Author Topic: Any rumors about improving the terrain?  (Read 12500 times)

Offline GScholz

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Re: Any rumors about improving the terrain?
« Reply #60 on: January 17, 2013, 07:50:40 AM »
I'm very skeptical to the notion that the maps need to be smaller to get more detail. A long time as passed since computer games needed to have everything loaded in memory at once. MS FLight Simulator X, a 7-year old game by now, models the whole world, with stunning detail of important locations with the proper mods and expansions.

AH terrain could look this good: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i04jbb79LAI
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Offline MrRiplEy[H]

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Re: Any rumors about improving the terrain?
« Reply #61 on: January 17, 2013, 08:14:31 AM »
I'm very skeptical to the notion that the maps need to be smaller to get more detail. A long time as passed since computer games needed to have everything loaded in memory at once. MS FLight Simulator X, a 7-year old game by now, models the whole world, with stunning detail of important locations with the proper mods and expansions.

AH terrain could look this good: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i04jbb79LAI

Doing that would require a massive art team from HTC or a massive community provided work effort. Then there would be the problem of AH download increasing from 200+Mb to 2Gb+. Nowadays even that wouldn't be a problem if you count out bandwith costs for HTC.

Knowing AH community the community based development might not be that far fetched at all.
Definiteness of purpose is the starting point of all achievement. –W. Clement Stone

Offline rabbidrabbit

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Re: Any rumors about improving the terrain?
« Reply #62 on: January 17, 2013, 08:14:51 AM »
If it really comes down to potentially losing old customers with outdated systems then why not add another arena with high quality maps and objects and keep the original arenas?  Best of both worlds.

Offline MrRiplEy[H]

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Re: Any rumors about improving the terrain?
« Reply #63 on: January 17, 2013, 08:16:11 AM »
If it really comes down to potentially losing old customers with outdated systems then why not add another arena with high quality maps and objects and keep the original arenas?  Best of both worlds.

High quality maps and objects do not necessarily reflect so much on performance - low specced users can choose lower details.
Definiteness of purpose is the starting point of all achievement. –W. Clement Stone

Offline GScholz

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Re: Any rumors about improving the terrain?
« Reply #64 on: January 17, 2013, 08:17:28 AM »
View in HD and be amazed:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSACnUuNNso

This kind of fidelity was a reality 3 years ago with a modded 7 year old game...
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Offline GScholz

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Re: Any rumors about improving the terrain?
« Reply #65 on: January 17, 2013, 08:21:14 AM »
Doing that would require a massive art team from HTC or a massive community provided work effort. Then there would be the problem of AH download increasing from 200+Mb to 2Gb+. Nowadays even that wouldn't be a problem if you count out bandwith costs for HTC.

Knowing AH community the community based development might not be that far fetched at all.

Bandwidth costs would be negligible. How much does a filefront account cost these days?
"With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censored, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably."

Offline The Fugitive

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Re: Any rumors about improving the terrain?
« Reply #66 on: January 17, 2013, 08:44:27 AM »
I'm very skeptical to the notion that the maps need to be smaller to get more detail. A long time as passed since computer games needed to have everything loaded in memory at once. MS FLight Simulator X, a 7-year old game by now, models the whole world, with stunning detail of important locations with the proper mods and expansions.

AH terrain could look this good: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i04jbb79LAI

but does it render the whole world at once of only the area you are flying in?

In aces high they have to render it all. If Im fighting in sector 1,1 with a horde on my tail  :noid you still have to be able to have the same terrain available in sector 15,15 where you are fighting. If you are popping up a 5 mile square are section for one player sure you can add a lot of detail. Do the math for aces high maps, 25 mile sectors, 15 across, 15 down, and 6 miles deep (32k alt) thats a lot of area.

Offline VonMessa

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Re: Any rumors about improving the terrain?
« Reply #67 on: January 17, 2013, 08:49:21 AM »
What is so important down there?  Still trying to figure out exactly, what it is that folks are trying to see on the ground, while travelling at ~ 300 mph and while other folks are trying to fill their plane full of lead for them.    :headscratch:
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Offline GScholz

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Re: Any rumors about improving the terrain?
« Reply #68 on: January 17, 2013, 08:49:46 AM »
but does it render the whole world at once of only the area you are flying in?

In aces high they have to render it all. If Im fighting in sector 1,1 with a horde on my tail  :noid you still have to be able to have the same terrain available in sector 15,15 where you are fighting. If you are popping up a 5 mile square are section for one player sure you can add a lot of detail. Do the math for aces high maps, 25 mile sectors, 15 across, 15 down, and 6 miles deep (32k alt) thats a lot of area.

Each and every player PC only needs to render the environment around that player, not the whole world. In FSX you can fly from London to Seattle in one flight. In AH today your PC does not render the whole map at once, just a "bubble" around your aircraft/vehicle. The view distance can even be adjusted in the settings.
"With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censored, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably."

Offline GScholz

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Re: Any rumors about improving the terrain?
« Reply #69 on: January 17, 2013, 08:50:38 AM »
What is so important down there?  Still trying to figure out exactly, what it is that folks are trying to see on the ground, while travelling at ~ 300 mph and while other folks are trying to fill their plane full of lead for them.    :headscratch:

Maybe if you try driving a vehicle it becomes more apparent.
"With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censored, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably."

Offline VonMessa

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Re: Any rumors about improving the terrain?
« Reply #70 on: January 17, 2013, 08:57:47 AM »
Maybe if you try driving a vehicle it becomes more apparent.

Maybe if you weren't a lazy-ass, you would check my stats instead of making egregious assumptions and it would become apparent that I do drive vehicles.  Almost as much as I fly  :aok



Is there something interesting missing in the bushes that should be there?
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Offline GScholz

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Re: Any rumors about improving the terrain?
« Reply #71 on: January 17, 2013, 08:59:50 AM »
Then your original question makes no sense; the answer should be glaringly obvious to you.
"With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censored, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably."

Offline VonMessa

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Re: Any rumors about improving the terrain?
« Reply #72 on: January 17, 2013, 09:18:18 AM »
Then your original question makes no sense; the answer should be glaringly obvious to you.

Nope.

I am horrendously obtuse.

I cannot figure out what it is that I am missing that my heart should be yearning for.  I see bushes, trees, grass and tanks; some of which are shooting at me, others I am hunting to shoot at myself.

While scanning my sector for things that are shooting at me/what I need to be shooting at, I have yet to find myself remarking about how the Hibiscus flowers are lacking detail and the cannabis leaves are even numbered, instead of odd numbered.
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Offline GScholz

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Re: Any rumors about improving the terrain?
« Reply #73 on: January 17, 2013, 09:22:23 AM »
World of Tanks looks great, but isn't a proper tank sim by any measure.

This however is a proper tank sim: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYYGNFnzxGg

AH could surely match the visual fidelity of this five-year-old game.
"With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censored, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably."

Offline VonMessa

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Re: Any rumors about improving the terrain?
« Reply #74 on: January 17, 2013, 09:34:04 AM »
World of Tanks looks great, but isn't a proper tank sim by any measure.

This however is a proper tank sim: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYYGNFnzxGg

AH could surely match the visual fidelity of this five-year-old game.

AH could surely stay solvent and not go bankrupt like this company...

"Unfortunately, this game was unfinished and neglected !"  Right in the description of the video.   :rofl
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