realism
Latest
'DeepFaceDrawing' AI can turn simple sketches into detailed photo portraits
An AI can generate photos of people's faces using simple line drawings.
NVIDIA ray-tracing on 'Minecraft' looks surprisingly cool
Minecraft's blocky world might be the last place you'd think would need more realism. However, NVIDIA and Microsoft have announced that they've done exactly that, bringing RTX ray-tracing powers to the ever-popular game. "In normal Minecraft, a block of gold just appears yellow," said Minecraft's Saxs Persson, "but with ray tracing turned on, you really get to see the specular highlight, you get to see the reflection, you can even see a mob reflected in it."
Star Citizen aims to redefine avatar death, combat realism
Remember way back in February of 2013 when Chris Roberts posted his Death of a Spaceman concept? It was a high-level look at how character death would function in Star Citizen, and it broke from gaming industry norms by aiming for an immersive system with strategy and consequences rather than the typical run-and-gun and die-and-respawn mechanics common to MMOs, FPSs, and most other games. This week Roberts and company have released another extensive design doc called Healing Your Spacemen, which greatly expands the original concept. "In the end, the team decided to run counter to the standard FPS mechanics of regenerating health and instantly respawning on death to make every fight a calculated decision that can have ramifications that impact your character and place in the 'Verse," Cloud Imperium says. Character health involves a limb-based system featuring four levels of health for each limb, and the system deliberately avoids "the current trend of hiding behind cover for blood to clear off your screen and jumping back in the fight ready for more." The post also explains how characters may be dragged to safety and how the spaceflight portion of the game will include "a robust rescue system" that complements the character death and damage mechanics. Read all about it via the official site links below! [Thanks Cardboard!]
Stick and Rudder: How complex is too complex for Star Citizen?
I've taken a little while to let Chris Roberts' recent flight model manifesto marinate. In that time, my opinion has run the gamut from "funk yeah, simulation!" to "hmm, I hope I'm able to enjoy this title" and back again. I waffled because as much as I'm salivating over Star Citizen and everything it represents, it's still one game out of dozens that I'm following. And as much as I'd like to, I can't realistically devote all of my free time to a single title!
Life is Feudal is offering a look at the gameplay via livestream Friday
Show me the sandbox! If you've wanted to catch a glimpse of Life is Feudal gameplay, the recently announced medieval sandbox being developed by Bitbox, set some time aside this Friday. At 3:00 p.m. EST on November 15th, devs will be livestreaming some of the gameplay of this project they've been working on for the last three years. Will the live show highlight the terraforming, the crafting minigames, or the target-less combat (which includes aiming for ranged attacks)? And how much of the seamless world can the devs traverse in just one livestream? You'll have to watch on Friday to find out! The address for the stream will be announced later, but those who miss it can take note of the game's official YouTube channel in order to watch it afterwards. [Thanks to Kuroi for the tip!]
Life is Feudal begins Indiegogo campaign
Promising to deliver "realistic medieval" MMO, game developers from Russia are seeking crowdfunding to push hardcore sandbox Life is Feudal over the finish line. Bitbox has been working on Life is Feudal for over three years but recently decided that an Indiegogo campaign was needed to further finance the title to the tune of €200,000. "We have reached a point where additional external funding is required for us to complete the development and release our game, and we spent many nights and days weighing our options," the devs wrote on the campaign page. The project page has a good summary of this ambitious title's selling points, including a 441-square-kilometer seamless world, full terraforming, a rich crafting system, a no-target combat system, and the ability to track and hunt wild animals. We recently saw a trailer for Life is Feudal showing some of its potential. The game will be free-to-play with an alpha starting soon after the fundraising campaign if the money is raised. [Thanks to Alessio for the tip!]
Here's a trailer for promising indie sandbox Life is Feudal
Need another indie sandbox to pin your player-generated hopes and dreams upon? Life is Feudal might be up to the task if the game's latest trailer is any indication. Bitbox's brief video clip highlights features including a seamless open world, 100 percent terraforming, "flexible free building," physics-based melee and ranged combat with aiming, crafting minigames, a realistic player damage system, and a combat formation system. Bitbox's press release says that additional game-related details are coming in the future, including information on a "complex food and cooking system" as well as full loot mechanics, skill and stat caps, and weapon combos. Click past the cut for the trailer. [Source: Bitbox press release]
Infinity Ward animator talks first-person flourishes
Chance Glasgo, a first-person animator at Infinity Ward, did a Reddit Ask Me Anything thread last weekend, taking on questions about the complicated weapon animations seen in games like Call of Duty and Battlefield. You should read through the whole thread if you're interested, but PC Gamer has kindly grabbed some of the most fascinating insights.Glasgo says that "most serial numbers on guns in CoD have significance" of some kind, whether it's just a reference to his workout gym of choice, or a hint to something in the game's larger mythology.He also explains that while gun aficionados will often tell him he's made some sort of technical mistake in rendering realistic weapons, the choice to do things differently is simply creative. For example, you're never supposed to point a real gun anywhere but forward even while reloading it, but following that rule would make some of these just so ... boring.
The Daily Grind: Do you want realism or awesome?
I realize that any discussion of realism in MMOs can quickly devolve into absurdity, but bear with me. I was recently involved in a discussion between some guildies of mine who were extolling the virtues of Tribes: Ascend over more realistic FPS games. "It's the jetpacks," they told me. In a realism-driven FPS, there's an emphasis on physics and gravity, but in Tribes, it's all about the jetpacks and learning how to fight effectively while using one. The fun of a game like that is in how awesome it is to break realism, not in how true-to-life it might be. Pure MMOs are no different. Many games make compromises along the spectrum of reality, especially when it comes to travel: In some games, we're grounded, forced to use a horse or our own two feet to make our way across the world; in others, we teleport via magical contraptions or leap tall buildings in a single bound. So riddle me this: When it boils down to it, what do you prefer to be the guiding principle of your MMOs -- realism or awesome? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Global Chat: September 19-25, 2011
Welcome to this week's Global Chat! We love hearing what you have to say at Massively, and we love it even more when we can share the best comments with all of our readers. Massively staffers will be contributing some of their favorite comments every week, so keep an eye out every Sunday for more Global Chat! This week we had a lot of discussion of reality in our MMOs -- yes, it's a real consideration, even in a world where we're slinging fireballs from our hands and swinging 12-foot axes with ease! There was also some discussion on the financial side of things, always a popular topic. Follow along after the jump for some of the best of what our readers had to say this week!
Chicago's Adler Planetarium to start projecting 8K by 8K images from this July, put cinema screens to shame
Okay, so it's not quite 8K video, we're not there yet, but the Adler Planetarium and its brand new Grainger Sky Theater are about to show us what 64 megapixel images look like on a big screen. Described as the "largest single seamless digital image in the world," the picture inside the planetarium will come from 20 projectors hooked up to 45 computers processing data, and should provide the most lucid and captivating view unto our universe that one can get without actually exiting the Earth's atmosphere. The new show kicks off on July 8th, having been put together with aid from NASA and IBM among others. Jump past the break for the full press release.
The Daily Grind: Does realism have any place in MMOs?
We may roleplay a lot of different things in our MMOs, but realistic living is usually not one of them. After all, we can fly, sustain massive amounts of damage without a visible scratch, never have to go to the bathroom, expect chainmail bikinis to protect us, slaughter thousands without remorse, keep horses in our back pockets, defy every law of nature there is, and encounter dozens of animals that are all missing essential organs needed for a quest objective. So as much as we've gotten used to the fantastical elements that pave the way to fun gameplay, I have to wonder: Does this mean that there is no place for realism in MMOs at all? If you look at older pen-and-paper RPGs, realistic elements such as pack weight, the need to eat, and persistent injuries all helped contribute to a relatable experience. What do you think? Should devs reconsider realistic elements in MMOs? Are we getting so far away from a believable experience that we've lost something crucial to RPGs? Or are you just hunky-dory with things as they are? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
The Daily Grind: Would you try an MMO with "realistic" combat?
Combat has become the bread and butter of MMORPGs. Whether we're talking about the latest AAA themepark implementation, a newfangled (and purportedly) skill-based approach, or the various flavors of indie sandbox, combat is generally all that the majority of MMO devs and players really care about. It's strange, then, that even with such a laser focus on one particular aspect of gaming, the lion's share of the implementations are largely the same. Sure, there's variation in terms of skill naming and other superficial details, but at the end of the day, MMO combat boils down to long, drawn-out slug-fests to see whose numbers are the best. This bears no resemblance to real combat, which, due to various factors, often happens in the blink of an eye (and often results in victors with "inferior" skills or equipment). In MMO terms, one shots -- or even mildly quick victories -- are often labeled "overpowered," "unbalanced," and "unfair." I've often wondered why that is, and why a genre that obsesses over efficiency and violence as much as ours does neglects to try a more realistic approach. Fast, one- or two-hit combat is not without precedent in gaming. Bushido Blade springs to mind as just one example, and every time I roll an MMO assassin that is unable to actually assassinate anyone, I'm reminded of the shortcomings of massively multiplayer combat. What about you, dear reader? Would you play an MMO with quasi-realistic combat, or are you married to the current paradigm? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Wasteland Diaries: Hardcore mode
So during your wait for Sector 4, have you conquered it all in Fallen Earth? You've overcome every obstacle and achieved every achievement? You've amassed wealth beyond dreams and have become a king among men in the wastes? Maybe not, but let's assume you have. What do you do now? Well, I've got some terrific news for you. Fallen Earth has a hardcore mode. It's a realism mod of sorts. But the catch is: Nothing is changed on the server side. All modifications will be made client-side (and they will be made legally). This mode will take a large amount of self-discipline. It will be very easy to cheat. Many of the rules that will be imposed on you will also be enforced by you. In order for it to be considered truly hardcore, apocalyptic-realism, you can't cheat. Even Fallout: New Vegas has a hardcore mode. Of course, I played it in hardcore mode and still found it too easy. I had to impose rules on myself to keep it challenging (like no V.A.T.S. allowed). I also found that the ability to save right before a big decision or fight also alleviates some of the difficulty. Of course, I could impose further restrictions on myself to make the game more difficult. With that in mind, after the cut, I'll show you how to do just that with Fallen Earth.
The Daily Grind: Want realism with that?
Recently, a buddy and I were discussing the merits of MMORPG realism while waiting in the ironically named fast food drive-thru line. I'm all about the "realistic" social and economic possibilities inherent in old-school Ultima Online, while he digs the accessibility and pick-up-and-play nature of more recent titles such as World of Warcraft and, presumably, The Old Republic. About the only thing we could agree on is that there's room for both in the massive genre. Realism is highly subjective. For example, a fantasy title full of wizard fire, dragons, and goblins (Ultima Online) is, in my mind, more realistic than a non-combat sandbox based on "real life" like A Tale in the Desert. What say you, Massively readers? Would you like some realism with your MMORPGs, and if so, what exactly do you mean by that?
Balancing realistic physics with fun in Black Prophecy
The latest info about the sci-fi MMO Black Prophecy, currently in development at Reakktor Media, comes in the form of a series of dev blogs from the game's Technical Director, Cyrus Preuss. As with his two previous blogs, Cyrus gets down into the nuts and bolts of how the game's physics work, which may be of interest to those who'd like to know more about the underlying systems that will govern Black Prophecy's space combat. His rather technical dev blog is all about interaction with the physics engine. It especially deals with balancing the realism that some players want with the need to throw aspects of that realism to the wind, in favor of game mechanics that are simply more fun. He also discusses how the physics engine will relate to space stations, capital ships, and weapon physics. Black Prophecy fans interested in this kind of a look at the game can read all about it in "Interaction with the Physics Engine" on the game's official site.
The Daily Grind: How realistic do you like your games?
In real life, if you've not noticed, we don't have hit points. Getting stabbed by a sword once is pretty much crippling if not outright fatal. Fall too far and you don't suffer some uniform amount of damage across your whole body -- you frequently wind up breaking your legs or your spine, and it can be a slow and painful recovery process if you ever recover. We can't wander through the world without ever bothering to eat, drink, or sleep, and when you get shot to death, there will not be a fresh clone waiting to get you back into the action. In the interests of being polite, we'll not even mention the usual lack of other important facilities. We accept that there's going to be some degree of unreal mechanics in a video game, of course, but that doesn't mean that some of us don't want the game to stick fairly close to the real world. By the same token, though, some of us take the Mystery Science Theater 3000 mantra to heart -- it's just a game, and it's not all that important if it makes real-world sense in sticky parts. Where do you fall on the scale? Do you like your games fairly realistic, fairly unrealistic, or do you not care so long as the game itself is still fun?
Wii Warm Up: Realism
Not only is this a good question for gamers, but it's a particular good question for Nintendo fans: do you prefer realism in games, or not? Is it even an issue for you? Some people make their decisions based on other factors, and for them, whether or not a game is particularly realistic or more "cartoonish" isn't an issue. For others, however, it can be a big deal. Where do you stand?
Anti-Aliased: Who decided brown was such an awesome color?
Pet peeve time, ladies and gentlemen. I despise the realism movement in video games. Sure, I love seeing more accurate graphics and more realistic environments -- that's the nice part. I get to use my nice computer to explore amazing landscapes and take part in some beautiful interactions.But, whoever wrote the equation "Brown + Grass + Bland Colors = Realism" needs to have their head checked. With all of this amazing technology, we've seemed to have forgotten the magic of what games stand for. But what really gets me is the culture that's springing around this phenomenon. Apparently "toony" games aren't welcome here anymore. So I need to ask the question: "Who decided brown was an awesome color?"
Anti-Aliased: Who decided brown was such an awesome color? pt. 2
BrownQuest 2 ended up proving that too much of something was bad -- horribly, horribly bad. BrownQuest 2 could barely run on most systems because no one could handle the "extremely, super cool, melt your face" graphics and ended up sitting on the shelves that holiday season. The new rationale about the game was that it had future-proofed itself, lying in wait for computers to exist to run it at its graphical peak.That peak came, and no one rushed to buy the game. People came in and people left, and the game didn't turn out to be the huge blockbuster it was anticipated to be. And now, 4 years later, I turn on my computer and run BrownQuest 2 at maximum graphics easily, and I'm just not fully impressed. Are they good graphics? Sure they are. Are they so amazing that they make me run around my room screaming so loud that I can drown out Lewis Black? (NSFW) No, not really.So, with all of that in mind, let's turn to something more relevant. Let's turn to World of Warcraft. Say what you will about the game, but I think we can all agree that the game design of WoW is solid. It's not the holy grail, but it's certainly good enough to make 11 million people play it. Now ask yourself the question: "Would WoW be as popular and as good if it sported the extreme graphics EverQuest 2 did?"If you're hijacking my brainwaves, you know the answer already. Of course WoW wouldn't be popular if the graphic requirements were through the roof. Even if it was an amazing game, no one would be playing it because no one would be able to run it. In these times, we can't afford to go running off and upgrading our video cards just because we want to play that one game, *cough*Crysis*cough*.And is World of Warcraft a beautiful game? Of course it is! The vistas, the sunsets, the snow, the shattered landscapes. And for being so "cartoony" it can still pull off some really imposing places, like Blackrock Mountain, Hellfire Peninsula, Netherstorm, Icecrown Glacier, and many others. Certainly, the graphics have improved in the latest expansion, but the other areas of the game just don't scream "I'm dated" as loudly as "realistic" games can.Say what you want about graphics that don't push the edge of technology, use bright colors, and attempt to engage us in veritable water-colored landscapes. The truth is these things make sure that the game still looks good and appealing to us years down the line, they let the tone and aristry of the game shine through in ways that realistic graphics cannot, and they make sure that you can still play with your friends without spending wads of cash to upgrade your rig.Because, in the end, isn't that what a massively multiplayer game is about? Playing and enjoying the world with other people at your side? Colin Brennan is the weekly writer of Anti-Aliased who believes games need to grasp the imagination, not your video card. When he's not writing here for Massively, he's over running Epic Loot For All! with his insane roommates. If you want to message him, send him an e-mail at colin.brennan AT weblogsinc DOT com.
