Are there any thoughts to include a new gfx-engine in the coming Shadowlands expansion? Perhaps an engine that will use all the new goodies that has arrived in Directx >7 (Directx 9 coming soon)
Does anyone know?
/Mordien
Are there any thoughts to include a new gfx-engine in the coming Shadowlands expansion? Perhaps an engine that will use all the new goodies that has arrived in Directx >7 (Directx 9 coming soon)
Does anyone know?
/Mordien
I do not work for FC, or know what they are doing on the graphics engine, but I just wanted to say that if they don't pay attention to the graphics engine, they will pretty fast run themselves into a ditch. The gaming industry is a fast evolving market and you can't afford to slack of at any time.
From this one can deduce that FC must either develop their current engine further or they could be developing a new one. If not, then there will not be many people playing this game in a few years.
FunCom was working on upgrading the grpahics engine for Shadowlands at last update. Mostly, this did involve some of the new DirectX features and lighting effects. They were hesitant to release screenshots of the Shadowlands alpha at E3, and their statment then was that the game woulds hip with a new engine and the screenshots wouldn't reflect what that engine did.
There hasn't been any word on this since Notum Wars was announced, but I am fairly sure they're still working on it. How much of an upgrade this will/would be remains to be seen.
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Well, I for one hope so - main reason I quit EQ was the sub-par graphics in comparison to other games - MMORPGs should evolve - especially when they offer expansion packs that cost nearly the amount of the original game.
Update
While they are at it.... (I hope they make it DirectX 9/OpenGl 2) They need to make the WHOLE planet playable. That way you could have more areas with more lvl consience play fields. GIVE US BETTER VEHICLES!!!!Like in Planet Side PLEASE!!!
While I like the idea of evolving the game to have graphics consistant with what other games are offering, I remember reading somewhere that they don't want to "turn away" players who may enjoy the game but don't have the "latest & greatest" in video cards or PCs even.
I believe that, although as a whole, the newer expansions should reflect what is available in hardware when they are realeased, the industry tends to think that average is somewhere between really old stuff and the newest technological PC enhancement.
From the ao basher site (they have a Shadowlands section)...
Multimedia
...Shadowlands will come with a graphics engine overhaul, ...
Besides the multi-media section, they have a number of screenshots and also FAQ page.
Last edited by «¤ W¥RM ¤»; Dec 12th, 2002 at 21:31:02.
«¤ W¥RM ¤»
Well, going to DX9 isn't an option I think... since it isn't released yet... And there are very very few cards that really support it yet.
But just going DX7 to 8 opens up loads of new features and speed improvements. And DX8 features can still be run on quite low end machines.
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What? And the current game doesn't require a supercomputer? Hah! I've got an XP2000+ with 512Mb RAM and a Geforce 3 Ti500, thats pretty close to the 'latest and greatest', and the current game is like a stop - start video. Move, chug chug, halt, pause, snap back, move, move, chug chug, halt, pause, move, halt.. thats my gaming experience.Originally posted by «¤ W¥RM ¤»
While I like the idea of evolving the game to have graphics consistant with what other games are offering, I remember reading somewhere that they don't want to "turn away" players who may enjoy the game but don't have the "latest & greatest" in video cards or PCs even.
A friend is running AO on a P4 2.6ghz with a GF4, and 512mb ram, and it runs "almost" smooth, and my own computer is a AMD 1.4 ghz, with 768mb RAM and a gf2, and I get pretty much the same things as you
Originally posted by Majikall
What? And the current game doesn't require a supercomputer? Hah! I've got an XP2000+ with 512Mb RAM and a Geforce 3 Ti500, thats pretty close to the 'latest and greatest', and the current game is like a stop - start video. Move, chug chug, halt, pause, snap back, move, move, chug chug, halt, pause, move, halt.. thats my gaming experience.
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While there's no official release date, DX9 is 'generally' expected to come out in December.
Shadowlands is not going to come out till well into 2003.
So it could use DX9, if it wished.
Computerwise, AMD 1400, GF4 Ti4600, 1 gig memory.
Framerate in trade, about 18-30 (depending on where you are and what direction you look HSR actually works now)
Outdoors wilderness, around 20-40. In missions, 50-70
Memory is good. But the game DOES require what most would call a 'high end' machine, no question.
How would it work without inconsistency?
If everyone with the expansion would be using the new engine and the ones who didn't using the old one?
So every time you visit Shadowlands you would have to restart the game for the new client?
"You shoot me in a dream, you'd better wake up and apologize."
Nonono..
The new Graphics Engine would only exist on your Computer, e.g. an updated CLIENT... Updated CLIENT graphics. The server wouldn't need any upgrades..
The server can just continue sending the same old info to your Client, and the Client will visualize this info using the new Graphics Engine.
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