The development team has really hit a home-run with this one.

Okay, thanks. Although you are not programmer, you did help me a lot.

It's nice to hear from someone who made it into the industry.

Well, I think I will just play around a bit with particle illusion and XNA.

I started around 12 years ago, there really was no specific training so I am afraid I cannot help you out on that one. I just happened to be good at Photoshop at the time, it was natural progression from there on. Breaking into the industry is a lot harder nowadays. If you got the talent you will get in.

It is important to have a good showreel – try to also show that you can work effectively, creating games is not just about making cool stuff, it is about learning to work with limitations and getting the most out of it.

@Col0red

Honestly I do not know whether Particle Illusion exports data that is usable, it was an example of a typicle particle editor. Fork most likely does (I only have experience with proprietary software).

The most work is the actual graphics engine and after that the particle engine.

And since I am not a programmer I cannot help you out alot I fear. You are ambitious for sure.

Let me know when I'm getting on your nerves with all these questions.

You need an actual graphics engine that is capable of handling transparency and camera facing sprites at the very least. Then comes the particle engine part, which basically interprets the particle data created by the artist and spawns, sorts, draws and updates the particle systems.

There is currently no particle editor that outputs C, the particle editor purely outputs data that is recognized and handled by the particle engine.

Create/Design an effect in a particle editor. This editor creates a file with certain information in any language, like C++, C#, whatever. And then you use the created code-file in your project and code when this effect should be drawn?

It creates a plain text file with info like rotation speed over time, color over time etcetera.

You can basically create these files directly in notepad if you want, (if you know the names of the variables and the structure). But it can quickly become quite complex.

Like creating a cube by hand in a Maya Ascii file, it is possible but I very much doubt you would like it.

So the quick answer – mostly the particle editing is done by the more technical minded artist.

The particle editor "language" and inner workings on the target platform are set up by the programmer(s).

Thanks a lot for your answer! But I don't get, how the work with particles is done here. If you use tools like Fork or Particle Illusion, are the effects done by programmers or graphic artists? I mean, do you program the particle effects in C++ first and then use Fork in addition, or do you create the whole stuff with Fork only?

Sorry for my newbie-questions, but I'm really interested in these things and the only thing I know is a little bit of XNA.

I don't think my critique of those game effects will apply to Bayonetta, if only because everything Kamiya touches turns to gold.

Also those effects are very stunning. Really the comparison videos are like night and day. Every little effect helps sell the impact of the hits. Keep up the good work.

I'm really looking forward to play Bayonetta this Winter and I hope you'll come out with other great projects in the future!

P.S. Okami 4 life!

Do you program it with languages like HLSL or do you design this with 3D modellers like Maya?

Thanks in advance and have nice day.

@Col0red
It is partially shader work Z-Feathering or “Soft particles”, distortion effects and blend modes for example are handled on the shader side of the effect.
The particles itself are mostly created with proprietary software (or 3rd party software like Fork).
The particle part is basically things like direction, speed, rotation, friction, scale etcetera…

Maya has its own particle system but you have to mess around alot with expressions to get even the most basic functions you would find in any proprietary tool as a standard. You probably should be able to get a copy of Fork or Particle Illusion if you want to mess around with “game” particle systems.

I am a bit of a fanatic (doing game particles for 10 years now) so you will have to excuse me for answering.

So familiar… I have not found a better way to explain it yet.

The next question often is whether it is hard to "program" them, hehe…

I'm the lead effects designer for ChAIR (Epic Games – making Shadow Complex). That's funny how similar the conversations are. I recently designed the foam weapon for Shadow Complex which took a lot to get what we all agreed was right. We wanted to be able to shoot a "high tech foam that would harden and immobilize the target." You'll have to check out the game this summer and see what I came up with.

Sometimes people don't know exactly what they want ("It's a leveling-up effect… what would that look like?). But that's often when it's the most fun. I like having the freedom to surprise people.

Nice comparison vids. I enjoyed your post.

My only remark is that it would have been great to have the exact same scripted gameplay on both videos – then you could have shown them side by side in one video.

That small point aside, you delivered on what you want to accomplish – an awesome illustration of the incredible ability for special effect artists to impact the feel and atmosphere of the game.

Well done.

Wuhhh!!

A small suggestion I might have is, I think it would look a little better if the rose was smaller, but had a but more presence… like, it comes out as a rose, and then it turns into liquid blood after separating from her body, to represent the disconnection from Bayonetta herself, and the blood eventually fades away into nothing.

Just a small suggestion.

I especially love how you make the feathers stay in place in the air during the witch time! That was just beautiful, to watch them all fall at once after it was all over. Subtle effects like that really turn me on, no homo.

effects help give that tactile feel to a game, its very important in action games!

good work!

Thanks for the info Kudo-san, especially the conversation with Kamiya-san, that was very illustrative.

You are great at what you do.

And I loved the effect in Okami.

You guys are are awesome.