Devlog #6: real lights and simulated fire
Normal maps, dynamic lights, rim light and flames that follow the characters' outline: the city at night comes alive.
The city at night is made of light: neon signs, street lamps, shop windows, the fire of the hits. Bringing it to life needed real lights.
The characters’ sprites have normal maps, so they react to the scene’s lights like objects in relief: a lamp lights a shoulder, a sign tints a side. An edge of light, the rim light, lifts the figures off the background even in the darkest spots.
The fire isn’t a looping drawing: it’s simulated. Flames rise from the fists, wrap enemies along their outline and leave tongues of fire on the ground. Above the flames the air shimmers with heat haze.
One rule we gave ourselves: every pool of light needs a visible source. No light out of nowhere.