[Luis Dias]

Probably this has been beaten more than anything else, but when I first punched the asteroid pof file into PSC2, it announced +-8k polys! Now I understand why asteroid missions get to be the worst nightmares for my computer's FPS performances. Is really all this much required? Couldn't a 1k poly asteroid be as fitting as an 8k, or even a 500 one, so as long as the normal maps help in the way of things? This huge waste of processing power to asteroids could have never been accepted in any professional game.

My 2 cents of course.

[Commander Zane]

The ultimate test for processing power is to stare into the asteroid field on the first level of Transcend.

[Sushi]

Do asteroids get LODs?

If not, that may be a good way to go.

[Wanderer]

Problem with asteroids is the irregular shape which tends to require a lot polys to make it look good. Simple box shaped cruiser/destroyer can make do with a lot less.

[Galemp]

I heartily endorse the OP's sentiments. I truly do not understand why the asteroids are so poly-heavy, and I THOUGHT that they had been replaced with saner ones in the 3.6.10 MVPs.

[Aardwolf]

No, they just fixed the LODs so people with low-end systems didn't die when playing missions with asteroids in 'em.

[Thaeris]

Given that although I've textured things (not very well...), I've never actually made a serious map or, even more so, a normal map. Isn't that what a normal map is for, though? Making a lower poly model appear high-poly by using a texture which has differing normals applied to various regions of the map? Is this the case or am I mistaken?

-Thaeris

[Aardwolf]

Um... yes...

[Zacam]

Poly count: Model Name; LOD0, 1, 2 , 3 (where applicable)

Ast01	8246	2058	78			Asteroid01	66	48	22
Ast02	1520	760	122			Asteroid01-01	8246	2058	78
Ast03	1088	544	68			Asteroid01-02	60	42	20	10
AstA01	3074	1534	58			Asteroid02	66	48	22
AstA02	1520	760	68			Asteroid02-01	65	47	22	10
AstA03	1088	272	68			Asteroid02-02	60	41	24	12
AstB01	1922	478	92			Asteroid03	66	48	22
AstB02	1520	760	94			Asteroid03-01	49	36	20	12
AstB03	1088	544	68			Asteroid03-02	52	35	20	10

Texture Usage: Texture Name: Model(s) Using it; PCS2 Texture Slot Count

ASTEROD1; Ast01, Ast02, Ast03, Asteroid01-01; 1 each
ASTEROD2: AstA01, AstA02, AstA03; 1 each
ASTEROD5: AstB01, AstB02, AstB03; 1 each

(asteroid being most used is broken into multiple lists)
asteroid01: Asteroid02-01; 1
asteroid01: Asteroid01/02/03; 3 each
asteroid01: Asteroid01-02,02-02,03-01,03-02; 3 each

[Vasudan Admiral]

Yeah, there are basically 3 full sets of 3 asteroids where each set has a different colour (and just one texture for the whole set). In pre-3.6.10 MVPs there was just one full set of 3 where each asteroid had a separate HUGE texture. Since texture count kills performance much more than polys, if you define an asteroid field as using just one set of roids, the current MVPs are a third of the load of previous ones. If you define a field as using all three sets of roids, it becomes about the same (though with more roid variety) as previous MVPs.

The 8K asteroid is a one-off that I intended to leave as the lone asteroid you can place in Fred, but I did plan to use a LOD of it for the set that it's a part of. Must have forgotten that bit. :\

[Herra Tohtori]

Given that although I've textured things (not very well...), I've never actually made a serious map or, even more so, a normal map. Isn't that what a normal map is for, though? Making a lower poly model appear high-poly by using a texture which has differing normals applied to various regions of the map? Is this the case or am I mistaken?

-Thaeris

Yes. However, normal maps can do very little to remove jagged edges of polygons themselves. Good smoothing can help more, but it has it's limits too - mainly the fact that the outlines of the low-poly model remain low-poly even if the model's surface looks highly detailed.

Maybe the highest detailed sets of asteroid models could be in Advanced, though.

[Tantalus53]

Is it possible to make an option so that the asteroids go back to the nice, old, easy to handle retail ones? >>

[High Max]

;-)