NS3+UE4
NS3Dream
USA Join Date: 2015-11-22 Member: 209422Members
The new community group just started and lets see what they bring to NS2, but hopefully we can see to the time after that also.
After Subnautica is done, would you like to see UWE working with NS3 on Unreal Engine 4 ?
If you don't think only from the business and nostalgia aspect UWE put to spark, just from pure gaming and modding aspect, and how it would bring in new players.
They already started Subnautica with unity, so why couldn't they start NS3 also with a new engine. Spark could be used to some side projects perhaps.
Majority of gamers really like that engine and could bring NS to a whole new light.
After Subnautica is done, would you like to see UWE working with NS3 on Unreal Engine 4 ?
If you don't think only from the business and nostalgia aspect UWE put to spark, just from pure gaming and modding aspect, and how it would bring in new players.
They already started Subnautica with unity, so why couldn't they start NS3 also with a new engine. Spark could be used to some side projects perhaps.
Majority of gamers really like that engine and could bring NS to a whole new light.
Comments
If or when UWE makes NS3, it will not be NS2 with better performance. There's no reason to remake a game that did OK - you might as well try something NEW.
But I like the gameplay and balance of the current NS2. I would only change very minor Things. And knowing NS3 will likely not adopt much of NS2, then I don't want it. I don't want a noobfriendly NS - which I fear Uwe would make NS3. It seems to be the trend in game Development today.
All I want is NS2 + better performance. Dare I say; NS2++?
Unreal Engine can be used in conjunction with free powerful tools like Blender directly (no script and hacks). Node system etc. A heaven compared to Valve tools that evolves in slow motion.
I state again, this discussion should not be had now nor anywhere in the near future.
I think the idea of NS2 being made more stable, more easily modded, more responsive and maybe better graphically is a fantastic idea... but when it comes to business, it would need to be backed up with a huge marketing campaign etc, otherwise it would be a waste of time and energy to do it.
Source 2 dota reborn version allows you to use multiple different tools like blender, fbx etc and import them directly now, and the've brought in an awesome tiling functionality for games like dota, Source 2 is gonna be pretty cool, but i think the one HL3 goes onto will be even better.
Also, IF UWE ever decided to make NS3, it would be so far down the line, who would even try and predict what types of engines were out there.
More than likely, they would use an upgraded spark, I mean, if they slap DX12 on it when it comes back for FP, it's already going to be a much faster engine..
Who knows, why release NS3 when you have Spark infront of you, i am sure max still has some tricks up his sleeve! Maybe we can borrow his brothers
Weighted, Blended Order-Independent Transparency: Smoke for lerk spores? http://jcgt.org/published/0002/02/09/
I'm yet to understand a single one in the last 10 years, but, hopefully by the time I get skilled enough to combat engine development, I may understand something...
*dies in 1 parasite, 2 bites* GAME OVER!
I think slight update to the current engine is enough. Maybe by adding DX12 support for extra performance, but as far as looks go, it's amazing. The lighting, shadowing, ambient occlusion, cubemaps, especially cubemaps are jaw dropping. I don't remember many games where windows actually reflect entire room in them. I know it's a pre-rendered refelction but gives amazing feel of depth and realism. And same goes fo reflection fo lighting of surfaces. It looks amazing in my eyes and I love eyecandy. I've always said Spark will age well and it certainly did considering the game age today. Not many games can brag with such title.
UWE has two options really, upgrade and evolve NS2 or leave it where it is and split the fanbase into NS2 and NS3 where NS3 would undergo drastic changes. In a way I want NS2 to evolve but in other way, drastic changes might ruin it in which case it would better to have split community. It's always hard to decide which route to go.
I know I'm willing to financially support them even if they decide for upgrade route. NS2 is the only game that I've played for this long after the UT99 which I spent thouands of hours in playing solely against bots because my connectionw as crap. But it was brilliant and always different. Same goes for NS2. While games are similar, not two are ever the same.
Soon™
I haven't had a super in depth look into UE4, but they have game templates so you don't have to reinvent the wheel to get started, and the tools are certainly a lot more polished and easier to use, you can't realistically compare them because Epic has a massive team behind their engine so it's only logical that it is easier to use and more polished.
And you get engine source code. You can't ask for more, really...
Why do you automatically assume we're not going to follow the story of "The little Skulk that could", always with these bloody Homosapiens!
So let's assume that NS2 is here to stay for a while and the possibility of an UE4+NS3 combo that the OP describes is off the cards for a while yet.
What needs to be done to improve spark performance across the board? Do we know what/where the current bottlenecks are? If so, do we know how hard they are to fix?
In line with UWE's desire to grow the game, will we see a renewed focus on ironing out performance issues so that players from a wide range of PC hardware are able to play the game with more stable framerates?
I understand that the new team hasn't been hired to address this issue directly, but assuming the other work they do is successful, can we expect to see this core issue for player retention addressed down the line ?
Are you not already satisfied with the performance updates that CDT have already worked hard on and pushed out? I think we have reached a point in optimisation that inching out an extra 1-2fps is pointless at this stage, I'd rather they focused their energies on re-balancing, gameplay fixes, additional features and of course player retention.
You are not looking at the bigger picture here. I myself am satisfied that progress has been made toward a point where performance is better, but i have the luxury of running high end OC hardware that the average person doesn't have. If the game is to grow, if the franchise is to grow, then joe blogs on his low/mid tier system needs to be able to play the game at stable high fps.
As long performance remains a barrier for baseline retention for those people, how can we be satisfied ? It's a variable that has to be eliminated at some point so that focus can shift to other areas.
@Yojimbo I have no idea how much it has increased due to the work of the CDT (I am certain it has been significant and I personally am "satisfied" with their efforts). But as I have upgraded my machine and can't do a proper comparison in terms of FPS, I can't really see for myself the improvements. You ask your question with a pretty emotional lean on it though, which makes it hard to give an objective answer. It is not really a matter of whether we are "satisfied" its more a question of whether casual players can run it on their machines and competitive players are satisfied with the frame rates they are getting.
There is no emotional lean in my words, we have reached a point now where there isn't much point in optimising a game that already has alot of work put into it already, you can't treat this engine as a source engine, you simply will not achieve consistent 200fps goals, there has not been a low fps performance post in technical forums for quite abit, just technical bugs which 80% of the time are resolved.
The focus has been placed on optimisation for quite a few patches now, that alone will not retain playerbase, the important factor is how to change up the same stale gameplay that has remained the same for a long time now (@Kouji_San you are pretty good at finding the last "balance" patch).
Re-balancing, squishing long outstanding bugs e.g. PG bug, tunnel bugs and additional content should be the primary focus, if you look at the newly formed ns2dev team, it does not indicate very strongly a performance orientated team.