Shadows

[ArchAngel777]

How do you guys feel about about the shadows in games? Do you prefer them? Do you think they look awesome? If you can turn them off, do you?

I personally have not played any game where I have enjoyed the shadows. This includes HL2, Doom3, Far Cry and pretty much any other game you can think of. If I can turn shadows off, I always do. I do not even find them visually appealing when I am playing a FPS. I know this comes down to personal preference.

So, do you prefer shadows in your games? Why or why not?

 

[BlueWeasel]

I usually turn them off, simply because of the performance hit with them on.

Since my PC is always mid-range (never new), I'm always tweaking games to get the most FPS out them...shadows is usually the first thing to go.

 

[Lonyo]

Originally posted by: ArchAngel777
How do you guys feel about about the shadows in games? Do you prefer them? Do you think they look awesome? If you can turn them off, do you?

I personally have not played any game where I have enjoyed the shadows. This includes HL2, Doom3, Far Cry and pretty much any other game you can think of. If I can turn shadows off, I always do. I do not even find them visually appealing when I am playing a FPS. I know this comes down to personal preference.

So, do you prefer shadows in your games? Why or why not?

Yes, because they can give you help, ie: you can see someone's shadow before you see the someone, and hence sometimes get the jump on them.
It's not too great atm, because shadows aren't always wel done, but hopefully it'll get more useful.

 

[warcrow]

I usually turn them off, or just set it to the lowest setting. Even in the new Fear Demo I turned them way down. Stensil shadowing is a resource hod at times, so I usually get a nice little boost in frame rate.

 

[gorcorps]

Depends on if it ruins the mood. I think doom3 and fear look and feel creepier w/ the shadows on. HL2 doesn't benifit a whole lot from the shadows, so I turn them of there for the extra performance.

 

[Whitecloak]

turn them off.

 

[PingSpike]

I really like the shadows. Sometimes I have to turn them off because they usually do have a pretty signifigant performance hit. But I feel they add a lot to the game, not just the games graphics.

 

[Schadenfroh]

I turn off shadows in all games, 90% of the time they look like p00p and slow down my system.

 

[ArchAngel777]

Yes, because they can give you help, ie: you can see someone's shadow before you see the someone, and hence sometimes get the jump on them.

Very good tactic that I had never thought of... Probably have not thought of that because I really have not competed online in FPS for oh... 4 years? Is that when CS hit 1.1 Final? That is when I quit and went to MMO's. Now that I have a pretty good system, I am getting back into FPS... But I am finding many of them extremely short and lacking. BF2 has been pretty cool so far, I just wish single player had some more variety.

Anyway, good advice for the shadows.

 

[ArchAngel777]

I turn off shadows in all games, 90% of the time they look like p00p and slow down my system.

Not trying to be a English nazi here, but I am wondering if you meant to say you turn them off 90% of the time? Or that you turn them off 100% and just made a statement that 90% of the time they look like crap?

Just curious.

Thanks

 

[BlueWeasel]

Originally posted by: ArchAngel777

I turn off shadows in all games, 90% of the time they look like p00p and slow down my system.

Not trying to be a English nazi here, but I am wondering if you meant to say you turn them off 90% of the time? Or that you turn them off 100% and just made a statement that 90% of the time they look like crap?

Just curious.

Thanks

I think he meant the latter.