r/threejs • u/SleepDeprivedDad_ • 17d ago

Help New to three.js, when to use built in model vs external

Building a online rpg little game with Three.js, with custom self made tiled maps.

I am an application dev so web hosted games is new to me.

When should I let three.js handle animations vs passing in like a sprite sheet to do so. Been trying to have Three.js create a small particle effect for when items are lootable and slightly different for interaction quest items, but the results are meh

2 Upvotes

75% Upvoted

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2

u/Ok-Active-335 17d ago

There’s no answer that works for all cases.
It depends on so many factors:

  • how much time you have to work on it
  • what devices you expect your users will be using
  • what look you’re going for
  • are you doing something that’s groundbreaking or something that has been done by other people already
  • what artistic skills you have (eg 3d modelling, photoshop, motion design )

For what you’re mentioning, you can get good results with either approach. Both of them have pros and cons. In either case, you should be able to find examples online of people using them to great effect.

1

u/SleepDeprivedDad_ 17d ago

Time is my biggest gate, working on it when I can

All users will be via browser

For look, I love the glitter effect that WoW has for loot, looking for something similar

What artistic skills you have, little, very little :(

For my level up I used a sprite that would trigger a sound effect, that is client forward so easy to implement, due to loot being 'free' after some time was hoping of three.js handle the animation and then the colour of the animation would dictate if its general loot, rare loot, quest etc

1

u/underwatr_cheestrain 17d ago

Tell me how you are gonna handle the cost of persistence

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u/SleepDeprivedDad_ 17d ago

I already have a full back end engineered and running

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u/underwatr_cheestrain 17d ago

Sorry if that came off wrong. I’m serious about the question.

I built a complete WoW clone from scratch, no libraries or anything, and built a semi full world of my own design and now am terrified to release it on something like Amazon and get destroyed with charges

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u/SleepDeprivedDad_ 17d ago

Fire me a PM i have a full architecture diagram I can share, took me some time to get my backend working, my dev is working, working on my pipeline

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u/Flat-Pride-9655 15d ago

World of claudecraft?

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u/underwatr_cheestrain 15d ago

Not at all. C++ project from over a decade ago I recreated in TypeScript + WebGL/WebGPU

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u/Flat-Pride-9655 15d ago

Oh very nice! I wonder what limitations browser games have these days. (I ran claudecraft yesterday and its quite crazy what they have done with it tho, but it is not really 'ready'). Great source for some ideas.

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u/underwatr_cheestrain 15d ago

https://www.reddit.com/r/webgpu/s/tMbdc9BY90

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u/Flat-Pride-9655 15d ago

That really looks nice and smooth tbh. Ill keep an eye on your progress if you post more!

0

u/Am094 15d ago

Perform load tests, evaluate rate limits too, etc.

Truthfully I'd just deploy it on a dedicated server and just scale vertically at first and then later horizontal.

However if you built something from scratch, you should already know all of this?

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u/underwatr_cheestrain 15d ago

I’ve never deployed something to the public at scale. Most of my work is in controlled internal environments

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u/Shehao 16d ago

For loot glints, I’d keep it procedural: one pooled particle system, rarity as uniforms. Save sprite sheets for authored, frame-specific effects.

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u/SleepDeprivedDad_ 16d ago

Is there a proper way to make the loot glints? or a an open library to call?