Shadowruin: This is all your own fault

[Zenien]

DEVELOPED BY FASA STUDIOS, THIS GAME IS BEING DEVELOPED BY A MICROSOFT FIRST PARTY AND RAPES THE UNIVERSE OF SHADOWRUN, TURNING IT INTO A BASTARD CHILD FPS INSTEAD OF AN RPG. THIS GAME ALSO LOOKS NO BETTER THEN AN EARLY XBOX TITLE YET IT IS MADE BY A MICROSOFT FIRST PARTY. THIS IS A GAME THAT SHOULD BE ONE OF THE BEST LOOKING GAMES ON THE SYSTEM YET IT LOOKS LIKE CRAP. THE POWER OF THE XBOX 360 IS ON FULL DISPLAY. :rolleyes:

http://i.i.com.com/cnet.g2/images/2006/129/929196_20060510_screen009.jpg
http://i.i.com.com/cnet.g2/images/2006/129/929196_20060510_screen005.jpg

[Manny Calavera]

You might be interested in what the graphics team has been busy with in the weeks since E3. I’ll give you all a little taste of that work, and what it means for Shadowrun.

Running Faster. Being able to run the game at frame rate here is super important to us, and anything that interferes with that is quickly dealt with. We iterate everyday on maps, game play, network performance, etc. Not running at frame rate puts a big cramp in that, and that would impact our ability to make sure that magic/tech/weapons/maps are balanced and fun.

Beyond that, running faster allows more cool graphic effects to be displayed during the middle of intense team vs. team firefights. And there’s a lot of that in a typical Shadowrun game.

Improved Tools. Making next generation content takes a long time, so any improvements to tools pays back big wins in creation time. For example, we did a major overhaul on the lighting tools to make them easier to use and more in line with the workflow the lighting team was using. The work of lighting a map can take a while, so when the tools are easier to work with it is better for everybody.

Our lighting system uses a mixture of fast in game renders for iteration, and long overnight, higher resolution, parallel burn farm renders for the daily builds. We are getting better at using the system, and the lighting team is doing a great job of making the lighting very interesting.

Looking Better. One way Shadowrun is looking better is because of some improved technology. For instance, we’ve made enhancements to the engine’s parallax and normal mapping to sell those effects in areas where they weren’t working great before. Used well, parallax can make an otherwise flat surface look bumpy; combined with good normal mapping, surfaces can be really interesting. The improvement in the E3 map with these changes alone is quite noticeable.

We’ve also added a high capacity particle system to the engine, which can simulate and display a bunch more particles than our older system. Our older particle system is great at doing small numbers of very complex particles, but isn’t very good at volume. The new system is great at lots of simple particles. Between the two of them we can do complex effects like the teleport effect, and fill areas on a map with dust motes.

We are also simply getting better at using the engine and making cool looking stuff with it. The more you work with something, the better you get at it. Often the first level in a game is the first one to be worked on. By the time you finish the last levels you look back at that first one and it just doesn’t compare. If you are lucky you get to go back and spruce it up, but most times that’s a luxury the tight deadlines in game development doesn’t afford.

Multiplayer is a bit different since there isn’t a “first level” but the concept still applies. The levels we are working on now will be better looking that the ones we have already worked on. They’ll make better use of the engine, better textures, normals, parallax, lighting, bumpier, shinier, etc. etc.

- Tom (http://shadowrun.com/behindthescenes/teamblog/Tholmes081006.htm)


So yeah, the graphics are like that because the game is a LONG ways away from release, a long way. As for butchering the Shadowrun universe, that's a thing of the past. The date was moved forward so that everyone's age works, RNA is now a subsidiary of Aztechnology, the lack of Orcs is explained, etc etc. On top of that, gameplay wise, the game is widely regarded as ****ing awesome. Every hands on since E3 has been from someone who hated it previously for not being an RPG, and walked away saying "wow, this game is awesome". And lastly, for those of you disappointed that it's not an RPG...listen to the OXM podcast that features an interview with FASA about Shadowrun. They don't just hint at an RPG being in the works, but outright confirm it: an RPG is coming. This thread fails, the xbox360 remains totally awesome in every way :down

[Zenien]

You like to believe PR when it suits you. I have no doubt this travesty of a game will improve graphically, heck it might even turn out to be fun, but it's a first person shooter when it should have been a first person RPG. THere's no excuse, none. In fact you should light yourself on fire and jump out of the nearest window, screaming, for even trying to get on side with this horrible abortion of a video game.

[Manny Calavera]

I agree that this will go down as one of the worst business decisions ever and I hate that this game isn't what I just knew Shadowrun would be because nothing else made sense, but I'm willing to give it a try. I've been participating in the Shadowrun community and that's not PR, they listened to most of our complaints (save for 'don't make it a CS clone', as it was a bit late for that), and are doing what they can to fix things, including changing the back story, considering a subtitle, etc. As for the graphics, I know that's not PR, look at them Zenien. FASA Studios is actually really talented, this is the team that did Crimson Skies, one of the more underrated games of last gen and apparently the team that did an incredible and addicting FPS, so I doubt they'd let the game out of the door looking like that. It's a lot easier for me to believe that those shots are just really early, it just makes more sense than "FASA decided to suck".

[Zenien]

If I agree, will you still light yourself on fire?

[Manny Calavera]

I don't think I said anything about lighting myself on fire :(

[Mentok]

Lets all have sex.

[Avalanche]

Ah, the power of the 360. Oh dear.

[Lactophiliac]

How is this my fault? :confused: :( :mad: Lets all have sex.I dunno 4 guys and a lesbian seems a little kinky for my tastes

[Mentok]

How is this my fault? :confused: :( :mad: I dunno 4 guys and a lesbian seems a little kinky for my tastes

Dont forget the Donkey :up:

[THWIP*]

How is this my fault? :confused: :( :mad: I dunno 4 guys and a lesbian seems a little kinky for my tastes



IT WOULD ESSENTIALLY BE 5 GUYS. :o

[THWIP*]

DEVELOPED BY FASA STUDIOS, THIS GAME IS BEING DEVELOPED BY A MICROSOFT FIRST PARTY AND RAPES THE UNIVERSE OF SHADOWRUN, TURNING IT INTO A BASTARD CHILD FPS INSTEAD OF AN RPG. THIS GAME ALSO LOOKS NO BETTER THEN AN EARLY XBOX TITLE YET IT IS MADE BY A MICROSOFT FIRST PARTY. THIS IS A GAME THAT SHOULD BE ONE OF THE BEST LOOKING GAMES ON THE SYSTEM YET IT LOOKS LIKE CRAP. THE POWER OF THE XBOX 360 IS ON FULL DISPLAY. :rolleyes:

http://i.i.com.com/cnet.g2/images/2006/129/929196_20060510_screen009.jpg
http://i.i.com.com/cnet.g2/images/2006/129/929196_20060510_screen005.jpg



'Z', IT'S PAINFULLY OBVIOUS THIS THREAD IS PRETTY MUCH DIRECTED AT ME, BASED ON YOUR WORDING, AND COPYING MY "STYLE". BUT, YOU FAIL IN YOUR ATTEMPT TO "EVEN THE PLAYING FIELD" FOR A FEW KEY REASONS:


'MICROSOFT'/FASA NEVER MADE ANY BOLD, ASININE CLAIMS ABOUT THE SUPPOSED POWER OF THE '360', OR THE GRAPHICAL SUPERIORITY OF THIS GAME
THEY LIKEWISE DIDN'T ATTEMPT TO MAKE IT LOOK BETTER THAN WHAT IT IS, BY SHOWING "REAL-TIME" BULLS**T, AND TRYING TO PASS IT OFF AS "THE REAL DEAL"
THEY DIDN'T CLAIM THIS GAME WILL BE DISPLAYED AT 1080P, IN 4D, AT 120 FPS

[Zenien]

No they just made CGI trailers of Fable 2 and Forza 2.

You give yourself too much credit, old man.

[THWIP*]

You give yourself too much credit, old man.


GO AHEAD AND DENY THE OBVIOUS 'ZENIEN'....IT'S WHAT YOU DO BEST. :o

[THWIP*]

No they just made CGI trailers of Fable 2 and Forza 2.

.


YES, 'ZENIEN'.......LIKE WE'VE SEEN FOR THE PAST 10-15 YEARS WITH GAMES. "TRAILERS" DO NOT = "THIS IS RUNNING IN REAL-TIME". FIND ME A QUOTE...........FROM ANY '360' DEVELOPER, WHERE THEY MADE SUCH A BOGUS CLAIM ABOUT A "TRAILER". :rolleyes:

[Zenien]

GO AHEAD AND DENY THE OBVIOUS 'ZENIEN'....IT'S WHAT YOU DO BEST. :o

You're a moron, seriously, like you out of all others holds a patent on caplocks, it was MENTOK who did it, not you.

It wasn't pointed at you, your ego can think that all it wants, but this thread was for everyone who kept pointing out UL.

[THWIP*]

You're a moron, seriously, like you out of all others holds a patent on caplocks, it was MENTOK who did it, not you, I'd like to have as little to do with you as possible, as every thought you voice is somehow stupider and stupider.



SORRY 'Z', BUT DAVE WAS COPYING MY STYLE, AS WE POST ALOT OF SIMILAR THREADS (SOMETIMES SIMULTANEOUSLY).........IT'S AN INSIDE JOKE KIND OF THING. ;)


IT'S O.K.......YOU DIDN'T KNOW. :O

[Zenien]

I'm going to kill you.

[THWIP*]

I'm going to kill you.


IN YOUR DREAMS, LABIA-LAPPER. :cmad:

[Manny Calavera]

This thread is sad. The game will look 100x better when it's actually closer to release, it's incredibly fun and may just be one of the best multiplayer games ever created according to anyone who has actually PLAYED it, the Shadowrun universe is NOT being pissed on anymore, and an RPG is coming. Fail :down

[WhatsHisFace]

Wow Zenien, you've actually lost your mind. Why are you expecting Shadowrun to be a graphical powerhouse when the purpose of the game is to spearhead the cross platform multiplayer games between PC and 360? \

PC means that it has to run smoothly on an average system, which means that the graphics can not push the 360 to it's limits.

This game is the next MechAssault (first ever Xbox Live game), in that it sets the standard for the new way online games are to be played (Live Anywhere).