Log of Dev Chat with High Octane 9-6-04 (Warning, LONG!)

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Log of Dev Chat with High Octane 9-6-04 (Warning, LONG!)

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Here is an edited version of the log, edited to remove non-chat system messages and to split the participants voices to separate lines:

Start of #High-Octane buffer: Mon Sep 06 15:23:11 2004

<{HighOct}Alex> Zach will be here shortly
<{HighOct}Alex> but I can begin taking questions
<{HighOct}Alex> I am the lead designer on the new game.

<evil_bob> #02when are screens comin?

<{HighOct}Alex> in less than a month

<xamindar> Will there be a Linux version?

<{HighOct}Alex> there are no plans at this time for a linux version
<{HighOct}Alex> but maybe down the line

<[NuB2]Grendel> not even a server ?

<{HighOct}Alex> there are no plans for a linux client
<{HighOct}Alex> linux server is probable

<[D3k]Skyalmian[]> My question is this: is everything to scale? And by that I mean, the player's ship
isn't the size of a human torso like it is in Descent 3.

<{HighOct}Alex> the ship is scaled in such a way that makes it feel more like the original descent games
than descent 3

<evil_bob> #02geo-mod... yes or no?

<{HighOct}Alex> there will be no geo mod
<{HighOct}Alex> do you have any other quetions, skyalmian?

<[D3k]Skyalmian[]> You didn't really answer it.

<{HighOct}Alex> ok
<{HighOct}Alex> I'm not sure I understand the question, then
<{HighOct}Alex> size is relative

<[D3k]Skyalmian[]> The ship scale vs other objects (like a human) in the game, accurate or not?

<{HighOct}Alex> there are no humans in the game

<[8]Ferno> oh i think i know what sky is tryin to ask

<{HighOct}Alex> for example, doctor sweitzer in descent 3?
<{HighOct}Alex> the player will not encounter humans in gameplay

<[8]Ferno> say a ship is ten meters wide.. will it feel like the corridor is fifty meters wide?
<[8]Ferno> that about right sky?

<[D3k]Skyalmian[]> Yeah.

<{HighOct}Alex> if the ship is ten meters wide and the corridor is 50 meters wide, the corridor will be 5 times as wide as the ship.
<{HighOct}Alex> and we'll do our best to make it feel that way

<[8]Ferno> ok
<[8]Ferno> is that it sky?

<[D3k]Skyalmian[]> Yeah.

<[8]Ferno> ok
<[8]Ferno> moving on

<xamindar> what type of design are the levels? (under ground like in mines, on terrain, in space, under
water)

<{HighOct}Alex> underground like in mines

<xamindar> all of them?

<{HighOct}Alex> so far that's the plan
<{HighOct}Alex> after the game is released, players will be able to make their own levels

<xamindar> is the ship speed relative to the speed of d1/2?
<xamindar> ok

<{HighOct}Alex> yes
<{HighOct}Alex> the ship will move as it does in descent 1 and 2, and not as it does in descent 3

<xamindar> im done for now, thanks

<{HighOct}Alex> you're welcome

<[D3k]Krom[]> Fusion bug, moddible, yes or no?

<{HighOct}Alex> fusion damage bug is a no at this point
<{HighOct}Alex> we're attempting to make the game as moddable as possible

<[D3k]Krom[]> bugger, k, thanks

<[MS]Neo> How many other games have you guys made?

<{HighOct}Alex> we're not doing the fusion switch weapon while you're charging bug either ;)
<{HighOct}Alex> from d1

<[MS]Neo> good

<[8]Ferno> yea that bug was killed in d1x
<[8]Ferno> heheh

<{HighOct}Alex> This is our first game project but we have completed other successful software projects

<[MS]Neo> cool..Where can we get info on those?

<{HighOct}Alex> Zach can go into more detail on those if you like

<[MS]Neo> Okay

<[8]Ferno> was that your question neo?

<{HighOct}Alex> he will be here shortly
<{HighOct}Alex> please wait a moment

<[MS]Neo> Yeah, but I have some more questions =)

<[8]Ferno> ok
<[8]Ferno> hold them for later

<[MS]Neo> okay

<{HighOct}Alex> Zach will be here in just a moment

<[8]Ferno> gren has a question

<{HighOct}Alex> we can wait

<[8]Ferno> go ahead gren

<[NuB2]Grendel> So far it sounds like D1 or D2 -- exactly. What's the difference of your version ?

<{HighOct}Alex> excellent question
<{HighOct}Alex> I'm glad you asked

<[NuB2]Grendel> :)

<{HighOct}Alex> Not only do we have many unique weapons to separate ourselves from the Descent series
<{HighOct}Alex> but we plan to integrate cloaking more into the main stream gameplay
<{HighOct}Alex> I can't go into specifics
<{HighOct}Alex> but I assure you it's good
<{HighOct}Alex> also
<{HighOct}Alex> we have a plan to introduce players to multiplayer on a step by step basis
<{HighOct}Alex> newbies will not go up against the elite pilots until they're ready

<Lobber> Hi

<{HighOct}Alex> hi

<Lobber> I have typed out a few questions ahead of time

<{HighOct}Alex> excellent

<Lobber> some are fairly technical, and i may have followup questions
<Lobber> 1. Regarding the game engine, how will levels / mines / environment be designed, and what will they be based upon? (IE: D1 & D2 made from cubes of space inside a solid environment)

<{HighOct}Alex> our engine is cube-based

<Lobber> 2. Will you be including a built in user friendly level editor? (like DMB2 and not like D3Edit)

<{HighOct}Alex> yes
<{HighOct}Alex> the developer of descent mission builder is our lead programmer

<Lobber> 3. Do you need any level editors / creators for your project? (Freelance Creators)

<{HighOct}Alex> we may
<{HighOct}Alex> we will post on the Descent Bulletin Board before anywhere else if the need arises

<Lobber> have you seen any of my work? (shameless plug)

<{HighOct}Alex> we value the input and resources of the descent community
<{HighOct}Alex> what did you make?

<Lobber> 66 d1 and d2 levels
<Lobber> that have been released

<{HighOct}Alex> we probably have seen many of them

<Lobber> i also started, but not completed, a project called "Solar Marathon" a completely different type of level set
<{HighOct}Alex> excellent
<Lobber> phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=3334 this thread lists my work, also Koolbear will be publishing an inverview soon
<Lobber> next q

<{HighOct}Alex> please email development@highoctanesoftware.com if you'd like to discuss it further

<t-ball> Can you describe the engine? How does it compare to today's games in terms of eye candy?

<{HighOct}Alex> hehe
<{HighOct}Alex> I can say it looks good and it runs faster than Descent 3

<t-ball> Comparable to UT2004?

<{HighOct}Alex> our engine supports 6 degrees of freedom
<{HighOct}Alex> ut2k4 does not

<t-ball> What is the soundtrack like?

<{HighOct}Alex> the soundtrack is not complete yet
<{HighOct}Alex> but what we're going for is a creepy industrial feel

<t-ball> D1/D2 style?

<{HighOct}Alex> also we don't believe that you should be forced to listen to our music
<{HighOct}Alex> yes

<t-ball> awesome

<{HighOct}Alex> we are big fans of the descent 1 midi and the descent 2 redbook
<{HighOct}Alex> you will be able to listen to whatever music you like when you play the game, but we will provide some for you

<t-ball> 1 more quick question...When's the first screenshot?

<{HighOct}Alex> less than a month
<{HighOct}Alex> :)

<t-ball> Thank you. Next person.

<[MS]Neo> Hi
<[MS]Neo> I have a few questions...
<[MS]Neo> Are there any outdoor or outer space levels in this game, or is it all indoors like Descent?

<{HighOct}Alex> hi
<{HighOct}Alex> no

<{HighOct}Alex> t-ball, there will be a built in mp3 player that will display the mp3 you're listening to
on the HUD

<Will-009> What modes of play will we get in multiplayer?

<{HighOct}Alex> this is subject to change
<{HighOct}Alex> but here's what we have so far
<{HighOct}Alex> Anarchy
<{HighOct}Alex> ack
<{HighOct}Alex> Team Anarchy
<{HighOct}Alex> Hoard
<{HighOct}Alex> Team Hoard
<{HighOct}Alex> Capture the Flag
<{HighOct}Alex> Team Capture the Flag
<{HighOct}Alex> Entropy
<{HighOct}Alex> Team Entropy
<{HighOct}Alex> Onslaught
<{HighOct}Alex> Team Onslaught
<{HighOct}Alex> Hostage
<{HighOct}Alex> Duel Arena

<{HighOct}Alex> then we will have various different Game Modes that you can combine with each of the game
types
<{HighOct}Alex> their names are:
<{HighOct}Alex> Afterlife
<{HighOct}Alex> Gauntlet
<{HighOct}Alex> Hypersocre
<{HighOct}Alex> Incognito
<{HighOct}Alex> Motherlode
<{HighOct}Alex> Nakedfire
<{HighOct}Alex> Reactor
<{HighOct}Alex> Splitkill
<{HighOct}Alex> and Zerosum

<Will-009> Heh. Sounds like there will be plenty of variety.
<Will-009> Is there any chance of co-op?

<{HighOct}Alex> there is a chance, but we're currently not planning for it

<Will-009> Alright. Thanks for your time.

<[LL]Diti> Hi. Just one question:
<[LL]Diti> when is it planned to inmvolve the first lvl designers and will there be a special lvl-designer
tool available?

<{HighOct}Rice> Hey All, Rice here

<[8]Ferno> hello

<{HighOct}Alex> we have level designers on the team already
<{HighOct}Alex> if we need help from the community, we will post on the DBB
<{HighOct}Alex> you will be able to develop your own levels for the game after it's released

<[LL]Diti> k, thanx

<[D3k]Krom[]> By saying the user can listen to their own music, I assume that means MP3/M3U playlist and cd audio support built in to the game, am I correct?

<{HighOct}Alex> indeed

<[D3k]Krom[]> cool, thx
<[D3k]Krom[]> next!

<{HighOct}Alex> for anyone who's interested in helping us out with level design (or any aspect of the
game), please send your resumes and links to work samples to jobs@highoctanesoftware.com

<[NuB2]Grendel> Two things: 1. OpenGL or D3D ?

<{HighOct}Alex> OPenGL

<[NuB2]Grendel> 2. My biggest concern is the "cheatability" -- you planning on some advanced cheat
prevention ?
<{HighOct}Alex> don't worry about it
<{HighOct}Alex> we've got it covered

<[NuB2]Grendel> k -- thx.

<Lobber> alright
<Lobber> a few more...
<Lobber> 4. Will you be including the traditional D1 and D2 triggers? Such as shield and energy modifying triggers that were in D1 but not in D2?

<{HighOct}Alex> are you referring to handicaps?

<Lobber> ill give you an example

<{HighOct}Alex> ok

<Lobber> many people know of my negative shield triggers
<Lobber> in a couple of the d1 levels ive made

<{HighOct}Alex> ah yes

<Lobber> d1 originally had some triggers that would drop your shields when you flew thru a wall with a trigger on it
<Lobber> i gave those triggers negative values to make shield boosting triggers
<Lobber> some of my more interesting levels have that as a feature

<{HighOct}Alex> good idea

<Lobber> :)

<{HighOct}Alex> there are no plans for it, but I'll discuss it with the others
<{HighOct}Alex> Neo

<{HighOct}Rice> interesting

<{HighOct}Alex> Rice can handle your question about other projects now

<[MS]Neo> okay
<[MS]Neo> I also have another question

<{HighOct}Alex> ok

<[MS]Neo> Is there a general game idea that makes your game different from Descent?

<{HighOct}Alex> we do have significant differences in our game
<{HighOct}Alex> but the core design is to be like descent

<[MS]Neo> okay

<{HighOct}Alex> we love descent

<{HighOct}Rice> Neo, did you havea question for me?

* {HighOct}Alex sets mode: +v [MS]Neo

<[MS]Neo> Yeah

<{HighOct}Zach> Sorry for my delay gentelmen.

<{HighOct}Rice> shoot

<Will-009> What kinds of weapons will we see?
<Will-009> Will there be primaries/secondaries?

<{HighOct}Alex> please wait a moment, will

<Will-009> And what about countermeasures?
<Will-009> Oh, ok.

<[MS]Neo> Have you guys completed any other projects?

<{HighOct}Rice> Zach will take the floor on that one

<[MS]Neo> and if so, what are they?

<{HighOct}Zach> Mostly applications.
<{HighOct}Rice> I was going to answer it but now that the bossman is here....

<[MS]Neo> hehe

<{HighOct}Zach> I-Connect ISP managment software.
<{HighOct}Zach> CRMs
<{HighOct}Zach> and Compression Tools.
<{HighOct}Zach> I-Connect is like the swiss army knife of the internet.

<[8]Ferno> ok.. neo can you hang onto the next question for a while?

<[MS]Neo> Okay

<Will-009> What weapons will we see?

<{HighOct}Alex> many of the weapons will be similar to those in the Descent series

<Will-009> And is there going to be a primaries/secondaries setup? What about countermeasures?

<{HighOct}Alex> we will have primaries and secondaries

<Will-009> Is there anyway you can give me a rought list?

<{HighOct}Alex> countermeasures won't be called countermeasures because we didn't like the word
countermeasures
<{HighOct}Alex> but yes we will have them
<{HighOct}Alex> I can give you a list of weapon names
<{HighOct}Alex> it's up to you to guess what they do ;)

<evil_bob> i got a few
<evil_bob> How will MP be set up, like D2, where if the host leaves, the game is still up, or otherwise?

<{HighOct}Zach> That is the current idea.
<{HighOct}Alex> we have a special 1on1 mode that works like Descent 1 and Descent 2

<evil_bob> k

<{HighOct}Alex> but bigger anarchy games will use the client/server model

<evil_bob> Will the levels on MP be auto-DL if you dont have it?

<{HighOct}Alex> we will have a system in place

<evil_bob> k
<evil_bob> How will lag be handled? I want my direct hits to be direct hits.

<{HighOct}Alex> doesn't everyone?

<evil_bob> haha

<[8]Ferno> haha

<{HighOct}Alex> we have a few different options

<evil_bob> k

<{HighOct}Alex> I'm sure you'll find a setting yo ulike

<evil_bob> 1 more

<{HighOct}Alex> descent 3 has permissable client/server for that
<{HighOct}Alex> shoot

<evil_bob> What is the name?

<{HighOct}Alex> the name is top secret

<evil_bob> shot down

<{HighOct}Alex> I cannot divulge that information
<{HighOct}Alex> but I can tell you that it's extremely cool

<[D3k]Krom[]> Scripting support in levels #01like in D3/DALLAS?

<{HighOct}Alex> ok fine
<{HighOct}Alex> the name is Core Decision
<{HighOct}Alex> we will have scripting in levels

<[D3k]Krom[]> As advanced as D3?

<{HighOct}Alex> Zach?

<{HighOct}Zach> The system uses a method of motion tweening that will allow for more complete animations and interactions.

<[8]Ferno> ok
<[8]Ferno> that it krom?

<[D3k]Krom[]> not exactly

<[8]Ferno> ok

<[D3k]Krom[]> more like scripting for non linear storylines

<{HighOct}Alex> our singleplayer storyline is linear

<{HighOct}Zach> It is capable of making adaptive responses based on situational ethics.

<[D3k]Krom[]> Guess that is as good as I will get. Done.

<Lobber> ok
<Lobber> 5. Will the environment be alterable based upon what the players do to it? IE: Not impervious to weapons fire, but breakable.
<Lobber> Or perhaps, a game mode including such a potential

<{HighOct}Zach> OK. I am a massive fan of dynamic environments.
<{HighOct}Zach> I personally feel that it is the next step in gaming.
<{HighOct}Zach> At present I would like such a model to exist but I feel that a great deal of the new
audience is unable to support such physics on their machines.
<{HighOct}Zach> Also, it would make the learn curve hre.
<{HighOct}Zach> hre=hire.

<{HighOct}Alex> higher?

<Lobber> To do that, it would be necessary to not only define the open areas of the level, but also the
emtpy / or full space between open areas
<Lobber> excavation mode

<{HighOct}Zach> By lowering the learning curve and have proper requirements we can bring in new players.

<Lobber> 6. Will the game take place in single pilot vehicles only, or will there be more than one way to interract, such as FPS or fleet mode?

<{HighOct}Alex> Our goal is to make the core gameplay as robust as possible while keeping the extra stuff simple, but cool.

<[8]Ferno> ok people i'm starting to get swamped with PM's here. I would like you all to ask one question at a time in order to cycle people quicker

<{HighOct}Zach> Yes but 74% of the population that will be playing this game will still be on dialup and therefor be unable to adapt in a timely manner.

<Lobber> next

<{HighOct}Alex> the game will take place inside the ships only

<[NuB2]Grendel> Who will host the master server list ? HighOctane, GameSpy, Kali ? /me remembers PXO desaster..
<[NuB2]Grendel> (after Doom # I doubt that 74% are on modem ;P)
<[NuB2]Grendel> 3*

<{HighOct}Zach> Read the stats.
<{HighOct}Zach> OK.
<{HighOct}Zach> Multiplayer servers.

<[NuB2]Grendel> yes, c/s

<{HighOct}Zach> I am attempting to setup a dynamic conenct system that will allow it to interface with multiple matching making networks.
<{HighOct}Zach> Because it is dynamic it would be able to be adapted to the new match maker.

<[LL]Diti> Okay, I was a bit late, so maybe this question is asked before:
<[LL]Diti> Is the 3D engine coded completely by yourselves or is it an modified version of an existing
3d-engine? If so, which engine do you use?

<{HighOct}Zach> Due to the nature of the development process I am not permitted to answer that at this time without being in breach of my contract.

<[LL]Diti> k
<[LL]Diti> last question:
<[LL]Diti> talking about the auto download:
<[LL]Diti> in ut2k4 its a surprise what else besides the level is beeing downloaded. Before you wanna join a level you don't really know how many bytes wille b downloaded.
<[LL]Diti> So, could you give an "on-screen download list" - so everybody knows how much download-time does it might need, before one is able to join the game?
<[LL]Diti> (besides: I am on 64k dial up - and I know what it means to d/l a 10megs of a level...sigh)

<{HighOct}Zach> OK.
<{HighOct}Zach> A couple of things.
<{HighOct}Zach> 1 it shouldn't take that long for the game to download a packed file.
<{HighOct}Zach> 2 I have no problem listing out the files being downloaded.

<{HighOct}Alex> the plan is to have everything you need to play in a given game be autodownloadable
<{HighOct}Alex> and the game will tell you exactly what you're downloading

<[8]Ferno> diti, finished?

<[LL]Diti> jep
<[LL]Diti> thanx

<xamindar> Are the enemies in single player robots like Descent or are there other types such as humans or animals or "organic" aliens? On the same note, will there be any "traps"?

<{HighOct}Alex> The enemies will all be robots
<{HighOct}Alex> traps will involve robots :)

<xamindar> ok, cool
<xamindar> robot generators?

<{HighOct}Alex> and of course we have the reactor at the end of each level

<xamindar> nice

<{HighOct}Alex> robot generators and robots behind corners etc

<xamindar> im done, thanks

<[D3k]Skyalmian[]> Suncho said: "our engine is cube-based". It isn't <literally>, is it?

<{HighOct}Zach> OK.
<{HighOct}Zach> The engine uses a poly-mesh system that allows for extremely detailed shapes and
structures.
<{HighOct}Zach> Most maps can be designed in 3D Studio
<{HighOct}Zach> Lightwave.
<{HighOct}Zach> Gmax
<{HighOct}Zach> Maya

<[D3k]Skyalmian[]> Thank you for clarifying that. Done.

<{HighOct}Zach> and we even have and export for Descent Mission Build.

<[8]Ferno> ok now I have one
<[8]Ferno> how much shader language will you use in your engine?
<[8]Ferno> IE will you use sprites for explosions, particles, or something else?

<{HighOct}Zach> We use a good mixture.

<[8]Ferno> ok
<[8]Ferno> what pixel/vertex shader version?

<{HighOct}Zach> We have stuck to the OpenGL standards in a great deal of areas and in addition we have the system in place
<{HighOct}Zach> to use sprites and even supliment the sprites with shader detail.

<[8]Ferno> interesting

<{HighOct}Zach> Hmmm.... Let me look.

<Lobber> skiping q 7...
<Lobber> 8. I have an interesting idea, could you make a game mode where one player is a master of the level, and controls all of the robots in a robo-anarchy, and everyone has to kill him, like a player run
end boss?

<{HighOct}Alex> that'll be something the community would have to add afterwards as a mod

<Lobber> so it will be possible to control bots?

<{HighOct}Alex> yes

<Lobber> kewl
<Lobber> next

<t-ball> List the weapons.

<{HighOct}Alex> ok
<{HighOct}Alex> Particle Disruptor
<{HighOct}Alex> Quantum Disruptor
<{HighOct}Alex> Rapier Cannon
<{HighOct}Alex> Rail Gun
<{HighOct}Alex> Edge Cannon
<{HighOct}Alex> Pressure Cannon
<{HighOct}Alex> Blaze Cannon
<{HighOct}Alex> Ghost Cannon
<{HighOct}Alex> Tesla Cannon
<{HighOct}Alex> Scourge Cannon
<{HighOct}Alex> Shock Rocket
<{HighOct}Alex> Flak Rocket
<{HighOct}Alex> Seeker Missile
<{HighOct}Alex> Swarm Missile
<{HighOct}Alex> Plasma Grenade
<{HighOct}Alex> Avalanche Rocket
<{HighOct}Alex> Titan Rocket
<{HighOct}Alex> Predator Missile
<{HighOct}Alex> Shock Mine
<{HighOct}Alex> Gravity Bomb
<{HighOct}Alex> Tricky Bomb
<{HighOct}Alex> Houdini
<{HighOct}Alex> The names may change before the final game
<{HighOct}Alex> they do all have functions

<t-ball> possible release date?

<{HighOct}Alex> but I can't go into detail on what each one of them does
<{HighOct}Alex> re: our shader I think it's version 3.0 but we don't have any programmers on hand to
verify that
<{HighOct}Alex> Zach will field the release date question
<{HighOct}Alex> We are tentatively scheduled for before summer 2006
<{HighOct}Alex> so less than 2 years from now

<[8]Ferno> ok
<[8]Ferno> that's it tball?

<{HighOct}Zach> I'm back.

<t-ball> yep.

<[8]Ferno> ok

<[MS]Neo> Will the afterburner and the afterburner cooler be collectable powerups in the game?

<{HighOct}Alex> no
<{HighOct}Alex> the ship will start with the afterburner
<{HighOct}Alex> there will be no afterburner cooler

<[MS]Neo> ugh...okay thanks

<Lobber> skipping 9 to my last question
<Lobber> 10. Most importantly, will older levels from D1 and D2 be "Portable?"

<{HighOct}Zach> Bryan Aamot is currently putting the final touchs on making the DMB export to
Core-Decision.

<[8]Ferno> ok I have another question

<{HighOct}Zach> It is being tested at the moment.

<Lobber> will such ports be inclusive of all features or exclusive of everything except the actual
structure?
<Lobber> ie, will it take alot of rebuilding work after a level is ported? (like reverse porting a level
from d2 to d1 by copying the level block)

<{HighOct}Zach> We have not set in stone how comprehensive we would like them to be.

<Lobber> ok
<Lobber> thanks
<Lobber> go ahead ferno

<[8]Ferno> ok i'm wondering about the rail gun

<{HighOct}Alex> ok

<[8]Ferno> is it going to be anything like the q2's railgun?

<{HighOct}Alex> as in it goes through stuff and hits the guy behind?

<{HighOct}Zach> :)

<[8]Ferno> that's one part

<{HighOct}Alex> it will go through stuff, yes

<[8]Ferno> one problem with D3 is once someone gets the Mass driver it dominates the game

<{HighOct}Alex> we have a solution to that problem that I think you will find to be quite elegant

<[8]Ferno> hmmm ok

<{HighOct}Alex> it involves different types of damage
<{HighOct}Alex> We have it all planned out but those plans our subject to change so I'd rather not go into specifics

<[8]Ferno> ok

<{HighOct}Zach> also,

<[MS]Neo> Okay...

<{HighOct}Zach> The person that has admin rights over the game can spawn the weapon out.
<{HighOct}Alex> yes
<{HighOct}Zach> or limit and increase the number of them.

<{HighOct}Alex> we will have full weapon banning

<[MS]Neo> Will the weapons in Core Decision be sped up so that the player needs the afterburner to dodge, or will they be able to trichord without AB?

<{HighOct}Alex> all weapons will be dodgeable by tricording

<[MS]Neo> cool!
<[MS]Neo> Thanks

<{HighOct}Alex> however, if a weapon is too close to you and there isn't room to doge it, afterburner helps

<[MS]Neo> okay

<{HighOct}Alex> in any game, there are situations where you can't dodge

<[MS]Neo> hmm...interesting.

<{HighOct}Alex> but as in descent 2 and 3, if you're good, you will be able to dominate the game without using afterburner at all.

<[MS]Neo> May I ask another question, or should I let someone else have voice?

<{HighOct}Alex> sure

<[8]Ferno> one q at a time

<[MS]Neo> okay, someone else go ahead

<{HighOct}Alex> er... ferno's running the show :)

<[8]Ferno> ok
<[8]Ferno> go ahead grendel

<[NuB2]Grendel> heh -- weapon bans -- in game possible ?

<{HighOct}Alex> i assume you mean banning weapons on the fly while the game is running?

<[NuB2]Grendel> yes

<{HighOct}Alex> Zach?

<{HighOct}Zach> The game has a console.

<[NuB2]Grendel> so? ;P

<{HighOct}Zach> If you are admin you can spawn any weapons you like.
<{HighOct}Zach> The same is true for removing them.
<{HighOct}Zach> You can remove just one.
<{HighOct}Zach> or all
<{HighOct}Zach> of a specific type.
<{HighOct}Zach> you can also spawn plugins on the fly.
<{HighOct}Zach> plugins or mods.

<[NuB2]Grendel> hm, not sure I like it -- allows for cheating.

<{HighOct}Zach> No.
<{HighOct}Zach> As in any game the guy sitting on the server can change properties.

<[NuB2]Grendel> yes --- I can't handle a specific weapon too well but another guy can. I disallow that
thing

<{HighOct}Alex> only the server op

<[NuB2]Grendel> so no such thing as being the server and play at the same time ?

<{HighOct}Zach> Yes you can.
<{HighOct}Zach> But as in every game you have an admin.

<[NuB2]Grendel> so as the server I can cheat by disallowing weapons I don't like.

<{HighOct}Alex> the server op can do whatever he wants on his server

<[NuB2]Grendel> server=admin here

<{HighOct}Alex> but if he wants people to play on his server then he'll make it fair
<{HighOct}Alex> this is true in any game
<{HighOct}Alex> he can change the way weapons work, even give certain player an advantage
<{HighOct}Alex> it is his server and we give him free reign
<{HighOct}Alex> our cheat prevention involves stopping people who aren't the server from going against the server's rules

<[NuB2]Grendel> Another thing -- the master list question didn't get answered. Who's holding it
<[NuB2]Grendel> ?
<[NuB2]Grendel> Also, what about build-in chat ?

<{HighOct}Alex> we're devising a system that will allow for the game to be played online long after any specific host we pick is dead and buried

<{HighOct}Alex> server lists will not hinge on a specific host

<[NuB2]Grendel> p2p sheme ?

<{HighOct}Alex> I cannot go into any further details but I think you'll be pleased with what we'll have

<[NuB2]Grendel> k, thx for now -- go ahead ferno :)

<[8]Ferno> ok i have a q
<[8]Ferno> in D3 there was references to a 'dodge lag' where you dodged something but it hit on the server
<[8]Ferno> and consequently you take damage
<[8]Ferno> do you have a solution which minimizes or eliminates 'dodge lag'?

<{HighOct}Alex> as I mentioned ealier we have a 1on1 mode that works like d1/d2
<{HighOct}Alex> what hits you on your screen is what matters

<[8]Ferno> ok

<{HighOct}Alex> essentially we can have one or 2 things
<{HighOct}Alex> er.. of 2 things

<[NuB2]DigiJo> hi, a specific technical q: d3 limits us to 128x128 textures (a few 256x256) and 22khz 8bit sounds for weapons and stuff, whats the highest texture resolution your gameengine supports? are there limits for the amount of custom textures in mods? will we be able to use cd-quality sounds for objects weapons background etc.? can we use uv-mapped strucktures for levels?

<{HighOct}Zach> We use a system similar to 3D Studio
<{HighOct}Zach> Textures> The are not neccessarily limited to any specific size but keep in mind you will want you client systems to be able to load it.
<{HighOct}Zach> Textures> The best range is about 256x256
<{HighOct}Zach> Keep in mind you also have the use of bump mapping.
<{HighOct}Zach> Sound> Again the audio is gonna be dependant on the client systems.

<[NuB2]DigiJo> ok , what about lighning in the mines, will we have prerendered lighmaps as well as dynamic lighning? can we have a some kind of preview mode how the lighning works in the levelbuilder tool?

<{HighOct}Zach> but I have been using 196KHz

<{HighOct}Rice> Textures> there should be no limit on the amount of textures persay, but that get back to client system trying to load it, more individual textures will obviously take a long time to load and will be more intensive while running it

<[NuB2]DigiJo> wow
<[NuB2]DigiJo> :)

<{HighOct}Zach> Mods> please keep in mind we designed the game very open.

<[MS]Cire> hi...I have a couple of questions....1) what do you expect the system requirements to be? and 2) do you expect multiplayer to be enjoyable over dial up?

<{HighOct}Zach> you shouldn't have a specific limitation to the mods.
<{HighOct}Zach> Dialup is still is very large portion of the audience.
<{HighOct}Zach> Many people do not realize this but like I said earlier.
<{HighOct}Zach> 74% is still on dialup.
<{HighOct}Zach> My goal is that those people will find it as enjoyable.

<[D3k]Skyalmian[]> Even though there is no Cooperative mode, can it be modded in?

<{HighOct}Zach> Requirements.

<{HighOct}Alex> yes

<[D3k]Skyalmian[]> You said the levels are all indoors. Does it still support outdoor environments and
weather?

<{HighOct}Zach> The weather systems are a plugin and modifiable.

<[D3k]Skyalmian[]> Water, lava, ice. Is there any?

<{HighOct}Zach> The outdoor environments are possible be we don't use them.

<{HighOct}Alex> yes, skyalmian but you will not be able to fly under water

<{HighOct}Zach> Liquids, gases, vapors.

<[D3k]Skyalmian[]> HUD. Is everything able to be turned off?

<{HighOct}Alex> yes

<[D3k]Skyalmian[]> Audio taunts. Can they be permanently disabled?

<{HighOct}Alex> you can have a blank hud
<{HighOct}Alex> permanently disabled by the server? the client?
<{HighOct}Alex> what do you mean by permanently?

<[D3k]Skyalmian[]> You can do it client side.

<{HighOct}Alex> yes we will have the option to disable audio taunts on the client side
<{HighOct}Alex> but we will also have the option to undisable them

<[8]Ferno> i have another question.
<[8]Ferno> there was always a want to bind weapon keys to other than the numbers

<{HighOct}Alex> yes
<{HighOct}Zach> Yes.
<{HighOct}Alex> yes of course
<{HighOct}Alex> you can bind everything

<[8]Ferno> would we be able to say, bind a weapon to e, f, g, etc

<{HighOct}Alex> even the talk key

<{HighOct}Zach> :)

<[8]Ferno> heheh

<{HighOct}Zach> Yes.
<{HighOct}Zach> Any input is bindable.
<{HighOct}Zach> Even axis.

<STRESSTEST[]> #12â?¢ #11Thanks for the +v #12â?¢
<STRESSTEST[]> when do we get to beta this sucker
<STRESSTEST[]> ;)
<STRESSTEST[]> that's all I want to know

<{HighOct}Zach> I am going to setup LAN parties a several points during the way.

<STRESSTEST[]> starting?

<{HighOct}Zach> At the final beta LAN I will allow the player to take the beta home.
<{HighOct}Zach> November.
<{HighOct}Zach> Hopefully.

<STRESSTEST[]> Well then, dont forget us North Western folks, we have a large regular lanning group here
<STRESSTEST[]> Seattle area
<STRESSTEST[]> stresstest@yahoo.com will get you in contact with us. Thanks

<{HighOct}Zach> Email development@highoctanesoftware.com
<{HighOct}Alex> shoot an email to development@highoctanesoftware.com if you're interested in helping out

<STRESSTEST[]> I have

<{HighOct}Alex> excellent

<{HighOct}Zach> Sorry about the back log there.

<[8]Ferno> ok.. who's up next?

<STRESSTEST[]> done

<[8]Ferno> isab's got one

<IsAB> thnx
<IsAB> Do you guys have any plans about making the game more "user-friendly", controling-wise?

<{HighOct}Alex> yes
<{HighOct}Alex> we will actually have various difficulty levels in multiplayer play

<IsAB> interesting...how so?

<{HighOct}Alex> the newere players will play on the lower difficulty levels which have restricted movement (eg. no slide up/down)
<{HighOct}Alex> experienced players will not want to join those servers
<{HighOct}Alex> because they want a full range of motion
<{HighOct}Alex> so new players will be left alone to learn at their own pace
<{HighOct}Alex> or possibly stay at a certain level if they so desire

<IsAB> that just might work :) tnx, done

<[8]Ferno> alex, zach.. you guys still want to field questions?

<{HighOct}Alex> if there are any further questions

<[8]Ferno> yea

<{HighOct}Zach> I'm good. Keep them coming.

<[8]Ferno> anyone have any?

<{HighOct}Alex> keep 'em comin

<{HighOct}Rice> I'm still good

<[8]Ferno> if not i'll let this channel go unmoderated

<xamindar> how many players will multi support?

<[8]Psionik> there we go.
<[8]Psionik> yeesh

<[8]Ferno> you know the rules here dude :)

<[8]Psionik> uh no i dont

<[8]Ferno> read the topic :)

<[8]Psionik> why ar eyou the moderator lol

<xamindar> it wasn't answered yet right?

<[8]Ferno> because i made this channel.. heh

<{HighOct}Zach> :)
<{HighOct}Alex> xamindar, our current figure is 64
<{HighOct}Alex> but that's a tentative number
<{HighOct}Alex> and it of course would be limited by the capabilities of the server box

* [SQN]Klasher_V has left #High-Octane

<xamindar> ok, do you think a lot will change from now until it is released in about 2 years?

<{HighOct}Alex> yes :)
<{HighOct}Alex> we might even have a new president

<xamindar> :)

<kufyit> hello

<xamindar> i saw audio taunts mentioned earlier, will it work like D3?

<{HighOct}Zach> I'm hoping better than.

<{HighOct}Psion> hi kuf

<xamindar> i love that aspect of d3, cool.
<xamindar> done

<kufyit> In comparison to D3, will the ship move faster or slower relative to the size of the map?

<{HighOct}Alex> it will move like d1/d2

<kufyit> yeah
<kufyit> word
<kufyit> Will there be an afterburner or something similar?

<{HighOct}Zach> Yes

<kufyit> What about an option to disable it?

<{HighOct}Alex> possibly

<kufyit> That would rule,

<{HighOct}Alex> we have to see if removing the afterburner would cause game imbalance
<{HighOct}Alex> we're working very hard to make the game balanced with everything in it

<kufyit> Will there be a weapon similar to a fusion cannon?

<{HighOct}Alex> yes
<{HighOct}Alex> the Tesla Cannon

<kufyit> What about MD?

<{HighOct}Alex> the Rail Gun

<kufyit> ugh ;p

<{HighOct}Alex> do not fret

<kufyit> will the rail gun be the best gun out of them all?

<{HighOct}Alex> no
<{HighOct}Alex> all guns will be equal

<{HighOct}Psion> kuf

<{HighOct}Alex> useful in their own situations

<{HighOct}Psion> im on the team too :P

<kufyit> how will the rail gun be balanced?

<{HighOct}Psion> u think ill let em recreate the md?

<kufyit> i know
<kufyit> i have faith

<{HighOct}Alex> well

<kufyit> but

<[8]Ferno> sorry kuf i gotta cut you off

<kufyit> worried too

<{HighOct}Alex> this question was asked earlier
<{HighOct}Alex> and I didn't want to answer it, but there seems to be a demand

<[D3k]Skyalmian[]> Is there a size limit to levels?

<{HighOct}Alex> the plan we have right now is to make rail gun damage preventable
<{HighOct}Alex> so after you get hit, if you react fast enough, you can prevent or reduce the damage
<{HighOct}Alex> so you wouldn't want to stay on the rail gun or the other guy will get your timing down and it will be ineffective

<[8]Ferno> you finished sky?

<[D3k]Skyalmian[]> It wasn't answered.

<[8]Ferno> oh

<{HighOct}Zach> Hang on.

<{HighOct}Alex> Rice, will you field this one?

<{HighOct}Zach> Chris is typing.

<{HighOct}Psion> i can throw out something that may or may not be true
<{HighOct}Psion> but a computer will only render so much, and if the field was infinite you would lose each other
<{HighOct}Psion> so id say theyll have to be size limited at some point

<{HighOct}Alex> there is a size limit, sky

<{HighOct}Psion> or itd get ridiculous

<{HighOct}Alex> there can't not be

<{HighOct}Rice> back sry, will answer now

<{HighOct}Alex> but we haven't decided what it is yet

<[D3k]Skyalmian[]> And, how many DBBers are on the team?

<{HighOct}Alex> Rice knows more about it

<{HighOct}Rice> There is most certainly a size limit on the engine, however

<{HighOct}Rice> the exact size is yet to be determined... I can say it's VERY large

<{HighOct}Alex> skyalmian, everyone on the team is a DBBer :)

<[D3k]Skyalmian[]> <Everyone>?

<{HighOct}Alex> even if they weren't before
<{HighOct}Alex> yes

<{HighOct}Rice> but our swap files can atest to the size limit :)

<[8]Ferno> go ahead adam
<[8]Ferno> Cops?
<[8]Ferno> okay.. we'll look for TheCops..

<TheCops> questions: 1) if it is "descent like" why play it? graphics enhancements only? net code
enhancements? 2) how far along in developement? 70% complete? 3) why do you need the dbb to advertise? for insight or for beta testers?
<TheCops> sheesh
<TheCops> i was pissing
<TheCops> lol

<{HighOct}Alex> question #1

<{HighOct}Rice> .1
<{HighOct}Rice> :)

<{HighOct}Alex> if it's descent-like, you play it because playing descent-like games is fun :)
<{HighOct}Alex> we have new features and new game types as well as upgraded graphics and netcode

<{HighOct}Psion> from what i understand it going to be VERY descent-like, no?

<{HighOct}Alex> We'd all still be playing the original Descent if it weren't so outdated.

<{HighOct}Psion> as in dead on or as close as we can get?

<{HighOct}Alex> there's a void there and we're attempting to fill it

<{HighOct}Psion> without calling it descent?

<{HighOct}Alex> Zach can answer question #2

<{HighOct}Psion> alex im looking for some input on that
<{HighOct}Psion> in a nutshell
<{HighOct}Psion> its more going to be dead on descent than descent-like coprrect

<{HighOct}Alex> we want the game to feel like you're playing the original Descent, but with new stuff :)

<TheCops> those are my questions ferno

<{HighOct}Psion> there we go.

<[8]Ferno> ok

<{HighOct}Rice> I have something to add, ask a UT2K3 player why he now plays UT2K4, same reasons

<[8]Ferno> go ahead deadmeat

<[NuB2]Deadmeat> I run what's called a training team in D3. Do you think the learning curve of your game will be as steep as D3?

<{HighOct}Alex> absolutely not
<{HighOct}Alex> this question has been answered
<{HighOct}Alex> we will have multiple difficulty levels in multiplayer
<{HighOct}Alex> the easiest difficulty level will not have certain movements such as sliding up and down

<[NuB2]Deadmeat> and I assume it will be easy to crossover?

<{HighOct}Alex> elite players will not want to join newbie servers because they want the full range of
motion
<{HighOct}Alex> so new players will be free to learn on their own
<{HighOct}Alex> among players of equal skill

<[NuB2]Deadmeat> will elite players be able to work with them on their level?

<{HighOct}Alex> if an elite player wants to play without being able to slide, without being able to bank, and forced to autolevel, then he can
<{HighOct}Alex> if he gets really good, maybe he can work people
<{HighOct}Alex> but the learning curve is so easy that it won't take long for a newbie to hold his own
<{HighOct}Alex> *to be able to hold his own

<[NuB2]Deadmeat> ok, thanx. done

<[8]Ferno> go ahead kuf
<[8]Ferno> alright.. i'll look for kuf
<[8]Ferno> go ahead krom

<{HighOct}Zach> Is it me or does it seem people are distracted?

<[8]Ferno> yea
<[8]Ferno> dunno where everyone else went
<[8]Ferno> they were here a minute ago

<[D3k]Krom[]> did that not send?

<[8]Ferno> no
<[8]Ferno> try again

<[D3k]Krom[]> bah, irc ;)

<[8]Ferno> heheh

<{HighOct}Alex> I didn't get a question krom

<[D3k]Krom[]> did that send?

<[8]Ferno> nothing's sending

<[D3k]Krom[]> must be too long

<[8]Ferno> yea

<[D3k]Krom[]> How much progress is done on the game user interface and menu systems, how flexible or expandable are they?
<[D3k]Krom[]> Will they run at any screen resolution or be forced to 640x480 like Descent3?
<[D3k]Krom[]> And if there is an in game chat service, will it be configurable, perhaps even so it could
connect to any IRC channel?
<[D3k]Krom[]> This is related to the MP3 playlist support, a windows explorer style interface for making playlists would be very handy, but the game UI would have to be able to handle these things better then D3 handles file imports and chats.

<{HighOct}Zach> MP3> will be similar to winamp but you won't have to leave the game.
<{HighOct}Zach> Shouldn't even have to stop flying.
<{HighOct}Zach> IRC> supported.
<{HighOct}Zach> Menus> They are pretty smooth at the moment.
<{HighOct}Zach> The are also plugins so you can manipulate them to your liking.
<{HighOct}Zach> They run at any screen res.

<[D3k]Krom[]> excellent

<{HighOct}Alex> Menus work at any resolution
<[8]Ferno> nice

<[D3k]Krom[]> menu system is moddable
<[D3k]Krom[]> alright, next person

<{HighOct}Psion> if i can interject something here...

<kufyit> Will the velocity of your ship affect the velocity of your projectiles?

<{HighOct}Psion> good one kuf.

<{HighOct}Alex> no
<{HighOct}Alex> just the direction that it's pointing

<kufyit> Ok

<{HighOct}Alex> the projectiles fly in that direction

<{HighOct}Zach> :)

<{HighOct}Alex> but if you're going really fast forward, they stack up
<{HighOct}Alex> just like descent

<kufyit> Will there be multiple ships?

<{HighOct}Alex> right now we're only planning for one ship

<{HighOct}Zach> NO

<kufyit> Yay

<[8]Ferno> ok i don't have anyone in the queue

<kufyit> ok

<{HighOct}Psion> ok heres this:

<{HighOct}Zach> Multiplayer will only have 1 ship.

<kufyit> i had a bunch more but forgot them

<[8]Ferno> so i'll open the floor up in a bit

<kufyit> will you dontate some of your profits to helping legalize hemp?
<kufyit> ;)
<kufyit> jk

<[8]Ferno> hahaha

<{HighOct}Zach> :)
<{HighOct}Zach> ROFL

<{HighOct}Psion> this is a totally different engine and therefore it will have none of the d3 bugs
<{HighOct}Psion> it will have its own features

<[8]Ferno> ok capm has a 1
<[8]Ferno> er q

<kufyit> Will there be true p/p support for 1 v 1?>

<{HighOct}Alex> yes

<{HighOct}Psion> and it will be cleaner than d3 im sure

<{HighOct}Alex> we have a special p2p 1on1 mode called gauntlet

<{HighOct}Zach> P2P> Yes

<kufyit> what if its hpb v lpb?
<kufyit> will it average the pings?
<kufyit> how will it work?

<{HighOct}Alex> the players ping each other

<kufyit> ok, similar to d1?

<{HighOct}Alex> yes
<{HighOct}Alex> both players are equal
<{HighOct}Alex> if they have a low ping to each other they are both lpbs
<{HighOct}Alex> if they have a high ping to each other they are both hpbs

<kufyit> k

<{HighOct}Psion> kuf you can post questions to me in pm

<[8]Ferno> stress has a comment

<{HighOct}Psion> ill keep em logged and see about em

<STRESSTEST[]> One additional comment for success on your game: just include a built in texture of a hemp leaf and a hemp bud, and you'll get 90% of the descent universe playing the game. They are all pot heads. Maybe add a cross for the bible thumpers too....
<STRESSTEST[]> :)
<STRESSTEST[]> done

<[MS]Capm> LOL

<[8]Ferno> hahahahaha

<{HighOct}Zach> :)

<[8]Ferno> ok go ahead capm

<[MS]Capm> Okay, you mentioned there will be only one multiplayer ship, will it be moddable for more than 1, and if so, how far will that extend, and how different could the craft possibly be?

<{HighOct}Zach> The ship is a plugin so you could technically mod it to be a completely different ship.

<{HighOct}Zach> or have an additional ship.

<{HighOct}Psion> so the ship could be the size of a building or the size of a gnat

<{HighOct}Zach> Due to the modular format it leave beautiful flexibility

<{HighOct}Psion> depending on how you build and script it into the engine

<[MS]Capm> So you could theoretically make a "mech" also?

<{HighOct}Zach> Yes

<[MS]Capm> what about moving parts on the crafts?
<[MS]Capm> could you have a chaingun animate when firing, for example

<{HighOct}Zach> You could make the ship a turret

<{HighOct}Psion> using child models and scripts you could make anything i imagine
<{HighOct}Psion> the juggernaut from d3

<{HighOct}Zach> That will very.

<{HighOct}Zach> We for the most part don't use a great deal of animations on the ship during multiplayer.

<[MS]Cire> had another question that you didn't get to earlier...what will you expect the system reqs to
be?

<{HighOct}Zach> Helps mantain the framerates.
<{HighOct}Zach> We have not yet tourture tested the engine.

<{HighOct}Zach> I know that it ran on a 1GHz 512MB and a GeForce2

<[MS]Cire> hmmm

<{HighOct}Zach> I know that Rice's machine ran it at 6xAA and 16xAS
<{HighOct}Zach> 1600x1200
<{HighOct}Zach> 104 FPS

<[MS]Cire> wow

<{HighOct}Zach> Hold up Ferno

<{HighOct}Alex> our final system requirements will also largely depend on the final polygon counts in our environments

<[8]Ferno> what's up

<{HighOct}Alex> and how many effects we decide to add to the game
<{HighOct}Alex> so numbers that we give you now are only examples of the game in its current, early, state
<{HighOct}Alex> but our goal is to reach the largest user base possible
<{HighOct}Alex> so we will do our best to keep them reasonable

<[D3k]Skyalmian[]> Cutscenes. In Descent 3, there were in-game and cinematics. Are both possible? The cinematics weren't in Descent 3 because of the forbidden Interplay format. Size is another issue, I
know, but...

<{HighOct}Alex> We actually have a studio lined up to do live action cut scenes in our game with real
actors
<{HighOct}Alex> we're all very excited about it

<{HighOct}Psion> interesting

<{HighOct}Alex> but one of our goals is to keep the story from interfering with the gameplay

<[D3k]Skyalmian[]> Really? Going to get George Del Hoyo? :P

<{HighOct}Alex> ie: if the game had no story it would still be just as awesome

<[D3k]Skyalmian[]> Ok, Ferno's bugging me. Done.

<[8]Ferno> :P

<{HighOct}Alex> so the number of in-game cut scenes will probably be limited

<{HighOct}Psion> heheh

<[NuB2]DigiJo> will the game have a advanced physics engine supporting stuff like liquid surfaces, falling and rolling rocks, piled poles etc?

<{HighOct}Zach> Liquid surfaces and Vapors/Gases are already a part.
<{HighOct}Zach> We have the ability to do the others but at this time I am not certian to what extent we plan to use them.

<[NuB2]DigiJo> ok next

<[D3k]Krom[]> By saying you are trying to keep the game as flexible as possible and having plug-ins you are trying to keep as much as possible out of engine hard code correct?
<[D3k]Krom[]> And also keeping any required file/texture/object limits as high as is practically possible.

<{HighOct}Zach> Yes.

<[D3k]Krom[]> By plug-ins I assume it will be a downloadable package that can be applied by the server to any map and game type (assuming no conflicts exist)?

<{HighOct}Zach> By making the structure as dynamic as possible we have opened up a great deal of the barriers that were formerly present.
<{HighOct}Zach> Conflicts resolve themselve.
<{HighOct}Zach> Conflicts resolve themselves.

<[D3k]Krom[]> On the physics, I think what everyone wants to know is the level of interactions between objects, half-life 2 videos anyone?
<[D3k]Krom[]> On the game disks and cutscenes: DVD format / MPEG2? ;) Please? ;)

<[8]Ferno> oh nice one krom

<{HighOct}Alex> Our goal is to make the game fun
<{HighOct}Alex> Our goal is to make the game pretty
<{HighOct}Alex> Our goal isn't complex object interaction
<{HighOct}Alex> We will have whatever is needed for fun gameplay, plus stuff to make it look good.

<[D3k]Krom[]> but not overly simple interaction either correct?

<{HighOct}Alex> We'll make it look good

<{HighOct}Psion> i think what we are going for here is a more simplistic descent type of game that doesnt include major new improvements or revolutionary physics, just a simple recreation.
<{HighOct}Psion> the plugin based stuff and game mods are all side effects of the engine itself
<{HighOct}Psion> once the engine is released you will be able to figure out all the engine related stuff

<[D3k]Krom[]> So you are going to attempt physics at least as complicated as Descent3s right?

<{HighOct}Psion> but we will not be implementing all of it
<{HighOct}Psion> im sure.

<{HighOct}Rice> Basically, not quite Half Life 2 but way more than Swat 3 :)

<{HighOct}Psion> im speaking completely freely here since i dont know thw plans but im pretty sure im right on

<[D3k]Krom[]> Ok, thats enough for now, next person.

<{HighOct}Alex> wait

<[D3k]Krom[]> ?

<{HighOct}Alex> Krom, what would you like to see out of our physics engine?

<[8]Ferno> i don't have anyone else up

<[D3k]Krom[]> Some reasonably complex object interactions. To add realism.

<[8]Ferno> so i'll open up the floor

<{HighOct}Psion> krom's input would be good, he is a top player

<{HighOct}Alex> Why do you want realism?

<kufyit> Realism in what sense?

<[D3k]Skyalmian[]> Games take on an evolutionary trend. Realism is becoming more common.

<[D3k]Krom[]> because it is fun, and it opens up things that you can do in single player or multi player
levels with creativity

<[D3k]Skyalmian[]> To have less would be a step back, in a sense.

<[D3k]Krom[]> And the CPU power even in older computers is available to do the calculations

<{HighOct}Psion> i would imagine adding low level ragdoll phsyic to static meshes could add realism

<[NuB2]Grendel> I hate standing in front af a palm tree and my fire does nothing to it..

<{HighOct}Alex> Ok

<[MS]Capm> I hate trying to blow up lake dams and nothing happens. No flood, no fun :P

<{HighOct}Alex> so we're talking stuff that doesn't directly affect gameplay?

<[D3k]Krom[]> but can be made to effect gameplay
<[D3k]Krom[]> think monsterball with gravity

<{HighOct}Psion> krom thats a bit drastic
<{HighOct}Psion> i think theyre rtying to stay more traditional

<[D3k]Krom[]> but it might be fun

<{HighOct}Alex> our engine is certainly capable of complex physics, but we simplify things to make them more fun. We don't want any ships falling to the ground.

<{HighOct}Psion> sure that doesnt mean it fits into this particular project on this game engine though

<[D3k]Skyalmian[]> If they break, shouldn't they?

<[NuB2]Grendel> if I see a ship underneath a bridge I'd like to collapse it to burry the ship. A mega
should do fine but doesn't do sqat..

<{HighOct}Zach> What makes football fun?

<[D3k]Krom[]> As long as the engine can do it I would be satisfied.

<{HighOct}Alex> ok excellent

<[D3k]Krom[]> We can mod in things that we might like.

<{HighOct}Alex> definitely!

<{HighOct}Zach> Yes very modable.

<[D3k]Skyalmian[]> Physics plugins...

<{HighOct}Zach> Yes

<[D3k]Krom[]> I just want to make sure the engine can do as complex physics as possible.

<[MS]Capm> interesting

<{HighOct}Psion> the engine is going to do a heck of a lot more than the d3 engine krom
<{HighOct}Psion> you can count on that

<[MS]Capm> is there a limit on how many plugins the engine will accept?

<[D3k]Krom[]> Oh yeah, since you can have water, a ship should skip off water and cause a slash when you hit it ;)

<[MS]Capm> or is it open ended?

<{HighOct}Psion> krom try to rememebr

<{HighOct}Zach> That is a collision effect in the plugin.

<[D3k]Krom[]> yeah, should be easy to do

<{HighOct}Psion> this is high octanes project to recreate the fun of descent

<{HighOct}Zach> Capm> how much disk space you got?

<{HighOct}Psion> not push engine boundaries as much as have a new descent to play

<[MS]Capm> That many eh? :P

<{HighOct}Psion> i believe

<[D3k]Skyalmian[]> It'd be possible to go underwater with a plugin?

<{HighOct}Zach> You are correct.

<{HighOct}Zach> Correct.

<[D3k]Krom[]> Psion, keep it evolutionary from D1/D2 and D3 and you will get a long way. The engine sounds very interesting and thats what I am focusing on right now.

<{HighOct}Psion> well the greatest success of halflife krom

<[D3k]Skyalmian[]> Sounds more flexible than Half-Life 2's.

<{HighOct}Psion> is in its moddability

<[D3k]Krom[]> And thats all about the engine.

<{HighOct}Psion> yes

<[MS]Capm> I missed the question over game environments, someone asked that didn't they?

<[D3k]Krom[]> Yes capm

<[D3k]Krom[]> fern and I will have the log on the DBB

<[MS]Capm> k

<[NuB2]Grendel> heh -- got 71k log so far :)

<{HighOct}Zach> :)

<[NuB2]DigiJo> descent had a unique ships style, will the ship in this game look similiar to a pyro?

<[D3k]Krom[]> Does the magnum look like a pyro? digi?
<[D3k]Krom[]> someone will mod it in for sure ;)

<[MS]Capm> ahh what 3d model formats are you guys supporting?

<[NuB2]Grendel> it's a ship at least -- hated those forsaken things..

<{HighOct}Rice> ahh finally some q's I can answer

<[NuB2]DigiJo> heh, alike a pumped up pyro :)

<{HighOct}Rice> ship will not look like a pyro....
<{HighOct}Rice> it's going to be an all new ship

<[D3k]Skyalmian[]> But it can be made to be. :P

<{HighOct}Psion> it wont???
<{HighOct}Psion> wah.

<[NuB2]Grendel> flying saucer ? ;P

<[D3k]Krom[]> I wonder who is going to import all of D1 single player first... ;)

<[D3k]Skyalmian[]> Doors. How cool are they?

<[NuB2]Deadmeat> Sopwith Camel on steroids :P

<[NuB2]DigiJo> but its still one man fighters or?

<[NuB2]Grendel> heh

<{HighOct}Rice> all modelling is being done in 3DS Max 5/6

<[NuB2]Grendel> someone should port that johm craft..

<{HighOct}Psion> ill be using lightwvae but exporting 3ds format from it

<[NuB2]DigiJo> dont want to trichord a starwars cargo freighter ;)

<{HighOct}Psion> lightwave

<{HighOct}Zach> :)

<{HighOct}Rice> yes but ur a rebel :)

<{HighOct}Psion> digi why not?

<[D3k]Krom[]> One thing

<{HighOct}Psion> yeah rice i sure am :P

<[D3k]Krom[]> Will fusion still dominate tight tunnel rat levels? ;)

<{HighOct}Psion> krom lol
<{HighOct}Psion> did you even play d1?

<[D3k]Krom[]> hopefully yes is the answer to that

<{HighOct}Psion> heres a good question for you
<{HighOct}Psion> will fusion charge shake the living crap out of the ship like it did in d1
<{HighOct}Psion> or will it be a pansy charge like d3

<[D3k]Krom[]> would be nice

<[8]Ferno> we NEED the shaking

<[D3k]Krom[]> I miss the D1 shake

<{HighOct}Zach> :)

<[8]Ferno> same

<xamindar> depending on the level certain waepons will be better than others, any game is like that

<{HighOct}Psion> if you want d1 shake in d3

<[D3k]Krom[]> after level 10 of single player I never use any other weapon

<{HighOct}Psion> hold it till full

<[8]Ferno> i was disappointed when d3's fusion felt like a baby's toy

<{HighOct}Psion> and thats what its like to vharge in d1
<{HighOct}Psion> charge

<[D3k]Krom[]> not even

<[MS]Capm> what really turns me on.. is the shake.. shake it to the left, shake to the right, come on baby you know what I like! :P

<[D3k]Krom[]> D3s shake is so easy

<[D3k]Matrix[]> lol u can charge the d3 fusion till ur dead and it doesnt shake like d1

<[8]Ferno> :P

<{HighOct}Psion> the full charge shake in d3
<{HighOct}Psion> is close to the charging shake in d1

<[D3k]Krom[]> overcharge fusion in D1 for about 2 minutes solid

<[D3k]Matrix[]> not really :P

<[8]Ferno> nope

<[D3k]Krom[]> your ship will be bouncing all over the entire level at lightspeed

<{HighOct}Rice> Modelling/textures are my dept.... not the engine or the plugins

<[D3k]Krom[]> THATS ship shake hehe

<[8]Ferno> overcharge it for a few seconds and the lights go out

<{HighOct}Psion> i love the bfg behavior in doom 3

<{HighOct}Psion> overcharge it for 1 instant

<[D3k]Krom[]> Just as long as the engine can do the fusionbug ;)

<{HighOct}Psion> blooeyt

<[D3k]Matrix[]> oh,, make it so when u overcharge a weapon everything hovers off the floor like when
enimes spawn in doom3 :P

<[MS]Capm> I found that irritating, actually

<{HighOct}Rice> haven't had the pleasure of Doom 3 yet

<[MS]Capm> on the bfg

<[8]Ferno> as long as the fusion can punch through ships, and keep going with a fullcharge i'd love that

<[D3k]Krom[]> Yeah

<[8]Ferno> there was a demo made
<[8]Ferno> six pyros lined up

<[D3k]Krom[]> lastnight I got a 3 fer in hally, I wanna keep that up

<[D3k]Skyalmian[]> Everyone loves Fusion.

<[D3k]Matrix[]> fusion <3

<[8]Ferno> someone let off a full charged d1 fusionblast and they went down like dominoes

<[D3k]Krom[]> haha, you love fusion more then anyone trix, thats why you always moth it right? ;)

<[8]Ferno> hah

<[D3k]Matrix[]> <-- teh master fusion moth

<[D3k]Krom[]> ferno, D1 fusion runs out after 6 ships

<[D3k]Matrix[]> i still love using it tho :P

<[D3k]Krom[]> D3 fusion keeps going no matter how many ships it hits
<[D3k]Krom[]> that would be fun to do on a LAN
<[D3k]Krom[]> line up 31 ships
<[D3k]Krom[]> trifusion them all

<[D3k]Matrix[]> thats y its usfull to have a tank in a CB MB game, mow down 3 ppl at once

<[8]Ferno> ah
<[8]Ferno> yea
<[8]Ferno> hey
<[8]Ferno> that's even better

<[NuB2]DigiJo> how many different robots will be in the new game, boss robots too?

<[D3k]Krom[]> Anyway, I think we are pretty well done here, aggree?

<[8]Ferno> losing ten percent of it's charge per ship it hits.. heheh that rules

<[NuB2]Grendel> try disabling fusion on the server and all the mag players are preay ;P

<{HighOct}Rice> MANY MANY bots... don't worry about that

<[NuB2]DigiJo> :)

<[D3k]Krom[]> mag quad superlasers kill faster then fusion

<[8]Ferno> yea i suppose krom.. but that doesn't mean you have to leave

<[NuB2]Grendel> if you can hit :P

<[8]Ferno> yea
<[8]Ferno> oh the supers
<[8]Ferno> you gotta have two power levels

<[NuB2]DigiJo> will they have some cool ai? in d3 on insane the bots were acting pretty smart

<[D3k]Krom[]> the default spawn weapon has to have some teeth, more then in D3

<[D3k]Skyalmian[]> Got wallcrawler robots? If so, how dynamic are their movements?

<[8]Ferno> i wouldn't mind three powers of the usual lasers

<[D3k]Krom[]> concs are good, blue lasers are bad

<[8]Ferno> heheh
<{HighOct}Rice> how about a nuke missle that blows up the whole map... can't even respawn cause existance is over :) muwahahaaha <<< not official statement :)

<[D3k]Krom[]> quad blue lasers are ok

<[8]Ferno> hahaha

<[NuB2]Grendel> shadow warrior had the nuke :p

<[8]Ferno> nope.. gotta keep the quads as a powerup

<[D3k]Skyalmian[]> Nuke missile... Bah... I did that in D3 back in 2002.

<[8]Ferno> yea i think it was called a blackshark

<[D3k]Krom[]> the shark that sucks the whole level sky?

<[8]Ferno> ;)

<{HighOct}Rice> lol
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Lobber
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Post by Lobber »

<[8]Ferno> cool lookin weapon.. stank up the joint

<[D3k]Skyalmian[]> Not just the shark. A missile with an explosion so vast, it wiped out everything in the level.

<{HighOct}Zach> Nice chating with you any hope to see more questions on Thursday at 9 PM EST

<[NuB2]DigiJo> heh the black shark was cool for sp, just not good in mp
<[D3k]Skyalmian[]> Nowhere to hide.
<[D3k]Krom[]> see ya
<[8]Ferno> yup
<[8]Ferno> ghey
<[NuB2]Grendel> cu and thx
<{HighOct}Zach> l8r
* {HighOct}Psion has left #High-Octane (Leaving#)
<[NuB2]Deadmeat> thanx guys
<[NuB2]DigiJo> cu and thx for the info high oct :)
<[8]Ferno> hey sach
<Lobber> you guys still going at it?
<[8]Ferno> zach even
<{HighOct}Rice> Have a great night peeps, see you back next session
<[8]Ferno> i may have found a faxmachine.. heheh
<[8]Ferno> ok rice
<[MS]Capm> Good to meet you guys ~
<[8]Ferno> take care
<{HighOct}Zach> Cool.
* {HighOct}Zach has left #High-Octane
<[D3k]Skyalmian[]> How many are on the team?
<[8]Ferno> oh yea zach?
<[8]Ferno> do you use MSVC as a compiler or something else?
<[D3k]Krom[]> he left
* {HighOct}Rice has left #High-Octane
<[8]Ferno> crap
<[8]Ferno> o well
<[8]Ferno> next time
<xamindar> over then?
<[8]Ferno> huh?
<xamindar> this was nice
<[8]Ferno> yea i guess
<xamindar> the interview
<xamindar> thanks for setting it up ferno
<[D3k]Krom[]> Optimized compilers for amd/intel platforms would be nice :P
<[8]Ferno> that was about a what.. three hr session?
<[8]Ferno> yea
<[8]Ferno> i'd like to have one for my AMD machine
<[D3k]Krom[]> yep, 3 hours
<[NuB2]Grendel> right -- thx Ferno!
<Lobber> so about level making
<[8]Ferno> np gren
<[8]Ferno> we got another one comin up on thurs
<[D3k]Skyalmian[]> I've been here since 10:42. It's now 17:12.
<[8]Ferno> so if you guys think of more stuff, have it written down
<[8]Ferno> i think i need a queue bot for irc
<[NuB2]DigiJo> so what do you guys all think, is it promising?
<[8]Ferno> i'd say yea
<[8]Ferno> few things i didn't really like but as a whole, yea
<[D3k]Skyalmian[]> After having everything clarified, yes.
<[MS]Capm> d3 sounded promising
<[8]Ferno> like the rail gun.. ugh
<[MS]Capm> at the time
<STRESSTEST[]> Consider the alternative jo
<STRESSTEST[]> nothing!
<[8]Ferno> yea.. it's either this or we're done
<[NuB2]DigiJo> me too, first i was shoked by the cube-statement, but it is a mesh engine
<[D3k]Skyalmian[]> Read "cube-based" system made me flip out until it was explained.
<[8]Ferno> same
<[NuB2]DigiJo> looks good so far
<[D3k]Krom[]> rail gun I am kinda iffy on
<[8]Ferno> i was liek 'aww ★■◆●'
<[8]Ferno> heh
<[D3k]Krom[]> same with the newbie servers
<[NuB2]DigiJo> :)
<[8]Ferno> let's hope it's nothing like the MD
<[8]Ferno> jesus.. in the hands of a good mouser.. game over
<[D3k]Skyalmian[]> Newbie servers... you can bet your ass most of the community would be n00bs that stay
only in those.
<[MS]Capm> rail guns usually penetrate walls don't they?
<Lobber> you can make very non-cubic levels with cubes, look at my work
<[NuB2]Grendel> just hope there are not to many weapons..
<[NuB2]DigiJo> the idea of limited movement in newbie server is pretty good i think
<[MS]Capm> yea
<[D3k]Krom[]> yeah lobber, but lets just say I want something to have only 3 sides in levels
<[8]Ferno> yea i suppose so
<[MS]Capm> I think it'd help on the learning curve
<Lobber> then two sides are flat
<[NuB2]Grendel> but experienced players will hate it and won't join to teach..
<Lobber> ive done that
<[D3k]Krom[]> As long as they eventually leave and go to full movement servers
<[NuB2]Grendel> yes
* xamindar has quit IRC (Quit: Leaving#)
<Lobber> and ive made pentagonal cubes
<[NuB2]DigiJo> yeah lobber, but polymesh is state of the art, and limits you mostly nowhere
<Lobber> whats polymesh?
<[D3k]Krom[]> I can just see clan matches when one clan only plays on restricted servers and the other
prefers full movement
<[NuB2]Deadmeat> hopefully, there will be a way to take a new player into an upper level game and teach
them
<[D3k]Skyalmian[]> Obviously, they meant cube-based in terms of what is rendered.
* [8]Rook has joined #High-Octane
<[8]Ferno> hey rook
<[D3k]Skyalmian[]> *How
<[8]Rook> sup
<[8]Ferno> little late bud
<[D3k]Krom[]> or that the level builder defaults to cubes but can do more then that.
<Lobber> rook's another level creator veteran
<[NuB2]DigiJo> thats a ton of polygones sticked together, like a fishernet
<[D3k]Skyalmian[]> A lot can be done with 3DSmax, Gmax, Maya, Lightwave... uber poly stuff.
<[8]Rook> what I miss?
<Lobber> everything
<[NuB2]DigiJo> that sounds promising
<[8]Rook> great!
<[NuB2]DigiJo> another thing i was a lil bit sceptical was the 256x256 texture statement
<[8]Ferno> :P
<[8]Ferno> there's one on thurs at 9 PM EST rook
<[8]Ferno> make sure you're here before then
<[8]Ferno> yea.. 256x256 has me a little worried
<[NuB2]DigiJo> the difference between d3 and max payne is not shader effects, its high resolution textures
<[8]Ferno> they could go 512 easy
<[8]Rook> another what Fern?
<[D3k]Krom[]> I got the impression it supports higher then that
<[8]Ferno> another session rook
<[D3k]Matrix[]> guys should make a mailing list for invites when the meetings are, cuz ill forgert :P
<[8]Rook> aah
<[D3k]Krom[]> they just said 256x256 because thats where the performance is
<[8]Ferno> yea
* Retrieving #High-Octane modes...
<[NuB2]Grendel> not w/ todays GF/X cards -- 1kx1k, pice of cake
<[NuB2]DigiJo> hmm ok jedi knight 2 for example had mostly 512x512
<[D3k]Skyalmian[]> They said MechWarriors would be possible. Heh...
<[D3k]Krom[]> Becides, they are saying its still a good 18+ months before this game is out. I would take
most of what was said here with a grain of salt.
<[8]Ferno> well ★■◆●
<[8]Ferno> there goes my mic
<Lobber> will this chat be posted anywhere?
<[D3k]Krom[]> ferno should post it in DM
<[8]Ferno> dbb
<[8]Ferno> yea
<Lobber> cuz i dont know how to control-a the whole thing cuz mirc is gay
<[D3k]Krom[]> I'm using trillian, automatically logged the entire thing to a text file
<[NuB2]DigiJo> lets just wait and see, ill judge it when it runs on my pc and i have killed krom 20:1 ;)
then its a good game!
<[NuB2]Grendel> click on that menu icon to the left of this window.
<[NuB2]Grendel> buffer --> save as..
End of #High-Octane buffer Mon Sep 06 15:23:11 2004
Vertigo
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Post by Vertigo »

looks interesting.....

I'm wondering what they'll do with the railgun...
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Ferno
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Post by Ferno »

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