Torque rendering questions
by Maurino · in Torque Game Engine · 03/05/2004 (1:49 am) · 11 replies
Hello everyone, I've been looking for an engine base to create an fps game and recently downloaded the Torque demo, I was quite impressed to be honest... but then I played realmwars, and saw the 'runtime' (what you get in the licence) in action
This does not even look like the same engine, it looks as if there is literaly no lighting on any models or any surfaces what so ever, textures look to be 64x64 (if that)
Am I missing something? I thought the torque engine was what was used to create Tribes2.. given this is a very very very stock version of the engine, but it is capable of the same things?
Thanks in advance
This does not even look like the same engine, it looks as if there is literaly no lighting on any models or any surfaces what so ever, textures look to be 64x64 (if that)
Am I missing something? I thought the torque engine was what was used to create Tribes2.. given this is a very very very stock version of the engine, but it is capable of the same things?
Thanks in advance
#2
Its a decision between torque, quake2 open source, and Blitzbasic 3d :)
the version you download comes with everything the 'demo' has? the demo I speak of has a few scripted camera sequences, showing off the specular highlighting of the water, some LoD of meshes... volumetric fog.. has 2 multiplayer segments too, one based on realmwars, and the other one just has a vehicle
Same demo we're talking about right? :)
03/05/2004 (2:39 am)
I don't know.. its the lighting that was really bothering me, it was as if nothing was lightmapped, no shadows etc (realmwars too)Its a decision between torque, quake2 open source, and Blitzbasic 3d :)
the version you download comes with everything the 'demo' has? the demo I speak of has a few scripted camera sequences, showing off the specular highlighting of the water, some LoD of meshes... volumetric fog.. has 2 multiplayer segments too, one based on realmwars, and the other one just has a vehicle
Same demo we're talking about right? :)
#3
Please, someone should correct me if this isn't in CVS anymore. I have not update for a while.
About the shadows. I don't know exactly wha you mean. You haven't seen any shadows?
I suggest that you take a look at some of the screenshots in the snapshot gallery. There you can see how everything looks like and how shadows will look like. There are also some improvments on the way. Brett Fattori is working on Stencil Shadows. You can see a Screenshot of it here:
www.garagegames.com/mg/snapshot/view.php?qid=728
03/05/2004 (3:11 am)
Yes, the hole stuff is in there.Please, someone should correct me if this isn't in CVS anymore. I have not update for a while.
About the shadows. I don't know exactly wha you mean. You haven't seen any shadows?
I suggest that you take a look at some of the screenshots in the snapshot gallery. There you can see how everything looks like and how shadows will look like. There are also some improvments on the way. Brett Fattori is working on Stencil Shadows. You can see a Screenshot of it here:
www.garagegames.com/mg/snapshot/view.php?qid=728
#4
I dunno, take a realmwar screenshot, (or 9/10 screenshots from the gallery) and put it next to a screenshot from the demo
doesn't even look like the same engine
03/05/2004 (3:39 am)
I meant in the lightmap, yes I can see ths soft shadowsI dunno, take a realmwar screenshot, (or 9/10 screenshots from the gallery) and put it next to a screenshot from the demo
doesn't even look like the same engine
#5
I think I know what you are talking about with Realm Wars, I downloaded a version of it some time ago and it seemed like the lighting had been tweaked to removed a lot of the heavy shadowing, look at the free 1.2 Demo that is out. Unless you already have, you will notice that there is plenty of examples for Torque's capabilities.
As some will tell you, myself included the lighting may need to be changed so that it is brighter depending on what type of game you are making.
If I were you I would stay away from BlitzBasic, it isn't even in the same league as Torque. Blitz is still basic. ;)
03/05/2004 (4:35 am)
Maurino, could you post some links to the screenshots that you are talking about? What you get when you buy the license is the source code, so if you would be unhappy with the way lighting is handled you could implement your own. BobTheCBuilder has been working on improved lighting content packs for Torque. I think I know what you are talking about with Realm Wars, I downloaded a version of it some time ago and it seemed like the lighting had been tweaked to removed a lot of the heavy shadowing, look at the free 1.2 Demo that is out. Unless you already have, you will notice that there is plenty of examples for Torque's capabilities.
As some will tell you, myself included the lighting may need to be changed so that it is brighter depending on what type of game you are making.
If I were you I would stay away from BlitzBasic, it isn't even in the same league as Torque. Blitz is still basic. ;)
#6
IF you liked what you saw in the demo, then buy it. You can make something that looks just as good as the demo, even if RealmWars did not.
03/05/2004 (5:40 am)
Maurino, don't forget that RealmWars is just a game built using Torque. As with any game built using any engine, they are not all going to be up to the saem visual quality. Having Torque doesn't gauruntee you stunning visual quality. Torque CAN do it, but you have it is obviously up to you and the skills of your team to harness it.IF you liked what you saw in the demo, then buy it. You can make something that looks just as good as the demo, even if RealmWars did not.
#7
There's not a lot of difference, other than some updates that are publically available (we just havent updated everything, as yet).
Realmwars is almost up to date. Once we get it checked in we'll do another demo. That'll be about the same as the torque demo (same codebase give or take a few bits).
As for the lighting, I doubt much has changed, maybe we just set the sun too low for strong shadows or something.
BTW: the torquedemo is what you get in the license. The realmwars code is also what you get :) but that was from an older branch of the code. We should be in sync pretty soon.
03/05/2004 (5:58 am)
The reason the Realmwars demo looks different is that the realmwars code used an older version of the torque codebase than the most recent torque demo.There's not a lot of difference, other than some updates that are publically available (we just havent updated everything, as yet).
Realmwars is almost up to date. Once we get it checked in we'll do another demo. That'll be about the same as the torque demo (same codebase give or take a few bits).
As for the lighting, I doubt much has changed, maybe we just set the sun too low for strong shadows or something.
BTW: the torquedemo is what you get in the license. The realmwars code is also what you get :) but that was from an older branch of the code. We should be in sync pretty soon.
#8
"Maurino, don't forget that RealmWars is just a game built using Torque. As with any game built using any engine, they are not all going to be up to the saem visual quality. Having Torque doesn't gauruntee you stunning visual quality. Torque CAN do it, but you have it is obviously up to you and the skills of your team to harness it."
Isnt this being developed by the garagegames team? :)
03/05/2004 (1:59 pm)
Quote from John Vanderbeck"Maurino, don't forget that RealmWars is just a game built using Torque. As with any game built using any engine, they are not all going to be up to the saem visual quality. Having Torque doesn't gauruntee you stunning visual quality. Torque CAN do it, but you have it is obviously up to you and the skills of your team to harness it."
Isnt this being developed by the garagegames team? :)
#9
"Maurino, don't forget that RealmWars is just a game built using Torque. As with any game built using any engine, they are not all going to be up to the saem visual quality. Having Torque doesn't gauruntee you stunning visual quality. Torque CAN do it, but you have it is obviously up to you and the skills of your team to harness it."
Isnt this being developed by the garagegames team? :)
03/05/2004 (2:30 pm)
Quote from John Vanderbeck"Maurino, don't forget that RealmWars is just a game built using Torque. As with any game built using any engine, they are not all going to be up to the saem visual quality. Having Torque doesn't gauruntee you stunning visual quality. Torque CAN do it, but you have it is obviously up to you and the skills of your team to harness it."
Isnt this being developed by the garagegames team? :)
#10
The version of Realm Wars avaliable in public build is older, but I assure you the lighting works quite fine in it. I don't recall if the default map "Port of Encalias" uses it properly, I think what Phil said about the ambient/direct values being to samish is probably the case. Also though, only .dif format objects, which are generally buildings, lightmap onto the environment. And the player characters are set to cast really low-res low-update shadows, that also only map onto terrain and .dif objects. Now if that stencil shadow stuff ends up in the engine, it all changes...
I can't wait for another release of RW to play with, if only for the updated engine stuff =).
03/05/2004 (11:50 pm)
Sort of. Realm Wars is developed by people various involved with Torque, it's not an official GG game like Marble Blast or anything. Heck maybe I'll contribute official work to it someday. Point is, it's a community project.The version of Realm Wars avaliable in public build is older, but I assure you the lighting works quite fine in it. I don't recall if the default map "Port of Encalias" uses it properly, I think what Phil said about the ambient/direct values being to samish is probably the case. Also though, only .dif format objects, which are generally buildings, lightmap onto the environment. And the player characters are set to cast really low-res low-update shadows, that also only map onto terrain and .dif objects. Now if that stencil shadow stuff ends up in the engine, it all changes...
I can't wait for another release of RW to play with, if only for the updated engine stuff =).
#11
Realm Wars and the demo are both Torque. We developed the demo internally late 2003.
-Jeff Tunnell GG
03/06/2004 (5:05 am)
Realm Wars was released to the GG community over two years ago. It was a place for people to come together fun making a game. Nobody from GG has touched Realm Wars for two years.Realm Wars and the demo are both Torque. We developed the demo internally late 2003.
-Jeff Tunnell GG
Torque 3D Owner Marco Meier
Slickware Games
RealmWars is also powered by Torque. But I don't know which Release of Torque they us. Torque Demo is supposed to show what Torque is able to do. So everything you see is in there. You get everything when you get a licence and download Torque.
I haven't looked at RealmWars a long time. I don't know what textures they are using. But I don't think that they are using just 64x64 :)
But like I said, the Torque Demo is the reference if you want to know what you get.