Q&A with Map Designer Adam Franců

[koffeekage 322]

are there any plans for subterranean areas. I imagine navigating sewers in larger cities or caves that are pitch black would be extra scary and provide a good location to really want a flashlight. May be an opportunity for really ugly infected, think about your foot after wearing swampy boots all day, just pale and prunie. 

[exwoll 255]

Hi and thanks for giving humanity such a wonderful map to play ! :D

I believe my questions would be the same as everyone else:

• Are there any map extensions planned in the future? We've seen the possibilities of BI map creation tools with the A3 Australia map and its mindblowing 1600 sq. km (7x the size of Chernarus+) :D
• What are your thoughts on the seasonal changes of the map. So far we've seen that your team is approaching this really carefully and with every detail step by step (vegetation changes,etc)
• What would you dream to see in the maps created by future modders? Would you adventure yourself to create a map?

[Cellofellow 2]

Will we see the addition of Utes in the future? I saw an old dev blog and in the video the island Utes (I think that was its name) was in the game. Is it possible we will see the addition of Utes? The video title is Dayz Devblog 5 February 2013 uploaded by Dean Hall. Utes can be seen at 9:22.

[Five_Seven_Clown 88]

I have a question that I've been trying to get an answer to for a long, long time. I see there are many "dry" stream/river beds that have been added to the map, they have rocks and reeds in them, they often link pools of still water. Will these river beds ever be given some running water textures and sounds?

Thanks

[Irish. 4886]

If he only had one hour left to live.. what would he do? 

[huckjam 2]

Will there ever be different biomes like snow?

How about different houses and building every town is basically the same 50 models is there any plans on new structures or at least more variables in the structures so they all dont look the same for instance if the green split level had some with a broken down wall on one side or vines covering it maybe a broken stair case on one side of some of them, or even different rooms that open in some of them that way some could be default but some could be different. 

ARe there any plans to include sewers or caves maybe even underground military bunkers? 

Will the dry rivers ever have flowing water when it rains? I think it would be amazing if my 

And are the forests going to have dense brush so its not just rows of trees you can see right through so its possible to actually hide a camp in them or hide in bushes like in real life instead of only being able to get up close to a pine tree to hide? Like small trees fallen branches vines and bushes like in real life?

That's all I have for now thanks for the awesome game and keep up the great work!!!

 

[_GoUp_ 21]

well, all my questions are mentioned above. :D

[kopo79 426]

will there be any fields that have not been harvest yet?

[joe_mcentire 2074]

hej thanks for the opportunity!

1. Given the time and resources, do you think rivers (moving or running bodies of water) will find their way into the engine, eventually? 
2. Given the time and resources, do you think having and creating cave/mining/underground systems will find their way into the engine, eventually?
3. Have you ever thought about randomizing certain places and areas with different sceneries upon one or more server-restarts? Kinda like how cars or helo-crashes spawn but maybe on a bit wider scale?
   e.g. a certain road passage, once being blocked with fallen trees, then again with a random crash of one or more vehicles, then again spawning with roadworks.
   or e.g. a church, once locked with dead piles of bodies inside, then again with an abandoned camp, etc.
4. Do you plan to breath more life (pun) into your coastal villages, towns and harbors? They are predestined for all kinds of eerie sceneries but have remained lackluster for the most part so far.
   Like the small "fisher village" of Skalisty Island? Aren't we supposed to smell the fish there when walking between its shacks and cottages?
   I'd think about all kinds of stuff, such as abondoned piers, small fishing boats narrowly strung together, piles of fishing nets... soo much good stuff :)

Edited April 22, 2017 by joe_mcentire

[joe_mcentire 2074]

5 minutes ago, kopo79 said:

will there be any fields that have not been harvest yet?

really like the idea, of areas with dense, high crops to hide/flee into etc. problem might be how to consider this in the rendering distance

[joe_mcentire 2074]

3 hours ago, robde said:

Are underground caves, mines or bunkers planned and even possible to create?

Bunkers or even cellars or basic sewers might be possible at some point, considering that VBS2 already had this:

 

[gekker 13]

Im glad I have the chance to ask some questions :)

- How did the new Renderer affect your work if at all? Do you have new technical options available now that you didn't have before like creating flowing rivers and new complex shaders?

- How open are you in regards of modifying the terrain beyond what the real Chernarus looks like? Would you add rivers or mountains in order to create an more interesting look?

- What would you like to create most in Chernarus if you had no artistic or technical limitations at all?

- Do you rather focus on creating locations that look beautiful or those that allow for a great combat experience?

- Do you think Chernarus still has too much empty space that you would like to fill with more interesting terrain, towns or wildlife? I feel like the mid eastern region west of Dubrovka seems more empty than other regions.

- How much can we expect Chernarus to improve beyond beta?

And finally:

- How did you and the others end up at Bohemia Interactive as level designers? I find creating and improving Chernarus is the most exiting project I had the pleasure to watch.

[CharlieandtheRed 0]

I'm a hobbiest terrain and landscape creator, so I love the opportunity to pick your brain. I understand height data was used from a real world location to make Chenaraus, but could you elaborate on the entire process on a high level, from the beginning to the end, on this map? Do you do a lot of iteration and sculpting in engine? Do you then run it through a program like World Machine with masks to get proper erosion?

One question I've always had is: let's say you screw up a section of the map when sculpting -- how do you "roll back" to a previous version? Do you version control the heightmap or something? If you do do this, how do you keep large asset placement (buildings, rocks, water) consistent on each import?

Any insight into the process would be lovely. Thanks so much!

[green_mtn_grandbob 594]

Are the rocks going to be fixed so players can't put camps inside of the rocks?

[falcos 6]

I am not sure if this has been asked or is ever going to be addressed but in the early days of the project and the map was being done there was talk about Utes being added as part of the lower map out at sea and player could go there.

Is this sill on the table to be added in or have we gone pass the point where it can not be added?

Am a fan of it being added if possible but i'd settle for any news about it.

Edited April 21, 2017 by falcos

[sausagekingofchicago 4711]

How much of a difference is there between designing A2/A3 maps to desinging a map for DayZ/Enfusion?  Are the file formats and tools different enough to warrant current map designers to abandon their works entirely or should they carry on?

[Sam Eastick 3]

With the changes to how forests will look, are there any plans to go in and make the forest feel denser. Before the trees were all spread apart and you could see straight through. It would be nice to see some forests, maybe north-west corner of the map, be an actual struggle to manoeuvre with trees and logs and shrubs everywhere

[HaseDesTodes 315]

Who does decide what is beeing added changed in map design? I assume it's mostly the game designers and producers, but how much can you bring in your own creativity in terms of map layout?

When you are designing a compound, can you request new buildings when you feel, that it just wouldn't look and feel right with the current choice of buildings?

Do you rather build towns, cities or nature?

If you were to decide to add one big thing to Chernarus, what would you add?

How much do engine limitations (no running water, lack of support of underground areas) hinder you creating the Chernarus of your dreams?

How do the chernarussian postmen find the right houses without named roads and house numbers?

What are the greates challenges when you are creating a belivable map?

Would you reveal all the little (and big) secrets Chernarus has to offer for us?

Edited April 23, 2017 by HaseDesTodes

[joe_mcentire 2074]

4 hours ago, Sam Eastick said:

With the changes to how forests will look, are there any plans to go in and make the forest feel denser. Before the trees were all spread apart and you could see straight through. It would be nice to see some forests, maybe north-west corner of the map, be an actual struggle to manoeuvre with trees and logs and shrubs everywhere

O_o it doesn't hurt to dream, does it?

 

Edited April 22, 2017 by joe_mcentire

[Blafirelli 39]

Hi Sumrak, not sure if this falls in your responsibility, but

Q1: Is it (will it be) possible with Enfusion having some randomized map features that are generated upon starting a server?

Q2: Have you considered procedurally generated building models to counter town uniformity we have now? (i mean the few buildings repating over and over in every town). And what was the outcome? :)

 

Thanks in advance!

Edited April 22, 2017 by Blafirelli

[Sqeezorz 839]

I have a few questions gone through my head.

1) Do you have restrictions with regard to the size or the size of the map (memory size with regard to consoles or downloads, i means the memory/data size not the physical map size )

2) often now already read the people want more house diversity -> it is also possible the dynamic texture behavior as in the trees Add (must be a logaritmic code for at all user have the same viewing ? Or its random i.e. the tree-system ? )

3) it will be possible to use engineered paint spray cans to mark surfaces of the surface (graphitis).

Edit to 3):

I mean more graphitis in selected form to "paint" on a surface like a Door. ( own random pictures are a big mountain to work and not good --> to mutch abuse [political/rassime])

I mean this:

Sry im not found with english.

(Catching dog / here are police / people call police)

(Make of godness / here are none / gifts for work)

(Possible to camp / here are money-loot / make like a cat and you become wath you need )

(Here are food / make play of sickness and you win / keep out)

 

Edited April 28, 2017 by Sqeezorz

[MRLietuvis 1]

What is holding back visual 0.62 update? 

[moeb1us 91]

7 hours ago, Sam Eastick said:

With the changes to how forests will look, are there any plans to go in and make the forest feel denser. Before the trees were all spread apart and you could see straight through. It would be nice to see some forests, maybe north-west corner of the map, be an actual struggle to manoeuvre with trees and logs and shrubs everywhere

This was adressed in the last few status reports. Yes they will up the object count and make the forests denser with more younger trees, underbrush etc. And yes, the north-west area was completely redone as well.

[moeb1us 91]

Hi Adam,

question regarding the satellite image: will we get an updated one? the current one has a lot of wrong colored forests on it

[alex8xela 1]

I would really like to see a place in Chernaurus where there is a massive mountain. Not just green mountain, but a mountain which is made up of rock not just mud and grass.

I would like a place where it is always snowing, maybe the northern most section of the map.

I would also like to see a lake up on these mountains, where we can find a river, and then use it to navigate?

I would love to see rivers and streams.

I would love to see massive mountain valleys and mist and fog obscuring mountain tops.

Are you planning to make the houses more random and diverse instead of copy / paste?

What about the rendering when someone is wearing a Ghillie suit, it would be better if they 'blended in' what are you going to do about this?

Are you going to add Utes Island? - It looks like a great idea for a map addition...