U2 Engine / Tech Demo / GeForce 3: [ANSWER TO PREVIOUS THREAD]

[PhaRXMer]

I'm not sure if everyone read the previous thread concerning GeForce 3 and the Doom Engine Demo.

However, I noticed a few users stated misinformation and thought I could help clear things up.


(In a previous post conerning GeForce 3)
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But I think it's not possible for a game to have a cinematic render like we can see with 3ds max. Like the PU article "are we paying too much fps", I don't want to buy a Geforce 3 900$ or much for having 30 fps !!

Jack_Oneill

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Actually this is incorrect as far as I've seen and heard. MANY newer games slated for the end of 2001 and the first quarter of 2002 have IN-GAME graphics that look like what we USED to see in cinematics.

GeForce 3 is the WORLD's fastest GPU processor. For those that know of the SGI computer, these super computers of the 80's and 90's developed
movies such as Toy Story and MANY others. A single SGI GPU is now the second to fastest GPU in the world, behind the GeForce 3... and for those that know what an SGI is... that is saying a hell of a lot.

Below are some links demostrating the GeForce 3 and it's new technologies. Technologies such as:

= Realistic shading & lighting
= Real-time soft shadowing
= Real-time PER PIXEL shading
= High-Quality real-time rendering


New Doom Engine (ID Software)
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http://www.3ddownloads.com/?download_id=138158&server=newyork
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Neverwinter Nights
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http://www.neverwinternights.com/downloads.html

Note: The first movie does not have the new real-time shadowing effects that the GeForce 3 offers. The second movie does. In this movie you seen REAL-TIME in game effects like you see in the New Doom Engine.
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Nvidia
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http://www.nvidia.com

Note: They have scheduled release for the GeForce 3 in late March for the MAC and earlier April for the PC. This GPU's release ain't far away at all!!!
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So the question originally was, Will Unreal 2 Engine have these effects in their engines for Unreal 2 or Unreal Warfare (a.k.a. Unreal Tournament 2)?

Depending on release times, I'd say YES! I am going to look for that answer more in detail, and write another post on my findings. If the release of either of these games is at earliest December of 2001, I would think Epic's Unreal Engine would be behind the times without all these NEW effects. Especially since Neverwinter Nights and Doom will probably be released shortly after that.

However, the facts state that yes these GPU will provide us with in game graphics we THOUGHT we could only dream of.




FACTS ABOUT THE UNREAL ENGINE:


UT Tech Demo:
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This is part of the Unreal 2 engine. It's simply Technology they put into UT's code (MOD) to support increased polygon levels, wire frame animations, and large scale terrain; as well as many other things. Remember UT Engine is nothing more then an enhanced Unreal 1 engine.

[Note: In this demo, as well as the article concerning it nothing is mentioned about the new GeForce 3 Technology. However, that is only because the GeForce 3 technology didn't exist when the article was written. Also note these features will NEVER be seen in the original UT... see "Unreal Warfare" below]


Below is a link to an article that talks about these features in detail.

http://www.dailyradar.com/features/game_feature_page_1444_1.html
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Unreal Warefare:
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This is a codename of some sorts for what will be the sequel to Unreal Tournament. I'm sure this will support all the current technology the UT and Unreal 2 engines have put in place, as well as many other features we don't know about (I would guess).

Not much is known about this project. Perhaps soon enough the guys at Epic or Planet Unreal will release some info. All I can tell you is the domain name unrealwarfare.com is taken and registered to one:

SWEENEY, TIM

The same name is also the owner of the domain unrealtournament.com, which has an organization name of "Epic MegaGames, Inc.". This shows proof that Epic has registered the domain unrealwarfare.com.

INTERESTING... isn't it?
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SORRY about the HUGH post. Just thought the information about GeForce 3 should be clear and you all have the most information you can possibly get about current and up and coming technologies concerning the Unreal Engine.


FLAK!

 

[dinwitty]

I am playing Giants, Citizen Kabuto, in has excellent ingame cinematics.
You could take Toy Story and make it a fully interactive 3D game and look like the
Movie.
However, what is the pixel resolution of Film for computers?
I have heard of total digital theatre presentations, IE Stars made, using no film.
You could develop a whole movie from ingame cinematics and produce it a movie, just by working the ingame cinematics.

 

[Prophetus]

U2 is still a long ways off from completion. Currently, U2 is slated for a first quarter 2002 release, but that can change. So, yes U2 and UW will use the new technology and graphical enhancements. Don't worry, you will be able to turn them off or on, just like any other game.

By the time U2 and UW is released, the G3 will be obsolete and a G4 or Radeon 3 will be out. So, don't get too excited about the G3 or how U2 will perform on it. What you should worry about is the cards coming out at the end of this year. Expect to shell out some serious $$'s.

Personally, Nvidia is all hype. The G2 was supposed to usher in a new era in 3d games with full support for bump mapping, FSAA and T&L. That advertisement hype fizzled out really quick. Games are just beginning to "fully" incorporate Bump Mapping and T&L and the G2 is considered a dying technology. As for the G3 being the fastest GPU in the world...don't believe the hype.

My point...buy a G3 now and you won't fully experience the enhancements until the G4 is out. And for $600.00, that is not worth my time or patience.

 

[dinwitty]

Can you think of any blockbuster games to come out this year?
Probably thie bigger games being talked about is HALO, if it makes it out this year or not.
The G2mx is doing me pretty good, and I expect my systems to last a year or 2 with current technology.
The BIG wait is 64 bit processing. Like the pentium, it will come out SLOOOOOWLY and be expensive and buggy.
I would expect the G3 to be affordable by fall, if they get there.
The process is the same, I was GAGA for the Athlon 1000, I FINALLY own one, about a year after they announced it, when prices finally fell. I expect this system to last a LOOONG time.
My next system has to be either 2000mhz or 64bit processing.
Whatever happens, softeware makers have to catch up to it, and you know, programming takes teamwork, a lot of time, and so on and so on, and WinME isnt up to full bar with support.
Why I stuck with Win98, I will switch when I know the world is up to it.
But MS is coming with new OS systems..... ARGH!!!
you cant catch up in time. Win98 will be around a while....
They either make them 100% backward compatible, or forget it.
We invest money into our systems, and when they dont work, phooey.
I will wait on WinME and any newer OS's.
I want the improved performance in WinME, but when it bites me back, I bite back...WOOF!!!

 

[Prophetus]

dinwitty, that's my point. The G2 is still a good card. But to Nvidia it's old technology and they are trying to convince you to buy the new card, claiming you will need it for the new games. What new games? The ones coming out next year? When they do come out, another card will be available and the hype will continue.

So, if you can still play these games with the G2, why spend $500 or $600 dollars for a G3? If it goes down to $250, then it will be worth it. Until games come out that just won't work well without the best card, stick with the G2 family. If the card was about hardware enhancements, like 10X or 12X AGP or 256 to 512 megs of DDR/Rambus, I would consider buying it at that price. Real Shadows, Realistic lighting, per texel shading...for that price, you can keep it Nvidia.

 

[Zaccix]

PhaRXMer, great advert

The GF3 is a worthless card. Why? Because by the time games come out that either need or take advantage of them, we'll have GF4 or 5 and Radeon 2 or 3. Granted, GF3's will (hopefully) be cheaper by then, but it just doesn't make sense for nVidia to make such a powerful card and release it with such a strict schedule.

The GF3 is for those who just have to have the latest tech, and are prepared to pay top dollar for it. I'll spend 600 bucks on something more important.

 

[disturbed]

* 64 bit processors? Where have you been? We're up to 128bit CPUs now buddy. At least Apple is. The PPC 7400 is starting to resemble something you'd find in an SGI machine with it's vector processor and all. Now of only Apple would step up to a 400Mhz FSB and 200Mhz DDR ram so you can take full advantage of all those gigaflops.

* Some of the non nVidia cards have their own T&L engines (like the Radeon). Developers were reluctant to implement support for T&L if only a small fraction of gamers could use it. Now that T&L is more common, games that support it will be more common.

* Unreal Warfare is probably much closer to completion than U2.

* Your GeForce 2 MX will barely last you a year... and even then you'll be playing UW at 640x480 and medium texture/skin detail and still pulling 30fps tops.

 

[dinwitty]

I read about the Apple and the Vector 128 bit processor, a system with included DVD recorder.
4000 or so bucks.
You get what you pay for.
But MAC for those who use them swear by them, but you know.
Like the VHS machine and BETA, BETA has gone professional, the mass market cant afford it, or understand it, or would rather have tapes with 6 hours capable instead of maybe 30-60 minutes possible.
Would you like to see what super compression does, 30000/1?
http://www.theproduct.de/fr08_final.zip
grab that, and run it at least a TNT2 and DX8 required, but GF2 a bonus.
only 64k in size, but....

I want that compressor.