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View Full Version : Issues at this point with graphics/models?


brother_bunsen
01-09-2006, 12:47 AM
Right now, I have to say that I'm disappointed with a couple of things I've seen in the trailer, and I'm hoping that they will be improved long before release date hits.

1.) All of the characters in the trailer besides Alan were exactly the same shape/height (the hooded figures, I mean.) I like variety in character design. Hopefully they will vary these models by release time.

2.) All of the cars except Alan's in the trailer were the exact same truck with different paint jobs (with the exception of something that looked like an ambulance which was parked on one side of the street.) This is just an extension of the previous complaint, I guess. I'm hoping that there will be a large variety of models for all sorts of things. When everyone owns the same television set/house/car/dog, it gets kinda unrealistic.

3.) The water effect looks not at all impressive. This is the one worry I have that I doubt will be addressed before release. I have a message for game designers the world over. WATER IS NOT A FLAT SURFACE WITH A BUMP MAP! Water flows, shifts, swells, breaks, etc. In a game with such a focus on an ocean/lakeside town, there should be a focus on realistic water effects. Remedy has a chance here to pioneer into a new area of environment realism, and I hope that they work hard to improve the water effects in the game so that fluids actually interact with their environment (colliding, say, with the pylons of the pier that Alan is standing on in the trailers.)

I'm not saying that Alan Wake isn't a beautiful game, but I just wonder if you guys caught anything else that you'd like to see improved from what you've seen so far (particles, lighting, etc.)

Morry
01-09-2006, 01:48 AM
What exactly is wrong with this water??

http://www.alanwake.net/gallery/files/1/awvid_hirescap022_888360.jpg

brother_bunsen
01-09-2006, 02:37 AM
As I said earlier, there isn't anything wrong with the water, I just hope that they work to make the water more dynamic as an object - i.e, make it flow, make waves crash, make water move and become more agitated around rocks, boats, things in the water, etc. The water looks nice in stills, heck, it looks nice in the video. I'm just hoping that, as an extremely next-generation game in terms of graphics, they can work to take fluids to the next level. I don't want anybody to mistake this thread as a gripe about the graphics, as much as a discussion of things we would like to see taken above and beyond the normal graphics of current-day games.

Coak
01-09-2006, 04:33 PM
You shouldn't be worried about things looking too alike, Remedy is real good with small details, and the trailer is rather (over 6 months) old, they must have improved something since then. But the dynamic water bit would be cool, although I doubt it will make it into this game.

HappyJack
01-10-2006, 02:42 AM
If I can pick up a rock and throw it into the water and see a cool splash, or dive my car into it and see a cool splash, Ill be happy with the water.

RTsa
01-10-2006, 02:35 PM
Draw distance was the first thing I noticed. (for example, see the cabin just appearing there) But this is something you need a better computer to correct...I don't know what can be done with it other than that.

The second thing (or perhaps the first, can't remember anymore) I noticed was the trees at about 0:30. I know there're different textures and stuff used when an object is longer away and you can see it when the texture/model is changed to a more detailed one...but here it shows way too well IMO. Of course I doubt we'll be flying too much around in the game itself, but it's something I noticed right away.

The third one was the rockslide. The rocks should break..at least some of them. Or they should already be split when they're coming down. They're all round and 'fluffy'. When a rock is broken it isn't round anymore. Also, the lack of small rocks (say, fist sized) is kind of weird.

These aren't too big issues, but if they were fixed, it would of course be better. (maybe they are? the video IS old)

Coak
01-10-2006, 02:57 PM
Yeah, the tree shift was pretty noticeable, one of the major things that sucked.

Morry
01-10-2006, 11:50 PM
Yeah, the tree shift was pretty noticeable, one of the major things that sucked.
You won't notice it too much when you're actually playing the game. The fact that it was a fast paced bird's eye view leaves a lot of detail to be rendered. Atleast on PC, we should be able to set LOD levels to make that effect disappear as long as our set up is good enough.

PetriRMD
01-11-2006, 06:51 AM
These aren't too big issues, but if they were fixed, it would of course be better. (maybe they are? the video IS old)

Yeah, don't worry about it too much. Lots of things have been fixed/changed/added by now. :-)

Coak
01-11-2006, 09:07 AM
WOOHOO!

Anything from the wishlist? ;)

RTsa
01-11-2006, 09:11 AM
Great great! :)

Morry
01-12-2006, 02:57 AM
Yeah, don't worry about it too much. Lots of things have been fixed/changed/added by now. :-)
Yay! Encore!

TruB
01-12-2006, 12:50 PM
im not worried.. i havent played a game from remady that havent been one of the best games ever played..

igl
04-16-2006, 10:14 AM
Such whippersnapper crits of a early preview, only tickle me to post a 'do it yourself then' comment. I really hate doing it. Sorry. :eek: