a low polycount

The idea is to have as low of a polycount as possible, so using hexagons or octagons instead of 12-gons or whatever.

Frankly, Zeblote, I'd like to think I'm more qualified than you are to talk about this

Edit:
I don't mean to be rude, but I don't think it's fair to discount someone's opinion, especially if it's perfectly valid.

[Zeblote]

The issue is that if you use too many polys in a gun, it ends up looking cluttered. It's a stylistic limit, not an actual one.

When did I say that you should spam trianges everywhere? You should follow your style, and do what looks good, not always look at the polygon count and think "omg too many".

Frankly, Zeblote, I'd like to think I'm more qualified than you are to talk about this

That you made a lot of good looking low poly models doesn't mean that it's the only style everyone has to follow. Take a look at these. They look great and fit perfectly.

[Port]

Frankly, Zeblote, I'd like to think I'm more qualified than you are to talk about this

So uh, can you explain why exactly you haven't sent me all of those yet?

[TristanLuigi]

Use as many polygons as you want, as long as the result looks good.

No. My older computer would drop to several FPS when looking at weapons like the old TF2 minigun. While I admit it wasn't a great computer, a good portion of Blocklanders have low end computers.

[Zeblote]

No. My older computer would drop to several FPS when looking at weapons like the old TF2 minigun.

You have to be kidding me.

Also, not everyone cares about the kids playing on stone age potatoes.

[BluetoothBoy]

You have to be kidding me.

Also, not everyone cares about the kids playing on stone age potatoes.

No, many people do care and model to please the consumer. You not caring is a different matter entirely.

Regardless of whether you think it's stupid or not, some people's computers can't handle higher poly counts. Even if your computer can handle the higher poly count, there's no valid reason to make it work harder. The only excuse is laziness.

[takato14]

Seriously, My now 8-year-old, $200, eMachines desktop with 512MB of RAM and an early 2000s era graphics card designed for a LAPTOP could handle loving everything in Blockland. Multiple 6k+ triangle count weapons on a healthy sized (~20k bricks or so) build and around 6-8 players was commonplace on my server and I never once had noticeable framerate drop. The only time I EVER lagged was when I'd spam the forget out of emitters and get the particles really close to the camera, or when I'd open the console and make the Shard-Gun fire loving mininuke missiles. It wasn't a good machine by any means but I took good care of it and it's still going.

If your system can't handle detailed Torque guns it's your own damn fault. Take care of your system with regular internal cleanings, getting rid of old files you don't need, defragmenting, and a bi-annual reformat of the boot partition and you'll never have any issues, inside or outside of the game. I guarantee it.

[TheKhoz]

The argument that polycount effects gameplay has always bothered me. Simply put, if you're going to do high poly, you need to do it right. It's very stylistic and much harder to do than the lower polycount stuff. For a beginning modeler, I highly suggest you stick with a low-polycount style. If, at that point, you're dying to do some high poly stuff, take a look at takato's stuff to see how to do it right.

[takato14]

Oh, and, you can use as many polygons as you want as long as you're matching blockland's style, for me this means about 2000 polygons before things start getting too detailed/smooth/etc to fit the Blockiness of the game

matching styles is a lot more difficult than you would think, it's very easy to get carried away, and while your style is most certainly your own choice you should keep in mind that people won't use your Add-On if they don't like your style

[TristanLuigi]

for me this means about 2000 polygons before things start getting too detailed/smooth/etc

Explain the 6000 poly Shining Laser you just made?

I'm just messing with you, it looks fantastic.

[takato14]

Explain the 6000 poly Shining Laser you just made?

I'm just messing with you, it looks fantastic.

its actually 8000 now

and I never said that intentionally going overboard wasn't fun :P

[QuantumEagle]

uh

I don't rely on polycount, rather just on the size of the details, I'm setting myself a guideline that goes something like "if it's smaller than the width/height/size of the tip of a Blockhead's finger, you could probably EMeR it"

and EMeR is just something I came up with

• E for Exaggerate, if you still want the detail make it bigger for players to see
• Me for Merge, if you have 20 tiny little grooves for a gun railing you could probably just make 5 wide grooves instead
• R for remove, if it's not necessary at all to communicate what something is then you can probably just get rid of it altogether

Most of the time people on BL don't bother with setting a polycount limit since the "blocky and stocky" style keeps it low enough anyway