Oh nice to see the actual forests coming up alive, the top view is looking great on that WIP already. Hurston is interesting, from the literal highly polluted wasteland to its forests.
The game space that now exists with planets is crazy, the single solar system of Stanton is very much capable to have as much content than a normal MMO if they just focus content creation on it. heh
The first proper planet seems to be quite the thing, aside of the main city, different biomes with fauna and flora, oceans, also new theme-sets for outposts and so.
Is there a timeline for when this planet might arrive?
It might arrive at the end of September.
But that's only if both development of the planet and development of their engine tech so that they can implement the planet go according to plan. Very uncertain.
It's noticeable the Q3, 3.3 update already has Hurston in a decent stage of development so by its completion it seems likely on the schedule date.
BUT there's a dependency, they can't expand the game-world without sacrificing performance until the overhaul that changes how the game loads things is added, also for 3.3 the OSC:
OSC Code Conversion: 41/52
OSC GameObjects Conversion: 17/19
OSC Asynchronous Background Spawning: 1/40
OSC Background Spawning: 142/198
Network Entity Streaming: Scheduled
Network Culling: 12/22 (for 3.2 attm)
The tech is actively under dev already, but I would say it is the OSC that will define either Hurston and its Moons are added on 3.3, that tech is the long-awaited thing for both the performance front to start getting rid of a long-lasting problem and their inability to add large chunks of new content because without OSC you have to load the entire PU into your memory.
* Updated retro thruster art and animation on the M50.
* Added landing gear compression to Starfarer Base and Gemini.
• Complete Rework: Aegis Avenger including increase in base size,
increase in hardpoint size, changes in default loadout, new animations,
along with interior and exterior revamp.
* Updated the MISC Prospector to have a tractor/siphoning beam and a
laser cutting beam for mining, as well as supporting animations.
* Own/Self status MFDs are now on and selectable for the Retaliator.
* Updated the visual effect of the Khartu-Al's quantum travel.
* Update for cockpit animations of the Reclaimer.
* Shield health is now a single pool divided per face rather rather than individual pools.
* Updated the Drake Herald with landing gear compression.
* Expanded the flight ready interaction set triggers to prevent overlap with door interactions on the Hornet series.
* Lowered power plant output to create meaningful consequences to power allocation.
* Rebalanced heat generation and cooling to create more meaningful consequences to components and ship functioning.
* Reduced the shield and power plant available slots on the Sabre.
* Increased passive and active power draw for ship weapons.
* Set up shield generator power use to be proportional to the amount of shield energy required.
* Updated ship atmospheric terminal velocities to correct some ships being able to exceed them.
* Lowered base IR and EM signatures for all ships.
* Enabled paints in the VMA and setup the Aurora to equip its various paint schemes.
* Repositioned and centered the HUD on the Sabre.
* Increased the range of AMRS Scatterguns, range and damage of APAR scatterguns, and increased the spread of all scatterguns.
* Updated Reliant to only carry 1 size 3 gun rather than 2.
* Retuned boost scale of Razor and variants to match other ships and made variants closer to base model.
When you have cake, it is not the cake that creates the most magnificent of experiences, but it is the emotions attached to it. The cake is a lie.
Those are a little bit outdated (2006ish) with the overall quality of the game they have to push the fauna quality at least 2 generations up This one is a fauna demo with 4k textures
This is a screenshot from an actual game in development.
This is a screenshot from an actual game in development.
When we are considering we are talking about proper procedural planets at the high visual quality level the game stands, there's only so much I think they can do to make it viable to have this scale properly when we are talking about insane render distances and also speeds it will have to cope with, that also has to consider the online factor/scalability to it.
SC also doesn't use 4K textures for example, and on purpose, so they can benefit other visuals without overkill the hardware needs of the game just with textures (like FF XV).
The biggest factor is not the quality, is going to be performance at that scale, different biomes, now also having to worry about water and visual simulation, quite the workload to not end up with something sub-par to the rest.
Seeing the WIP's of certain areas looking like this:
I think we can expect the quality will catch up to it, after all, it will be the first implementation of flora, as for forests like that they're more on the testing with placeholder assets: https://imgur.com/3o6eXM8
But aside of all, I don't think we'll yet at the point with all things considered, they could afford that quality (the first demo screen) on a game like this, I also think ED will face similar struggles when they get to touch fauna and flora on planets, tho they do cut more graphically than SC does.
After all the visuals kick in and polished, I think those more "savanah'ish" type of assets would end up similar to that, I would say the lightning and that atmospheric vibe will be the big visual bet they'll take.
The first proper planet seems to be quite the thing, aside of the main city, different biomes with fauna and flora, oceans, also new theme-sets for outposts and so.
Do we have any word on how oceans will work? Will any of the existing ships / vehicles be submersible or is there plans for submersibles?
Do we have any word on how oceans will work? Will any of the existing ships / vehicles be submersible or is there plans for submersibles?
At the moment only that they are there, and the possibility of big ships to actually be able to "water land" on them.
Oceans is one of the current biggest upcoming problems because the amount of work that would be, from creating entire new animation sets for swimming to the whole biome/physics and so forth of allowing ships to go under.
So I'm not sure if they'll see all that work justified only for something that won't have gameplay attached to it.
If you'd want something to one level like SC (I don't think it has FPS) that plays pretty much like something like that, you could be looking at infinity battlescape, planets and space and pew pew PvP matches \o
Do we have any word on how oceans will work? Will any of the existing ships / vehicles be submersible or is there plans for submersibles?
At the moment only that they are there, and the possibility of big ships to actually be able to "water land" on them.
Oceans is one of the current biggest upcoming problems because the amount of work that would be, from creating entire new animation sets for swimming to the whole biome/physics and so forth of allowing ships to go under.
So I'm not sure if they'll see all that work justified only for something that won't have gameplay attached to it.
Id prefer to see them leave it out of the game until they can do it properly. With the amount of freedom and detail in the rest of the game, I don't want to see water unless I can interact with it. But I am 100% ok with not seeing water for now.
"..,Invitation to Star Citizen Alpha 3.2.0 on PTU!...."
"This update introduces several new features, including scanning, mining, improvements to quantum travel, and a new grouping system.
There are four new ships: the Origin Jumpworks 600i Explorer, the Aegis Eclipse, the Anvil Hurricane, and the Vanduul Blade. Not to be outdone, you’ll also find sweeping revisions to the entire Avenger line from Aegis Dynamics!"
Comments
The game space that now exists with planets is crazy, the single solar system of Stanton is very much capable to have as much content than a normal MMO if they just focus content creation on it. heh
Around the Verse - Vanduul Blade & Shops 'n Trade
Calling All Devs - Cap Ship Navigation & Death of a Spaceman
Around the Verse - An Armor's Legacy
Calling All Devs - Dirty Ships, Modularity & UI Updates
Around the Verse - Scanners Aglow, Torpedoes in Tow
(scattering of mine-able piles and such)
The first proper planet seems to be quite the thing, aside of the main city, different biomes with fauna and flora, oceans, also new theme-sets for outposts and so.
But that's only if both development of the planet and development of their engine tech so that they can implement the planet go according to plan. Very uncertain.
It's noticeable the Q3, 3.3 update already has Hurston in a decent stage of development so by its completion it seems likely on the schedule date.
BUT there's a dependency, they can't expand the game-world without sacrificing performance until the overhaul that changes how the game loads things is added, also for 3.3 the OSC:
The tech is actively under dev already, but I would say it is the OSC that will define either Hurston and its Moons are added on 3.3, that tech is the long-awaited thing for both the performance front to start getting rid of a long-lasting problem and their inability to add large chunks of new content because without OSC you have to load the entire PU into your memory.
Patch 3.2
Ships and Vehicles
* Updated retro thruster art and animation on the M50.
* Added landing gear compression to Starfarer Base and Gemini.
• Complete Rework: Aegis Avenger including increase in base size, increase in hardpoint size, changes in default loadout, new animations, along with interior and exterior revamp.
* Updated the MISC Prospector to have a tractor/siphoning beam and a laser cutting beam for mining, as well as supporting animations.
* Own/Self status MFDs are now on and selectable for the Retaliator.
* Updated the visual effect of the Khartu-Al's quantum travel.
* Update for cockpit animations of the Reclaimer.
* Shield health is now a single pool divided per face rather rather than individual pools.
* Updated the Drake Herald with landing gear compression.
* Expanded the flight ready interaction set triggers to prevent overlap with door interactions on the Hornet series.
* Lowered power plant output to create meaningful consequences to power allocation.
* Rebalanced heat generation and cooling to create more meaningful consequences to components and ship functioning.
* Reduced the shield and power plant available slots on the Sabre.
* Increased passive and active power draw for ship weapons.
* Set up shield generator power use to be proportional to the amount of shield energy required.
* Updated ship atmospheric terminal velocities to correct some ships being able to exceed them.
* Lowered base IR and EM signatures for all ships.
* Enabled paints in the VMA and setup the Aurora to equip its various paint schemes.
* Repositioned and centered the HUD on the Sabre.
* Increased the range of AMRS Scatterguns, range and damage of APAR scatterguns, and increased the spread of all scatterguns.
* Updated Reliant to only carry 1 size 3 gun rather than 2.
* Retuned boost scale of Razor and variants to match other ships and made variants closer to base model.
When you have cake, it is not the cake that creates the most magnificent of experiences, but it is the emotions attached to it.
The cake is a lie.
This one is a fauna demo with 4k textures
This is a screenshot from an actual game in development.
When you have cake, it is not the cake that creates the most magnificent of experiences, but it is the emotions attached to it.
The cake is a lie.
SC also doesn't use 4K textures for example, and on purpose, so they can benefit other visuals without overkill the hardware needs of the game just with textures (like FF XV).
The biggest factor is not the quality, is going to be performance at that scale, different biomes, now also having to worry about water and visual simulation, quite the workload to not end up with something sub-par to the rest.
Seeing the WIP's of certain areas looking like this:
I think we can expect the quality will catch up to it, after all, it will be the first implementation of flora, as for forests like that they're more on the testing with placeholder assets: https://imgur.com/3o6eXM8
But aside of all, I don't think we'll yet at the point with all things considered, they could afford that quality (the first demo screen) on a game like this, I also think ED will face similar struggles when they get to touch fauna and flora on planets, tho they do cut more graphically than SC does.
After all the visuals kick in and polished, I think those more "savanah'ish" type of assets would end up similar to that, I would say the lightning and that atmospheric vibe will be the big visual bet they'll take.
But something tells me this is gonna implode under its feature creep like a dying star.
Oceans is one of the current biggest upcoming problems because the amount of work that would be, from creating entire new animation sets for swimming to the whole biome/physics and so forth of allowing ships to go under.
So I'm not sure if they'll see all that work justified only for something that won't have gameplay attached to it.
Around the Verse - Vulture Views and Weapons 2
"This update introduces several new features, including scanning, mining, improvements to quantum travel, and a new grouping system.
There are four new ships: the Origin Jumpworks 600i Explorer, the Aegis Eclipse, the Anvil Hurricane, and the Vanduul Blade. Not to be outdone, you’ll also find sweeping revisions to the entire Avenger line from Aegis Dynamics!"
Have fun