512MB does matter! for Call of Duty 2

[CP5670]

32 MB wasn't enough as the game would experience severe texture thrashing at times (such as the train level) if you didn't have a 64 MB card. Also only a few textures in any given scene were the larger versions while the rest of them were the standard 256x256 models.

I see, that sort of explains it. I actually used them on a 64MB GF3, but I do recall thinking how bad the normal textures looked when a high res texture was visible in the same scene. 😛

As for the sharpness at close range, it's because the game supported detail texturing. Detail texturing is basically an extra large mip-map that is only used at very close distances (i.e. point blank range) which is why things get sharper at that distance, not blurrier like in most other games. Very few titles actually support detail texturing and tend to be older ones like Unreal, UT, Serious Sam, NOLF, Chaser, etc. Most modern games don't even support this feature.

I also noticed that detail texturing thing in all the Unreal engine games I have. Why did game developers drop that? It was a great feature IMO that made an enormous difference in image quality. I think a handful of newer games like UT2004 and Far Cry have this feature, but the effect doesn't look anywhere near as good as it did in the Unreal engine.

 

[BFG10K]

Why did game developers drop that?

I suspect they decided the effort in implementing said feature wasn't worth it since you can basically only see the effect at point blank range while standing still.

I think a handful of newer games like UT2004 and Far Cry have this feature

UT2003/UT2004 doesn't have the feature and I don't think Far Cry does either.

 

[gsellis]

Originally posted by: BFG10K

There isn't any artistic/creative force out there that needs 512MB of textures for a scene.

Says who? You? Obviously people in the industry disagree with you.

I can comment on this one directly. Bullsquat on artistic/creative forces not needing it. 256MB is the minimum recommendation for doing 1080i HDV editing with my editor. I am just dying to try an 850 (now that the R520 sucks butt and will not be AGP) with 512. I know my 9600XT sucks just doing 720p stuff and the 1080i only gives me a playback in the 20fps range on two lines (not an IO issue, a GPU/GPU mem issue.)

 

[Turtle 1]

Nice post ruiner 5000 it was a good read and informative. To bad our flamers showed up . Good job any way

 

[Bona Fide]

Interesting...so COD2 relies more on memory than pixel pipelines?

Way to break away from the trend :thumbsdown:

 

[ruiner5000]

thanks turtle. it was updated again last night with comparison screenshots showing the texture differences.

http://www.amdzone.com/modules.php?op=m...index&req=viewarticle&artid=182&page=1

 

[blckgrffn]

That is what is strange with COD2, low framerates don't seem to stutter for me until the get into the teens, but I remember trying to play Doom 3 at ~30FPS. YUCK.

Just a little strange...