Nice to get a good reaction from the serious game programmers, the other usual sad lot of critics that never contribute anything other than hot air I shall just ignore.
Firstly, my statement as confirmed by the staff at 3drt are that the city levels shown are between 10,000 and twenty thousand polygons.
Van B confirms that dbc can render 48,000 polygons. 18,000 more than dbpro. Fact then: dbc can hold more and twice as many as the required twenty thousand leaving half for in game models.
Yes dbpro can look and perform better but sacrifices more processing power in order to do it.
DBC being more basic is doing less work and therefore freeing up more usable processing. Swings and roundabouts.
Dark Dragon "shockwave" only used to show the level to customers.
Just as fpsc appears on youtube etc.
Phaelax "frame rates" read what Van B is saying.
thenerd "all the calculations" what calculations?
Latch "we'll see what happens" exactly.
If 'thenerd' means what I think which is putting in collision for every building I seriously have to ask why?
You don't slide along the walls of your own house just to make sure it's got collision. When I am driving I don't slam into walls and buildings to check if they're real. The idea of large complete levels is for scenery to compliment the game taking place within it.
But should you want collision on buildings you already have the code for that from lee bamber in his first tank demo. The buildings just have to be taken in their groups and assigned a SIZE for their collision box.
Damaged building can be taken in the same way and use the HIDE command.
When you call to the group to destroy the good building you just SHOW the damaged building already hidden in the same spot.
The processing when using the 'pythagorus' triangle thing and a group is instant.
To get back to my point which is using complete levels for scenery I have downloaded a free untextured Metro city from Turbosquid.
I took out the overhead train track as I just wanted the buildings.
Their are pavements and traffic light hangers.
I've multiplied the city four times to give an idea of extent and used one texture each for buildings, pavements and ground.
The vehicle is my own 3ds model used in my alienware competition entry 'OUTPOST'
My next version will be the city with tanks...very soon
Look at the basic demo and feel free to make constructive comment or questions.
mpc