Vidya Griha - help needed for project

[Nyingjé Tso]

Vanakkam friends,

finally finishing my master degree in video game graphics, I'll start working soon, meaning... I'll have more free time ! (no, that's not contradictory, really)

I wanted to start a personal project, make some sculpts here and there, but I think I can use some free time to create something useful for me (stepping outside my comfort zone, learning new things) and for Hindus.

What's this project about ?

If I tell you videogames and Hinduism ? Don't yell heresy, I'm not talking about making a "call of Râma: Satyaloka warfare" ! Think about it :

Imagine you walking inside a beautiful and famous mandir in India or elsewhere, admiring the age old carvings, buying your pûja offerings, walking calmly in the corridors, praying in the sanctum... But you're not in India. You don't have time, money, or whatever to go there, but you want to experience it as if you were there ?

You are not Hindu, but you want to know more about Hindu stuff, what happen in temples ? What is the meaning of the carvings, offerings ... But you're too afraid to step inside a temple, or there is none around you ?

You are Hindu, but you want to know more about history and customs in others sampraday/regional temples ?

The goal is to offer this experience to everyone in your computer screen. Imagine experimenting a mandir, with the cutting edge graphics of video games ?

Wait, you're saying you can really do that ?

I've got the tech, the skills, I lack the programming but hope I can learn on this side. I've spent 5 years studying video games and I'm part of a team working actually on a project waaaay bigger than this one. So, why not giving it a try ?

What's that tech you're talking about ?

Well, this is where I'm not really settled right now. Basically, there are two game engines that I know how to use and that are adapted for this project: Unity 3D, and Unreal engine. If you don't know those names, think about Kerbal space program or Deus Ex: the fall for Unity, and almost every current/next gen AAA titles for Unreal D)

The only thing I have to figure out before setteling into one of these guys, is about the web player. Meaning, with Unity it's easy to just make the user dowload the Unity player, and then play it on their navigator. Whereas I don't even know if it's possible with UDK, but.... UDK is way more beautiful and powerful, especially on the lighting.

Ok long story short, it's technical and stuff. But I've got those two guyz ready for work.

I... Don't really understand... What will I be able to do in this "video game" ?

I'll post a more detailed thing once I figure out some things first, but basically :

> Navigating in first person view into the temple (walking, stopping, camera control to watch around, etc)

> Interacting with NPCs (Information about the temple, buying offerings, interaction with priest during puja etc...)

> Interactive with elements (lighting incense, lamp, tilaka, praying posture, namaskaram posture, etc...)

These are the most basic things the player will be able to "do".

There will be also a small tutorial that will not be a part of the game immersion (it'll be like a HUD) that will explain for the non Hindu or novice general aspects of worship and basic Hinduism info.

Interaction with NPCs or specifics elements of the game (carving, etc) will provide information about the history of the mandir, the chief deity, etc.

I think I have seen this somewhere...

Well, I haven't. Thing is, I have seen many projects looking like this. For exemple "interactive virtual puja" stuff. But those things are, for the vast majority, badly made with adobe flash or are all unfinished projects with discutable quality. I really want to make something finished, accessible to hindus and non hindus alike, that will have the graphical quality and seriousness it deserves. And this, have not be done already.

So, I will have to pay for it or something ?

Hey it's not done yet !
...
But it will be free to download, free to play, free for whatever you want to do with it except that you better not steal my job. It's some sick work there, don't even dare to think about stealing it.

You need help. So how can I help ?

Simple. There are many phases that this work will pass through:

> Pre-production. Graphically, this means choosing which mandir to begin with, and getting a s***load of photos, drawing, information, maps, anything that can help with modeling. Programming side, it's all about getting the engine in hand and basic programming using placeholders.

> Production. GRAAAAPHICS AAAAALL THE WAAAAAY and integrating them in the engine instead of the placeholders, and programming.

> Polish. Debugging the whole thing, refining the graphics here and there, well, finishing the work.



I need all the help I can use from fellow Hindus and people in India and around the world for the preproduction phase.

First:

> Please, suggest a mandir you would like to be worked on. I have no preference in style or deity, I would just like a mandir where a lot of information/photographs are available and if possible, if someone here used or still go.
Suggestions are NOT restricted to temples of India, mandirs around the whole world are welcome !

> When this ^ have been decided between all people interested in helping for this project, please send me every info, photograph, map, plan, anything graphical or historical related to the chosen mandir. The more you help, the quicker the project will go and the better accurate the graphics will be.

(and yes, it is a serious project.)

Well, I'm open to any suggestion in this tread !

 

[Fireside_Hindu]

This sounds amazing! I can't offer any suggestions right now - about to head out but I will return to this later! Great idea!

:camp:

 

[Poeticus]

I have to say, this is a wondrous
idea - full of noble intention. And
I wish you success in this venture.
Just one small question: can you
please make it compatible for
MacBooks also? EDIT: that's the
only way I'll have access to game.​

 

[Nyingjé Tso]

please make it compatible for
MacBooks also? EDIT: that's the
only way I'll have access to game.​

For Unity it's possible to export for Mac... Unfortunately I don't think it's possible with Unreal, or it's complicated... I'll have to figure this out, but I can say that it will be developped on winsows and alpha/beta phases will be windows only also :/

 

[ratikala]

namaskaram JayaBholenath ji :namaste

sounds like a major project , and briliant , ....

I know nothing about games ....
so I dont know how I can help , but if you think of anything I can do please ask .

 

[Nyingjé Tso]

I know nothing about games ....
so I dont know how I can help , but if you think of anything I can do please ask .

Sister, you don't need to know about videogames to help... you need to know about devotion ! And I thnk you are good at it ! ^^

I need fellows devotees here to help me decide on which mandir to make first. I need a temple with a lot of photographs, pictures, drawing, maps, anything available that could help me modeling/sculpting the temple in accurate details in 3D.

So please, if you have any suggestions of temple and photos to share, it will be a great help !

 

[JaiMaaDurga]

Namaste,

Meenakshi Amman Kovil would be certainly spectacular,
and I believe it is well-represented photographically- there is even a link
on its Wikipedia page to 360° views of it.

Also, I have experience with audio production and sound design, though not
in the context of games. PM me if you think these skills could help in some way
at some point

JAI MATA DI

 

[Sb1995]

Interesting..

 

[Nyingjé Tso]

Namaste,

Meenakshi Amman Kovil would be certainly spectacular,
and I believe it is well-represented photographically- there is even a link
on its Wikipedia page to 360° views of it.

Also, I have experience with audio production and sound design, though not
in the context of games. PM me if you think these skills could help in some way
at some point

JAI MATA DI

Vanakkam,

Thank you very much for your input ! Meenakshi Amman kovil would be interesting if there is much photo/video references...
The only problem is that it is really... HUGE XD It would require a really huge work on the graphical level.
Unless I make only a part of the temple available for visit at first...


I am still looking for ...

- Temples suggestions (anywhere !)
- Any photo, drawing, video, information of temples (can be your mandir next door !)

If you have any suggestion or question please don't hesitate to post here !



I have settled for UDK now because it is way much easier to get a beautiful graphical result and gorgeous lightings with this engine... But I have a huge lot of programming to learn !

Here is some picture of renders, if it can inspire you to see more concretely how it can look like:

Spoiler: Big pictures

Don't forget any help for photographs, drawing or suggestions is welcome, otherwise the project will not go too far...

 

[Sb1995]

Those photos are AMAZING.