Tag Archives: 1998

2D / 2.5D Sprites Design, 3D design, 3D Models, 3DO Company, Army Men History, Making Of

How PC Army Men 2D games were made

August 13, 2025 Ex3DevOTech Leave a comment

Army Men 2.5D games: Step by Step

The first Army Men games, Army Men (1998), Army Men II (1999), Army Men: Toys in Space (1999), Army Men: World War (1999, PC version), and Army Men: Air Tactics (2000) were developed by The 3DO Company during the late ’90s. These titles were created for PC, though some would later be adapted to consoles.

At the time, 3DO’s internal development relied heavily on a mix of 3D modeling tools, custom engines, and asset pipelines tailored for low-end consumer hardware. Each game was built with a relatively short development cycle (often under a year) requiring assets reuse, modular design, and a streamlined production process.

The visual style combined pre-rendered 3D elements (created in 3D Studio Max software) with in-game sprites and textures, carefully optimized to run within the memory and performance constraints of computers of the time. Meanwhile, cutscenes and promotional material often featured higher-quality renders that were directly representative of in-game graphics.

The combination of these production methods, rapid iteration, and the particular creative direction of 3DO’s art team gave the early Army Men titles their distinct aesthetic… halfway between miniature toy realism and stylized video game worlds.

1. Concept and Scripting

Designers began with a concept document defining the environments, enemies, mission objectives, and available weapons.

These documents were usually very functional, focusing on mechanics before narrative (although Toys in Space and Air Tactics had more elaborate storylines).

The narrative script and dialogues were written in parallel with level planning so the story wouldn’t interfere with technical limitations.

2. Creation of 3D Assets

Models of soldiers, vehicles, and environments were made in 3D Studio Max.

Sarge 3D model from Army Men Toys in Space

Although the final game used highly simplified sprites, high-quality 3D model versions were created for marketing renders and cutscenes.

The models were “baked” into sprites or textures, trimming polygons and reducing color palettes to fit within RAM and VRAM limits at the time.

It’s important to note that the 2.5D Army Men games were developed exclusively for PC; console versions used different adaptations of the game engine and design approach.

So… how?

2.1 – 3D Modeling and Texturing

The visual production of the early Army Men titles was a meticulous and multi-step process that combined 3D modeling, detailed texturing, and careful sprite rendering. Development teams began by designing each character, vehicle, and object as a fully realized 3D model in 3D Studio Max. These models were built with more geometric detail than the final games would ever display, ensuring that the rendered sprites would look crisp and convincing even at the relatively low resolutions of late 1990s PC games.

Textures were then painted by hand or derived from scanned materials, giving plastic surfaces their distinctive molded look. Special care was taken to simulate the subtle light diffusion and shading characteristics of plastic, which gave the Army Men their iconic, toy-like presence. Vehicles, buildings, and environmental props followed the same pipeline, often modeled with exaggerated proportions to read clearly from the game’s fixed viewpoint.

The process began in 3D Studio Max, where artists modeled soldiers, vehicles, weapons, and environmental props in full 3D.
Although the game ultimately used sprites (2D images), the models were initially built with full geometry, high-resolution textures, and realistic proportions for marketing renders and cutscenes.
Textures were painted by hand or generated from photographic references, then downscaled and palette-limited to fit the technical constraints of the game engine (often 256 colors per set).
Each model was rigged with basic skeletons in Max’s “Biped” system for posing, not for real-time animation. All movement was baked into pre-rendered sequences.

Once modeling and texturing were complete, the development team moved to the rendering stage. Instead of importing the 3D models directly into the game engine, they were pre-rendered into 2D sprites. This technique allowed for a higher level of visual fidelity than real-time 3D of the era could achieve on average home PCs. Animations (such as walking, firing, or rotating turrets) were rendered frame-by-frame in 3D Studio Max, then exported as sprite sheets to be used in-game. Special effects like muzzle flashes, smoke, and explosions were often created as separate rendered sequences and composited on top of the base sprites.

2.2 – Environment Creation

The environments followed a similar principle. Terrain tiles, buildings, and interactive objects were modeled and rendered in segments, allowing designers to piece together maps within the game editor. Lighting was baked into these renders, giving the illusion of complex shading without taxing the PC’s hardware.

The gameplay itself was presented from a fixed isometric camera perspective, tilted at roughly a 45-degree angle. This viewpoint was carefully chosen to maximize the clarity of the battlefield while retaining a sense of three-dimensional depth. From this angle, players could easily distinguish elevation, obstacles, and the orientation of units. It also allowed artists to control exactly how models were rendered, ensuring consistent proportions and lighting across the entire game world.

The combination of high-quality pre-rendered graphics, baked lighting, and the stable isometric viewpoint gave the early Army Men games their distinctive “miniature war” aesthetic, striking a balance between technical limitations and the highly artistic ambition of 3DO’s Trip Hawkins.

Game environments were also modeled in 3D, but separated into terrain layers and static props.
Terrain tiles were rendered at fixed angles to match the isometric view, then stitched together in the in-house map editor.
Static objects (buildings, trees, fortifications) were rendered as isometric sprites with multiple damage states where applicable (e.g., intact, damaged, destroyed).

2.3 – Rendering Sprites

The 3D models were placed in a rendering scene with lighting and camera settings that matched the game’s perspective.
Soldiers and vehicles were rendered in 32 or 64 different angles, depending on their importance.
Animations (walking, shooting, reloading, turning) were rendered frame-by-frame into sprite sheets.
Each frame was then processed to remove the background, optimize colors, and align pivot points so the engine could rotate and move them smoothly.

In the image below we can see the “Tile Cam,” or sprite capture position camera. A graphic that 3DO developers always kept in mind to know the angle of each of the multiple images they had to capture of each 3D model, to obtain the 360-degree motion effect of soldiers, vehicles, etc., in addition to each set of images carrying a weapon and the like. The yellow arrow, in addition to functioning as a clock hand indicating the angle of capture, also marks the height at which the camera should be positioned. The object/model goes in the center of the graphic.

2.4 – Special Effects

Explosions, muzzle flashes, smoke, and fire were usually hand-drawn frame-by-frame in a pixel art program to achieve a stylized look and keep file sizes small.
Some effects, like shadows and ambient lighting, were faked by rendering a semi-transparent dark shape beneath the units.
Transparent effects (glass, water, energy shields) were simulated with dithered patterns instead of true alpha blending, to ensure performance on lower-end hardware.

2.5 – Movement and Animation Systems

Despite being based on 3D models, all gameplay movement was sprite-based. Each unit had pre-rendered frames for each movement direction.
The engine swapped frames quickly to simulate animation, while changing the sprite set to match the direction of travel.
Rotation was not continuous but snapped between the pre-rendered angles, giving the characteristic “stepped” turning look.
Collision detection was based on simplified bounding boxes rather than the full shape of the sprite.

2.6 – Integration into the Engine

All assets (units, terrain, effects) were packed into proprietary resource files.
The engine combined terrain tiles and object sprites in real-time, overlaying animated units and effects according to their Z-order (depth).
Lighting changes were simulated with palette swaps, allowing entire environments to shift from day to night without rerendering the assets.

3. Maps and Levels

Environments were built using an in-house proprietary editor designed specifically for the Army Men engine.

This editor allowed placement of terrain, static objects, and “event points” (enemy spawns, mission scripts, sound triggers).

Maps were generally small to keep loading times low and were often connected through transition screens or cutscenes.

4. Programming and Engine

The Army Men engine was an evolution of a framework that 3DO had already used in other strategy and action games.

It supported:

Pseudo-3D sprites and pre-rendered rotations.
Multiple terrain layers to simulate elevation.
Basic AI scripting and enemy behavior.
The code was primarily written in C/C++, with auxiliary tools in Visual Basic for resource conversion and packaging.

4.1 – How camera, pathfinding, and depth sorting worked

Since that’s what made Army Men’s isometric view feel dynamic despite being built entirely from static sprites. That part connects directly to how the movement system was implemented.

The isometric camera itself was fixed in angle but could pan across the battlefield. Camera movement was tied to mouse edges or keyboard input, and it followed a smooth scrolling pattern to maintain player orientation. Since the camera never rotated, all sprites could be pre-rendered from the same set of angles, greatly reducing memory use and production time.

Pathfinding relied heavily on an A* (A-Star) algorithm adapted to the isometric grid. The system calculated optimal routes while accounting for terrain type, impassable objects, and unit collision. Because maps often featured elevation changes (ramps, cliffs, and bridges) the pathfinding system also factored in “height layers,” preventing units from attempting impossible routes. This was especially important for vehicles, which had stricter movement constraints than infantry.

Depth sorting (deciding which objects should appear in front of or behind others) was handled through a “Y-sorting” system. The engine drew objects in order of their Y-coordinate in world space, meaning that units lower on the screen (closer to the player’s viewpoint) would be rendered on top of those further back. This simple yet effective technique ensured consistent layering without the need for real-time 3D z-buffer calculations.

4.2 – Movement, Interaction, and Technical Implementation in the Isometric Engine

The fixed isometric perspective of the early Army Men titles was not just a visual choice.. it directly influenced how movement, interaction, and gameplay logic were implemented.

Unit movement was handled on a 2D coordinate grid that corresponded to the isometric map’s tile layout. Each tile represented a fixed unit of space, but because the camera was angled, the game had to apply a transformation to convert “world” coordinates into their isometric screen positions. This meant that while players saw units moving diagonally across the battlefield, the game internally calculated their positions in standard X-Y Cartesian space.

Interaction with the environment followed a “selection → command → execution” model. When the player selected a unit, the game temporarily highlighted its sprite and displayed its selection circle, a 2D ring projected onto the ground plane. Issuing a movement or attack order triggered an internal check: the game verified whether the destination tile was valid, whether the target could be reached, and whether line-of-sight was available (a simplified visibility check rather than true 3D ray tracing).

Together, these systems created a smooth and intuitive gameplay experience despite the limitations of late-90s PC hardware. The isometric rendering allowed for highly detailed graphics, while the underlying grid-based logic kept gameplay predictable, readable, and strategically satisfying.

5. Testing and Optimization

Testing was intensive because different PC systems required different optimizations to work. Back then, consoles were a single, unified system, but on PC, there are multiple different systems that require tweaking the game for proper universal operation. At that time, the game that was launched usually was the final version, with no DLC to fix the game post-launch. Although patches did exist, usually just one. Everything was always released in physical format…

On consoles, animation frames, polygonal 3D objects and texture details were reduced, and sometimes entire environmental elements were removed. But in this 2.5D games, usually was a matter of programming tweaking and fixing.

Testers reported bugs using printed screenshots (yes, on paper) with handwritten annotations.

3DO Company, Army Men 1998, Army Men History, Interview, Keith Bullen, Magazines & Printed stuff, Making Of, News & Press, Trip Hawkins, uncategorized

The Making Of: Army Men – RetroGamer magazine. May 16, 2019. By Hareth Al Bustani

May 16, 2019 Mr. X 2002 Leave a comment

Exclusive interview with Trip Hawkins and Keith Bullen

During the mid-to-late 1990s, as video games began branching out beyond traditional genres, a surprisingly simple idea sparked the birth of one of gaming’s most memorable franchises. That spark was to bring the iconic green plastic toy soldiers (the Army Men) to digital life. What followed was a mix of action, strategy, and tongue-in-cheek satire that would grow into a universe of its own: the early foundations of what we now call the Toyverse.

The project emerged from The 3DO Company, founded by industry pioneer Trip Hawkins, who had already changed gaming history with Electronic Arts. At that time, 3DO was primarily focused on software development and searching for its next big concept… something that could blend strategy, humor, and accessibility. The result went far beyond expectation, shaping not just a game, but a world of plastic warfare and nostalgic imagination.

Origins of the Idea

It all began in 1996, when Keith Bullen, an art designer from Electronic Arts, was hired by 3DO to direct the visuals for a new project, then tentatively called War Sports. The goal was to create something in the spirit of Return Fire, 3DO’s popular vehicular shooter, but with stronger squad-based mechanics. Marketing wanted an “E for Everyone” rating, an idea ironically tied to the ESRB system that Trip Hawkins himself had helped establish.

“I remember various marketing meetings when ideas like green blood and making the soldiers robots were brought up as ways to get the game a friendly rating. I didn’t like any of these ideas.” – Keith recalls

At that time, that’s what was done with Half-Life to sell it in Germany: making the human enemies… robots.

Months passed without a clear direction, until Bullen had a eureka moment. He thought back to his childhood days, setting up tiny armies in the backyard and taking turns throwing rocks with his brother to knock them down. That memory (of creativity, chaos, and fun) became the emotional core of Army Men.

The toy soldiers had long been a universal symbol of imagination. From the Louis Marx playsets of the 1950s to Toy Story in 1995, these little green figures had stood the test of time. By centering the game around them, Bullen found a way to capture both nostalgia and originality, something fun for players who wanted a break from the gritty realism and machismo of other war games.

Building the Plastic World

Once the toy soldier idea took hold, Keith’s role evolved from art director to lead designer.

“Once the soldiers became plastic, we had to come up with a universe with real terrains and plastic soldiers,” he says. “We wanted the world to feel serious to the Army Men characters’ point of view but fun and nostalgic for the player.”

This is key: “The (plastic) world had to feel real and serious for the Army Men.” With these words, coming from Keith Bullen himself, we can cement this as a fact, dispelling any doubt or denial: For the inhabitants of the Plastic World, war is not a joke… it’s serious. That’s why Sarge’s War isn’t excluded from the equation (as many fans wish), because whether we like it or not, it respects this original principle of the idea behind Army Men.

The team paid careful attention to the way plastic behaved in real life, how light hit its glossy surface, how it bent, shattered, and melted.

“We paid close attention to the physics in the animations. It was very important to me that the plastic pieces reacted to the world as if they were made of the same light plastic as the original figures.”

But turning that idea into a finished product wasn’t easy. The small team of six soon grew to more than ten as Bullen became creative director.

“It was very challenging convincing the team to adopt my new gameplay ideas… It took several months to finally get everyone on board.”

Executives were another obstacle. Early pitches for Army Men were dismissed as childish, “too young” some said. RTS fans, they argued, wouldn’t take seriously a game about toys. Yet Bullen persisted, finding clever ways to win people over.

Green Plastic Soldier — The “bought” generic soldier 3D model

“I then bought a 3D model of a generic Army Man and brought in some classic toy green and tan Army Men to use as pose references,” he remembers.
“For several weeks, many people from every department in the company would stop to discuss the posed 3D model… Soon after, the momentum switched from the product being perceived as too juvenile to being an awesome nostalgic experience.”

This is key: “I then bought a 3D model of a generic Army Man”. This is a direct confirmation of the source of the classic Army Men 3D model: it was purchased, obtained from 3D model packages, in this case the ViewPoint DataLabs ones (and it’s not the only 3D model from third party sources).

Sarge with rolled up sleeves, a modified version of the original 3D model

That was the turning point. Nostalgia had done its job.

From the Backyard to the Battlefield

The next challenge was translating the tactile world of toy soldiers into an interactive one. The developers recreated classic units like riflemen and bazooka troopers, while experimenting with how plastic would melt or break apart.

“We destroyed many plastic Army Men in the 3DO parking lot for the sake of realistic plastic physics,” Keith admits.
“The enhanced fear of fire when you are made of plastic was a theme we relied on throughout the series.”

To tie everything together, Army Men adopted a satirical tone. The game opened with a mock newsreel showing the totalitarian Tans preparing to invade the Greens.

Army Men News reel Introduction

Plastro from Army Men — The Mussolini Tan leader

“We watched many hours of authentic old reels… The Tan leader gesturing like Mussolini was one of my favourite segments.”

Originally planned as a real-time strategy game, Army Men evolved into something more direct and personal. Players would take control of Sarge, a Green Army hero.

By the way, it was the RTT (Real Time Tactics) videogame, not a RTS. At least we called it that way today.

“I’ve always preferred arcade-like action games over strategy games,” says Keith.
“So I redesigned the game around the central character of Sarge… as in games like Ikari Warriors.”

The final product blended tactical movement with fast-paced action.

“The gameplay became more about tactics, rather than strategy,” Bullen notes, crediting Crusader: No Remorse as an influence.

Trip Hawkins’ Perspective

One of the concept’s earliest champions was 3DO founder Trip Hawkins himself.

“Toy soldiers were my dominant play pattern as a child and I’d always invented strong storylines and adventures around them,” he says.
“Besides all the World War soldiers, I had Swoppets from the Wars Of The Roses, Roman centurions, and others – including cowboys, of course.”

Hawkins immediately recognized the blend of nostalgia, humor, and design potential behind Army Men.

“It inspired me to do something more central with humour in the genre and a stronger narrative.”

To him, the plastic theme wasn’t just an aesthetic choice: it was a creative platform.

“We were focused on the US market… nobody cared about them, because they’d not grown up with those toys.”

Despite the game’s playful tone, Hawkins insisted that warfare and destruction were essential to the experience.

“Creatively, we also wanted to have fun repeating some of the famous play patterns from childhood… It allowed us to cast our villains with a bit of sadism, that is still funny because… they’re just toys.”

Colonel Grimm and Sarge from Army Men — Colonel Grimm with Sarge

A Legacy Beyond Plastic

The development cycle lasted just over a year, despite several restarts. Once the formula clicked, Hawkins knew they had something special.

“This is what we live for in game development and publishing… to do something we really believe in and love.”

Across three themed terrains (desert, alpine, and swamp) Army Men culminated in a memorable twist: Sarge crossing into the Real World, a scene that would directly lead into Army Men II. The franchise quickly exploded, selling over 7 million copies across every major platform and generating more than $300 million in revenue.

Looking back, Bullen reflects on the impact of that first title:

“I never would have imagined that it would spawn 23 sequels and spin-offs… My goal was to create a game that I would want to play and not a clone of a game I had played before.”

Indeed, Army Men defied easy classification. It was part shooter, part strategy, part parody… a digital sandbox that reimagined childhood battles through the eyes of living toys. Beneath the surface, it captured something universal: the creative spirit of play itself.

From Sarge’s Heroes to the ever-expanding Toyverse, the legacy of those little plastic soldiers continues to march on.

Sources for this article:

Original source: Retro Gamer (2019), “The Making Of: Army Men” by Hareth Al Bustani.
https://www.pressreader.com/uk/retro-gamer/20190516/281672551382117
Edited and adapted for armymen.com.ar

Army Men 1998, Army Men History, Interview, Making Of, Nick Earl, Old Army Men stuff, uncategorized

Interview with Nick Earl, Army Men Producer – “Army Men Official Strategies & Secrets” Book by Brett Skogen (Jan 1, 1998 by Sybex Inc.)

January 1, 1998 The Maker 1 Comment

It’s no easy feat to develop a best-selling computer game. With the gaming community’s insatiable appetite—always wanting better graphics, special effects, story, and, most importantly, gameplay—it takes a dedicated team of professional producers, writers, programmers, graphic artists, and others to put a finished game on the shelves.

Army Men is no exception. With an estimated budget of 1.5 million dollars, over 20 dedicated people spent two years of their lives making this game. The results are definitely worth it though—this game is one hell of an adventure!

One of the key members of the Army Men team was its producer, Nick Earl. Nick is currently an Executive Producer at 3DO, where he oversees the development of Army Men and BattleTanx products. He’s been with 3DO for over five years, starting out as one of the original 3rd Party Evangelists. Later, he founded and managed the Affiliated Label and Licensing Programs at 3DO, before finally climbing to the producer ranks at one of the company’s studios. As the producer of Army Men, Nick had the responsibility of managing the day-to-day concerns of the project, while keeping the development team in focus and motivated. Nice work, Nick, you did a great job.

Fortunately, Nick was able to spare a few minutes to answer some questions as he put the finishing touches on the game.

Nick Speaks: Q & A with the producer

From the start, what was the vision for Army Men? What did you want to achieve?

Nick: There were a couple of inspirations for Army Men. Back when we started thinking about doing a military game, we were playing a lot of Return Fire, developed by Silent Software. We all loved the game, but yearned for better enemy AI and the ability to give orders to intelligent squads. So, the first vision was an action/strategy game that would give the player depth. But the real and enduring vision developed when we were laying out missions with the little plastic green and tan soldiers one afternoon. Suddenly it hit us to do the game based on plastic army men! As we started to build the design, it gained momentum, and pretty soon we knew we were onto something big.

Where did you get your inspiration for Sarge?

Nick: This was really Keith Bullen’s (the designer of Army Men) idea. He realized early on that the player would want to bond and identify with a personality rather than just move plastic armies around a battlefield as is usually done in a strategy game. With the introduction of the plastic concept, the design really started to evolve from a strategy game toward immersing the player in a fantasy world created in the mind when playing with these great little toys. We knew right away that we wanted to have all of the classic poses, weapons, vehicles, and, most importantly, special effects, such as melting a Tan soldier into a pool of tan plastic with a flamethrower! Many other things evolved over time.

For example, at first the concept was to have Sarge ferry his units to different parts of the world and then issue orders to his troops, who would go off and carry them out. After talking to the magazine editors and focus groups, we realized that the player would want to bond with Sarge and his immediate world by being the one who gets to do all the destruction!

Therefore, we made Sarge tougher and able to carry and use all of the classic weapons. And most importantly, we gave Sarge the persona of a classic soldier. Now, we had what we thought was the best design for a game based plastic soldiers, one other evolution of Army Men was to use the MovieTone news concept. During their time, those clips did such a good job of making the war seem heroic, but not bloody and tragic. The nature of plastic physics lends itself perfectly to this notion—lots of action, heroism, and challenge, but none of the nasty and sickening effects of war.

Obviously, your team spent some time renting WWII movies. What movies were most inspirational?

Nick: Some of the mission objectives are loosely based on the classic WWII movies such as Bridge over the River Kwai, The Great Escape, and Kelly’s Heroes. There is something so dramatic yet clean about these movies—we thought that Army Men worked well within this theme. After all, plastic army men were invented right after WWII.

What’s the origin of the game’s engine? Did you modify an existing one or create your own?

Nick: We built one from scratch. The Technical Lead was Nicky Robinson, who, with the help of several engineers, built a great engine that allows this highly detailed art to come to life.

What has been the most difficult part of bringing Army Men to life?

Nick: Capturing the exact positions and then transitioning them into fully animated sequences. For instance, having a flame thrower start in the classic pose, then run with his weapon, fire it while running, dive, roll, and then move right back into the classic pose. We also spent a lot of time and energy balancing each mission to get the right combination of action, strategy, and intrigue. This is what really brings Army Men to life, because each mission is so fun and compelling that you keep coming back for more—you really feel like you are Sarge blowing up bridges, shattering Tan enemies, and liberating your Green troops from prison camps.

What else does Army Men offer the gamer?

Nick: We like to think that we will give the player a compelling, tough, and heroic character (Sarge), thrilling and humorous plastic special effects, absolutely beautiful art and animations, and an opportunity to really immerse oneself in those great battles we all played out in our backyards when we were kids. We see Army Men as a great blend of action and strategy, and of serious missions sprinkled with humor such as tanks flipping over to reveal hollow underbellies!

What’s your favorite strategy/tip for getting through the game’s missions? For a multiplayer game?

Nick: Wow, there are many. I think the best advice is to be methodical and thoughtful as you progress. There are numerous times that you think you have the mission solved when all of a sudden a Tan tank appears out of nowhere to shatter you! By thinking ahead and planning, you can neutralize such events with a few strategically placed mines or a mortar. I also recommend dropping to the prone position and rolling when in a fire fight. You are less vulnerable, and your chances of hitting the enemy are increased. For a multiplayer game, my favorite strategy is to hide in trees, and when an enemy runs by, melt him with the flame thrower before he knows what happened!

Any Easter Eggs in the game you want to confess to?

Nick: I don’t want to give much away, but after calling in air support a few times, you just may be surprised! I also recommend checking out the lake in the Alpine campaign’s Out of the Mountain mission. You will get a kick out of what lurks there. The best one by far, however, is the final-win cinematic—it has a really great twist.

On a personal note, what are some of your favorite things?

Nick: My favorite game, other than Army Men of course, is probably NHL Hockey ’98. My favorite musical groups are Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, U2, and the Grateful Dead. If I had to pick a favorite song, it would probably be “Comfortably Numb” by Floyd or “Unforgettable Fire” by U2, depending on my mood. As far as movies, my two favorites are Platoon and The Graduate.

What’s your next project after Army Men?

Nick: Army Men! I am doing an Army Men sequel for PC, as well as entirely new designs for PlayStation and Nintendo 64.

Thanks, Nick, we all look forward to Army Men sequels in the near future!

About the autor of “Army Men Official Strategies & Secrets Book”

Brett Skogen has worn many hats in the gaming industry: reviewer, strategy guide editor, marketing specialist, and producer. Brett is the author of Hexen II Official Strategies & Secrets and co-author of Final Fantasy Tactics Battle Strategy Guide, both from Sybex.