Damage GRAPHICS....they are a bit dull now arent they?

[hazed-]

I think its about time we had a better graphical display for bombs!

we drop a 1000lb bomb and we get a nice crater for it but there isnt even a flash of light or a scrap of material thrown up.

Worse still no other player in the game SEE's it!!

if your bombed you know nothing(ok sound is there) unless it hits you.

I would like to see something graphical to represent it and have this SHOWN to ALL players.

if im rolling down a runway and a bomber drops loads of bombs all around I'd like to feel im in the middle of them.If im the bomber id like to think that the other player would see the huge explosions.

HTC added the crashing debris to hangers and i thank them for it but isnt it about time they added a touch more to it?

Comon HTC we have graphics cards for a reason!


btw on the new partical smoke effects. how about partical explosions too?

[Joc]

Agree 100%

[Revvin]

Wonder how far off a new game engine is anyway? AH still looks good in many ways but is starting to show it's age

[Kweassa]

I'm pretty sure they are able to depict air/ground combat with better graphics than now, but I think that would mean a huge, risky leap for HTC to make.

 Obvioulsy, one of the reasons behind AH's success in the MMOG market is its tolerance for low-end PC systems. The requirements have gone up a bit since I started in 1.05 I upgraded my computers only recently, but before that, I could run AH pretty good with my Pentium III 500mhz 320M ram and a GeForce2 MX at 1024x768 resolution 32bit colors.

 A new graphic engine would mean more people to hire to do graphics and programming, plus losing some of the customers who used low-end systems up to now(at least for a short term until they decide to upgrade their PC for the sole purpose of playing AH ).

 But I think there is still more they can do with the current engine. And I really hope we'd get some new eye-candy soon. The "ear-candy" we received quite some versions ago, the external sounds ( two thumbs up) via experiments with AHDX gave our ears some infinite pleasure! Now our eyes wait the turn.

 

[SELECTOR]

concusion pressure waves would be nice touch..

[Dennis]

What do you mean no one else sees your bomb blasts?

I was sitting in a town the other night in the CT, defending it in an M8 from Hun gv's, when a countrymate dropped a stick from a Boston on them.

Pretty righteous series of explosions, which I both saw and heard.
Agreed, the technology exists to make the graphical representation more _realistic_ -- but at a cost, as Kweassa notes.

Splash1

[GunnerCAF]

I think he is talking about the bombs that don't hit anything.  I would be nice to see the explosions walk across the field when they hit.  Right now you only see the buildings parts fly when they are destroyed.

Gunner

[runny]

Originally posted by Kweassa

 Obvioulsy, one of the reasons behind AH's success in the MMOG market is its tolerance for low-end PC systems.

This cannot be overstated.  Many people in my AW squad could not play AW3 with the machines they had when it came out.  In a household where finances are tight, it can be difficult or impossible to justify upgrading to play games.

Plus, when you add more stuff to do, you have bigger teams.  It's easier for the vision of the original game to become diluted.

[Innominate]

Originally posted by Dennis
What do you mean no one else sees your bomb blasts?

Unless you're within a certain distance when the bombs hit, you'll never see the craters.

[hazed-]

Originally posted by runny


This cannot be overstated.  Many people in my AW squad could not play AW3 with the machines they had when it came out.  In a household where finances are tight, it can be difficult or impossible to justify upgrading to play games.

Plus, when you add more stuff to do, you have bigger teams.  It's easier for the vision of the original game to become diluted.

and what about those customers who HTC are losing because they try it for a day or so and lose interest because there are much better looking games out there? most friends i show the games to like to try il2 first because it looks so much better when you actualy hit things.They might try AH later after i assure them its a great game but lets face it how many people are trying it and dont have one of us shouting AH's virtues in their ear and making them try it?.
I know full well its the gameplay that counts but many just dont take notice of it if their first few goes on the game make them think it looks a bit dated especially if they see games like il2 etc.

basically what id really like to see is the full set of craters hitting a base from everybodies drops.We only  see the craters for our bombs at the moment.We have it(all craters displayed) with ship gun craters and it looks great.
we just need to have all the craters showing up and maybe a simple breif blasts for bombs hitting, similar but not the same as the aircraft explosions.

Why do i suddenly request it? because ive flown bomber missions  with 3 or 4 others all in formations and we all dropped a huge salvo but no one could see the others hits.Really spoiled it for me.

[Elysian]

Good suggestion.  I'm hoping the particle smoke effects we got with 1.10 are a sign of things to come.  Simple things like that do make a difference, and everyone didn't have to go buy 2.4ghz machine either.

AHs plane models are getting better and more detailed too.  I think models like that KI-67 and the new Me163 I saw screenshots of are on par with anything out there right now (if not better, but I'm biased).  My guess is that HTC will keep making models with ever increasing polygon counts, at then at some point just revamp the terrain and water.


Side note:  I prefer AHs damage model to IL2s.  AH just has a lot more ways to functionally damage an aircraft (IL2 does win on engine damage effects though).  Sure IL2s is more dramatic, but it is still canned and as far as I can tell doesn't have as many gameplay affecting components.

[Octavius]

I'm sure we would all love to see a new graphics engine... but think of the logistics.  HTC has a very small staff with Nate and Superfly as the only artists.  They have lives too ya know?    
 
HTC said they were experimenting with bump mapping.. wonder when that will be implemented.  

I'm wondering... would it be possible to hire additional "artists for hire" to put together a new engine?  I haven't the slightest clue how much work goes into something like that or how big of a team it would require...  Anyone have experience with that?  

I've never heard of freelance 3D artists... but I know there are many talented people out there that could help out.  Perhaps there are some AHers willing to help out for free if they have the knowledge.  Hell, if I could, I'd help out with anything for free as long as it helps HTC (well, I'd work for beer too).

[Kweassa]

Very true, hazed. The first impression is always the most important in any encounters. I've also seen cases of people criticizing AH with something like 30 minute play time, commenting "the graphics are too weak".

 In a purely economic way of thinking, HTC might actually be able to draw in a lot of new users with better graphics, up to the point where the new profits outweigh the consequences.

 But I think it is sort of a 'mutual-trust' thing going on. Most of the old users started from Beta and they still are here now, and they are the most supportive bunch of people for AH which I don't think a "price" can be set on. Losing the old users due to PC specs would be a very big loss, even if more people would begin AH.

 I think their agenda, therefore, is to keep a balanced level between their sympathy( ) towards low end-systems and people who want better graphics.

 But even so, I agree that the graphics are beginning to sag behind a little, slouching to the 'low-end' side. We need to beef it up a bit!

[Toad]

Short summary of what HT said about it at the Con. When GF4 level cards become a more common the extras they bring will make it worth the effort to do a major overhaul of the graphics engine, which he plans to do.

[Octavius]

Yay!  



We need a new general forum labeled "What They Said to Me at the Con" so the public non-con-attendees can get the inside scoop