SubJeff on 18/7/2013 at 00:39
Quote Posted by Goldmoon Dawn
As all you classic computer gaming buffs know, Ultima IX: Ascension was one of the first 3d games to use this feature of world loading.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
what?
Dungeon Master did this 10 years before Ultima IX.
As all you "classic gaming buffs" know.
Goldmoon Dawn on 18/7/2013 at 01:35
Yes, of course.
With the advent of modern 3d accelerated technology, the way games loaded their levels changed due to the much grander scale of data required. This is the era of classic gaming I was referring to, as was evidenced by my use of the quote "Ultima IX: Ascension was one of the first 3d games to use this feature of world loading." Dungeon Master is laughably irrelevant for the following reason.
2d software graphics are what the original fanatics grew up on. Many of the best games ever created were in 2d whereas 3d accelerated computer graphics brewed for years in the movie industry before it worked its way into actual video gaming.
There is no denying that computer gaming has had two distinct lives thus far: 2d software accelerated graphics, and 3d hardware accelerated graphics. There is absolutely no comparison between the way levels load in 2d software games pre mid-nineties and every 3d hardware game since.
[insert appropriate expletive about uneducated gamers here]
SubJeff on 18/7/2013 at 06:06
Dungeon Master is a 3D game.
You're splittiing hairs about acceleration. To say DM is irrelevant is amazing. It's famed for being the first "load once" game with no loading in-game.
Let's talk about flight. The Wright brothers are irrelevant.
Back OT: if you don't notice the loading I don't really care if there is a small animation between zones. How long is this animation?
Goldmoon Dawn on 18/7/2013 at 13:46
Thats it?! I thought I was worth more than that... oh yeah, I forgot. Wow though, that was some of the worst damage control Ive seen in a while, eh? Come on, you gotta hand it to yourself.
b1skit on 18/7/2013 at 16:24
Quote Posted by Chade
My understanding is mostly transparent but not entirely. Supposedly guards can cross. I don't know if that extends to thrown items etc. It seems unlikely, but what would I know?
There are no loading screens. Loading is completely transparent - data is streamed behind the scenes in in advance, so any transitions are smooth (no pauses/freezes/glitches etc). Effectively it feels like there is no loading happening at all. Certainly no foggy loading portals or whatnot. If there is data being streamed in during an animation, it's only very briefly (ie. In less time than it takes to quickly pop a window open with a pry bar, and then step through - all from a 1st person view)
Goldmoon Dawn on 18/7/2013 at 16:50
And that very closely resembles the way Ultima IX handled it 14 years ago when 3d hardware was still in its infancy. Dungeon Master in no way shape or form is comparable other than it also was a video game. 3d sprites and 3d polygons are not the same. I would keep going but its only a half moon. [insert]
Renzatic on 18/7/2013 at 16:56
You seem to think 3D acceleration has anything to do with stream loading in content. It doesn't matter if it's a sprite or a mesh. It's all data to a computer. Data it's loading into ram as needed while it offloads other data to make room for it.
The concept of streaming has been around far, far longer than Ultima IX.
Goldmoon Dawn on 18/7/2013 at 17:04
I guess Ill agree to go along with Subbys "splitting hairs" theory. It gets to a point where being right about something no longer matters because its a trivial topic to begin with.
Renault on 18/7/2013 at 17:06
What the heck does streaming in Ultima IV or Dungeon Master or any other ancient game have to do with anything here? Why are we even talking about it?
Edit: @GMD - OK, then, glad we're done with that.
SubJeff on 18/7/2013 at 21:11
Quote Posted by Goldmoon Dawn
I guess Ill agree to go along with Subbys "splitting hairs" theory. It gets to a point where being right about something no longer matters because its a trivial topic to begin with.
It's not trivial. Streaming is very very important. Take Morrowind - if it steamed efficiently it would have been a very different game, especially with the jump spells you could use.
Seamless gameworlds are a massive deal.
But if by trivial you mean "I was wrong so I'm bailing" that's fine.
