As for the lighting, a video I had that wouldn't show shadows now does show shadows. I'm happy about that. The other thing I was looking forward to was the fine adjustment, but I guess I'll have to wait some more or live without it.
So maps can have more shadows now without breaking lighting? I'm confused. Does this effect maps already completed?
Yes. Unless you don't Title Update your H4/xbox. I've reduced the object count (-60 objects) on Serum and apparently there's more framerate issues than before the TU. ****en stupid. Thinking about reforging it on another canvas... Also, anyone noticed the lights on Impact? They cast a lot of more light now it seems.
Are you talking about the actual light orb objects themselves or are you talking generally about the shadow effects since the TU. I've noticed some really strange things regarding shadows on Impact after a few hours of experimenting and whatnot.
Ive actually noticed a positive difference. A map I have been forging for the 2v2 contest previously had the lighting glitch, but now every object renders shadows.
Yea, I believe you now have a higher dynamic lighting bugget, but there's still a breaking point. I haven't figured out exactly what that number is, but hopefully tomorrow. Thing is, once you reach that breaking point, things start to get funky. Again I'll try to come back with more info tomorrow
Not the light orbs from the forge pallet, I'm talking about the big spotlights on the Impact canvas. What canvas? It seems Erosion was affected negatively. Played a game on Laguna last night and the dynamic lighting was broken when it wasn't before the TU. Pretty sure it was the most recent version too, but I wasn't party leader.
I didnt see any increase in the dynamic lighting budget at all... Im working on a map that was literally any piece away from breaking the lighting and its been like that for 5 days and is like that now after the TU. Honestly im sick of forge. The thing that always gets me is framerate but I know this is one thing that cant be helped on the 360. But ill make a map look and play really nice, 3/4 through it not one ounce of framerate drop, but the last few pieces I add to round the map off are enough to make it unplayable and when I remove these pieces the framerate drop is still there. I don't really know how to explain that. Boltshot... I used that from the beginning, I use it now. What I found was that if you miss the first charged up shot, you're dead before you can reload if you play a half decent player. Likewise if you hit the target but are more than 2 metres away. Honestly I don't find it OP. I don't find many people use it at all compared to how much I would expect with so many people complaining about it. My only issues with H4 are that the maps are terrible, I expected so much more than maps like solace and exile. But thats just my opinion. Oh and when my ordnance doesnt even drop anywhere, no sound effects, no waypoint nothing for 30 seconds and then I hear "Ordnance stolen" at which point I https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/...2ySOH0He6Dx-BCDDL7EQJHme5eQy856vU6HWjrdqmn7yQ For what it is its not a terrible game. But I play about 3 games a night and ragequit and just forge whereas in reach I would play matchmaking for hours on end day after day. I miss boardwalk [br][/br]Edited by merge: actually i take that back the dynamic lighting budget does seem to be increased slightly
Clearly you've never professionally developed anything. I'll say from experience as a developer outside of the game industry that when you take over a project (in this case, the BLAM engine) things break as you make enhancements. But in the end you still have to stick to the outlined budgetary and time constraints, and that means leaving things broken if there's not money or time in the budget to fix it. And for anyone who things it should be done "for the good of the community", I agree, but that's not how business works. They've already got your money from your game purchase, and Halo 4 is now phasing out from being their focus as new game sales will begin to drop off soon (as all games do). Therefore as a business you have to move on to the next project. Should they fix it? Yes. But game development is still a business. Whether they want (or don't want) to support their community, there has to be money spent to do so, and (typically) to do that there needs to be money earned.
BTB is horrible now. This is the only thing that really pisses me off with Halo 4. I want everyone to start without a DMR, Plasma Pistol, and Sticky Grenades. If they could just change those 3 weapons to map weapons and personal ordnance instead of loadouts, BTB would be fun again for people who like a more competitive BTB experience. Rather than the chaos frenzy of "no map movement/DMR camping" (not being able to walk anywhere in the open on open maps!) and vehicles that explode within seconds of getting in them. At least this should be setup as an alternate BTB gametype to vote on. Like how you can vote Infinity Slayer or Infinity Slayer Pro. BTB should have two. BTB Chaos (what we have now) and BTB Pro (my version above)... or whatever you want to call it.
Thank you for expressing more on what I was trying to get through to some people here. People don't know what game programming is and assume this stuff is as easy as making a map in forge is, lol.
Yeah, the hardest thing to get your head around is the fact that even if [name of game] makes ton of money the development budget and time milestones were set long before. And once a game is out they don't stand to make as much money as most of the people who want it purchase it early or buy it used.
Yeap, the week of launch is by far where most of your money is made. 100's of millions usually within a couple days. What's left is map packs but they could make more if they charged for new armor, skins, etc. That would piss some people off but they paid for what released with the game, technically new gear should be charged. You're paying the designer for his hard work.
I work in a similar field actually, and I fully understand what you and Teancum are saying about time vs $ etc. But seriously, how does that apply to precision editing being removed in favor of doing something else with the same button? I too know that a simple thing like this can be broken by some other enhancement made, but I have a really hard time forgiving the lack of precision editing based on this type of rationalization. I don't think that fits as the reason why P.E. is missing, is all I'm saying. Didn't they also say at one point that it was an "oversight"?
It's nice that they admit it was oversight, but I don't know how to trust a company that can just forget something like that.
We're talking about a company producing software for the xbox right? The Microsoft Xbox? I don't think trust in developers is a valued commodity in this market.
haha... yeah, Microsoft is probably the last company you should trust as they are one of the most greedy companies I can think of, other than Gamestop. If I had a choice I'd probably boycott them but lucky for them they own Halo. Well... not lucky for them as I can't damage their sales being one person who they could care less about. EDIT: I think in an ideal world, companies like Microsoft would "give a little back" every now and then. But where is the profit in that?
Polyphony Digital, makers of Gran Turismo, have done a lot of that to satisfy fans over the past 2+ years since GT5 was released... just sayin' Granted, it was admittedly an unfinished game when it was released, but they have also gone above and beyond just finishing the game, but have polished things up and give us very regular patches, often with new cars that a lot of times are free. For instance, GT5 players are the only ones driving the new C7 Corvette Stingray right now, except for a very privelaged few. We paid nothing for this amazing car either. Microsoft has a totally different business model, though. Forza by comparison is handled much differently, with mainly car packs to keep players busy. Whereas Forza has patches for the new car packs much like Halo has new patches for the DLC, Halo should be more concerned with functionality of their game than merely putting out map packs. But as I said, that's their M.O.