When the next great jump in capability hits, what could games do they can't now?

[Mr. Pedantic]

No, what I'm saying is that it's the only one of the new set that actually looks good, period. A bunch of extra polygons, textures, and lighting, only goes so far, and blurring is a regression.

Blurring is a regression on a still image.

No, and I also would not agree that CryEngine looks more realistic. Nothing yet comes anywhere close to looking realistic.

Just to be absolutely clear, you believe that the two halves of this image are identically similar in terms of realism to this image. Because I don't want to waste my time arguing against a straw man, and I do not think that this is a belief that anyone can reasonably hold.

When it comes to graphics, it's >90% the content, not the low-level programmers. It entirely breaks the illusion when I walk around and find a rock, or part of a brick building, with visibly missing polygons, or serious shape or texture alignment problems. This should not happen, and is 100% preventable.

Never really experienced this. For me to accept this you would have to give an example, evidence of said example, and some additional evidence that would indicate this is a regular, normal occurrence in said game engine.

It breaks the illusion when a "realistic" face stretches out skin with hair on it in a way that not only shows off that it's just a texture, but also where it doesn't move properly.

This is like saying that because Leonardo Da Vinci did not exactly capture the way the light reflected off Mademoiselle Lisa's skin this means the Mona Lisa is as realistic as a stick figure drawn by a four-year old.

 

[JSt0rm]

until a computer can render the world in realtime you will never have what you seek. The number of artists and animators it would take to make these worlds would cost too much.

 

[Wanescotting]

On the fly AI and map generation.
How about if Fallout could dynamically modify its world?

This

 

[habbakuk87]

I just wish they can get realistic and consistent damage physics and especially realistic hair rendering in games. Too many protagonists in games are either bald or or have pasty looking thing for hair.

 

[Cerb]

Blurring is a regression on a still image.

It's a regression, period, unless used as a temporary effect (fatigue, getting hit, etc.).

Just to be absolutely clear, you believe that the two halves of this image are identically similar in terms of realism to this image. Because I don't want to waste my time arguing against a straw man, and I do not think that this is a belief that anyone can reasonably hold.

No. The 2nd one on the right looks realistic, and both halves of the 1st one look cartoony.

Never really experienced this. For me to accept this you would have to give an example, evidence of said example, and some additional evidence that would indicate this is a regular, normal occurrence in said game engine.

The laziest example (bad alignment) is the 1st image here, the brick seam on the left side of the window, and this is a glamor shot for a new patch:
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2173450
It's not the engine. It's the game content.

This is like saying that because Leonardo Da Vinci did not exactly capture the way the light reflected off Mademoiselle Lisa's skin this means the Mona Lisa is as realistic as a stick figure drawn by a four-year old.

No, it's like saying that our graphics cards can't recreate video footage, and I find it annoying that time and effort is wasted trying, rather than deciding to use the medium as it is. El Shaddai would be a recent example of one way of getting it right, IMO.

 

[wrangler]

In all of this discussion of realism in graphics I haven't seen anyone mention Raytracing.
Since the thread is about what we might have in 2020-2025 I'm gonna throw that out there as something we could have by then that ups the graphical fidelity.

Otherwise I agree with those suggesting that AI should get much better.

 

[reallyscrued]

Doom + left 4 dead
Fallout + Doom
Fallout + left 4 dead
L4D + call of Duty
Counter strike + L4d
Counter-strike + Doom
Mero2033 + counter-strike
Metro2033 + L4D

Real original ideas you got there.

 

[Kalmah]

If Bioware was to release a brand new game on an upgraded infinity engine with all the same love as Baldur's Gate I'd buy it in a second.

Add in dlc micro adventures and I'd buy that too.

 

[Bman123]

The graphics are basically good now. I think what really needs to change are the environments and the AI. There are games out now and coming soon that look amazing. Put more into the core gameplay and quit with all the visuals because they really are at a good point right now.

I am just so tired of stupid ass AI. When ever I buy a call of duty game I don't even play single player, I go straight to the multiplayer.

 

[CurseTheSky]

I'd like to see a game similar to Oblivion where the entire world is "alive." Unlike Obivion, though, NPCs aren't scripted, they just have "behaviors" and they do as the please. Sure, some will be fairly static and predictable, but there's no reason why every common townsfolk needs to walk a pre-determined path. It should be to the extent where an NPC adventurer could actually go out, clear out dungeons on their own, take loot, pickpocket others (including you!), get killed, etc.

That would take gaming to such a huge new level. Even if I had to literally download some kind of distributed computing client and run one portion on one or two other computers just to compute the AI in the world, and a third for my own "view" of the game, I'd do it.

 

[NoSoup4You]

The quality of animations will be the next big thing. We currently have a long way to go in that department...

 

[Bateluer]

We'd have SP/MP games again where you're so compelled to sink 25 hours into the single player before ever stepping foot in MP.

Good lord. Remember when single player games offered two or three times that many hours in the SP?

PC publishers need to melt down and go bankrupt. I'd love to see all IP loosened up too, let various indie developers make Sim City games, Civilization, etc. Not to mean 5 studios developing Civilization 6, but let studios make city simulators, historical RTS, ets, without having to worry about getting sued because their game has a slight resemblance to the turds EA/Ubi/2K cranked out as DLC marketplaces.

 

[Sureshot324]

I'd like to see a game similar to Oblivion where the entire world is "alive." Unlike Obivion, though, NPCs aren't scripted, they just have "behaviors" and they do as the please. Sure, some will be fairly static and predictable, but there's no reason why every common townsfolk needs to walk a pre-determined path. It should be to the extent where an NPC adventurer could actually go out, clear out dungeons on their own, take loot, pickpocket others (including you!), get killed, etc.

That would take gaming to such a huge new level. Even if I had to literally download some kind of distributed computing client and run one portion on one or two other computers just to compute the AI in the world, and a third for my own "view" of the game, I'd do it.

Apparently they're somewhat going in this direction for Skyrim. Some quests will be dynamically generated by the NPC's needs, and some will be scripted. NPC's will have their own agenda and if they need something done they'll give you a quest for it. Hopefully this won't end up totally underwhelming like a lot of other things Bethesda's promised in the past. It would be sweet though if they pulled it off. Doing quests would be a lot more fun if you're actually affecting the world imo.

 

[shortylickens]

I'd like to see a game similar to Oblivion where the entire world is "alive." Unlike Obivion, though, NPCs aren't scripted, they just have "behaviors" and they do as the please. Sure, some will be fairly static and predictable, but there's no reason why every common townsfolk needs to walk a pre-determined path. It should be to the extent where an NPC adventurer could actually go out, clear out dungeons on their own, take loot, pickpocket others (including you!), get killed, etc.

That would take gaming to such a huge new level. Even if I had to literally download some kind of distributed computing client and run one portion on one or two other computers just to compute the AI in the world, and a third for my own "view" of the game, I'd do it.

Like I said above: On the fly AI.

That we need more than anything else.

 

[Rifter]

How about we work on getting some good AI first.

this should be addressed first i agree, AI in games still seems like a afterthought. I dont care how pretty the game is or how nice the cutscenes look when enemies arnt noticing the guy infront of them drop dead or are blindy rushing your fortified posistion without using cover in a straight line something needs to be done about it.

 

[reallyscrued]

In all of this discussion of realism in graphics I haven't seen anyone mention Raytracing.

Then you missed my first rant of a post.

 

[biostud]

fps's that aren't just another 'realistic' combat shooter.

 

[reallyscrued]

fps's that aren't just another 'realistic' combat shooter.

Again, if you've got an idea of a great shooter that hasn't yet been realized, by all means pitch your idea. Texashiker was complaining about the same thing more or less.

I don't mind them trying the realistic shooter model over and over. Doesn't mean I'll buy them, but devs will learn what works and what doesn't with each iteration of a game no matter how shitty it is. I have yet to play a game that satisfies how a "realistic" (quote or unquote, don't really care) should play like in my opinion and I enjoy trying each of them out.

The reason I quote your post is not because of that though, it's because...well, why exactly don't you think the next gen won't be riddled with 6 versions of COD and the like?

 

[Dkcode]

Completely disagree. Of course controls are part of the game. A mechwarrior game that you play with 2 buttons is not the same as a joystick and the 30 keys. Mechs are supposed to feel complex.

And ultimately, when you try to grind down 50 controls into 2 buttons, what you get is a lot of dropped features. Doors open when you walk near them, that kind of shit. All of a sudden you have mouse gestures and shit and it barely feels like you are playing the game.

Certainly, we could turn every game into Dragon's Lair, but I don't think that is a good idea.

This ^

 

[Texashiker]

Real original ideas you got there.

Either I could say counter-strike, or I could say something like a group of military people like seal team 6 or special forces.

I could say left 4 dead, or I could say something like "an unkown virus has been released on mankind turning humans into violent masses that kill the non-infected"

Instead of going into lots of details, why not give examples people can relate to.

Personally, I would like to see a mix of Doom, Counter-strike and Left 4 Dead. Where a portal has been opened to the depths of hell, and a military squad has been sent in to shut the system down. Its a team based game where people play demons and the military personal.

Or, a game based on surviving the world in a post demon invasion, after the original military squad that was sent in failed to shut the system down.

 

[sandorski]

Devices the size of a wrist watch will be all the rage. Music, Movies, Internet, Gaming. CoD XX will be dumbed down to 1 Button control, a best Seller, and exclusive to such devices.

 

[reallyscrued]

Either I could say counter-strike, or I could say something like a group of military people like seal team 6 or special forces.

I could say left 4 dead, or I could say something like "an unkown virus has been released on mankind turning humans into violent masses that kill the non-infected"

Instead of going into lots of details, why not give examples people can relate to.

I still don't think you understand what I meant. Yeah...you could say CS or a group of infantry units...but neither are original ideas. You are replacing a non-original idea with the same thing. Just because you made one ambiguous instead of a solid example doesn't mean it's original all of a sudden.

Here's an original idea...Portal. (Correct me if I'm wrong) That was the most original gameplay I've experienced post HL2. You are trapped in an area and must utilize a tool that connects space/time together in the shape of an oval large enough for you to pass through to solve physical puzzles. Fucking brilliant, and if you think about it, the game really could've been implemented 10 years ago on the UT engine, or 15 years ago on the Quake engine (granted, the things taken care of by Havok would have to be scripted) but my point is that game's only real limitation to why it didn't get released until 4 years ago was imagination. It just hadn't been thought of yet, or at least put into production.

So that's what I was asking from you. What gameplay elements do you see as missing from today's games?

I really don't see why this idea:

Personally, I would like to see a mix of Doom, Counter-strike and Left 4 Dead. Where a portal has been opened to the depths of hell, and a military squad has been sent in to shut the system down. Its a team based game where people play demons and the military personal.

Or, a game based on surviving the world in a post demon invasion, after the original military squad that was sent in failed to shut the system down.

can't be realized using our hardware today. You missed the point of the title of this thread. Go back and read it.

 

[Ghiedo27]

What are some things that games in say, 2021 might be able to do that they can't now? Or even 2026 if we must go that far.

Cross genre gameplay for increased immersion.

You would make your fort in a sims style builder. City builder included to provide real estate for people to buy community lots with faction zoning. The best would attract more people to form larger cities. Defend it with mass effect style squad mates for single player tower defense, but in a 3d environment. Assume direct control for FPS multiplayer defense or assault other players towers.

MMO-ish style manufacturing professions and trading for more advanced building options and exploration. A larger world would be maintained for resource gathering and overall setting. Oh, did I mention persistent structure damage? If a wall collapses you can either clear and rebuild or let it evolve your fort with some added flavor. Auction quest slips to complete tasks from other players for currency.

Level system and 'wager' amounts included to level playing field and limit how much of your structure you're willing to risk. Neutral peacekeeper force would come to break the conflict. No limit games would exist for those willing to risk everything. The attacker would risk their armament and the defender would risk fort upgrades. A savvy attacker could limit damage to the structure and focus on getting to the wanted upgrades before the damage limit was reached.

On the other end of the spectrum, cities would have the option of including arena maps for those wishing to just compete without the construction. Arena armament would be agreed upon before the match between players.

That's a very, very rough overview. It would need the right setting, controls, and transitions with highly managed risk vs reward scaling to be successful. But I think the idea of a game world that's big enough that you have to pick a piece of it to be successful is very appealing.

 

[Bill Brasky]

On the fly AI and map generation.
How about if Fallout could dynamically modify its world?

Yes please. This sounds amazing.

 

[ChickenShwarma]

I love threads like this. It makes me very excited about being a gamer.

The progress in graphical fidelity is definitely expected, but I hope the gameplay can keep up with the progress and evolve. From immersion stand point, it could even be counter active if you can't act "real", when you can see "real". I think the scene in the Doom movie where they mimicked a FPS camera movement looked stupid for this reason.

My favorite games in the last few years has been BioWare's RPG like Mass Effect and Dragon Age series. The voice acting work helps me get into the story much more than before, compared to when we used to read the dialogues. With technical progress, I want to see more voice and audio work in the future. I want the game to recognize my character's name as well, and integrate it into the dialogue for increased immersion.

As I get older, and less competitive, I notice myself playing more single player games than multiplayer games. MMOs and social games are fun, but games are becoming more and more personal for myself, as I have other social outlets in my life. I see younger generation of gamers will be attracted to the social element of gaming, but with the gaming demographic getting older and older, I believe there will be a market for games dedicated to single player experience and immersion.