Strike Commander: the story??
Unknown
Commander its developement and delays. Purely from a software engineering
standpoint, what factors went into the game developement? What problems
did Origin encounter?
Ross, you seem to have good connections at Origin, this would be a great
addition to GB #10.
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Brian Rauchfuss
> I was wondering if anybody out there has the real story behind Strike
> Commander its developement and delays. Purely from a software engineering
> standpoint, what factors went into the game developement? What problems
> did Origin encounter?
According to my unimpeachable sources, Origin had a game engine that played too
slowly on slower 386 machines. They decided to scrap the original game engine
and create a new one because they decided they needed to support 386/25s and
such.
BDR
Ross Erickson
>I was wondering if anybody out there has the real story behind Strike
>Commander its developement and delays. Purely from a software engineering
>standpoint, what factors went into the game developement? What problems
>did Origin encounter?
>
>Ross, you seem to have good connections at Origin, this would be a great
>addition to GB #10.
Yes, this might possibly be a good idea for an article. I had a great
visit with this when I flew to Austin a month ago or so. Saw LOTS of
great stuff, but the overall story for the delays on Strike Commander
is very interesting. Actually, it's not really accurate to say this
has been delayed this long. What they HAVE been developing is a game
engine which has taken 3/4's of the time involved that we see as
delays. SC will be the first GAME to USE the engine. Now that it has
been fine tuned, you'll see the Strike engine used in a lot more
games, including Wing Commander III. In that, you'll fly space
missions, AND enter the atmosphere too. Great transition effects.
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tjg...@ritvax.isc.rit.edu
Imagine Star Wars using this engine...
Patrick Bryant
> Yeah that would be cool! Entering a planet chasing a ship.
Wing Commander III will offer that feature, so I am told. We're also going
to get more control over the facets of the war. Like being able to send
squadrons where you want to, jumping into those squadrons, flying into planets.
Et alia.
--
pbr...@ukelele.gcr.com "...but honour, pleasure, reason,
and every other virture we choose
indeed for themselves, but we also
choose them for happiness." - Aristotle
Robert C. Merritt <rcmerrit>
Thats nice of them. Since that it took them 3 years and 486s are now the
standard and such.
Rob Merritt
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Rob Vanden Heuvel
> Wing Commander III will offer that feature, so I am told.
The old game Starglider offered that feature (and used it extensively). That
was a very interesting game (although not too straightforward as far as
solving it goes).
Stefan Moser
>>According to my unimpeachable sources, Origin had a game engine that played too
>>slowly on slower 386 machines. They decided to scrap the original game engine
>>and create a new one because they decided they needed to support 386/25s and
>>such.
>>
>>BDR
>Thats nice of them. Since that it took them 3 years and 486s are now the
>standard and such.
Hey, there's no fundamental change between a 386/25 and 486DX/2-66
(except maybe the FPU, but I doubt that they would use it anyway, because
CISC processors like the 486 tend to have very unbalanced int/float
float performance).
So that means, if it's designed to run on a 386-25 (and instead of being
some kind of a scaled down version, it has been optimized and optimized and
optimized again), it's gonna be a blaze on 486's. Can't see nothing wrong
with that.
Stefan
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JANG HIN LANG
There is a fundamental change between the processors detailed above.
While the 386 is "dual-layered", the 486 is "triple-layered".
Meaning that the path length distance between transistors is shorter;
thus, increasing the speed at which the chip can relay and accept
instructions.
The FPU would unlikely be used by a graphics intensive game IF
its drawing routines use integer math (e.g. the Bresenham algorithm).
However, not knowing the algorithms used in ORIGIN software I
really cannot pass judgement whether they are "forcing" us to
purchase more powerful computers or not.
Adam K. Rixey
Commander: the s.. JANG HIN LA...@ecf.toront (1919)
> The FPU would unlikely be used by a graphics intensive game IF
> its drawing routines use integer math (e.g. the Bresenham algorithm).
> However, not knowing the algorithms used in ORIGIN software I
> really cannot pass judgement whether they are "forcing" us to
> purchase more powerful computers or not.
After speaking with Richard Garriott at a convention last summer, I do
know that Origin WAS planning on supporting math co-processors UNTIL
Intel released the darned 486-SX. That threw them for a loop and, at
the time I spoke with him, they hadn't decided whether they would or
not. If Intel hadn't made the SX, they could easily make a game that
requires a math-coprocessor since all 486s would have them; but now the
schmuck who goes into the store and doesn't know the difference between
an SX and a DX would buy a program he couldn't use.
He also detailed plot synopses and game play for Ultimas 7.5 through
10. If all goes as planned, Ultima 8 will probably be on disk with an
optional CD-ROM disk for sound effects - LOTS of speech planned with the
CD.
Do *NOT* e-mail a response to me.
- AkR
- ar...@andrew.cmu.edu
___
Hey, kids, now there's a free shoggoth in every box of Sugar Coated Cthooloops!
Ross Erickson
> Yeah that would be cool! Entering a planet chasing a ship.
This is called "Wing Commander III".