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Off-Topic Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: MicroPsycho on March 05, 2005, 07:41:56 pm

Title: It's done
Post by: MicroPsycho on March 05, 2005, 07:41:56 pm
Doom at Gamespot (http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/03/04/news_6119703.html)

discuss
Title: It's done
Post by: BlackDove on March 05, 2005, 08:00:02 pm
Wow.

Uwe Bowl, prepare to be matched.
Title: It's done
Post by: Tiara on March 05, 2005, 08:01:56 pm
(http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2005/news/03/03/therock_screen001.jpg)
BWHAHAHAHAHAHA! :lol:

"Smell, what my BFG is cookin'!"

:p
Title: It's done
Post by: redsniper on March 05, 2005, 09:35:48 pm
Bah! "bio-force gun" :doubt:
Title: It's done
Post by: Tiara on March 05, 2005, 09:37:09 pm
BIG F*CKING GUN! :p
Title: It's done
Post by: redsniper on March 05, 2005, 09:40:38 pm
^^ what it should be called.
Title: It's done
Post by: Unknown Target on March 05, 2005, 10:17:50 pm
Who else thinks Doom 3's graphics are better than Half Life 2's?
Title: It's done
Post by: Grug on March 06, 2005, 12:42:56 am
Me.

HL2 has the shaders, but Doom3 has the shadows. Which work better for the atmosphere.
Title: It's done
Post by: Turnsky on March 06, 2005, 01:33:57 am
too many shadows.. it's too ****ing dark!
Title: It's done
Post by: Grug on March 06, 2005, 01:37:19 am
Bah. It's supposed to be. Try turning the lights off around you to cut back the glare and up the gamma some.

It is very scarey that game. I near soiled my pants near the begining where that imp comes through that staircase. Holy hell!
I just about jumped outa me pants. :lol:
Title: It's done
Post by: Turnsky on March 06, 2005, 01:42:05 am
Quote
Originally posted by Grug
Bah. It's supposed to be. Try turning the lights off around you to cut back the glare and up the gamma some.

It is very scarey that game. I near soiled my pants near the begining where that imp comes through that staircase. Holy hell!
I just about jumped outa me pants. :lol:


feh.. so it at "atmosphere" the beginning was too dark anyway, even the supposedly well-lit areas were darkish.. in the beginning of the game..

it was just annoying to switch from flashlight to gun, and back again in extremely dark places.
Title: It's done
Post by: Grug on March 06, 2005, 01:43:24 am
Aye, bit irritating. But you can d/l some mods which stickytape a torch onto all the guns so you don't have to switch. :p
Title: It's done
Post by: Carl on March 06, 2005, 01:50:32 am
HL2 has shadows, too, only they are more realistic.

Anyway, All hail His Rockness! hmmm...the article says it takes place on mars and hell creatures are released, but i thought the movie was gonna be on earth with bio engineered creatures? (contridicting the games) which one is right?
Title: It's done
Post by: Gloriano on March 06, 2005, 02:00:00 am
oh now it happens in mars well that is good news
Title: It's done
Post by: Grug on March 06, 2005, 01:56:07 am
More realistic perhaps, but less definition and interaction with the world.

The game engine is alright, just too bad the game sucked to high hell.
Title: It's done
Post by: Unknown Target on March 06, 2005, 07:18:34 am
Half Life 2 was a system whore, it sucked my entire system down the drain, I had to upgrade my RAM just to play it well. Yet with Doom 3, which was running a couple months earlier on the same machine, it was perfect, with practically no stuttering.

Half Life 2's "shadows" are usually just fuzzy blobs for me, even though I have the detail set to highest. Also, everything in Half Life 2 lookd much more...sterile or something, cartoony might be the right word. The objects in Doom 3 looked like they sort of had depth or something, like they were actually there. Half Life  2 looks good -as a game, not as a representation of the real world. It looks like how a game should look, while Doom 3 looks more like how a game that's trying to look real should look, imo.


And anyway, you can get a duct tape mod that puts a flashlight on the ends of your shotgun and assault rifle (I use it!) :)
Title: It's done
Post by: Singh on March 06, 2005, 07:23:50 am
Wussys...play without the duct tape flashlight and scare yourself ****less while shooting at shadows and into the pitch black darkness!

Mwhahahahahahaa!
Title: It's done
Post by: Fury on March 06, 2005, 07:30:05 am
Quote
Originally posted by Unknown Target
Half Life 2 was a system whore, it sucked my entire system down the drain, I had to upgrade my RAM just to play it well. Yet with Doom 3, which was running a couple months earlier on the same machine, it was perfect, with practically no stuttering.
 

Funny, was the other way around for me. On the other hand... don't get me started which is better as a game. HL2 wins hands down.
Title: It's done
Post by: Carl on March 06, 2005, 07:34:12 am
hmm, yeah, sorry, but HL2 looks better for me. Doom III tried to be too atmospheric and dark, to the point that it didn't look real. my shadows were never blobby looking. get a better card.
Title: It's done
Post by: Unknown Target on March 06, 2005, 07:54:13 am
My system:

P4 2 Ghz
512 Megs of RAM (256 when I first ran D3 and HL2, but HL2 made me upgrade).
Geforce 4 Ti4600
Windows XP


That system ran Doom 3 perfectly, but Half Life 2 gave me constant stuttering. And don't even get me STARTED on that RETARDED, PIECE OF GODDAMN **** loading system. You literall load about a HUNDRED square feet of level, then it ends it. You play for 30 seconds, then have to wait 5 minutes for the next part of the level. I'd love to play through Half Life 2 again, but I can NOT do those load times.
Title: It's done
Post by: Ransom on March 06, 2005, 08:09:52 am
Quote
Originally posted by Singh
Wussys...play without the duct tape flashlight and scare yourself ****less while shooting at shadows and into the pitch black darkness!

Ransom concurs.

And having just replayed Doom 3 I have to say I like it better than HL2. I didn't have any problem with the darkness, to me the well-lit areas are just as well lit as any other game - don't have a problem with the torch-switching either, and the environment felt far richer and more dynamic to me (with all the machinery and such) than HL2's. Gameplay wise HL2 is more varied, certainly, but I enjoyed D3's atmosphere and story (even if incredibly simple) more.

As far as the movie is concerned, I'm not really paying any attention to it until I actually see it.
Title: It's done
Post by: MicroPsycho on March 06, 2005, 08:47:47 am
The thing with Doom 3's engine is that it doesn't look like it was pushed to its limits and it can be made much better with little modification to the engine, HL2 on the other hand (which I still havn't played) looks as if that's about as good as the engine can be.

Doom 3 ran fine on my system on high, 1024x768 and I thought it looked good

Specs:
Athlon XP 2200
512 Ram
Radeon 9800 Pro

I like Doom 3 and I thought it had a good story, for Doom but it lost its oomph at Hell. I want the expansion too(lights on the guns!/headlamp/combat shotgun!)
Title: It's done
Post by: .::Tin Can::. on March 06, 2005, 09:19:58 am
Just to start me off...

Quote
Originally posted by Unknown Target
Who else thinks Doom 3's graphics are better than Half Life 2's?


No.

EDIT: And also, I never experienced slowdowns on my machine at all when playing Half-Life 2. On Doom 3, the highest FPS I got was 55.

768 MB RAM
Athlon 2100XP 1.73 GH Processor
Radeon 9600 XT

And secondly:

This movie is going to suck **** in the first five minutes if the main character speaks. That just ruins the whole Doom-related marine badassery that was portrayed throughout Doom. You know he's going to want to say stuff during the movie, the directors might let him.

So it seems they changed it BACK to a research facility on Mars eh? When all hell has broken loose eh? We'll see how it goes.
Title: It's done
Post by: MicroPsycho on March 06, 2005, 10:09:42 am
Quote
Originally posted by .::Tin Can::.
And also, I never experienced slowdowns on my machine at all when playing Half-Life 2. On Doom 3, the highest FPS I got was 55.


the fps is capped at 60 anyway
Title: It's done
Post by: pyro-manic on March 06, 2005, 12:50:30 pm
I hated Doom 3 with a passion. The lighting and shadows were dreadful - everything was either far too shiny, or basically black, and the textures were pretty nasty as well. The enemies were uninteresting, and the weapons were crap (with the exception of the shotgun, which was pretty useful). The level design was useless, and the sound was pretty bad as well.And it wasn't scary at all - I could predict when things were going to jump out or appear, it was that obvious. Go and play System Shock 2 if you want a scary game.  I couldn't be bothered to finish it in the end - I gave up a few hours in. Just as well I borrowed it, rather than shelling out £30...

Half Life 2 and Far Cry were soooo much better (to look at and to play), and I'd play them again any time. Doom 3 doesn't get a look in...
Title: It's done
Post by: Fineus on March 06, 2005, 01:09:03 pm
I don't think any game has truly got it "right" yet, both Doom3, Far Cry and HL2 have come leaps and bounds from days of old.. but all of them have flaws in them that can be fixed and improved upon. For instance Half Life 2s water looks incredible but its walls/textures (to me at least) look incredibly flat and basic and close range. Doom 3s walls however seem to be very detailed up close however skin and so forth doesn't look so realistic. Both HL2, D3 and Far Cry have good special effects but that's to be expected since they can make that up as they go along.

Textures and filters on the whole still seem unrefined as some things are either "wet" or "dry". Damp just plain doesn't happen (things either shine or they don't - there seems to be no mid-point).

I guess I'm being over critical... but as things progress that may be a good thing.
Title: It's done
Post by: Ransom on March 06, 2005, 01:48:42 pm
Quote
Originally posted by pyro-manic
The enemies were uninteresting

I found HL2 and Far Cry's enemies to be distressingly plain. Most of them were just guys with guns, and in Far Cry's case not even the mutants were interesting (or the rest of the game for that matter). I didn't really like any of HL2's non-human enemies either though.

Graphics wise, I think it's merely a matter of graphic style now. HL2 attempts to be as realistic as possible, while Doom 3 has a more computer generated look, made all gothic by the shadows. I personally prefer the exaggerated atmosphere of Doom 3, but I can see why people would like Far Cry's cartoonishly bright colours or HL2's realism. Like it or not, all of them (well, maybe not Far Cry) are making important developments technology-wise.
Title: It's done
Post by: Triple Ace on March 06, 2005, 02:34:08 pm
So, does this mean the rumors about it not being about mars and hell are false?
Title: It's done
Post by: Fineus on March 06, 2005, 02:46:31 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Ransom Arceihn

I found HL2 and Far Cry's enemies to be distressingly plain. Most of them were just guys with guns, and in Far Cry's case not even the mutants were interesting (or the rest of the game for that matter). I didn't really like any of HL2's non-human enemies either though.

An excellent point I didn't really cover! Although I've got to disagree and say that I found HL2s enemies to be the most dull of them all.

While fighting the combine they're all the same.. there's some variety between Ant Lions, Zombies and so forth but compared to the original HL they're fairly dull.

I realise the point of the combine was to create this image of a united unknown threat and that them all looking the same kind of helped with that.. but honestly, it wouldn't hurt to change a few details would it?
Title: It's done
Post by: Unknown Target on March 06, 2005, 03:15:37 pm
Doom 3 had interesting enemies - wall running demons, chainsaw-toting zombies, disembodied flaming flying heads, etc.

Half Life 2 had two types of guys with machine guns, a couple vehicles, and slow-moving zombies that could be taken out with one or two pistol shots.

Whoo-dee-freaking-hoo.


Anyway, Half Life 2 is simply unplayable because of it's absurd level design. I simply can NOT get over this fact, and I can't believe everyone else can look over it like they do. For instance, after (spoiler below)
Spoiler:

you come out of the portal out of the timewarp, and the resistance is just beginning, one part of the level is about 100 feet of the doctors lab. Then, you get another 100 feet of open space, where you just watch Dog kick ass (while you stand around and do nothing). Then you walk into a building, and get another 100 feet of the building. That is just plane ridiculous!
Title: It's done
Post by: Ace on March 06, 2005, 03:31:21 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Kalfireth
I don't think any game has truly got it "right" yet, both Doom3, Far Cry and HL2 have come leaps and bounds from days of old.. but all of them have flaws in them that can be fixed and improved upon. For instance Half Life 2s water looks incredible but its walls/textures (to me at least) look incredibly flat and basic and close range. Doom 3s walls however seem to be very detailed up close however skin and so forth doesn't look so realistic. Both HL2, D3 and Far Cry have good special effects but that's to be expected since they can make that up as they go along.

Textures and filters on the whole still seem unrefined as some things are either "wet" or "dry". Damp just plain doesn't happen (things either shine or they don't - there seems to be no mid-point).

I guess I'm being over critical... but as things progress that may be a good thing.


I agree with you.

Far Cry had great foliage, but everything else was uninspired. Even the much-touted non linear levels are pretty straightforward and limited due to the level design.

Doom 3 has spectacular level design in that it gets that cramped, industrial look, and the mechanical objects look good in the engine. However, it fails miserably at organics.

Half Life 2 is the exact opposite. The soft shadowing, facial animations, and skin shaders lead to good looking main characters but the levels themselves are bland and basic and look like 256x256 tiling photos slapped onto low-polygon facsimilies of a building.

Really, what's needed is blending the three engines together.

Half Life 2 we're going to see lots of entry-level mods for. Far Cry's modding scene is dead, despite how much Crytek prides themselves as being player friendly. (I have my own gripes about them thanks to a space sim they cancelled, but I disgress...) Doom 3 in the end I think will wind up being the most flexible of the engines for developers. We won't see a lot of total conversions like Half Life will by fans, but there will be high quality products.
Title: It's done
Post by: Sandwich on March 06, 2005, 03:32:36 pm
Don't diss FarCry - it came out exactly one year ago this Wednesday; it's realism level* far outstrips HL2 (I haven't played Doom 3, so I can't speak for it), and it virtually came out of the blue.

* Note that I don't mean the physics, although those are good in FarCry as well. I mean the realism of how it plays; in FarCry, I was able to put to use tactics I learned in the army! :yes: In HL2, the most accurate weapon is.... the pistol??!? Can anyone else say :wtf:?
Title: It's done
Post by: Fineus on March 06, 2005, 03:42:16 pm
I definitely agree Ace, Half Life 2 seems very mod-friendly in that if you've modded for HL it's probably not much of a leap for HL2. Doom 3 however requires a lot more work to get the best out of. People complained that it was far too dark but then I think they're forgetting that that's the point. You're in a stricken faciliity on an alien world and half the time the power has failed - you just won't have light...

...unlike the original Half Life which is set in the desert in the day time - hence it's nice and bright the majority of the time. The same goes for Half Life 2 (although at least Ravenholm is dark in places - especially if you limit yourself with the gamma).

All in all, I think Far Crys outdoor areas, Half Lifes object and charachter details and Doom 3s texture and indoor stages could be amalgamated to create a much more pleasing game. However as someone above pointed out there's a different sort of style for each. Far Cry is incredibly bright and bold... Doom 3 is dark and gothic and HL2 tries to go for realism but fails on account of its ****ty textures.

(As an aside explanation - I think HL2s textures are ****ty now. Two years ago they'd have looked fantastic but since the game was delayed they do look dated).

UT is on the money with HL2s enemies. There was some variation in the zombies but then zombies are only around for a short while within the game - it would've been nice if they put the same effort into all the enemy types as they did the zombies. Indeed - even NPCs all look very bland and similar (although again I think this is partly the point).

I'm still strongly of the opinion that sandbox games are the way forward - and they shouldn't be limited to Battlefield like areas of open ground. Cities should also be explored in great detail... however I'm not sure if this is possible with current technology.
Title: It's done
Post by: Sandwich on March 06, 2005, 03:59:25 pm
Speaking of dark and moody, has no one played Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay?
Title: It's done
Post by: Fineus on March 06, 2005, 04:11:52 pm
Kind of assumed it was a cheesy film rip-off..

..is it not?
Title: It's done
Post by: Sandwich on March 06, 2005, 04:11:54 pm
Uhh.... dude. Butcher Bay (PC edition) got better ratings than HL2 (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php/topic,28872.0.html). Just look at this chart (http://www.gamestats.com/objects/691/691009/articles.html).

It's a pretty cool game, really - and I don't like FPSes all that much. Plus, you get to hear more of Vin Diesel and Xibit's voice acting. :yes: :p
Title: It's done
Post by: MicroPsycho on March 06, 2005, 04:54:18 pm
And then a game using UE 3.0 in all its glory will come along and wipe its ass with Doom 3, HL2 and Far Cry on the same piece of proverbial toilet paper!
Title: It's done
Post by: Turnsky on March 06, 2005, 05:28:24 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Sandwich
Speaking of dark and moody, has no one played Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay?


yes, have it on xbox.. that game is dark and moody.. but this time your're the one jumping out of the dark to kill somebody :p
Title: It's done
Post by: Triple Ace on March 06, 2005, 07:59:48 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Sandwich
Speaking of dark and moody, has no one played Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay?


I have it and it kicks ass. I hate the bug that makes the voices go really fast at some points. I also wish it was modable.
Title: It's done
Post by: Sandwich on March 07, 2005, 04:13:23 am
Quote
Originally posted by Triple Ace
I have it and it kicks ass. I hate the bug that makes the voices go really fast at some points.


Ihaven'tencounteredthatbugyet.Huh.
Title: It's done
Post by: Grug on March 07, 2005, 07:33:27 am
lol.

I like Doom3 for the dark exagerated shadows, HL2 for its...?, FarCry for its large levels and ragdoll system. :p
I dislike Doom3 for its arcade style feel, HL2 for its Story - if you can call it that, and FarCry for its slightly dumbed AI.
All in all, I probably like FarCry the most, D3 second, and HL2 last.
Doom3 scares me to much... :nervous:

I'm curious Sandwich, what tactics did you employ in FarCry? :)

Note: I'm very curious about STALKER... looks very appealing.
Title: It's done
Post by: Triple Ace on March 07, 2005, 10:15:12 am
Quote
Originally posted by Sandwich


Ihaven'tencounteredthatbugyet.Huh.


It annoys the piss out of me. For it to go away I have to quit the game then go back into it. After a little bit it does it again.
Title: It's done
Post by: Sandwich on March 07, 2005, 01:33:41 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Grug
I'm curious Sandwich, what tactics did you employ in FarCry? :)


You can lie down for better accuracy, hide from an opponent in the bushes (visually; bullets still hit you), toss rocks for distractions, flank their positions, have a natural advantage when you're on the high ground, worry about making noise in the vicinity of an enemy, take advantage of lack of alertness and preparedness among your enemies, and as far as I could tell, every single weapon was very realistically modeled and simulated - M-16, various grenades, rocket launcher, etc.

There's something else that I'm forgetting though... :doubt:
Title: It's done
Post by: aldo_14 on March 07, 2005, 01:41:11 pm
Fighting evil mutants with a P-90?

Actually, I got bored of Far Cry quite (I presume) early into it; the story never gripped me and it didn't run well (I didn't expect it to run brilliantly, of course, but better than it did...).  I got as far as a point where you have to sneak around an island at night and (IIRC) after
Spoiler:
the reporter is revealed as CIA... or something.  Can;t really remember the story - it was that good...
Title: It's done
Post by: Sandwich on March 07, 2005, 01:50:07 pm
The story was really just run-of-the-mill; I liked the game for the gameplay. :D
Title: It's done
Post by: Grug on March 07, 2005, 11:05:10 pm
Ditto, I still laugh at the story now.
But it is just so fun. :D
My favourite level is The fort. I just constantly replay the begining with the four guys on that first island.
"Your not using the right bait, Try THIS!"
"A grenade!? Or'lando your out of your freaking mind."
*open up with assault rifle from under the floor*

Hehehe.

As for the tactics - Cool. Makes me feel special now. :)
My only fault with prone is that if your on a hill its difficult to shoot on some angles, because you can't look directly down etc...

I never tried FarCry multiplay though, is that any good?
Title: It's done
Post by: Ace on March 07, 2005, 11:30:42 pm
Quote
Originally posted by aldo_14
Fighting evil mutants with a P-90?


That acurrately models combat against the Palestinian Uber-mensch Corps. :p
Title: It's done
Post by: ZylonBane on March 08, 2005, 04:12:06 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Kalfireth
I'm still strongly of the opinion that sandbox games are the way forward
They may be A way forward, but they're certainly not THE way forward. The sandbox structure sucks for plot-driven games, precisely because it gives the player so much freedom.
Title: It's done
Post by: Sandwich on March 08, 2005, 04:44:35 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Grug
My only fault with prone is that if your on a hill its difficult to shoot on some angles, because you can't look directly down etc...

I never tried FarCry multiplay though, is that any good?


Prone: In one way, yeah, but it's actually partially realistic, too. How comfortable would you be lying on your stomach, riflle in hand, aiming at a helicopter or other target at a significant angle above you? As for targets below you, there's a limit to how far down your wrists can bend; remember, you're still propping your body's upper-half up on your elbows.

Multi: I never tried it either.
Title: It's done
Post by: Fineus on March 08, 2005, 06:27:52 pm
Quote
Originally posted by ZylonBane
They may be A way forward, but they're certainly not THE way forward. The sandbox structure sucks for plot-driven games, precisely because it gives the player so much freedom.

Alright, a way forward.. but I don't think that sandbox games suck as far as plot-driven games - it's entirely possible to do it right.

Unfortunately, doing it right requires a lot more work than if a non-sandbox design is used. You have to give freedom as well as keeping up the confines of any plot that's developing.
Title: It's done
Post by: Sandwich on March 08, 2005, 07:21:04 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Grug
Ditto, I still laugh at the story now.
But it is just so fun. :D
My favourite level is The fort. I just constantly replay the begining with the four guys on that first island.
"Your not using the right bait, Try THIS!"
"A grenade!? Or'lando your out of your freaking mind."
*open up with assault rifle from under the floor*

Hehehe.


BTW, my favorite is Boat - I love sneaking around nice bright islands, stealthily picking off mercs one by one with the silenced MP5.... until The Moment™... The Moment™ when you aquire the almighty OICW! ;7 Mwahahaha!
Title: It's done
Post by: Grug on March 08, 2005, 09:24:29 pm
Prone- Yeah I guess, its tolorable but much more detail than that and it would start to get annoying. :p
The biggest prob is when you on the top of a hill, where you'd be laying on the otherside but pointing near straight down the other. Which you can't really do.
But I must admit, its rare it becomes an issue.

boat- lol. OICW hehe. Just use the all weapon cheat and grab it at the begining. :p
Has been so long since I've played any other level other than Fort, will have to play through it again... :)
Title: It's done
Post by: Sandwich on March 09, 2005, 02:56:15 am
Quote
Originally posted by Grug
boat- lol. OICW hehe. Just use the all weapon cheat and grab it at the begining. :p
Has been so long since I've played any other level other than Fort, will have to play through it again... :)


Nahh - makes things too easy. Besides, I did that once, after I completed the game, and it gave me everything but the OICW! Not only that, but when I got to the OICW level and tried to pick it up, it said I already had it and wouldn't give it to me. :(

I must say though, 999 ammo for the sniper rifle + noclip = extremely steady Turret 'O Death. :D
Title: It's done
Post by: Gloriano on March 09, 2005, 08:07:51 am
(http://www.uip.nl/Pictures/doom/01.jpg)


:shaking: it's going suck so much that it hurts