Q&A session with High-Octane

Mickey1 · Post by **Mickey1** » Sun Oct 03, 2004 12:41 pm

They must be busier. Ha, Ha, Ha KaBoom!

Nexus_One · Post by **Nexus_One** » Sun Oct 03, 2004 7:50 pm

snoopy wrote:No, really seriously HO- where did you all go?

Anyone for a piece of pie?

Has anyone actually seen screen shots of this game? Anyone? Again, I am the devil's advocate, but, where is anything on this game? We saw screens of Doom 3 and Half Life 2 years before their release, and last I heard this was supposed to be released next year.

zbriggs · Post by **zbriggs** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 9:37 am

We are still here. I check into this board and catch up every day, however we have been busier in recent work on the game and our other projects.

Top Gun · Post by **Top Gun** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 12:49 pm

See? These people actually work all day instead of lurking around forums...

...like me

Mr. Perfect · Post by **Mr. Perfect** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 2:01 pm

Nuh uh! He just said he lurks everyday!

Darktalyn1 · Post by **Darktalyn1** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 8:15 pm

Are there any screenshots of this game..?

Just curious. Looked a little bit but not really, didn't see anything during my initial glances though...

Mobius · Post by **Mobius** » Tue Oct 05, 2004 12:48 pm

Jeremy, we've been promised some, but so far, nothing.

Frosty5F11 · Post by **Frosty5F11** » Wed Oct 06, 2004 4:30 am

Ok, I don't think this has been asked, even tho I have not read all the pages to see, so I'm just gonna ask.
What kinda computer we gonna need for this game?
I'm thinking about getting a GeForce 6800, but will that be enough when this game comes out?

Darktalyn1 · Post by **Darktalyn1** » Wed Oct 06, 2004 11:16 am

Thanks for the heads up...

Mobius · Post by **Mobius** » Wed Oct 06, 2004 12:52 pm

Since when do mods edit posts for content without leaving a note???? WTF?

Bonz · Post by **Bonz** » Wed Oct 06, 2004 1:10 pm

yeah really, didn't your post read "isn't it about time you cough up some screen shots Zach"

It must be a requirment around here that we must be nice now too.

Sirius · Post by **Sirius** » Wed Oct 06, 2004 2:20 pm

Wouldn't be too surprised.

Hope it's not too hard for you guys.

Mr. Perfect · Post by **Mr. Perfect** » Wed Oct 06, 2004 2:43 pm

Frosty5F11 wrote:What kinda computer we gonna need for this game? I'm thinking about getting a GeForce 6800, but will that be enough when this game comes out?

I took this from the Q&A session.

17:37:14 <{HighOct}Zach> We have not yet tourture tested the engine.
17:37:33 <{HighOct}Zach> I know that it ran on a 1GHz 512MB and a GeForce2
17:38:12 <{HighOct}Zach> I know that Rice's machine ran it at 6xAA and 16xAS
17:38:19 <{HighOct}Zach> 1600x1200
17:38:24 <{HighOct}Zach> 104 FPS
17:39:00 <{HighOct}Alex> our final system requirements will also largely depend on the final polygon counts in our environments
17:39:14 <{HighOct}Alex> and how many effects we decide to add to the game
17:39:36 <{HighOct}Alex> so numbers that we give you now are only examples of the game in its current, early, state
17:39:55 <{HighOct}Alex> but our goal is to reach the largest user base possible
17:40:01 <{HighOct}Alex> so we will do our best to keep them reasonable

And here's the specs of the 105FPS testbed.

(09:43 PM) <@{HighOct}Alex> (09:41 PM) <[MS]Cire> How did you manage to get 105 FPS with 16xAS, and 6xAA, in a pre-bata version? Are you using some new method of optimization? Or just a simplistic level?
(09:44 PM) <@{HighOct}Zach> The engine is running very nicely.
(09:44 PM) <@{HighOct}Zach> It was also taken with a 3.2GHz HyperThreader
(09:44 PM) <@{HighOct}Zach> and a Radeon 9700

They continualy say that they're not really working on the eyecandy though, and are instead focusing on gameplay. Hopefully you have some other reasons for buying the 6800, because this doens't look like it's going to be any big strain.

Frosty5F11 · Post by **Frosty5F11** » Wed Oct 06, 2004 11:01 pm

I guess I shoulda read the rest of that Q&A session before posting. but I read the part where that one dude said he thought they were using 3.0 shaders. So 1 reason I would think would be to get the cooler looking graphics. But then again you would think that that great running an engine that the graphics would pretty much suck. Unless it's VERY efficient!
I guess I'll have to judge by the screen shots whenever they're posted.

Suncho · Post by **Suncho** » Wed Oct 06, 2004 11:37 pm

The beauty of a game is not directly related to the complexity of its graphics. Instead, it's related to how skilled its artists are.

Suncho · Post by **Suncho** » Wed Oct 06, 2004 11:42 pm

Sirius · Post by **Sirius** » Thu Oct 07, 2004 12:08 am

Indeed... SD3 had some pretty neat graphics, and it was a 2D RPG running on the SNES, which had a 3.6 MHz processor if I remember...

Skyalmian · Post by **Skyalmian** » Thu Oct 07, 2004 12:10 am

Suncho, in his edited post (it didn't originally say "..."), said that the screenshot would arrive by October 16th.

Frosty5F11 · Post by **Frosty5F11** » Thu Oct 07, 2004 12:35 am

Suncho wrote:The beauty of a game is not directly related to the complexity of its graphics. Instead, it's related to how skilled its artists are.

Whoa, now that's a deep thought

I guess your right about that, personally I don't see much of a difference between medal of honor AA and the new 2.0 pixel shading Pacific Assault except for a huge performance decrease.
But still, I dunno if either will run with 6xAA and 16xAF at 1600x1200 with 104 FPS.
Personally I don't care too much as long as it's as fun as descent and has a ton of ppl playing.

Nightshade · Post by **Nightshade** » Thu Oct 07, 2004 4:22 am

I offered to host beta servers for HO, but I suppose I quoted them the wrong price.

Mr. Perfect · Post by **Mr. Perfect** » Thu Oct 07, 2004 9:49 pm

Hey, I know you HO guys are lurking around here, so I'll ask a Q that wasn't in the Q&A.

What quality will the audio taunts be recorded in? I'd like to start recording taunts from shows and movies, but I need to know what rate and quality to use.

Frosty5F11 · Post by **Frosty5F11** » Thu Oct 07, 2004 11:40 pm

Mr. Perfect wrote:Hey, I know you HO guys are lurking around here, so I'll ask a Q that wasn't in the Q&A. What quality will the audio taunts be recorded in? I'd like to start recording taunts from shows and movies, but I need to know what rate and quality to use.

now that's a good question!
and maybe be able to repet your taunts faster too.
also a tad longer length time too.

Unix · Post by **Unix** » Thu Oct 07, 2004 11:54 pm

Please no.

Neo · Post by **Neo** » Mon Oct 11, 2004 11:17 am

Sirius wrote:Uhm...

The rail gun isn't called a rail gun because it fires rails.

heh

Is the Rail Gun supposed to be the replacement for the Mass Driver, or is it just a Beam Rifle?

Today I was thinking: "It would be cool if robots could crash to the ground after you killed them and then smolder as scrap wherever they landed smoking for a while instead of always blowing up and not leaving a trace."

That just means more clutter and problems with collision detection in the levels. Oh, by the way, you can do that in D3 with mods.

Sirius · Post by **Sirius** » Tue Oct 12, 2004 12:43 am

It shouldn't mean problems with collision detection unless your algorithm is dodgy.

It will mean more clutter though.

But hey, look at Descent 3 level 4... and that was 1999.

Edit: Plus, they were all alive once. You're not exactly adding to the load on memory... so it could be done.

Neo · Post by **Neo** » Tue Oct 12, 2004 7:52 am

Suncho wrote:The beauty of a game is not directly related to the complexity of its graphics. Instead, it's related to how skilled its artists are.

I concur.

I have one thing to say about level editing: any level editor should be oriented toward gamers and not level designers. Most gamers don't understand anything about how to edit faces, vertices, etc. and it's a nightmare trying to use crappy tools like D3 Edit. Any gamer should be able to sit around for several minutes and make a simple level instead of having to read through tutorials that bore him silly (that was me trying to use D3 Edit =P).

And a bonus with using cube-based engines is that you won't get stuck on walls or stupid pipes or any other useless crap.

Top Wop · Post by **Top Wop** » Tue Oct 12, 2004 9:56 am

If there is going to be taunts, then I want the ability first to turn them off, and then ban certain taunt files or restrict from additional taunt files from being downloaded to your computer. If there is one thing I cant stand are annoying F**ks who use the system to annoy. I enjoy a good laugh when I hear a good comedic clip, which is why I leave them on. There were many occasions where I nearly fell of my chair, litterally from the funny things that I enjoy to hear. But god damnit, there are people who record the most abnoxious yells or screeches or rap and other bad music clips and hit that damn play button every 5 seconds.

I want to enjoy them but have the ability to block the retard ten year olds who abuse them.

Lothar · Post by **Lothar** » Tue Oct 12, 2004 5:00 pm

oooh, yes... definitely have an "ignore taunts from certain players" ability. I like taunts, but some people abuse them.

Mobius · Post by **Mobius** » Tue Oct 12, 2004 7:30 pm

No Neo - a system whereby idiots can make levels means that idiots WILL make levels. Do you see the connection? It's like HTML: see how many fucked up web sites there are out there? Good Lord.

No - level design and manufacture should remain tricky, and require levels of skill WELL ABOVE the average gamer.

Sergeant Thorne · Post by **Sergeant Thorne** » Tue Oct 12, 2004 8:23 pm

I agree with Mobius. It's a nice idea, Neo, but, unless the editor were a work of genius, I'd be afraid making it so easy to use would also detract from the attainable level of quality and complexity.

Sirius · Post by **Sirius** » Tue Oct 12, 2004 10:01 pm

Being easy to use isn't inherently a bad thing, of course. Even decent level designers often shy away from tools like D3Edit because they're just so laborious. It'd probably be easier to build them in 3DS Max and import them than do every single polygon in D3Edit.

But it shouldn't cater to the lowest common denominator, either. I'm sorry, but the average gamer just doesn't know what they're doing when it comes to levels. Suncho's mention of artists is appropriate to levels as well as simple graphics; it is an art to make a level that plays well, looks attractive, and feels right, especially if you have to work within engine limitations.

zbriggs · Post by **zbriggs** » Wed Oct 13, 2004 1:17 am

The new Core Decision Portal is up and running.

Here you will find,
Screen Shots,
Q & A Sessions,
FAQ,
and other goodies.

From now on we will be using this for Core Decision.

http://coredecision.highoctane.biz

Thank You,
Zachary Briggs, Executive Producer
HighOctane Software

Q&A session with High-Octane

Hello out there!!

We are still here.

Core Decision Portal