Best thing about the alpha
drwav
Join Date: 2003-09-17 Member: 20957Members
<div class="IPBDescription">Seriously, I'm impressed with this</div>I've never seen any game quit to windows this fast. I click "Exit" and BAM I'm back to my desktop with everything working and refreshed in less time than it takes me to realize it. It is really amazing how fast this game quits, other games often take several seconds and then half my desktop is non-functional or the mouse doesn't respond, but not this game.
Startup time to get to the main menu is pretty snappy too.
Startup time to get to the main menu is pretty snappy too.
Comments
Still surprisingly fast though.
Oh, and did I mention the graphics? For a small team, they've really put together something gorgeous.
I'm sure it'll slow down a bit as we make our way to 1.0. But still, good stuff.
There are going to be graphics heavy weights, sure, but compare it with something like a Source engine game or heck even Unreal 3, I'd say it sits somewhere comfortably between those two. Even if you disagree, you'll still admit that it looks mighty fine considering it was not created on a budget of millions of dollars with a team of a hundred.
Also, just to be clear, I did not say it was the best looking game I'd ever seen, just that I thought it looked good, that is all.
To put a fine point on it, I will also point out that the good looks of a game depend for me on its art more than the polycount, and NS2 has superb art direction, something indie games often do very well in my experience.
Also, just to be clear, I did not say it was the best looking game I'd ever seen, just that I thought it looked good, that is all.
To put a fine point on it, I will also point out that the good looks of a game depend for me on its art more than the polycount, and NS2 has superb art direction, something indie games often do very well in my experience.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
The lighting is by far the best I've seen.
best thing so far is it actually working.
Oh, and did I mention the graphics? <b>For a small team</b>, they've really put together something gorgeous.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--quoteo(post=1789124:date=Jul 30 2010, 01:29 PM:name=######beard the Pirate)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (######beard the Pirate @ Jul 30 2010, 01:29 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1789124"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->You've never seen... say, metro 2033 or crysis, have you?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
You did not see the part where Kompatriot said 'small team'.
Both the formentioned products were developed by companies with considerably more funding and I dare say more personnel then UW.
Nice to hear : )
--Cory
Very much so.
--Cory<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I agree about the art, too. You've done a great job of using the technology you have to maximum aesthetic effect. The normal mapping and lighting actually works with and improves your assets very nicely, which is somewhat unique. It seems too many games just throw a bunch of maps onto models because it "seems like the standard" without any attention to how it affects the overall aesthetics.
What really bothers me though is that the main menu music usually starts up a few seconds before the main menu actually appears. So I always get scared the video renderer bugged out or my game is about to crash.
Other than that: The game quits as fast as notepad and starts up as fast as Microsoft Word, which is good too.
Plus, more important: I also love the style. The game looks great (reminds me a lot of Doom3, which had a relatively low polycount but looked incredible, the style is somewhat similar too)
Bonus if you ask me, no more flicking between profiles!
Will try the update tonight!
You can usually tell how much of shutdown time is the game saving resources by checking the difference between alt-f4 and the proper "exit" button.
Good examples include:
West-wood(command and conquer red alert 2), New World Computing(Hero's) , Relic(Home world)