some game model questions
 

hi. just about to finish kurt's ninja tutorial and realized that my pc can't really handle the practically full model in sub-d form (it slows down immensely). so i decided to take the opportunity to go for a low poly model instead, for game engine purposes.

some quick questions (more to be added as i go along):

a. how many polys per character are ideal for game models? right now, my model is at 5168 faces, but not triangles. are tri's the game model standard?

b. for those who have seen the engine-powered cutscenes of metal gear solid 2 and 3, is it possible to emulate the weather effects and other special effects (i.e. fire, smoke) from within maya in low-poly mode? i'm looking to end up with a finished product that hopefully looks somewhat like those in-engine cutscenes.

thanks a bunch! happy holidays everyone! :)

a. Yes, triangles are the standard for counting details. Depending on the game type, character models can be anywhere from 1000-1500 triangles at the low end to 3500-5000 triangles at the high end. Most of the game characters I have worked with have usually averaged around 3000-3500 triangles.

b. Yes, it is possible to get that same look.

oh wow. given that i have that many faces as it is.. are there any references on the web for optimization of models to get their poly count low or do i have to start from scratch?

for the game effects, what do i use? dynamics?
i'm creating the environment for the scene right now. :)

When creating a game model I think the easiest way to do it is to make a very simple model and then add detail until you hit the poly loft set, and then maybe clean up some places if you need more details in other...