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Is it plan to use a new graphic engine in CM2?

frag

By frag
in Combat Mission Archive #2 (2000)

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frag Member

frag

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First of all, don't guess me wrong! I think that CM have nice graphic. But when you make a CM show to one of your friend, the first thing you always hear is "Oh, the graphic seem like old...", but after few minute, the game is sold.

I personnally think that is the only glitch of CM. I heard that the processing of the combat eat a lot of CPU time ... but machine speed are increasing very rapidly now.

So now, with the great success of this game, maybe Battlefront can try to catch the "good graphic" gamer in offering an high quality graphic engine... It's only an engine, it will not change the precision of the game ... only CPU time.

Again don't guess me wrong ... I just LOVE this game, and I play every day. Just a recommendation.

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Guest barrold713

Guest barrold713

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I think the graphics are perfectly acceptable and although most everything can be improved if enough resources are put into it, I am not sure it would be worth the effort. I mean if it were easy to accomplish and part of the design goal for a patch or CM2 that is one thing, but if it is not I would not bother.

Allow me to 'splain. We are talking about trying to attract someone who would be interested in this type of game in the first place but wouldn't buy the best reviewed and most highly praised as an innovative breakthough wargame for the sole reason that they think the graphics are a bit dated?

I can't imagine there could be that many people who are like that and furthermore, they are clearly unreasonable kooks who should be laughed at, scorned, and shunned from contact with the general population.

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"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb discussing what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote"

- Ben Franklin

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Holdit Senior Member

Holdit

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<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Abbott:

Wow, can I be the only one who likes the graphics?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

No, I think they're as good as they need to be. In fact, when I think about what might be in CM2, graphics don't come into it. I think Schugger sums it up well. The game's the thing.

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Von Fauster Senior Member

Von Fauster

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I think Frag has a valid question, but I think most would agree that if the answer is "no", not a whole lot of CM fans are going to be disappointed. Personally, I'm more interested in the exciting gameplay CM2 is going to offer, and will be quite satisfied if BTS keeps the same graphics engine.

Also, to those who would argue for a new engine, I would point out two facts:

1) The current engine is VERY stable. This is not to be overlooked or taken lightly in this day-and-age;

2) The current system allows some really creative and impressive modifications by third-parties. This is a big bonus. To be able to pick-and-choose how the vehicles look, what the terrain looks like, etc...

Personally, I couldn't ask for more (well, except more time to actually PLAY CM, but short of divorce, there's not much that can be done about that!)

Good Hunting!

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frag Member

frag

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If Battlefront have to cut in the gameplay to improve graphics ... no way.

But when I talk about better graphic, I'm talking about graphic engine that permit light reflection, shadowing, deep effect and all this stuff (without coding).

But I understand that Battlefront is a small company at this time and they want to put their efforts in gameplay. May be in future, when they will work on the gameplay and they will have a couple of guys to tweak up the graphics.

I'm not sure if I am right, but it seem that they construct their own graphic engine to work with visual studio software. So it's kind of difficult for them now to reconstruct a new one.

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Magua Member

Magua

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Before the pitch fork wielding mob comes to my door let me say that i think CM is the best computer game i have ever bought. Since i received CM some weeks ago i dont think i have wanted to play anything else. Its the first computer game to actually exceed my original expectations of it!.

But would anyone actually complain if the graphics were improved? I could fill the rest of the post with a graphics wish list (dynamic lighting, better infantry models/animations, more varied building models....) but these things will come with time. No CM does not need better graphics but any improvement could only enhance our play experience even further.

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Schrullenhaft Senior Member

Schrullenhaft

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It would be nice to see a tighter correlation between what you can see on screen and what you can hit, etc. I would appreciate improvements to the grahics (as most probably would). In my opinion the initial "8Mb graphics card"-level of performance that CM was aimed at actually fits the 16Mb and 32Mb video card market a little more comfortably (especially with Mods loaded up). So the big advances in hardware between now and when CM2 ships probably won't be enough to justify modifications to the graphics engine that most players could use.

I'd appreciate more variety of textures, far more terrain models, a smaller grid size and more advanced terrain algorithms for smoother slopes, etc. But these very requests would be a severe performance hit and CM's requirements would have to be raised significantly to support them.

I'd be happy with a comprehensive selection of AFVs and the necessary code tweaks to the game to accomodate the OstFront actions. CM in its current form is a joy to play (other than when I'm getting spanked by another player) and I would have no problem purchasing CM2 if it still used the same graphics engine.

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Guest barrold713

Guest barrold713

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Would better graphics be a good thing,? Darn straight!!!...but so would free cheese, a new Saab, and a computer that was automatically updated with the fastest and best new memory, CPU, and graphics card the moment they were released. Wish in one hand, poo in the other, and see which gets filled first

Until photo-realistic graphics are possible, requests for upgrades of games and programs are going to be based on a real desire for games to match reality (or fantasy for that matter!).

IIRC, the engine is not going to be overhauled and the reason was that with a release date of about a year, it would be a a big time sponge to re-code it to put in the eye candy people might be requesting.

If anybody thinks they can put all of the features presently in CM into a 3D East Front game and get it released in a year and add all the graphic advances and tweaks requested in here, I would say go forth and program your brains out. If successful, I would buy a copy the moment testing shows its possible.

I have been waiting for a game like this since I bought Steve Jackson's 'Ogre' when I was about 13. So, while I would always like things to be better and I expect lots of cool things from the future, I am not going to make the perfect the enemy of d**n good just so I can find something to complain about now.

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"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb discussing what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote"

- Ben Franklin

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The Commissar Senior Member

The Commissar

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I don't think this game NEEDS a graphic engine overhaul, but to IMPROVE on the engine would be nice!

Most of the people on this board are hard-core Grogs. You guys like the graphics since you've been fed "cardboard with counters" games through out your entire wargame experience (which might have been quite a while for some), so you're more the used to it smile.gif

Not saying this is a bad thing. Im just saying that to people who are not as die-hard (ie: me, many others im sure) and HAVE indeed played some of the more graphic-intensive games, the graphics in this game seem a bit low. Then again, once I d/l'ed all the mods kindly provided by God - err, Madmatt that is - I thought the game looked simply amazing.

What I hope is that BTS adds better looking terrain graphics, soldier graphics, vehicle graphics, etc. and that the original release of CM2 would look as good as CM1 does with all the mods.

Another idea that I think might work out well is if BTS allows the wonderful mod-making community participate in making graphical improvements BEFORE the game hits the shelves. That is, let BTS post up some screenies from CM2 and its various objects, give the BMP files to promising-looking modders, and see what they can come up with!

I think this could actually work well, save BTS some time, and overall build up interest for the game.

Of course, I would like to emphasize that if it comes to the issue of graphics over gameplay, I would definately, hands down, choose gameplay.

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"...Every position, every meter of Soviet soil must be defended to the last drop of blood..."

- Segment from Order 227 "Not a step back"

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Turret Ring Member

Turret Ring

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Just last night I was watching some salvos of 14 inch arty tear into a wheat field where three King Tigers were sitting. At the same time my Pershings were throwing round after round into the doomed German tanks. Call me a sap if you will...., but I was quite impressed with the scene.

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"Then we shall fight in the shade." (Greek general's comment upon being told that the Persian archers could blot-out the sun with their arrows.)

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