OMG, look at the front page

[matt]

Cant wait to walk right up to these and give em a HVAP. I can already hear the whines.   

[nrshida]

Fantastic, more tanks added to the increasingly inaccurately named Aces High. 

[Gixer]

The thing about it is that no matter what HTC reveals somebody is going to post a rant about how it isn't what they ought to have been working on.  Once I might have been one of them, but no longer.  There is no right answer for them.

Yes the right answer would be to finish all existing AH1 aircraft to AH2 level before spending time and resources anywhere else, especially things like WW1 and new hangar queens.

10 + years out and still all the aircraft haven't been updated, if given priority could of all been completed in two years after AH2 release, then start on the new stuff.


<S>...-Gixer
 

[Wmaker]

Yes the right answer would be to finish all existing AH1 aircraft to AH2 level before spending time and resources anywhere else, especially things like WW1 and new hangar queens.

...the right answer in your opinion, that is.

I think it's great that historic combat aircraft like A6M3, Ki-43, G4M and He111 have been added lately.

10 + years out and still all the aircraft haven't been updated, if given priority could of all been completed in two years after AH2 release, then start on the new stuff.

AHII came out in the summer of 2004. So it has not taken "10+ years". Constant exaggerating doesn't exactly increase the credibility of your posts.

[Gixer]

AHII came out in the summer of 2004. So it has not taken "10+ years". Constant exaggerating doesn't exactly increase the credibility of your posts.

Ah so going from memory that many years ago I was one year out, thanks for the correction makes a huge difference eh with my cartoon world credibility on the line and all. 

You forgot to mention all the other great time consumers other than updating the entire planset first, like ToD (ditched) and WW1 (ditched by community after about two weeks).



<S>...-Gixer

[SirNuke]

 I'n'so excited by the new tanks...yawn

[Wmaker]

Ah so going from memory that many years ago I was one year out, thanks for the correction makes a huge difference eh with my cartoon world credibility on the line and all. 

Just a one case of many. You also have said that AH has had the same engine for 14 years while AH has barely been around that long if you count in the initial beta period. AHII used an entire new basic engine compared to AHI.

I fully agree that AH looks dated and that constant resistance for better graphics is silly. It's just that its generally better to stick to the facts instead of constant nonsense when proving one's point.

You forgot to mention all the other great time consumers other than updating the entire planset first, like ToD (ditched) and WW1 (ditched by community after about two weeks).

Oh, I certainly don't agree with all the development direction decisions that HTC has made but considering that I was only responding to your comment on how long it has taken to update the planeset, your comment is totally irrelevant.

[Gixer]

Just a one case of many. You also have said that AH has had the same engine for 14 years while AH has barely been around that long if you count in the initial beta period. AHII used an entire new basic engine compared to AHI.

An entirely new basic engine? What's that suppose to mean? If it isn't the same engine then how come it looks and feels exactly the same as AH1? Apart from a few extra effects,textures, etc. Core engine is exactly the same, hence same pyramid mountains, flat terrain, seas and blue skies.

I remember when AH2 release date, still had the exact same old maps and pretty much looked the same overall as AH1 which was a dissapointment.  

Geee you really get hung up on the difference of 1 year eh, or actually 11 months, or is it 10 months since we are now almost in July? So imortant to be accurate give or take.

Dated, it looked dated in 2004 let alone in another 9 years plus six months, which would be todays date give or take a few weeks..


<S>...-Gixer

[Wmaker]

An entirely new basic engine? What's that suppose to mean? If it isn't the same engine then how come it looks and feels exactly the same as AH1? Apart from a few extra effects,textures, etc. Core engine is exactly the same, hence same pyramid mountains, flat terrain, seas and blue skies.

I remember when AH2 release date, still had the exact same old maps and pretty much looked the same overall as AH1 which was a dissapointment.  

Geee you really get hung up on the difference of 1 year eh, or actually 11 months, or is it 10 months since we are now almost in July? So imortant to be accurate give or take.

Dated, it looked dated in 2004 let alone in another 9 years plus six months, which would be todays date give or take a few weeks..

All I can say that if one didn't recognise any difference between AHI and AHII graphics, blindness is about the only possibility that I can think of. Just because AHI terrains were converted to AHII engine and the fact that their georaphical layout stayed the same doesn't mean they had the same terrain graphics.

As far as the engine goes, you are saying that AH has had the same engine for 14 years. The reality is that is had the same terrain engine for 4 years per Hitech's own words:

Switch from AHI to AHII in 2004:

View version 2.0 as the new foundation to build on the next 5 years like ah 1.0 was. There are lots of items built into the new engine that you don't see. We have done search lights, pixel shader fire and smoke, envirorment mapping. The frame work is in place for those items already. They will be comming in future version, but first 2.0 needs to be released ,solid and be able to run on older machines then we can go on to some cooler stuff for newer boards.

Latest major graphics update in 2009:

They will return, when I was writing the new terrain engine I ran into a snag with the small hills making them look correctly with the terrain texturing on the hills.

When you exaggerate like that its easy dub your posts as noise which this BBS is so full of.


P.S I fully agree that AH has never been exactly graphically intensive game but to say that it has always looked the same is utter nonsense.

[Gixer]

When you exaggerate like that its easy dub your posts as noise which this BBS is so full of.

P.S I fully agree that AH has never been exactly graphically intensive game but to say that it has always looked the same is utter nonsense.

It's not nonsense or exaggeration, other than for a few effects and textures the core engine is basically the same, along with the overall look and feel of the game as AH1. AH2 was only a update to new effects,mapping,objects etc.  not an entirely new engine as some expected including myself.

If you think i suffer from blindness, a few others did as well and said only significant visual change was to the loading screen.

Anyway if you want to ignore that as nonsense and go with the HT Cool-aid, so be it. Only wish I had a few screenshots over the years.. I can take off today, have all the sliders maxed out and still see the same pyramid shapes as I did in 2000, just now with added textures,objects and mapping.

Also  looking at the timeline of updates, HT took 4 years from 2000 to 2004 to release AH2, so what happened to AH3? Shouldn't that of been around 2008/2009? Now we are in 2013 plus 6 months and still no AH3 or even any word of it from HT..

Oh but we do have another new tank to get excited about. 


<S>...-Gixer

[SmokinLoon]

 

Job well done to HTC!  Likewise, Greebo has done another fine job at creating wonderful skins! 

I'm not seeing how these will be game changers, they will be much the same as the Panzer IV H, Panther, and Tiger II with exception to what ammo load outs are available.  The Tiger II's cousin will be a concrete hermit, the Panther's cousin will see limit use in the field, and the Hetzer may see a good bit of use depending on the terrain, etc.  All three will have limited use against a town or enemy field due to a probable small amount of HE available.

I'm more curious as to reload times and perk costs than anything.

[Wmaker]

Anyway if you want to ignore that as nonsense and go with the HT Cool-aid, so be it.

Ok. Based on the above, it's clear that discussing with you is rather futile.

If HT says he has written a new engine then has written one, or are you calling him a liar? What is of course open for discussion is the merits of these engines/graphics in general. That is subjective. What isn't subjective is if has written a new engine for those revisions discussed above. That's totally binary, either he has or he hasn't written new engines and if he says he has and just look for the evolution of the graphics, I certainly believe him.

Like I said, if these engines were big enough steps up is of course open for discussion. I certainly have my pet peeves when it comes to the graphics and would like to see several improvements. But like I said, whining that the graphics are 14 years old is simply clueless nonsense.

Couple screenshots:

AH 1.05


Somewhat current AH:


Again, I'd like too see higher resolution mesh terrains myself but claiming that the engine has remained the same and that a little development has happened graphics-wise is nonsense.

EDIT: The AH1 screen didn't show. Changed it.

[Fulcrum]

I really must get in a tank one day..... 

[Gixer]

Again, I'd like too see higher resolution mesh terrains myself but claiming that the engine has remained the same a little development has happened graphics-wise is nonsense.

Really?? Nice pyramid hill tops in that screenshot.   

Or you referring to the Brew and effects? As yes those have changed. except the poor yak has stayed exactly the same and of course the pyramids and straight angle hills, which relates to the core engine from AH1, not the added fluff since.


<S>...-Gixer

[Rich46yo]

The Brew is probably the "funnest" new plane for me thats been added in my time. I like it best as a defender when CV planes are attacking. With a little air under you its a great all around plane and tough enough to wander around a CV a little.

I like this new TD but if something Soviet isnt also included I'll be disappointed. A Soviet bomber is probably the largest hole we have in the set.