Graphical improvements in the future?

[Fuser]

You like Call of Duty graphics but CM gameplay. Do you think BFC wouldn't like to include ultimate HD, HI Res , "oh wow!" graphics" if they could? They do. They can´t. Period. Dream on,.. We all do,...

[Battlefront.com]

There's some pretty fun and accurate statements about assumptions

Graphical improvements are in the works for future versions. However, they are lower priority to game improvements. That's because our customer base demands that sort of prioritization.

Steve

[togi]

I think we will see also infantries on tanks for transporting and flame throwers (both as humanbeing and tanks)

It will be good to see some bones :-)

[Fuser]

Hey Steve,...Then,...if reading us it's so funny, why not throw us some bones to keep the circus happy,...the opposite would mean CMx2 sales are on steroids,...and that it doesn't bother you to keep such a small group of grog ww2 official wannabees waiting....

[Buzz]

The customer's prioritization is often worthy of attention in "non terminal" aka "successful" business models and often how a sound business succeeds over decades. Game improvements trump Graphical improvements but do not exclude graphical improvements. Works for me.

[Buzz]

"bones to keep the circus happy" Is that "Modern Bones" I hear rumbling round the tent?

[Battlefront.com]

The customer's prioritization is often worthy of attention in "non terminal" aka "successful" business models and often how a sound business succeeds over decades. Game improvements trump Graphical improvements but do not exclude graphical improvements. Works for me.

And so far it's been working for us too

The big A, AA, and AAA games have art budgets that are in the millions per single game. Tens of millions in some cases. Now, let's just say someone gave us that amount of money, free and clear with no need to repay it. Do you think our customers would be happier if we put most of it towards gameplay improvements or most of it towards graphics? I'm very sure we all know the answer!

Steve

[Buzz]

"Now, let's just say someone gave us that amount of money, free and clear with no need to repay it."

Is that millions or Tens of millions?

Everyone playing CM would be happy ... but the owners of Battlefront might be even happier Threads discussing the merits of Game improvements vs. Graphical improvements would still occur Tens of millions later.

Michael is correct. "Everybody is entitled to their own priorities and tastes." Some folks need more eye candy, some more minutia accuracy and others RT with unlimited playback / re-play ability on 3 hour scenarios.

I actually admire what Battlefront has accomplished in moving CMx1 into CMx2 a much improved family of products and readying a roll out of CMx3 with new families.... while making a profit! That takes good business sense, talent and luck.... with customer's prioritization mixed in the alchemy. This is not an easy group of tasks to juggle but BFC has pulled it off in style.

Carry On!

[Collingwood]

I would love graphics improvements too, and I'm sure they will happen with time. The recent patch was a good start.

However when I think about it, whenever I get ticked off about something during a game it is nearly always a gameplay issue, once the game is underway I'm not really focusing on how the scenery looks.

In an ideal world games like this would have a budget of 50 million bucks. Until then though...

[z1812]

I always thought the way Battlefront "arranges" their games to be very sensible since system requirements enable a broad range of users, with different levels of computer power, to handle the game.

Until recently I always had lower system specs but could always run CM well, and the game still looked reasonably good even with lower options.

Sadly I cannot say the same of some other war games I have purchased.

[Lt Belenko]

Additional Flavor Objects: TENTS.

[LukeFF]

with high res graphics we must accept smaller battles with smaller forces.

That's not hardly the case. I can run mods with twice the stock resolution, and the game runs fine - and it looks much, much better.

It's about time IMO that BF adds a "high-resolution textures" option to the game for those like me who have the hardware to run the game in high-detail mode. The default grass texture is a great example of a texture is just plain ugly to look at.

[LukeFF]

I would welcome further improvements, but those are definitely not at the top of my wish list. Actually, once I get a game going I seldom take much notice of them, I am so caught up in the action.

Perhaps because your computer is woefully outdated? By that I mean - it seems plausible that people with low-end computers are not going to be particularly concerned with improvements to the graphics.

[Destraex1]

Rokko they have to get to more than one CPU thread first

But honestly this game is a gem. I have no problem with the graphics and consider them a trade off for the 1:1 troop ratio and the uniqueness of the game.

[Macisle]

I'm in no way debating the correctness of BF's prioritization of things. Nor am I knocking CM. It offers the most realistic, cohesive battlefield of any game I know of (best ballistics, best armor values, best artillery, best tactical-level FOW, the list goes on and on...). It is my favorite game of all time and BF is my favorite game company.

I'm just saying that, for me, the gameplay has reached a positive point of evolution where, aside from the two things I mentioned, re-crewable ATGs and the use of triggers in the Editor, I'd like to see graphics become the priority for a period of time. NOT forever. -Just long enough to better match the awesome gameplay with its visual representation.

The stuff I have in mind:

Vehicle damage (charred holes, turrets blowing off/pieces falling off, etc.), more fluid and varied infantry animations, and terrain and buildings being brought more in line with the quality of the combat units.

Steve, can you give us any hint as to what kind of visual enhancements you guys might be focusing on and if any of that is targeted for East Front or Bulge?

[Los]

I guess I prefer a steady movement towards gameplay enhancements and new theaters and eras, over a graphical overhaul. I feel that the game looks good and the graphics do not detract in any way my immersion in the tactical situation. Certainly Aris' mods make things look even better. (Not that I wouldn't welcome continual graphics improvements.)

If one wanted to improve the graphical presentation of the game, perhaps more,varied, and natural animations would be the way to go to bring the battlefield to life? Lets see those weapons teams carrying tripods, baseplates, ammo boxes, etc. Lets see variations in how riflemen carry weapons, walk, move run, scratch their ass etc. Lets see buddy aid start off with dragging guys to cover before working on them. Lets see the occasional Tank commander unbutton and look around.

Los

[wadepm]

For me the additional detail of the tanks, etc. is lost - I don't normally zoom in tight enough where additional detail there would make a difference.

What I would like to see are roads that curve naturally and smaller action tiles. Those changes would have the most impact to the way I play, I think.

And also, while I am at it, I would like to see true multiplayer games, i.e. 4 on 5, etc. I have lost track of that request over the years - what's the latest?

[Los]

Howdy Wedepm,

The multi-player comes up regularly in various discussions though nothing concrete re if it will ever happen.

Los

[Childress]

What I would like to see are roads that curve naturally and smaller action tiles. Those changes would have the most impact to the way I play, I think.

Naturally curved roads would impact the way you play? Why?

[Los]

Obviously any race car driver knows that's it easier to take corners at high speed around a naturally curved corner vs an angled corner. This facilitates rushing to that objective and capturing it in the last minute with the commander's jeep.

Los

[Freyberg]

I'd like to see more natural map elements (roads etc, not jaggy) and knocked out tanks - decals, damage, turrets blown off, tracks unravelled.

[Mord]

Besides fire (cue Buzz) which I am figuring is just a matter of time before it's in the game, I think my number one graphical want/wish would be hit decals on vehicles. I'd love to see even more damage (like Freyburg listed), but hit decals would hold me over for a good while.

Mord.

[Buzz]

Flamethrowers...should cause damage decals... like this.

Toggle intro video, War Movie Mode ON and...

[Macisle]

On naturally curving roads:

I'd love to see 'em, of course, but IIRC, Steve has said that those would require major changes to the Editor, and those changes would make map-making a much more involved task than it is now.

As things stand, anybody can jump in and be making maps pretty quickly. But to get life-like curves in roads, (I believe) you'd need to switch to tools that might be too involved for people other than hardcore, devoted map-makers. So, I'm not expecting anything to change on this in the next few years/game families at least.

But roads are not a priority for me. I would go:

1. Vehicle damage

2. Infantry animations (then textures/models)

3. A general face-lift for foliage and buildings

[poesel]

I don't think curved roads would be hard to make for the user. Bezier curves are mathematically cheap and easy to handle. Every graphics program with a curve uses them. Put down three (or more) dots and then push them around until the road looks right - pretty easy.

Getting the editor to actually do it is of course something I can't estimate.

But the implications for the game are probably quite big. Curved roads don't adhere to ASs and the AI would need to know how to use them. This is possibly the biggest stumbling block.

Maybe it would be possible to use another way. Keep everything as is under the hood but applay some post-processing to the map and make roads LOOK curved. Taking the edges out would make a huge difference.

While we are at curves: could vehicles use curved waylines? We already have moveable waypoints so putting a bezier curve between them instead of lines would make them move much smoother and more naturally.