Problems With Shadows In The ED Alpha
- Thread starter filip
- Start date
Where are you going to see soft dynamic shadows in space? Planet surfaces, perhaps...
And, yes, as said this is still very much Alpha.
What does that have to do with anything, shadows are shadows, either the engine can make them crisp or it can't.
You obviously haven't tracked many games in early development if you use the alpha/beta excuse.
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Stachel
Banned
It is not an excuse. The developers have said multiple times that not all fancy effects are turned on yet.
And, yes, I _have_ tracked quite a few games in early development. Part of my work at Hookedgamers.com, actually.
Many developers send their alpha code to magazines with a note saying that they are still working on various visual effects for final release and that the previewer should not pay attention to what is shown presently.
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Lestat
Banned
You know filip I was thinking the same way when Star Citizen Hanger model was released a while ago. But after a lot of updates it started looking better. I hope Elite follow suite. Other games I seen crappy graphics before release was like Lord of the Rings online Beta Riders of Rohan. When it first came out. There was issues with the graphics. Like parts are not completed.
I raised a similar point slightly less captiously elsewhere.
I do agree though - shadows aren't great right now, but I don't really agree they should be soft.
But hopefully they'll improve.
Here's Ben's response...
I do agree though - shadows aren't great right now, but I don't really agree they should be soft.
But hopefully they'll improve.
Here's Ben's response...
There are all sorts of shadows in gaming, but one should not even think that way, the best way to go about this is to just set the constants/parameters and let them create themselves in every which way they can, you know...like there are constants in reality which determine everything...there isn't a Thing in real world that instantiates every other single thing based on specific situation but a set of rules.
Of course it is. Be patient.....
When the game will be in its commercial version, ED will pass of the shadow in the light
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I think you are mistaking WIP software with official demo. Sure log that you think the shadows are not great but IMO there is no point shouting about how crap they are and complaining that an alpha should be up to final release fidelity, because that is not true
I think filip is correct. I've seen it too many times where the "it's only alpha" excuse is used, where it's also the final thing. There may be improvements or smoothing coming in eventually, but if shadows are rendered as blocks, it's likely to be the method and implementation rather than tweaking. But if it's a limitation of the rendering engine, it's unlikely to be completely changed out.
If shadow handling is completely changed out because of user feedback, then by all means. But I wouldn't have too high expectations based on earlier experience with this.
This is a space game? It's only alpha.
Game has blocky shadows? It's only alpha.
Both fail imo. Blocky shadows are a result of early design decisions while making the rendering engine, and typically not subject to late change. And those decisions may be based on a "if we have this, we can't have that". Where "that" could be anything from shifting perspective, additional and/or dynamic light sources, to rendering speed efficiency. Keep in mind we only have a small subset in the games features for this alpha version (which I don't have access to btw). What happens to efficiency once everything is in?
Is blocky shadows better than running at 10fps? Turning off blocky shadows might improve more than turning off perfect shadows. Just as an example.
So yeah, I'm a bit sick of "it's only alpha" excuse. Things may improve, which is fine. But typically they don't. Not for low level implementations like rendering engine.
If shadow handling is completely changed out because of user feedback, then by all means. But I wouldn't have too high expectations based on earlier experience with this.
This is a space game? It's only alpha.
Game has blocky shadows? It's only alpha.
Both fail imo. Blocky shadows are a result of early design decisions while making the rendering engine, and typically not subject to late change. And those decisions may be based on a "if we have this, we can't have that". Where "that" could be anything from shifting perspective, additional and/or dynamic light sources, to rendering speed efficiency. Keep in mind we only have a small subset in the games features for this alpha version (which I don't have access to btw). What happens to efficiency once everything is in?
Is blocky shadows better than running at 10fps? Turning off blocky shadows might improve more than turning off perfect shadows. Just as an example.
So yeah, I'm a bit sick of "it's only alpha" excuse. Things may improve, which is fine. But typically they don't. Not for low level implementations like rendering engine.
The thread title was stupid.
This comment & question are good. I think most of us have noticed the poor quality shadows, and some blocky-edged textures too. I haven't worried about them, because to me they are just placeholders, enabling us to have the Alpha builds in the first place. There's no doubt in that these aspects will be fixed along the road to retail. If not in next Alpha build, then later.
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Understandable. Patience, patience. Bash the product "if" it has the faults still present when it is ready. Point the faults and give suggestions on how to redeem them when we're still in pre-retail phase.
You can read the above as: I'm getting sick of people bashing and bad-mouthing an unfinished, very much WIP, and all that in very hostile, derogatory manner, based on mere glimpes.
To reiterate what others have said (and really just quote Mr Parry as he said it so well):
Shadows are currently are at level which we were happy to release the alpha 1.0 build with, however we certainly aim to revisit them.
Shadows are currently are at level which we were happy to release the alpha 1.0 build with, however we certainly aim to revisit them.
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