Player Shadows
Crucible
Join Date: 2009-09-05 Member: 68698Members
Join Date: 2009-09-05 Member: 68698Members
I was watching the videocast about the dynamic lighting, and I was very excited to see that. It looks great. One thing I noticed, though, was the player stepping into the light beam from one of the fans... but the player cast no shadow. That got me thinking about how no first-person game that I have ever played will have your own character cast shadows or reflections on the environment, but I think that would be an awesome feature and will add SO much more to the game. It won't add anything to the gameplay and mechanics, but the game will seem so much more real.
Is it too late in the development process to be able to add that in? I bet it would take a couple substantial changes to the engine, because the player would have to render his own world model at all times, which I'm almost certain the game does not currently do... but if it's possible..... that would be awesome.
Is it too late in the development process to be able to add that in? I bet it would take a couple substantial changes to the engine, because the player would have to render his own world model at all times, which I'm almost certain the game does not currently do... but if it's possible..... that would be awesome.
Comments
It also limits multiplayer to 4 peeps per server and the maps are tight, cramped hallways.
Postal 2 had true mirror reflections offline, never played online.
I'm talking about the player's own shadows. I feel that I can safely assume that other players' shadows will be cast on lighted objects (right?), but having your own shadows cast is something that would give you no tactical advantage and would just add to the immersion.
Also, on a side note, good video cards are really cheap these days, and people who choose to be PC gamers know that you need to upgrade from time to time. Nobody has the right to use the "my computer isn't good enough to render shadows, so they shouldn't be in the game or else other people have a big advantage" excuse. If you don't want to upgrade your hardware, buy an Xbox.
Better off buying a PS3 and playing bad company (and bad company 2 / cod 6).
Anyways, a lot of people are using laptops these days. My laptop can run doom 3 smooth... but obviously i can't "upgrade" without dumping it in the trash and getting a new computer... which ironically would cost as much as a "good" video card for a desktop computer.
Anyways your wrong... play much NS1 blackmesa lately? Marine start can at any time have 4+ onos's, a bunch of fades, green gas, and grenades exploding and people shooting hmgs... Imagine trying to render that at high quality with heavy texture usage and dynamic lighting + shadows everywhere that have to be recalculated when a grenade goes off, or someone fires 1 hmg bullet, and becomes a source of light (from explosions / muzzle flashes)... it will really become impractical for 90% of the NS1 community to play. NS2 will have to be slowed down if it will look that good.
The point being that every clan/completive player in a public server will need to strip out all the details to play like it's NS1. Perhaps even going as far as installing low-poly 3rd party models for everything.
An option to turn it on/off would be good because it does eat up alot of resources.... maybe a OFF .... Crap shadows.... Dynamic options.
Also, on a side note, good video cards are really cheap these days, and people who choose to be PC gamers know that you need to upgrade from time to time. Nobody has the right to use the "my computer isn't good enough to render shadows, so they shouldn't be in the game or else other people have a big advantage" excuse. If you don't want to upgrade your hardware, buy an Xbox.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Oh yes, I misunderstood a bit. I think it might be a bit confusing if the shadows weren't visible to others, but I guess it still works that way. At least I'd be thinking about the shadow position in terms of ambushing 24/7 until I'd learn to ignore it though.
As for the hardware: For example I'm running my games on a decent laptop right now. Some others would have to update their whole hardware because motherboard isn't compatible and so on. Especially for a HL mod like NS there's probably a lot of lower end system users still around.
Still, I didn't even think my own system when I mentioned the hardware advantage, I've just always thought it's somewhat common problem in multiplayer FPSes. Whether it's still a big issue is worth discussing though.
And, this has nothing to be with the official post, but I think you'll need a strong computer, so do not expect to play it without a great one.
It also limits multiplayer to 4 peeps per server and the maps are tight, cramped hallways.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Doom3 multiplayer isn't limited ONLY because of the shadows! I know you know, but it's not like the shadows would be <b>that</b> resource hungry.
Besides, why would the shadows affect the number of players?
Shadows are generated clientside, you don't render shadows per pixel and transmit them over the network, the limitation would be the client's hardware, not the server, and doom 3 is hardly space age technology, it uses like the most basic shadow model in existence.
It's true that shadows are client-side and in fact that's why it's never going to be an issue (because seeing shadows is not essential to playing the game). However, I can't just turn on and off the precise collision model because what one computer would claim to be a hit another would claim it wasn't because it went inbetween the legs. In order to do it, it must be server-side and ALL client computers would have to receive information on whether or not it hit, which is not a trivial task. It's feasible in low numbers (4 or less), but when you have 24 players all having independent gun fights all across the map, it gets to be rather tedious in both server and network resources.