Work
I am getting the message loud and clear from the community that I should be doing more core engine stuff. As I was already doing core stuff, there is not much else I can do to satisfy the masses except (a) work longer or (b) blog less. As I rather like eating and sleeping, I choose to sacrifice a blog post or two.
Beta work is going well, check back on Friday for more news (around UK midnight) for the release.
Good choice Lee:) looking forward to 1.005!
ReplyDeleteIf you are doing these things then tell us about them! To us, it looks like you've been playing around with really "come later" features when the engine is in such a state. Considering in 2013 you blogged about almost everything, it isn't difficult to understand why we would get that impression.
ReplyDeleteAnd Lee, with all due respect, it takes about ten minutes to write a blog post. I hardly think that is the problem or even a needed sacrifice. This is our only window into your progress. What you project is what we make of your progress.
Actually I'd like to amend my comment, my main problem is your scattered approach to development. You are pouncing around the sections like a madman and instead of getting one or two well-fleshed out features that has been designed alongside the community's wishes, we are getting little dribbles. Tiny little specs like you are rendering an image. (I think the problem here is with the early release. You are programming with usability right now in mind. So are trying to make a duck taped together piece of work and it feels like the engine is going nowhere. Treading no new grounds. A game engine trying not to fall apart.)
DeleteWelcome to my mad mad BETA world ;) I appreciate your views! I just did not want to bore everyone to death with the mundane issues of writing a games engine ;) I figured 2013 was enough Lee for anyone!
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DeleteI actually love any tid-bit information on development. The smallest things tend to keep me excited about the project. Since this is my ideal engine of choice in hopes to actually produce a full game with. Was difficult to do with x9 due to a few limitations.
DeleteTo be more specific, less time on terrain and more time on core features.
ReplyDeleteTerrain has taken on a life of its own in Reloaded and even starting to shape the product as a generic game creation tool instead of a FPS engine. This is a very risky move and could damage the brand if we are not careful.
I don't think Lee needs to work any harder but perhaps slightly smarter. Pick the right battles and win them instead of picking a near impossible battle and losing the war.
So far Reloaded has really delivered in a number of areas like graphics but is suffering in the other areas like physics, AI and gameplay. If Lee really does make these the top priority and farm the other modues out things will improve.
I will say that performance has improved a lot on the latest BETA for me so need to give Lee credit on this. Again I believe terrain size is playing a big factor here and not the engine in general. Memory could be another limiting factor though so this might need some work.
There is a lot of potential with Reloaded and if handled carefully it could still be realised but lets also be clear about what Reloaded is not.
I do agree with you Nomad, though there is a lot of things we may not be able to see being worked on at the moment. Lee gave mention to the construction kit/blob tool that's finally being worked on.
DeleteAs for myself for me to be 100% happy I need the performance of Reloaded to work the same as any other game after its packed or saved as stand-alone. I don't mind if Reloaded loads in its LODs/billboards the same way as fallout and skyrim does - which is noticeable, but the game play out-weights that small issue by a million.
I think labelling Reloaded as a first person creator is a risky move. General games creator is where it's at and needs to be if it hopes to be anything other than cult software.
DeleteIn my opinion, Reloaded has not delivered on graphics. I can't really describe what is wrong, but every screenshot I've seen just does not look graphically impressive, (model quality asside) we are talking lighting, shaders, shadows effects and texture quality.
I agree with Huknar, and to some extent, Nomad. What Lee needs to do (and I've said this before) is to focus purely on ONE THING, a core thing like player movement or gunplay, until it's finished. Not just "good enough" but properly finished at a level to compete with modern games and game engines. Take as long as is necessary, then release the update as a new beta. Slowly but surely we'll get each piece of the puzzle, not all bent and twisted and forced into place, but slotting neatly into its own hole, until we have the full picture. That's when Reloaded will truly be a masterpiece.
DeleteI don't think the importance of the outdoor Terrain feature should be underestimated. Reloaded or any engine obviously cant meet with anything like the number of users needs and aspirations for making games. It would be a severe limitation on the products future potential to lose or limit the Terrain option. The option is the optimum word. Without it well you simply cant have it just as with any other feature. How the Terrain feature and its effects if any on the engine is managed is another matter I have no real knowledge of I am afraid. No Terrain feature is not really a first choice option - might as well have stuck with Classic for that or go back to it then. If it can be user choice that's another matter but not having the option is a sever limitation and restriction on Reloaded future I would think myself. FPS indeed is not a non Terrain game type at all as suggested. FPS games are very much outdoor and open world requirement oriented in many instances - perhaps a majority of instances. Not so many dungeon crawlers about these days with improved technologies. More likely leaving Terrain behind will leave Reloaded behind than any opposite would be the case. If it can handle it then well that's another matter entirely. Just say its a dungeon crawler then and see if thats as attractive to more users or not. I don't think so.
ReplyDeleteThis whole Rift and other forthcoming feature thing is not really an issue and draws attention from the important things - which is not adding or wanting or needing of features. No one is against adding features or complaining about that as such. By and large everyone just has different ideas, wants and priorities and all have valuable opinions to me.
Theres a lot of users that don't make any kind of comment at all and only active people here comment.
Lee and Co surely will know whats best at the end of the day - I certainly don't and just make comment same as anyone else in an attempt to throw out just one more opinion. I am not the best person by any means to take any heed of that's for sure. Don't mean users the more the merrier should not comment - how else would anyone know what users look for?
Everyone I am sure myself included love to read the Blog if Lee has the time to do it. It is interesting and informative and and insight into the real man behind the product and that matters. Lee is a real person and I am sorry to say has to put up with a lot of critique here for which I must confess I often feel ashamed of as well as sometimes receiving a lot of praise. Double edged sword. I guess. Anyway nice to have a Real person interaction I am sure everyone agrees rather than a kind of official no name statement issue about progress.
There is a feature vote list so I guess that should be followed if possible despite what I or others here think. That's what it is for and users have spoken no point in it if you don't follow it. We should all vote if you want to have a say. I agree that may have to be tempered with common sense and issues priority and so on along the way but the vote list is all that anyone has where a majority of users can comment on things of importance in an open question of such.
Anyway keep your chin up please Lee and ignore the stress if not the comments - we all still love your Blog and Reloaded.
Its only a game engine so no worries. Not life and death so we will take what comes and be thankful I hope.
Stay happy everyone.
:-)
where is terrain smoothing?
ReplyDeleteHey Lee. It's your company. Change the time table. Build in some time for balance and to take care of yourself and have fun! Competition is an illusion. In reality the only one we ever compete against is ourselves - whether it's competition against another, or competition against the clock - it's only really against ourselves and our own ideas. So relax, and know that you're resourceful enough that you have no need to compete :)
ReplyDeleteThere's an audio course I bought from Tony Robbins years ago on life/time management called "The Time of Your Life". It's not the DVD, it's the full audio course. It's geared toward business owners and high achievers, and it emphasizes focus, balance, and passion. And it's practical. It's not cheap, but oh so worth the investment!
Here's the link:
Deletehttp://www.tonyrobbins.com/products/time-life-management/time-of-your-life/
Ha, less is more eh? I told Lee to focus on coding and not waste time writing a blog entry. His day was interrupted by many unforeseen issues. By blogging very little he got the most responses for a while.
ReplyDeleteThanks to that work last night I have a pre Beta1.005 in my hands and it's come on really well. The core issues you are all screaming about are being dealt with by Lee. The fine tuning and polish takes some time and some changes can knock a project back until all the issues are ground out of the system. This is software development you're viewing daily and sometimes it's not pretty. We will get there and we will not give up, so have faith (and patience) please.
We know the Oculus work is a dividing issue in the community. Just know that we took most of this work away from Lee and we're doing the same with Object Importer (which is nearly complete), Construction Kit (in development). The LUA work is also being handed to another dev so we can speed that process up.
I have personally walked on fire with Tony Robbins and Lee has done many self improvement events in the past. We are working closely with Lee to help manage through Reloaded and develop it to a high standard and hopefully much quicker.
Now, must get back to Beta testing....
Excellent reply, Rick! Good PR skills there! :D I'm sure we all feel a little relieved now :)
DeleteNo worries. Looking forward to Beta 1.005.
ReplyDeleteI am sure the Construction Kit in particular is awaited with anticipation and that many will look forward to that so they can get on with adding their buildings and alike.
At least that should give many users plenty to occupy themselves with while the dev's get on in the background. Hopefully it will keep users occupied and give TGC and Lee a little more piece and quiet for a while at least though I am not sure it will work like that!
:-)
"I have personally walked on fire with Tony Robbins and Lee has done many self improvement events in the past."
ReplyDeleteThat's the second time in less than a day that I've been reminded of Tony. My Ma gave me an old cassette tape set back in the day, that I remember listening too (a few decades ago now). I've been thinking of revisiting the man's work and guidance.
This project and the consequent "ringing of the bells" by we "happy few", reminds me of the old movie The Agony and the Ecstasy...in which Charlton Heston portrayed Michelangelo, painting the Sistine Ceiling. In one scene, the Pope is gazing up at Michelangelo, and loudly queries: "When will you make an end!?", to which the reply is a resounding "When I'm finished!".
It'll be done, when it's done; and not a moment sooner. Unfortunately, Lee is only one man. It will be interesting to start seeing some actual "inside" screenshots, as well as a full-blown use of the new Construction Kit. Until then, I'll keep checking up on things, and testing the new Betas when I have time.
Lee is mainly going to ramble on about graphics technology then he'll talk a little about sound and some of the other technologies.
ReplyDeleteSo the decisions Lee made on the Reloaded renderer turned out pretty well as far as I'm concerned and what we are able to do in the game with that.
The introduction of realtime dynamic lighting and shadows has transformed the dated visuals of FPSC classic into a modern feast of eye candy.
If the rest of Reloaded is like this it will be THE BUSINESS.
Dynamic lighting is all well and good (and very welcome indeed!) but it's a step backwards if we don't have self-shadowing of the terrain and buildings. I hope we can get there soon :)
DeleteI'm revisiting Tony Robbins myself: "The Time of Your Life". Just started it again last night. I did it a few years ago and accomplished a miracle with it in a short period of time (I want from 0 to full-time equivalent of passive income in 20 days without much practical idea of how to do that), even though I had a hard time internalizing the essence of what he was saying, because of some huge self-limitations. So even though I got the results, it felt stressful to me doing it back then, I kinda had to make myself do it. But it absolutely still worked!
ReplyDeleteBut with all I've learned and how transformed myself since then, having released those prior self-limitations, it's really clicking for me now, and I am getting it at the deepest level. It's actually kindof more reminding me of what I already know now and assisting me to put it all into clear focus. And I can see now in a way I couldn't then, how to really simplify things and make what seemed huge seem small and easily manageable - and most importantly, how to be be and use excitement and passion with the process.
I've never done an Unleash The Power WIthin event with the firewalk. I may have to do that sometime! Sounds like a lot of fun!! I LOVE the idea of transforming fear into power!
Almost sounds like P90X for your mind. I'll have to give him a serious look again; which one is good to start out with, for overall general "getting out of a 10 year slump"? My problem, is lack of serious motivation.
DeleteI'd say go for The Ultimate Edge. And really do it. If you do it fully, you'll feel a huge difference in yourself almost right away - within the first 3 or 4 days, especially doing the Hour of Power (which starts, I believe, on day 3), which gets you combining focus with physical movement - and it's fun! :D
Deletehttp://www.tonyrobbins.com/products/personal-growth-development/ultimate-edge/
You could also just call, tell them your situation, and ask what they recommend. I've called before to ask them things like that, they're great! And they've all been trained by Tony, and they live it. So they're very knowledgeable about what he teaches from training and from their own experience.
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ReplyDelete