Frequently Asked Forum Questions
Search the HBO News Archives Any All Exact		Search the Halo Updates DBs Halo Halo2		Bungie Webcam HBO XBL Gamertags *Ar's Simple HTML Guide Shishka's Guide for Newcomers The Lowdown on Download Accelerators Red Loser's Anti-Spamming Guide Egg FAQ | More Egg Stuff c0ld's Movie Starter Guide Shishka's HaloPC Pre-Release FAQ 3.1 AutoMagic 117 StripzMaker
Search Older Posts on This Forum: Posts on Current Forum | Archived Posts

Re: Halo World - To Matt
Posted By: Forensic	Date: 8/14/00 4:17 p.m.
In Response To: Re: Halo World - To Matt (Smokey) > Wow. You know alot. I bet Derek Smart could use a guy like you > to help him out with his "better than Halo" projects. > I know you can do it! Just believe in yourself! Don't listen to > these phonies from Bungie. You got it straight. Good luck! He's not saying that it's impossible, he's saying that it's bad design, and I mostly agree with him. If you were allowed access to the entire (nearly earth-sized) Halo, it would just be too damn big. This is a problem game designers are already starting to deal with. Serious Sam has a level that is 100 square miles large. From the Engine FAQ: Engine FAQ Your most asked questions 9. What is the scope of the Serious Engine? Does it provide support for playing sounds, for input, network and other miscellaneous tasks. The engine does not handle only rendering. It is a thoroughly complete framework and handles game requirements from the bottom to the top. It starts by wrapping most usual tasks in simple-to-use C++ classes to offload programmer work, and completes with intuitive and easy to use editors and custom scripting language based on C++. Base functions handle lists, relations, strings, auto animation, several flexible and completely automatized types of arrays, streams, group file (packfile), console, input (mouse, keyboard and joysticks) and lots more. Integrated mathematical library with support for vectors, matrices and quaternions, handles projections, BSPs, bounding boxes and similar. Sound support includes custom hand-optimized MMX mixer with 3D effects and external MP3 decoding support. etc, etc. 8. When will the demo and tools be released? Demo will be released after Easter 2000, and evaluation version of tools is due for release in May 2000. 7. What kind of collision methods and collision response do you use? World is collision tested per-polygon, while models use bounding boxes non-conservatively approximated with spheres. A model can change its collision box on its own demand and check whether there is enough space for the change, and/or schedule a collision box change for when it is possible. In Serious Engine, physics is demand based. An entity only says what it wishes to do (like go forward), and the engine itself calculates all the collision/response parameters like climbing the stairs, swimming, diving, impact damage. We support more general physics than usual, that is, we do inertia, realistic impacts (you are damaged if you are hit by something at a high speed, not only if you hit the floor), friction, relative speeds (when you stand on a moving brush it gives various effects -like Coriolis' force, catapulting etc.). Also, gravities of different directions are supported, and objects can be oriented differently. They don't always have to be standing up. If you stand on a rocking boat, your view rocks too, if you are catapulted, you can fly with the head first, etc. 6. How exact are ray-casting function in the engine? Serious Engine has ray-casting functions callable from entity AI with several customizable precision parameters. World is always checked per-polygon, whereas models can be checked per bounding box or per-polygon, with exact report of the location hit. Rays can be infinitely thin or of custom thickness. Each test can have specific parameters which take into account or ignore world elements like models and polygons based on some of their properties (like see-through models etc). 5. Your site mentions "100 square mile" level size. Is this all loaded in memory, or does the engine use a streaming technique? Serious Engine has specific support for several key-features that enable creation of large worlds. That includes multitexturing, autoanimations, specially optimized physics, heavy use of LOD techniques etc. Serious Sam game actually does include levels that cover 100 square miles area. In the game, you don't actually walk around all that area. You just sail in a ship along, and all the rest is scenery. Otherwise, you'd spend weeks there. But the point is that the engine can render scenes where things are at so large scales that you can both see the structure of the sand on the floor and a far-away mountain. And you can actually go to that far-away mountain if you want.

Message Index

Halo World - To Matt	Reaper Man	8/14/00 12:13 p.m.
Re: Halo World - To Matt	Endah	8/14/00 2:53 p.m.
Re: Halo World - To Matt	Mark Levin	8/14/00 3:04 p.m.
Re: Halo World - To Matt	Luke	8/15/00 8:24 p.m.
Open-ended areas and game design	Knight	8/16/00 11:57 a.m.
Re: Open-ended areas and game design	Br'fin	8/16/00 12:27 p.m.
Re: Open-ended areas and game design	Mark Levin	8/16/00 2:38 p.m.
Re: Open-ended areas and game design	Mark Levin	8/16/00 12:46 p.m.
Re: Halo World - To Matt	Smokey	8/14/00 3:29 p.m.
Re: Halo World - To Matt	Forensic	8/14/00 4:17 p.m.
Above message is messed up, read this instead.	Forensic	8/14/00 4:21 p.m.
Re: Above message is messed up, read this instead.	Smokey	8/14/00 5:12 p.m.
I agree with 'nsic and Endah	Freewill	8/14/00 8:58 p.m.
Re: I agree with 'nsic and Endah	Forensic	8/15/00 7:25 a.m.
To be absolutely fair	Desio	8/16/00 8:37 a.m.
Re: Halo World - To Matt	Matt	8/14/00 6:48 p.m.
Re: Halo World - To Matt	Mark Levin	8/14/00 7:12 p.m.
Matt..... I am so let down.	Not For You To Know	8/15/00 4:14 p.m.
Re: Halo World, or Scooterville	Acid_Rabbit	8/15/00 4:40 p.m.
Re: Halo World - To Matt	David Oosha	8/16/00 9:42 p.m.