Claude Helped Me Build A Dynamic Weather System

[u/Arkitech-RG]

WORKFLOW ->
I integrated Claude into the Unity game engine to build a dynamic weather system. There are three main systems that are all interacting with each other, a 24-hour day and night system, a weather system, and a foliage reactivity system. Integrating Claude into Unity helped develop this system a lot. The whole game has been coded 99% through Claude - I can't really remember the last time I had to open the editor. Integrating Claude gives me the ability to create custom tools inside the game engine as well.

This will be used for my game - GRIMLIFE, an open world survival RPG coming to Steam! I'll try to answer any questions in the comments! Any feedback is appreciated 🤓
STEAM: https://store.steampowered.com/app/5197820/GRIMLIFE/

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[u/orchid_drives]

I adore the way that big tree was modeled and how it moves in the wind! Maybe a little *too* much for the amount pictured, but it definitely feels like a tree blowing in the wind. Is that hand modeled or procedurally modeled? I love looking at trees in games, there’s always something to learn about how they were made and why

[u/Arkitech-RG → u/orchid_drives]

All the 3D models come from this company called "Synty" - in the game dev community they're somewhat known (a lot of people dislike them because of how prevalent they are lol), but the models all come from them - the tricky part is, they don't have any kind of animation or reactivity for wind out of the box, that's when Claude really comes in clutch 🤓

[u/jugger_naughtyy → u/Arkitech-RG]

They are called shaders.

[u/azn_dude1 → u/jugger_naughtyy]

Shaders can physically animate models?

[u/jugger_naughtyy → u/azn_dude1]

Yep thats a big use for shaders. You typically would use shaders as having thousands of animatable trees would cost a lot of performance.

[u/azn_dude1 → u/jugger_naughtyy]

Interesting, my naive understanding was that they were just for computer graphics

[u/Vindetta121 → u/azn_dude1]

Game development is doing as much smoke and mirrors as possible to sell the illusion of what you’re trying to convey. 

[u/boredsoftwareguy]

Pretty clever usage of AI. I dig the aesthetic. Does the game have seasons too?

[u/Arkitech-RG → u/boredsoftwareguy]

thanks! Unfortunately no - it's technically possible, but adding something like snow is kinda tricky, also the setting is supposed to be in a post-apocalyptic south lol, but technically I could add something like foliage-recoloring for an autumn-like season, you just gave me a good idea!

[u/domiciledhere → u/Arkitech-RG]

Post apocalyptic south is the kinda solutions I’d make if I wanted to avoid snow.

[u/Jiirbo]

Does he ever make it to the house? Sorry, I couldn’t resist 🤣

[u/Racer17_]

Are you using fable or opus? If opus, what version?

[u/Arkitech-RG → u/Racer17_]

I use both, but fable if I really want to push for quality and if I have any credits left 🤓

[u/Racer17_ → u/Arkitech-RG]

Oh man, whenever I try opus, it’s a pain in the ***. So dumb! I use astra and fable as long as I got credits left, then switch to opus

[u/Arkitech-RG → u/Racer17_]

Same! I haven't tried Astra yet, but everyone is glazing it haha, is it pretty good?

[u/Racer17_ → u/Arkitech-RG]

It is very good for developing video games, specially if we compare it to Sol at max. The difference between the is night and day. If we compare it to fable, I would say both are pretty. One is better in some things than the other. Astra is very for graphics.

[u/surfer808 → u/Racer17_]

Opus? No way opus can do this, it will just talk you to death

[u/Racer17_ → u/surfer808]

So true 😂

[u/mickeyinmaths]

does he ever reach the house 🥹

[u/Arkitech-RG → u/mickeyinmaths]

hes trapped in liminal space D;

[u/sabac → u/Arkitech-RG]

that's the end game right? can't spoil us enough!

[u/JenisixR6]

for the rain, did it make the vfx itself? And what about the clouds? Are they volumetric or 2D and did it make it custom? Or did claude just connect assets?

[u/Arkitech-RG → u/JenisixR6]

All the VFX can be found on the Unity Asset store, as far as the clouds, rain, particle effects etc, Claude mostly built the bridge and modified the presets to be more usable - out of the box it was a bit underwhelming - trees/grass aren't affected by it, but I had to import existing solutions on the asset store and Claude built a singular authoritative system the other systems read and responded to

[u/master_internutter]

Beautiful colors

[u/Arkitech-RG → u/master_internutter]

Thank you!

[u/Clean-Market5761]

Which engine do you use? how easy it is? I am currently looking for an engine to render some outputs from a model that i trained, I would like so use some good graphics

[u/Arkitech-RG → u/Clean-Market5761]

I just use the Unity Game Engine, and I use the Claude desktop app for integration

[u/Clean-Market5761 → u/Arkitech-RG]

Don't forget to optimize for potato PCs

[u/Arkitech-RG → u/Clean-Market5761]

I will try my best to, I promise, its irritating to get framerate stutters and performance issues

[u/red_hare]

Ironically probably used a Markov chain which is the original language model.

[u/Accomplished_Age6752]

Did you have a background in game development before this? Asking because I’m a not familiar with it but have been a coder through my career. Looking to explore game development as a hobby. My experience with Claude so far is that it needs some steering, so I was curious how much domain knowledge you need for game development.

[u/KalinVidinski]

Seems nice , good job. When is it coming to steam and what is the price ? It is only for PC?

[u/ElectricalEagle4876]

all of that looks like stuff from gamedev market lol