How is this computer game possible?

[Xordan]

This takes advantage of DirectX a lot. It basically just gives DirectX instructions to your OS and gets that to do all the work.


Edit: Just looked and it uses up about 200mb of ram when running. So I'm probably accurate in what I said.

[neko kyouran]

Not to really bring up an old post but here is a link for your reading pleasure about it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Procedural_generation

Should explain how it works.

[josephoenix]

This takes advantage of DirectX a lot. It basically just gives DirectX instructions to your OS and gets that to do all the work.


Edit: Just looked and it uses up about 200mb of ram when running. So I'm probably accurate in what I said.

I'm not sure but I think that DirectX includes alot of textures in it, which makes it easy (well, easier at least) to generate new ones "brick texture + moss texture + bloom effect = shiny mossy wall"

It's still an interesting proof of concept... of course old game cartridges had less than a megabyte and still managed to be enjoyable

josePhoenix

[hook]

Of course - a famous example for computed structures (like trees) is the so called "L System": Each branch is recursively expanded, and a Fibonacci like length development makes them look naturally grown.

I'd love to see the L system in PlaneShift though ...or at least trees and undergrowth that's not just two sprites. Fact is that I've fallen in love with PS amongs other things also because *some* of the trees here are nice and complex - pretty lifelike!

PS benefiting from kkrieger? Not likely - reasons already mentioned by Cyl and others.

[LigH]

I somehow believe to remember an implementation of the "SpeedTree" system in a CrystalSpace demo. If I am not wrong.

But we have to be careful about that. The more natural trees may look, the more details and triangles they will need, and the less smooth an area will render for the poor people with outdated graphics hardware!

PlaneShift shall be a roleplaying experience. Not a 3D technology demo.

[Karyuu]

TTO uses SpeedTree, but they cashed out an insane amount of money for it. This is not something PlaneShift can affort - unless we can raise 8k USD in donations.

[Xordan]

Our code license (GPL) also doesn't allow us to use software like SpeedTree. We would have to change it to LGPL.

[LigH]

It wouldn't require "SpeedTree" exactly, anyway. Possible technologies are documented quite well. We already had a thread about a walkable deep forest.

And before we talk about implementing new technologies, first let the developers implement the current ones correctly. You know there are still a few flaws (like texture sharing, transparency).

[willelmo]

I think it is same way possible as is this demo

64k demo from Assembly 2003
http://www.scene.org/file.php?file=/parties/2003/assembly03/in64/zoom3_v1_02_final.zip&fileinfo
At end credits there is mentioned how much it really took, sounds were alone 70MB, but everything is crunched to very small.