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
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
