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Re: Halo 2 Uses Havok 2 Physics Engine
Posted By: Nick <NickHBO@comcast.net>Date: 1/25/04 11:23 p.m.

In Response To: Re: Halo 2 Uses Havok 2 Physics Engine (Rip-Saw)

: Except Bungie builds their game engines from the ground up, putting in only
: those things that are necessary for the game. Why have a code for ice
: skates on ice when you have no need for it? It makes their games faster,
: or capable of higher polygon counts, or using better lighting etc...

A physics engine is not a game engine. Halo 2's game engine is built from the ground up - that doesn't mean it can't use middleware. There are so many more things to a game besides physics it isn't even funny. Physics has a big end user impact but isn't the most important thing to worry about during development.

I don't know if you're trying to imply that Havok is used in ice skating games *blinks* or something to that effect but the code for the Havok engine is dynamic, nothing is static. Everything can be applied in different ways to anything - nothing is statically coded to say if(iceskate){ doThesePhysics(); }.

Using the Havok engine isn't going to slow the game down, it will integrate with it. A license to the Havok engine comes with something like 95% source code (1 or 2 library sources are private) and a good number of ready to use libraries. This means Bungie has full control of how the engine works and they can customize it all they want.

What are you saying makes their game faster? I lost you there. If you're saying that not including the Havok engine would make their game faster then you are very wrong. Not only will their game run how they program it (thanks to 95% engine source code) but Havok is one of the best physics middleware packages as far as speed and quality is concerned.

Using middleware cuts down development time significantly for Bungie. Using Havok means they don't have to write tons of physics routines to make everything in the game world move - like vehicles, objects in the environment, character deaths, etc. To code a comparable physics engine would take them many months and even if they hired another programmer or two it would slow down the game's release.

-Nick


Message Index




Replies:

Halo 2 Uses Havok 2 Physics EngineNick 1/25/04 9:24 p.m.
     Re: Halo 2 Uses Havok 2 Physics EngineHaloNater 1/25/04 9:28 p.m.
           Re: Halo 2 Uses Havok 2 Physics EngineSlimby 1/25/04 9:35 p.m.
                 Re: Halo 2 Uses Havok 2 Physics EngineHaloNater 1/25/04 9:43 p.m.
                       Re: Halo 2 Uses Havok 2 Physics EngineAlexander Valient 1/26/04 9:32 a.m.
           Havok 2 Physics Engine - MoviesNeurotic 1/25/04 9:38 p.m.
                 Re: Havok 2 Physics Engine - MoviesMantis819 1/25/04 9:50 p.m.
     Re: Halo 2 Uses Havok 2 Physics EngineRip-Saw 1/25/04 10:22 p.m.
           Re: Halo 2 Uses Havok 2 Physics EngineNick 1/25/04 11:23 p.m.
     Re: Halo 2 Uses Havok 2 Physics EngineDark Bastion 1/25/04 10:27 p.m.
           Re: Halo 2 Uses Havok 2 Physics EngineNick 1/25/04 11:36 p.m.
     Oh my.... thats cool.....Mr.Mongoose 1/25/04 10:53 p.m.
           Re: Oh my.... thats cool.....Nick 1/25/04 11:46 p.m.
     Re: Halo 2 Uses Havok 2 Physics EngineDan Chosich 1/25/04 10:58 p.m.
           Re: Halo 2 Uses Havok 2 Physics EngineLt Devon 1/25/04 11:01 p.m.
                 Re: Halo 2 Uses Havok 2 Physics EngineSpartan_-X- 1/25/04 11:07 p.m.
                 Re: Halo 2 Uses Havok 2 Physics EngineDylan 1/26/04 8:18 a.m.
           Re: Halo 2 Uses Havok 2 Physics EngineNick 1/26/04 12:20 a.m.
     Re: Halo 2 Uses Havok 2 Physics EngineCount Zero 1/26/04 12:31 a.m.
           Re: Halo 2 Uses Havok 2 Physics EngineNick 1/26/04 12:56 a.m.
                 Re: Halo 2 Uses Havok 2 Physics EngineWalshicus 1/26/04 10:22 a.m.
                       Re: Halo 2 Uses Havok 2 Physics EngineNick 1/26/04 3:01 p.m.
           Not true.Blitzkrieg 1/26/04 12:07 p.m.
                 Re: Not true.Nick 1/26/04 3:05 p.m.
           not to mentionoddworld18 1/26/04 3:18 p.m.
                 Re: not to mentionBOLL 1/26/04 3:26 p.m.
                 Nop, it uses HavokNick 1/26/04 4:11 p.m.
                       Re: Nop, it uses Havokopie301 1/26/04 5:27 p.m.
                             Re: Nop, it uses HavokNick 1/26/04 5:37 p.m.
                                   Re: Nop, it uses HavokAztec 1/26/04 6:33 p.m.
                                         Re: Nop, it uses HavokNick 1/26/04 6:36 p.m.
                                         Re: Nop, it uses HavokKOPD 1/26/04 6:49 p.m.
                                               Re: Nop, it uses HavokNick 1/26/04 7:30 p.m.
                                   End of the Evaluationopie301 1/26/04 6:37 p.m.
                                         Well said. *NM*XLNC 1/26/04 7:07 p.m.
                                         Re: End of the EvaluationNick 1/26/04 7:24 p.m.
                                               Re: End of the EvaluationAztec 1/26/04 7:41 p.m.
                                               Bygones and such...opie301 1/26/04 8:35 p.m.
                                                     Re: Bygones and such...Nick 1/26/04 11:50 p.m.
                                                           Re: Bygones and such...KOPD 1/26/04 11:58 p.m.
                                                                 Re: Bygones and such...Nick 1/27/04 12:14 a.m.
                                                                       Kind of a jerk, aren't ya.KOPD 1/27/04 12:18 a.m.
                                                                             Re: Kind of a jerk, aren't ya.Nick 1/27/04 12:35 a.m.
                                                                                   Re: Kind of a jerk, aren't ya.Aztec 1/27/04 12:40 a.m.
                                                                                   Re: Kind of a jerk, aren't ya.KOPD 1/27/04 12:44 a.m.
                                                                                         Re: Kind of a jerk, aren't ya.Aztec 1/27/04 12:54 a.m.
                                                                                               Re: Kind of a jerk, aren't ya.KOPD 1/27/04 12:55 a.m.
                                                                                                     Re: Kind of a jerk, aren't ya.Stefander 1/27/04 1:36 a.m.
                                                           Re: Bygones and such...Aztec 1/27/04 12:02 a.m.
                                               Re: End of the EvaluationCount Zero 1/26/04 9:53 p.m.
                                                     Re: End of the EvaluationNick 1/26/04 10:23 p.m.
                                                           Re: End of the EvaluationWado SG 1/27/04 12:32 a.m.
                                                                 Re: End of the EvaluationNick 1/27/04 1:12 a.m.
                                                                       Re: End of the EvaluationCount Zero 1/27/04 3:01 a.m.
                                                                             Re: End of the EvaluationNick 1/27/04 4:02 a.m.
                                                                                   Enough.Louis Wu 1/27/04 5:56 a.m.
                                                                                         A final retort.Nick 1/27/04 7:02 a.m.
                                                                                               Re: A final retort.Louis Wu 1/27/04 7:26 a.m.
                                                                                                     This is exactly what I'm talking about.Nick 1/27/04 1:51 p.m.
                                                                                                           For the record...KOPD 1/27/04 2:06 p.m.
                                                                                                           Re: This is exactly what I'm talking about.Count Zero 1/27/04 9:15 p.m.
                       Lies!Lt Devon 1/26/04 7:12 p.m.
     Re: Halo 2 Uses Havok 2 Physics EngineSledgefare 1/26/04 11:19 a.m.



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