HL2 Video Stress Test

eden · Aug 31, 2004

Wow, those DX9 numbers are truly amazing, worse than ever before too! 😱

I'm still thinking the DX9 blur of the textures isn't as nice as it looks. Why on Earth would a previous generation yeild more sharp and detailed textures? Not only this, but this so-called displacement mapping is a joke! You oughtta check the 6800 technology covered in THG's article for true displacement. Any 3D artist knows it's not even close to just what we see in that article. It looks more like mediocre bump mapping too! Kinda disappointing FS claimed it is displacement mapping, I still am not convinced it is.

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eden · Aug 31, 2004

BTW guys what's an HTPC? Damn I'm behind the times lately. 😱

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pauldh · Aug 31, 2004

Home Theater PC

ABIT IS7, P4 2.6C, 1GB Corsair XMS 4000 Pro Series, Radeon 9800 Pro, Santa Cruz, TruePower 430watt

pauldh · Aug 31, 2004

Yeah, I'm surprised nobody was commenting on the FX DX9 numbers. Maybe this article should have been a new topic instead of hidden in this toppic.

I am definately no 3D Artist and wouldn't know enough to argue with them on it. But I'll look into that 6800 article for a better understanding.

I assume you read the feature usuage/DX paths chart they posted from Valve:

Displacement Maps (Terrain, cave walls, etc)
DX 9 - Full-res (with bump diffuse and specular bump mapping)

DX8 - Mid-to-High res (with diffuse and specular bump-mapping)

ABIT IS7, P4 2.6C, 1GB Corsair XMS 4000 Pro Series, Radeon 9800 Pro, Santa Cruz, TruePower 430watt

priyajeet · Aug 31, 2004

I thought it was Hate That f*****g PC

 :evil:

Futile is resistance, assimilate you we will. :evil:

Hard work has a future payoff. Laziness pays off now.

CaPtAiN_InSaNo · Sep 1, 2004

I agree Eden, HL2 looks like a fun game to play, but the technology just doesn't seem there, i've tryed CS Source Beta, its fun, but the graphics look very plain and are dissappointing and i'm running it on max everything with AA and all the good stuff. Physics are sweet, but i want sweet graphics to go along with them. I'm almost betting that the reasons for it being delayed so much is that the game is valve is having problems implementing DX9 into the game as well as games like Far Cry and Doom 3. Maybe they spent so much time on gameplay and physics and single player that they have not really patched the game engine to take full advantage of the newest hardware from ATi and Nvidia. Or maybe they just haven't spent the time to implement the effects that are at their disposal, the source trailer had some awesome lighting and reflection affects in it, as did many other HL2 trailers, but some of the newer videos don't use any of them, thus you get a plain and empty game with average graphics.

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3DMark2003 Score - 11700Edited by CaPtAiN_InSaNo on 08/31/04 06:31 PM.

Willamette_sucks · Sep 1, 2004

CS has nothing close to HL2 graphics... this can easily be seen in screenshots or by comparing HL2 videos... get real. For one there are hardly any objects... HL2 is FULL of objects and scenery and artwork, making it not just a bunch of flat surfaces like CS.

HL2 has amazing graphics you're all crazy.

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eden · Sep 1, 2004

I assume you read the feature usuage/DX paths chart they posted from Valve:

Displacement Maps (Terrain, cave walls, etc)
DX 9 - Full-res (with bump diffuse and specular bump mapping)

DX8 - Mid-to-High res (with diffuse and specular bump-mapping)

Yeah saw it. Am no programmer nor do I know further than what I see in my 3D designs, but I do know that displacement mapping does "true" bump mapping. Ergo, you don't get close and see flat surfaces (the real problem with DOOM III, despite that the implementation of BM in it is the best one ever yet), you see actual realistic polygons formed out of the flat texture. It's all about proper contrast really. I could be wrong explaining HDM, but this was, remember, one of the Parhelia's touted DX9 features!

For HDM to really work, a surface needs indeed a LOT of polygons possible from it, i.e. subdivide the plane into many smaller ones, so you can play with lots of vertices and get a higher res result. Get few and it won't even represent the actual figure right, will look more like mini undefined bumps.

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eden · Sep 1, 2004

I think CS:Source doesn't need good graphics, just updated ones. What made CS so great is that, simplicity everywhere. Graphics were simple so everyone could play it on their systems and everything else was.

the source trailer had some awesome lighting and reflection affects in it,

Actually, I had noticed that most with DOOM III. Remember the first trailers we've seen of it? I could swear many visual technologies, including the Alpha's ones, were removed. Even some gameplay features. D3 sounded much more complex visually from the first previews. Anyone else noticed? Even the physics thing was not used much, whereas the Alpha had a lot of boxes to showcase that technology used a lot.

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priyajeet · Sep 1, 2004

all i can say is

my new house and old house look more like HL2, rather than D3. So according to me D3, though it has awesome looks, HL2 is what is closer to reality.

We cant comapre, bcos if u notice D3 is on mars, and they need an airtight place...so lots of pipes, valves, wires etc..

will have to wait and see for something similar in HL2, if it has. there a competition once to count the number of valves and gerboxes in the hhalf life game !

 :evil:

Futile is resistance, assimilate you we will. :evil:

Hard work has a future payoff. Laziness pays off now.

coylter · Sep 1, 2004

HOW DO I run the damn test map!!!

An egg is realy only just liquid chicken.

priyajeet · Sep 1, 2004

u mean CSS de_dust ?

 :evil:

Futile is resistance, assimilate you we will. :evil:

Hard work has a future payoff. Laziness pays off now.

eden · Sep 2, 2004

The user Acert93, claimed DOOM III didn't do outdoors well. Having been able to look outside properly, I can't say I agree. Even on my Ti200 it runs fairly well, and I can only imagine the better bump map quality and texture sharpness on High Detail with the new cards. Of course HL2 focuses on more reality, it's based on Earth IIRC, and they focused more on texture detail than other technologies, as well as using more bright settings, thus giving a more detailed and realistic environment outside. I still think we should wait to see what DOOM III engine-based games can do, because right now, as you mentionned, we could wonder if HL2's engine is really THAT nice for tight indoor areas like DOOM III's. So no one can draw an accurate conclusion for or against either engine.

my new house and old house look more like HL2

What house?!

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priyajeet · Sep 2, 2004

doom 3 outsides were good looking.

my house: place where i live...same place where i m typing now...its more of a flat.

 :evil:

Futile is resistance, assimilate you we will. :evil:

Hard work has a future payoff. Laziness pays off now.

eden · Sep 2, 2004

Just a bit confused what your house had to do with HL2's engine.

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Willamette_sucks · Sep 2, 2004

Having beaten Doom 3 I can comment on this. There is very little outdoor time in Doom 3... the only outdoor time on mars is when you're going from air chamber thingy to air chamber thingy. Some of these outdoor areas are larger than others, but none are that large. They look and run fine though. There are larger outdoor areas in hell... these areas look damn good and run fine as well.

Me: are you saying I can't provide?
Me: cause I know I can provide.
Me: oh and I can provide money too😉
Rachel

: why do we need money when we can just stay in our room and have sex all day?

coylter · Sep 2, 2004

Someone should make an "outside" mod for doom 3...or even a realistic looking one...could be interesting...

An egg is realy only just liquid chicken.

priyajeet · Sep 2, 2004

i just was comapring HL2 with a real enviroment like my house or a real life building...straight walls, not too many bumps...etc.

 :evil:

Futile is resistance, assimilate you we will. :evil:

Hard work has a future payoff. Laziness pays off now.

eden · Sep 3, 2004

Yeah I getcha. But even strong bump mapping can create great effects to the least bumped textures like brick walls. (at least gives more realism and tridimensional feel to it) HL2 lacks in that, from the pics we've seen so far, including DX9 ones.

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eden · Sep 3, 2004

Pretty much what I was thinking, thanks for confirming it.

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priyajeet · Sep 3, 2004

yeah, thats true. have u seen the unreal 3.0 engine preview. If u notice, they have shown really coool brick wall in there with all the ighting effects..now thats really good looking.

 :evil:

Futile is resistance, assimilate you we will. :evil:

Hard work has a future payoff. Laziness pays off now.

priyajeet · Sep 3, 2004

this is funny. I dont know if anyone has seen this. if u find servers on CSS, urr find a sound test server. yes the same map as sound test and u ll joing with a few terrorists and CTs in that small room. And we all slaughter each other.

oh by the way more maps at
<A HREF="http://emazingnet/cssmaps/" target="_new">http://emazingnet/cssmaps/</A>

 :evil:

Futile is resistance, assimilate you we will. :evil:

Hard work has a future payoff. Laziness pays off now.

TheGreatGrapeApe · Sep 4, 2004

The funny thing is that the outdoor air lock part at the beginning, fine on the R9600Pro with medium and 1024x768, but I'm getting huge rendering cut-offs on the FX5200 at LOW 640x480. I want to take some screenies this weekend.

BTW, it's the 'Unreal Engine 3' folks, not the Unreal 3 Engine. Just FYI. Common mistake.

- You need a licence to buy a gun, but they'll sell anyone a stamp (or internet account) ! - RED GREEN GA to SK :evil:

eden · Sep 4, 2004

Yeah I remember. Those were some serious effects. Seems like a very promising engine too, especially with its adaptive polygon amount technology. (not that DOOM III doesn't have it, just that Epic is probably going further)

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eden · Sep 4, 2004

First time I loaded DOOM III (when it WORKED!), I had rendering problems, mostly with lighting. The characters were divded in half, so there was no gradient effect, the light hits one half, the other is shadowed. Textures were also very muddy and low res. Dunno what happened, next attempt it worked like a charm, no rendering issues anymore.

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HL2 Video Stress Test

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