[Sandwich]

Originally posted by Thunder
I don't know about the Serious engine... it is packed with tricks but I just didn't like the feel of it... it felt to old. Kinda like Unreal Tournament (in its original form) did. I know there's no basis for this really but it's just how it felt to me.

You did get to that part with the dynamic gravity, right? (hint: think magnetic boots in zero-g... ).

Which one did you play, first or second?

[Fineus]

Looks shy...

Demos for 1 and 2, neither of the full games (couldn't afford them at the time of release and more interesting things came along after each...)

[Sandwich]

Originally posted by Thunder
Looks shy...

Demos for 1 and 2, neither of the full games (couldn't afford them at the time of release and more interesting things came along after each...)

*stares at Phund4r until the latter looks uncomfortable*

That's...... that's.... *sigh* We didn't yell at you enough back then, did we? Oh, well - all I can say is to go out, now, and pick up SS:SE. Now.

AS for the capabilities of the Serious engine, look at this list of tutorials on the Planet Serious site - amazing stuff there - they even have a Matrix-cam!

[CP5670]

That's...... that's.... *sigh* We didn't yell at you enough back then, did we? Oh, well - all I can say is to go out, now, and pick up SS:SE. Now.  

LOL I think DX is even better, though.

[Nico]

you can do some kind of geomod in renegade. Nothing as advanced as RF of course, but still it's possible if you don't overdo it ( building/destroyed building mesh (can be animated to see the building crumble, like in the city solo map ), wasn't used in the actual game for, her, unknown reasons.
Only difficult thing to do would be to animate a shivan, in renegade. the engine run fine, and it has good teamplay scripting, which I think is important, no?

[Styxx]

Originally posted by mikhael
Oh yes. Oh hell yes. This idea is poetic. It is sublime. I may weep.

By the way, you heard the "news"? The Shocklings figured out how to put new character models into the game... making a Shivan for Shock2 would rule.

[mikhael]

Originally posted by Kamikaze


Aren't you taking your liking of a game a bit far?

You're sitting here on a Freespace themed community forum, active in Freespace themed community projects, discussing a Freespace themed First Person Shooter...

AND YOU'RE ASKING ME IF I TAKE MY LIKING OF A GAME A BIT FAR?

Pot, this is kettle. Kettle, meet pot. I think you'll be the bestest of friends.

[CP5670]

Actually, I quite agree with mikhael on that point. The true fanatical gamers are all like this.

[mikhael]

Originally posted by Styxx


By the way, you heard the "news"? The Shocklings figured out how to put new character models into the game... making a Shivan for Shock2 would rule.

there's something blissful about the idea of coming around a corner to find the ripped apart bodies of your comrades, prompting you to stop and think twice about going through that door. There's something deeply scary that the creature on the other side might not be a rumbler or a psi-reaver, but a shivan sporting a shoulder mounted beam cannon.

[Styxx]

Originally posted by mikhael
there's something blissful about the idea of coming around a corner to find the ripped apart bodies of your comrades, prompting you to stop and think twice about going through that door. There's something deeply scary that the creature on the other side might not be a rumbler or a psi-reaver, but a shivan sporting a shoulder mounted beam cannon.

Eh, I don't think that "deeply scary" fully defines the situation...

[mikhael]

Originally posted by Styxx


Eh, I don't think that "deeply scary" fully defines the situation...

Is this the part where you radio back to Command and tell them that you're going to have to take 15 min of downtime to change your shorts?

[ZylonBane]

Originally posted by Ace
I could retort that all other engines are rejected solely on the lack of Geo-Mod.

You could, but that would require thinking that geo-mod was anything more than a gimmick.

Real-time geometry modification will certainly get technically more advanced in the future, but it will NEVER EVER lead to "blow a hole in whatever and go wherever you want" type gameplay. There are two very simple and unassailable reasons for this:

1. Limited developer resources. It's tough enough to come up with all the architecture that the player is guaranteed to see, and still come in on schedule and under budget. Building vast sections that the player might never see is unthinkable.

2. Gameplay flow. An FPS is a controlled experience. Giving the player the freedom to blast anywhere is a guarantee to break arranged ambushes, scripted sequences, plot progression, etc.

So what's it good for? Eh... knocking shallow chunks in things (in which case it's just a 3D scorch mark), and allowing access to designated secret areas or shortcuts (which has been done for years with destructable wall segments).

Dynamic lightmaps, on the other hand, are a simple yet incredibly powerful mood-building tool. Look at System Shock 2... you can hardly walk a dozen steps in any direction without encountering a flickering or flashing light, and they contribute hugely to the game's atmosphere. As far as I'm concerned, dynamic lightmaps are right up there with stereo sound as bare-minimum engine features these days (and by "these days" I mean "since the release of Doom").