Someone inform Chris Roberts of that nugget
New Era in Unreal Engine or Cobra Engine?
- Thread starter VR SenseiMatty
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It's too late, they already had to rewrite the entire engine...
The issue with multiple light sources on this scale is performance, not the general concept. Sensei has no clue whatsoever what he is talking about. His reasoning is basically "I wish atmo planets were here -> maybe they are not here because of some other thing I want? -> I bet if we all give a few quid they can buy UE and it'll work -> I like the idea of getting atmo planets for a few quid -> If I like something it must be true."
Myth busting on Stellar Forge and the generation of everything from stars to rocks.
It became apparent at Lavecon that a lot of players are still under the misconception that there's some kind of database of discovered systems and worlds on a Frontier server somewhere and that when another player goes to visit these places the game client downloads this information so they see...
Myth busting on Stellar Forge and the generation of everything from stars to rocks.
It became apparent at Lavecon that a lot of players are still under the misconception that there's some kind of database of discovered systems and worlds on a Frontier server somewhere and that when another player goes to visit these places the game client downloads this information so they see...forums.frontier.co.uk
I stand corrected, thanks for the link, great read.
True, but thanks to this discussion I learned something new.
If they pay well...I think you should get a job at Cloud Imperium Games. Your knowledge of game & engine development is only rivalled by Chris Roberts
If Frontier changed engines, it would be a confession of failure.
I agree, they would probably prefer to put the game in maintenance mode
I don't think Unreal Engine is suited to a game like ED.
you are utterly wrong
These are the best discussions.
I fail to see what’s wrong with the current engine.
It was made for this game, don’t think that UE could do better.
It was made for this game, don’t think that UE could do better.
Sensei-san, based on your assessment, I think you may be gearing up for a major disappointment as to the scale of changes pertained to the new era
However I'm with you, hoping for the best. If changing game engine allows them to fix the core game design issues that cobra didn't (deeper AI interactions, persistence etc), then I'm all for it. If it's just to get nicer graphics for planets and gas giants... actually, I'm all for it too then.
fingers crossed o7
Deeper AI interactionse and persistence have little to do with the engine used.
You're half-right: an engine (nowadays) as a term refers to far more than just the graphics-related stuff. The persistence (if you, for example, would refer to chasing NPCs respawning with full health when you jump) is about the way the networking works, and what is stored or not, and if so where. The way terms are linked is not universal though. CryEngine, for example, is pretty universally regarded as a terrible engine to modify. It does a number of things extremely well, but adding things to it or modifying certain aspects is not nearly as easy as one would expect. Especially with earlier versions getting some kind of networking going for example was not easy at all compared with the comparable UE of the time. Cobra seems the other end of the spectrum; while not nearly as 'flashy', it appears (it is a closed platform, so its from what I can gather) very flexible. Them using versions of it for games like PC/JWE/PZ, games on a totally different scale (ED) and even FPS (The Outsider) is a testament to that.
Do note that while info on CE, UE, Unity and such is easy to come by, far less is known by Cobra as it is developed in-house. So take what I and others say about it with a pinch of salt, as only FD truly knows its capabilities and limitations. The general notion of changing from Cobra to UE is definitely silly though, as the way Cobra deals with scale is something that would take a LONG time to translate to what UE does out of the box. It would also mean that nothing they did with any of their other games would translate as well. To end somewhat unrelated: it is AMAZING what modern game engines can do, and I love what Unreal Engine is able to do.
Of course, getting anything like that in an actual game, using UE or any other engine, is something for the future. What many don't fully realize is that the present is 'disappointing' not because the industry cant do better, but because the target audience can't run what is possible.
Look at the minimum specs of ED on PC, and you'll see just how incredible old the hardware is that FD has dedicated themselves to support: the min GPU is a Nvidia GTX 470, released almost ten years ago. That is like releasing a game in 2002 that should run on a computer that barely runs Wolfensteind 3D!
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The COBRA engine is very good and the best thing is that Frontier can develop it more without having to pay royalties, which are higher than that 5-10% .. you have to read the small print of Unreal and / or Unity.
Cobra beats up Unreal Engine every day for its lunch money. It's a pretty wicked piece of technology and I sincerely doubt Unreal could compete. It's a complete engine, including network integration, online shop, stellar forge, VR compatible UI, those unbelievable soundscapes etc etc. Why in God's name would we ever want Unreal? Every game made in it looks the same - seriously uncanny valley esque, and gross everything's-on-a-hoverboard physics.
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I wouldn't go that far....
The fact that ED already exists in Cobra Engine is a good point not to switch to UE.
If FDEV had to start over again from scratch I would much prefer the game to be in UE for two simple reason:
1. Unreal Engine is well known by many developers so when FDEV hire a new guy he can start working immediately without spending time in training.
2. There are countless games built on this engine so it's far more tested and you can expect it's more realiable.
I think you still don't quite understand it. A game like ED has very specific requirements you don't find in 'countless games'. That immediately throws out both arguments you gave.
Think about it...
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