Textures

[Naso]

I realize this is probably pretty obvious, but haven't seen it said yet. Now that the frame-rate problems are fixed please don't do anything graphically before making better textures. We don't really need more nifty effects and whatnot to make it look much. The textures were the limiting factor on the graphics, the geometry and the effects were fine, save the lighting slowdowns. The worst textures in the original are just for metal walls and things. Sometimes they almost look like just a flat color or no texture at all.

[alanschu]

I think this may be more of a limiting factor since it is also being made for the X-Box...but I'm not sure.

[Akari]

We did add a procedural texturing system that helps make those otherwise plain surfaces look a bit more varied without straining the X-Box memory. This is mostly for use with walls and floors, and I think doors.

 

Beyond that it's mostly up to the artists to do a good job with what they have available.

 

-Akari

[Naso]

Thanks for the reply! Just for my two cents though, the whole x-boxiciation of pc games still is kinda sad though. I've played console games a bit on my friends' machines and haven't really liked them because everything has to be streamlined and simplified, and so if I miss the random really good game it's ok because I get more and better stuff on the pc. KotOR was really great in so many other ways, and at least they redid the interface, so it rose above these problems, but look at things like DX2 and stuff. You couldn't have a game like Homeworld on a console, and probably (?) NWN would be sort of hard to pull off too. I guess what I'm saying is the consoles have made things lowest common denominator and the whole dual-development thing ought to be rethought. Sorry to rant, it just is somewhat irksome to me.