Loading Screens - Page 2

slipperywhenwet · 01-08-2011, 12:33 PM

Exactly. They could make it look a million times better, but underneath it all, its still source. Source still looks fine today, especially with Portal 2, and I highly doubt they will need to make a new engine for a long while. If they do make a new one sooner then that, fine, but it really isn't necessary.

skinlo · 01-08-2011, 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by McMasterGold

Yes it is. It's the same engine from 2003 with new features. Yes, it is very good with older systems, but it can't take advantage of high-end systems and new technologies. They have to make sacrifices to add DX11 support, and multicore support is very buggy.

It's time to replace the engine, otherwise VALVe will contribute to keeping the technology behind (just like consoles).

Well actually, if you are thinking of it like that, its the Quake engine, just with new features.

yourworldonfire · 01-08-2011, 09:15 PM

If valve pulls off no loading screens, I'd like a way to distinguish the seperate chapters, even if it is test chamber to test chamber, just to give a good sense of where to stop and start again on breaks

trenmost · 01-09-2011, 03:16 AM

the multicore support W.O.R.K.S on the l4d engine. but since the l4d engine branch is seperate from the orange box branch the orange box still has the old multicore support.

so if valve integrates the system used in l4d engine branch, into the Source 2011, Portal 2 will have a nice multicore support

note:
Here are some feature comparison between the engines (better multicore support is not mentioned here, but i'm sure they mentioned it in the developer commentary, or somewhere else...naturally i can be wrong too

)

Source Engine 2004 -> 2006
http://developer.valvesoftware.com/w...gine_branch%29

Source Engine 2006 -> 2007 (orangebox engine) -> 2009
http://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Orange_Box

Source Engine L4D Branch
http://developer.valvesoftware.com/w...gine_branch%29

ON: i think this kind of loading is nice. I'm not really into multithreaded programming, but if we may run the game on one thread (which is simplified since we are restricted to 'movement and portal shooting in a lift(fruitlessly since on a lift we cant place portals)'), and we run the loading on an other thread, then it may be possible...

but it would make loading pauses more longer, not sure how longer.
And some SingleCore CPU's would have problems with this because not every single-core CPU supports multithreading AFAIK.

DirectVic · 01-09-2011, 04:06 AM

HL2 on the Xbox used a really basic version of this called "level streaming".

In short, it did not produce any decent results. The port ran badly, and the loading screens were still there.

They've never used it on the PC, to my knowledge, and I don't see why they'd use it now.

StarWarsKnower · 01-09-2011, 02:25 PM

I don't get this thread. What was wrong with how valve have always done it in Portal and Half-life. The small "loading" box appears in the middle then disappears again every now and then. That was fine and didn't take long. What has changed that means they can't/won't do that anymore!?

yourworldonfire · 01-09-2011, 08:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StarWarsKnower

I don't get this thread. What was wrong with how valve have always done it in Portal and Half-life. The small "loading" box appears in the middle then disappears again every now and then. That was fine and didn't take long. What has changed that means they can't/won't do that anymore!?

i think the main complaint is for those whose processor and other computer hardware don't function as great making those loading screens last longer and can tend to be a pain

trenmost · 01-10-2011, 02:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yourworldonfire

i think the main complaint is for those whose processor and other computer hardware don't function as great making those loading screens last longer and can tend to be a pain

its not a big deal if valve makes longer but fewer loadings, by using bigger maps

Half-Life 2: lots of small maps, lots of short loadings
HL2 EP2: few HUGE maps, few longer loadings, in cost of some FPS

and i prefer the EP2 style.

Pozpenguin · 01-10-2011, 01:59 PM

i dont care about loading time what about menu screenes for co op?

Dark Flesh · 01-11-2011, 04:04 AM

McMasterGold thinks that Game Engines are like lego where you start with the first brick and then just add new bricks for new Features.

But as many now it isnt like that.
A Update changes Often evry brick in the System so its no way the same as the old one.

Cymen90 · 01-11-2011, 04:21 AM

Loading screens? Wut? I only have 2 seconds of loading without changing to a new screen...

michael89 · 01-11-2011, 04:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by McMasterGold

Source can't process dynamic loading. That's why this isn't an option.

But seeing Portal's maps don't take long to load, dynamic loading wouldn't take lots of time.

Interesting... You are comparing Portal 1 with 2, while P2 is way more complex than P1.

I assume, that you havent seen the media.

skinlo · 01-11-2011, 05:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by michael89

Interesting... You are comparing Portal 1 with 2, while P2 is way more complex than P1.

I assume, that you havent seen the media.

The average computer is now more powerful than in 2007, so that to some extent will cancel out the extra loading time.

skinlo · 01-11-2011, 05:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cymen90

Loading screens? Wut? I only have 2 seconds of loading without changing to a new screen...

A screen where it says loading, even for 0.1 seconds is still a loading screen.

slipperywhenwet · 01-11-2011, 05:28 AM

The reason people want dynamic loading is so the immersion isn't broken, not becaue they're computers can't handle loading screens. If their pc take long on load times, then it probably isn't very good and would less so be able to support dynamic loading. Not that I care, just so long as the maps are bigger then in Portal 1.

01-09-2011, 03:16 AM	#19
trenmost Join Date: Nov 2008 Reputation: 254 Posts: 1,994	the multicore support W.O.R.K.S on the l4d engine. but since the l4d engine branch is seperate from the orange box branch the orange box still has the old multicore support. so if valve integrates the system used in l4d engine branch, into the Source 2011, Portal 2 will have a nice multicore support note: Here are some feature comparison between the engines (better multicore support is not mentioned here, but i'm sure they mentioned it in the developer commentary, or somewhere else...naturally i can be wrong too ) Source Engine 2004 -> 2006 http://developer.valvesoftware.com/w...gine_branch%29 Source Engine 2006 -> 2007 (orangebox engine) -> 2009 http://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Orange_Box Source Engine L4D Branch http://developer.valvesoftware.com/w...gine_branch%29 ON: i think this kind of loading is nice. I'm not really into multithreaded programming, but if we may run the game on one thread (which is simplified since we are restricted to 'movement and portal shooting in a lift(fruitlessly since on a lift we cant place portals)'), and we run the loading on an other thread, then it may be possible... but it would make loading pauses more longer, not sure how longer. And some SingleCore CPU's would have problems with this because not every single-core CPU supports multithreading AFAIK. Last edited by trenmost: 01-09-2011 at 03:28 AM.

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01-08-2011, 12:33 PM	#16
slipperywhenwet Join Date: Oct 2009 Reputation: 1855 Posts: 6,766	Exactly. They could make it look a million times better, but underneath it all, its still source. Source still looks fine today, especially with Portal 2, and I highly doubt they will need to make a new engine for a long while. If they do make a new one sooner then that, fine, but it really isn't necessary.

01-08-2011, 09:15 PM	#18
yourworldonfire Join Date: Oct 2010 Reputation: 182 Posts: 1,098	If valve pulls off no loading screens, I'd like a way to distinguish the seperate chapters, even if it is test chamber to test chamber, just to give a good sense of where to stop and start again on breaks

01-09-2011, 04:06 AM	#20
DirectVic Join Date: Oct 2009 Reputation: 2108 Posts: 4,902	HL2 on the Xbox used a really basic version of this called "level streaming". In short, it did not produce any decent results. The port ran badly, and the loading screens were still there. They've never used it on the PC, to my knowledge, and I don't see why they'd use it now.

01-09-2011, 02:25 PM	#21
StarWarsKnower Join Date: Apr 2009 Reputation: 34 Posts: 405	I don't get this thread. What was wrong with how valve have always done it in Portal and Half-life. The small "loading" box appears in the middle then disappears again every now and then. That was fine and didn't take long. What has changed that means they can't/won't do that anymore!?

01-10-2011, 01:59 PM	#24
Pozpenguin Banned Join Date: Jan 2011 Reputation: 0 Posts: 58	i dont care about loading time what about menu screenes for co op?

01-11-2011, 04:04 AM	#25
Dark Flesh Join Date: Jan 2010 Reputation: 19 Posts: 633	McMasterGold thinks that Game Engines are like lego where you start with the first brick and then just add new bricks for new Features. But as many now it isnt like that. A Update changes Often evry brick in the System so its no way the same as the old one.

01-11-2011, 04:21 AM	#26
Cymen90 Join Date: May 2009 Reputation: 502 Posts: 3,194	Loading screens? Wut? I only have 2 seconds of loading without changing to a new screen...

01-11-2011, 05:28 AM	#30
slipperywhenwet Join Date: Oct 2009 Reputation: 1855 Posts: 6,766	The reason people want dynamic loading is so the immersion isn't broken, not becaue they're computers can't handle loading screens. If their pc take long on load times, then it probably isn't very good and would less so be able to support dynamic loading. Not that I care, just so long as the maps are bigger then in Portal 1.