GEOMOD technology

[otispunkmeyer]

what happened to this, i thought it was pretty neat, ok it wasnt totally realistic looking but it was better than just shooting a wall with a rocket and nothing happening.

why hasnt something like this been incorporated into games like HL2? and i reckon it would be a neat edition to a game like the soon to be released BF2

yeah bf2 supposedly has something like that, but in the demo ive found it only applies to bridges and you must use C4, tank shells dont put holes in bridges?! and each time its the same effect. nothings actually being calculated...their just changing the geometry under a cloud of smoke while u cant see.

 

[notfred]

Because it makes it really hard to force the player to do things like find the key to a door when you can just blow the door up. Or, why bother figuring out how to get around an obstacle when you can just go through it? It makes it a lot tougher to create interesting gameplay.

 

[otispunkmeyer]

Originally posted by: notfred
Because it makes it really hard to force the player to do things like find the key to a door when you can just blow the door up. Or, why bother figuring out how to get around an obstacle when you can just go through it? It makes it a lot tougher to create interesting gameplay.

thats a legit argument for the single player element, but why not online like in BF2? id love to see the artilery leave gaping holes in the terrain

 

[notfred]

Originally posted by: otispunkmeyer

Originally posted by: notfred
Because it makes it really hard to force the player to do things like find the key to a door when you can just blow the door up. Or, why bother figuring out how to get around an obstacle when you can just go through it? It makes it a lot tougher to create interesting gameplay.

thats a legit argument for the single player element, but why not online like in BF2? id love to see the artilery leave gaping holes in the terrain

The problem with it in multiplayer games is that if the game goes on too long, there's not going to be much left at the end. Could you imagine playing Day of Defeat with modifiable terrain? How much fun would it be when the bridges got blown up in the first minutes and all the sniping spots were destroyed?

 

[Elcs]

Originally posted by: notfred

Originally posted by: otispunkmeyer

Originally posted by: notfred
Because it makes it really hard to force the player to do things like find the key to a door when you can just blow the door up. Or, why bother figuring out how to get around an obstacle when you can just go through it? It makes it a lot tougher to create interesting gameplay.

thats a legit argument for the single player element, but why not online like in BF2? id love to see the artilery leave gaping holes in the terrain

The problem with it in multiplayer games is that if the game goes on too long, there's not going to be much left at the end. Could you imagine playing Day of Defeat with modifiable terrain? How much fun would it be when the bridges got blown up in the first minutes and all the sniping spots were destroyed?

Thats why you have some static terrain and some destroyable.

Red Faction balanced this well. I spent months playing Red Faction CTF online and Id never have been half as good without abusing GEOMOD.

On one map, Chess I believe, I carved out a little hole in a wall, with a bunker style arrangement. Sat in there and camped with the Rail Driver. I could either protect my own flag or snipe anyone trying to stop us from stealing the oppositions flag depending on where I put the hole. Most players didnt pick up on me being there and I wiped the floor with them.

Interesting things like that make a game. Red Faction was a little lacking in other areas but came up with a revolutionary piece of technology which no-one uses. Perhaps this is a lisence/money thing?

 

[Insomniak]

IIRC Ageia's PPU should allow terrain deformation far beyond Geomod's abilities.

Of course, this is all still marketing speak from them...