ARX: Some remarks. Also messed around the cfg file :O - by Librarian
Librarian on 14/3/2002 at 19:24
ARX: Some remarks. Also messed around the cfg file :O
My system is, as you can read in some other post:
Athlon XP 1500
512Mb DDR RAM
GeForce 3
Windows XP
Play time: 5 hours
Crashes: twice (the first time I’ve loaded a saved game and when talking to the commander in the fort)
Slowdowns, slopiness: none (so far, didn’t complete the demo, I’m in the tavern and I’ve just entered the fort)
The game is really cool so far, with many great aspects, so I’ll just point some bad points... ;)
Graphics:
* Pixelizated fog/vapor/smoke (it looks like a transparent bitmap than an effect)
* Clipping fog too close (even if I set it as far as the menu let’s me)
* Also the clipping, being too close, produces strange effects: I was looking straight to a fork in my path. I could see fog in the two entrances and I couldn’t see the wall in the middle. I turn ‘my’ head to the left, leaving the fork in the right side of “my” sight, I can see the fog/clipping move, exposing the wall.
* There’s something wrong about the way ARX manages screen resolution. When I use the 1024x768 resolution, which is my desktop’s default, it seems it changes to another resolution, as I have to readjust screen borders to fit all screen. Also I think it somewhat has impact in the monitor’s refresh rate. But this point I’m including as my specific machine problem, for now.
* When starting a game, the darkness/fog/clipping zooms out, leaving all NPC models dark/in shadow. I just have to move a little bit to everything be okay
Sound
* No lip-synch (minor issue, in my opinion)
* Some voices don’t match the character (in my opinion)
* Music?
Gameplay
* Control system very nice, but a little cross in the middle wouldn’t hurt (to help targeting)
* We can’t choose what we want to talk, so we are just playing an interactive movie, as the character will choose what to do for us, will answer with his own personality which might be in our taste, etc. This is, in my opinion, a big mistake, bad design option. But not as bad as some people are talking about. It won’t spoil too much my pleasure in playing the game. Although I’ll recomened to correct this in the ARX add-on, or ARX 2 ;)
* Some dialogues are not subtitled. Remember that there are many non-english speaking people out there, and it’s easier to read than listen.
* Physics: chair on walls, items just disappearing, rats stuck in stones and other objects.
* Make water splash or something when we walk in it or throw something.
* Make inventory adjust automatically when we add an item
* The guy is always hungry!!! Also don’t make him say that, as it means you are out of character if he’s talking to the player. Just make some text appear saying “you’re hungry”, “your stomach hurts”, or something...
* The combat system is not “au point”, but it’s nice :)
* How do we stop a spell in course?
* Some quest should be better thought out. The one asking us to find a rope, with dozens of them hangging in the ceiling... But having to find a ‘special’ one... ;)
* Very few NPCs wondering. Really very few. The tavern seems like a ghost tavern. Just a couple guys up there plus the guy that tirelessly ask people to join the game (even if is there only a drunk and another guy). But I suppose it’s only in this part of the game, as the fort was attacked...
* Some textures are not well “glued” to eachother, letting me see throw the seam. But this is very rare.
* Why is it easier to kill a goblin than a pig?
* It seems not every fire is good to cook... ;) Only in special fireplaces....
* Etc, etc, etc ;)
About the cfg file, I’ve tryied to change resolution (1280x1024), all fine, except the main menu. Also messed around with the “fog” and “fullscreen”, with no results (at least apparently).
ARX is revealing to be a pleasant game. If you could just adjust the physics and populate it more, it would be a great game!
My .02€ ;)
:thumb:
xman on 15/3/2002 at 09:27
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There’s something wrong about the way ARX manages screen resolution. When I use the 1024x768 resolution, which is my desktop’s default, it seems it changes to another resolution, as I have to readjust screen borders to fit all screen. Also I think it somewhat has impact in the monitor’s refresh rate. But this point I’m including as my specific machine problem, for now.
It's not a problem from Arx but from Windows XP (and Win2K).
The refresh rate is stuck at 60Hz in games (actually everything that is run fullscreen).
For nVidia cards, the fix is called
"nvreffix" and was done by an independant programmer. Search for it with google.
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Control system very nice, but a little cross in the middle wouldn’t hurt (to help targeting)
Actually, I'd rather like to allow the user to point the target before the spell is cast. And I think I'm not the only one in this forum.
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Some dialogues are not subtitled. Remember that there are many non-english speaking people out there, and it’s easier to read than listen.
I agree. And sometimes, even if it's your native language, they might be some noise in the street or from the neighbours, or your dog (OR MY MOTHER!!!) or anything which keeps you from understanding what was said and as you can't make people repeat......
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Physics: chair on walls, items just disappearing, rats stuck in stones and other objects.
It had to be improved badly, and AFAIK, they've already improve it.
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Make water splash or something when we walk in it or throw something.
good idea.
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The guy is always hungry!!! Also don’t make him say that, as it means you are out of character if he’s talking to the player. Just make some text appear saying “you’re hungry”, “your stomach hurts”, or something...
Even if I don't, I know some people who often talk to themselves... :)
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How do we stop a spell in course?
Just "mumble a meaningless spell" (who will find the reference ? ;))
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Very few NPCs wondering. Really very few. The tavern seems like a ghost tavern. Just a couple guys up there plus the guy that tirelessly ask people to join the game (even if is there only a drunk and another guy). But I suppose it’s only in this part of the game, as the fort was attacked...
Yes I think the main customers of the tavern were guards but they all have be massacred so it's a bit empty. Moreover, the way to the city is blocked...
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Why is it easier to kill a goblin than a pig?
Because you feel ashamed of killing a defenseless pig and you hit softer. :)
Glorofin on 15/3/2002 at 09:30
The pig is really fat to.
Spitter on 15/3/2002 at 11:58
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Originally posted by Librarian Control system very nice, but a little cross in the middle wouldn’t hurt (to help targeting)Should a targeting cross be added, I'd like it as an option - I think that the lack of it improves immersion (ala Thief).
Quote:
Very few NPCs wondering. Really very few. The tavern seems like a ghost tavern. Just a couple guys up there plus the guy that tirelessly ask people to join the game (even if is there only a drunk and another guy). But I suppose it’s only in this part of the game, as the fort was attacked...I also find it funny that no one in the tavern cares one bit that everyone in the next-door outpost have been slaughtered. I guess they used silenced weapons and mouth gags, then :p
Glorofin on 15/3/2002 at 14:32
Um.. When you are in the tavern you can hear people talking about the attack. They say something like "So I guess the outpost was attacked by the Ylsid's".
edwardhuggett on 15/3/2002 at 14:36
Yes but also ... what would a secret passageway to the Ylsides / with a warrior guarding it, be doing in the tavern .... makes me think the Tavern is letting them through in some way ..... so there fore they were "in" on the attack?
Glorofin on 15/3/2002 at 17:00
No, they dont know they are Ylsides. They just think their some bad ass guys that keep to themself.
Tels on 15/3/2002 at 18:20
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I also find it funny that no one in the tavern cares one bit that everyone in the next-door outpost have been slaughtered
Well, and you can't help the Captain nor the soldier on the outside.
Nor alert the people in the Tavern...
Cheers,
Tels
Glorofin on 15/3/2002 at 18:45
You cant give the captain or the soldier a healing potion either. You should be able to do that.
Shadowcat on 16/3/2002 at 05:29
Quote:
Originally posted by Librarian
Graphics:
Also the clipping, being too close, produces strange effects: I was looking straight to a fork in my path. I could see fog in the two entrances and I couldn’t see the wall in the middle. I turn ‘my’ head to the left, leaving the fork in the right side of “my” sight, I can see the fog/clipping move, exposing the wall.
I've seen this a lot in games, and the obvious eplanation would seem to be that the point at which the view fades out is like a flat wall at a fixed distance directly ahead of the player -- hence the visible area is a triangle, and the actual distance that you can see when looking at the far left and right of the screen (down the sides of the triangle) is further than the distance you can see when looking at the middle of the screen.
The fog 'wall' would have to be curved to make everything fade out at the same distance away from you, but many (most?) games don't seem to do it this way, and so you get this weird effect where you can see further out of the (would-be) corners of your eyes than you can looking straight ahead.
