It's one of the great tragedies of video gaming that technology eventually makes playing some of the old, classic games almost impossible.
Movies, music, books as just a few example are timeless and tied to the technology of the day, or can more easily 'ported' on most cases.
Hey! Everyone! #DragonsNDonuts is live Friday 11am MST. We'll be on PC trying to fight off ALL the enemies! @ehlien http://twitch.tv/bioware
I doubt it. People have been begging Bioware for remasters since KoTOR.
Not exactly, if they were to do graphical updates it doesn't matter which franchise it will be quite a hassle and frankly not worth the effort. It isn't as easy as slapping on a new coat of paint, to "port" a game to a new engine - such as from UE3 to FB3 - you will essentially need to rebuild the game from the ground up. And that's just on the programming side, if you want newer looking characters and proper implementation of new shaders they will have to redo the characters and optimize them for current generation. Higher resolution textures, properly masked physically based rendering as can be seen in DAI, and more. It just isn't worth the time or money that it would require.
Why would they bother switching engines for an ME remaster? It's not like UE3 is all that dated yet.
DA or KOTOR, on the other hand, would be a problem.
It's one of the great tragedies of video gaming that technology eventually makes playing some of the old, classic games almost impossible.
Movies, music, books as just a few example are timeless and tied to the technology of the day, or can more easily 'ported' on most cases.
Why would they bother switching engines for an ME remaster? It's not like UE3 is all that dated yet.
DA or KOTOR, on the other hand, would be a problem.
How exactly do you propose they remaster ME without an engine upgrade? The point is to upgrade the game visually, they have already pushed UE3 to its boundaries. You can't take advantage of new shaders, lighting models or poly limits without changing the base upon which the game was built. DA would be no more difficult as it was developed right around the same time as ME, and the asset resources were developed in modern applications. KoTOR on the other hand was developed over a decade ago, so you can't even draw upon the original assets and optimize them for newer engines. They would have to create those assets entirely from scratch. Hawke or Flemmeth's armor from DA2 in DAI is a perfect example of this. In fact those didn't look as if they changed polycount at all, only optimized the textures for physically based rendering. But I digress.
How exactly do you propose they remaster ME without an engine upgrade? The point is to upgrade the game visually, they have already pushed UE3 to its boundaries. You can't take advantage of new shaders, lighting models or poly limits without changing the base upon which the game was built. DA would be no more difficult as it was developed right around the same time as ME, and the asset resources were developed in modern applications. KoTOR on the other hand was developed over a decade ago, so you can't even draw upon the original assets and optimize them for newer engines. They would have to create those assets entirely from scratch. Hawke or Flemmeth's armor from DA2 in DAI is a perfect example of this. In fact those didn't look as if they changed polycount at all, only optimized the textures for physically based rendering. But I digress.
The sort of remaster you're describing is more of a remake. I don't think anyone's expecting ME1-3 rebuilt for Frostbite. It would be like creating a whole new game. They already have the high poly meshes and hi-res textures saved somewhere from when they were originally created (before being shrunk down to fit the technology of the time). The Unreal Engine can be pushed a lot further than it was for the Mass Effect games. Look at the weather effects from multi-player that didn't make it into single player or anything that the modding community has done without the benefit of having access to the best tools for the job. My heavily modded game already looks pretty slick and runs very smoothly without even being optimised to do so.
All of that is beside the point anyway. The fact is console players that have moved on to the newest generation of hardware no longer have the ability to play this game and neither will potential new customers unless they release a new XboxOne/PS4 version of the game. That in itself is a reason for a remaster even if it doesn't come with as many bells and whistles as you might have hoped.
DA: O can't be remastered. Because the engine is too old and not really up to the challenge. It'd be a...rebuild on Frostbite 3. The same goes for ME, I guess. But I'd play those games if they came on PS4.
People are currently trying to convince Aaron Flynn to remaster the whole ME series to the new consoles, I'm guessing if they do and it goes well, DA will be looked at next
I am REALLY hoping the ME series gets ported to current gen consoles. If any series deserves this ME does.
I am REALLY hoping the ME series gets ported to current gen consoles. If any series deserves this ME does.
Not exactly on topic, but that's been confirmed already
Edit:
Sorry guys, half asleep and misread! Though they were asking about the next mass effect
Not exactly on topic, but that's been confirmed already
Really? Would you have an off-topic source link? (intense breathing...)
How exactly do you propose they remaster ME without an engine upgrade? The point is to upgrade the game visually, they have already pushed UE3 to its boundaries. You can't take advantage of new shaders, lighting models or poly limits without changing the base upon which the game was built.
Uh, no, you absolutely can upgrade graphical fidelity without changing engines. See Homeworld 2 Remastered for proof. (Homeworld 1 was remastered too, but it was moved over to the Homeworld 2 engine.) And UE3 is absolutely more up-to-date than the Homeworld 2 engine was.
An engine is just code. Graphics code can be updated.
Not exactly on topic, but that's been confirmed already
Ummm... when and how, exactly, was that confirmed?
There was a fan campaign asking for it to happen that spun around earlier this week and a few BW employees and former employees agreed it would be awesome, but I didn't see anything actually announcing, "Yes, we are going to do this." My newsfeed would have literally exploded.
It's the eyes of Pinecone. Run! Run!
2. How is that relevant to the Dragon Age twitter thread?
Well perhaps if BiowEAr actually left their ivory towers and allowed there to be a Twitter thread dedicated to Mass Effect in a Mass Effect-dedicated forum, people wouldn't feel the need to talk about Mass Effect in this...oh wait, there totally is a Mass Effect twitter thread in a forum dedicated to Mass Effect, so yeah, have no clue why they're talking about it here.
Not exactly on topic, but that's been confirmed already
Not from what I've seen it hasn't. The only thing on the internet is from various sources from a year ago saying ME MAY be ported, not that it will be ported.
Sorry guys, half asleep and misread! Though they were asking about the next mass effect
Let's move on to some DA related tweets!
The Dragon Age Core Rulebook is finished and approved! You can get the PDF now and pre-order the book! #darpg http://greenronin.com/blog/2015/04/16/dragon-age-rpg-core-rulebook-pre-order-and-pdf/ …
Uh, no, you absolutely can upgrade graphical fidelity without changing engines. See Homeworld 2 Remastered for proof. (Homeworld 1 was remastered too, but it was moved over to the Homeworld 2 engine.) And UE3 is absolutely more up-to-date than the Homeworld 2 engine was.
An engine is just code. Graphics code can be updated.
I never said that you couldn't modify UE3 any further. But it isn't nearly as easy as you are implying, so why go through that trouble when you can use the latest generational version or another? What you and many other people here don't seem to be grasping is that for a remaster to be worth it, it has to be an improvement over the first. The ME trilogy made extensive and at times unnecessary use of LODs, particularly with regards to textures. Ambient Occlusion was switched off, so was anti-aliasing and a host of other relatively minor features. These graphical settings and constraints can be altered by modifying the ini files, and would only minimally increase visuals. This is something the user can do on their own, and would not warrant a remaster in the slightest. Now whether they choose to modify their version of UE3 - which would take more time and work than many here understand - or choose a newer engine such as UE4 or since EA is pushing it hard FB3, they will still have to update the environment and character assets, among a myriad of other things. That takes an incredible amount of time, especially optimizing assets for physically based rendering engines. ME1 > ME3 are all using UE3, but slightly different versions of it. They were able to implement new lighting models and shaders in UE3 ME3, but it was still built upon UE3 which to a degree is finite in what you can do and what is worth expanding. Skin shaders in ME3 for example were more expensive than new, optimized shaders in next gen engines which look better to boot. It's like trying to compare an old incandescent light to a new CFL, which can burn just as bright but for fewer consumed watts.
The sort of remaster you're describing is more of a remake. I don't think anyone's expecting ME1-3 rebuilt for Frostbite. It would be like creating a whole new game. They already have the high poly meshes and hi-res textures saved somewhere from when they were originally created (before being shrunk down to fit the technology of the time). The Unreal Engine can be pushed a lot further than it was for the Mass Effect games. Look at the weather effects from multi-player that didn't make it into single player or anything that the modding community has done without the benefit of having access to the best tools for the job. My heavily modded game already looks pretty slick and runs very smoothly without even being optimised to do so.
All of that is beside the point anyway. The fact is console players that have moved on to the newest generation of hardware no longer have the ability to play this game and neither will potential new customers unless they release a new XboxOne/PS4 version of the game. That in itself is a reason for a remaster even if it doesn't come with as many bells and whistles as you might have hoped.
A remaster is essentially a remake. Bioware uses Zbrush for their character work. For these games, they were retopologized - optimization of polygons and edgeflow - for what the current generation could handle. If they were to do a remaster of a game that didn't come out that long ago, logically it would make sense to do so with a next gen engine whether it be UE4 or FB3. Like I mentioned above, even if they tried to squeeze a little more power out of the UE3 engine they would still have to rework the characters, environments, textures, particles,and more. That doesn't change. So lets say Shepard's default armor is 15,000 polys currently in ME3. A lot of the detail is in the textures, and the textures are not optimized for PBR. They would have to reopen that zbrush sculpt, retopologize - which is quite a long and tedious process - the armor to take advantage of an increased polygon limit, recreate the UVs to account for the additional object detail, rebake the texture maps, and then optimize the masks and roughness maps for a PBR based engine. For every character and set piece.
I'm not entirely sure why you got the impression I'm hoping for any bells and whistles, there is no doubt in my mind that we will not be getting any remastered games - ME trilogy or KoTOR. It just isn't worth the amount of time that it requires, they're better off selling new titles than putting in the amount of work required for a remaster that won't sell as well. The problem you outlined above is only confined to those who play on console, and is one of the many detriments of doing so. PC users can still play games from decades ago, it's backwards compatible.
But this is the twitter thread, we've already gone a great length into this topic here even though it was based off of a tweet.
1. Nobody's ever confirmed a Mass Effect remaster.
2. How is that relevant to the Dragon Age twitter thread?
Because it was referenced in a tweet. Are you the only one who's allowed to elaborate on them now? I do recall you made quite a lengthy crusade in here regarding the exclusivity of the first DLC.
snip
We've already been told to stay on topic, so I'm just going to refer you to Homeworld Remastered again and be done here.
We need tweets, even if it's not exactly DAI, so here:
Mike Laidlaw @Mike_Laidlaw · 1h 1 hour ago
I am trying one of @PatrickWeekes 's "usuals" at Starbucks and yes, it's basically the spice melange. I see plans within plans.
Oh. Dear. @Mike_Laidlaw is trying one of @PatrickWeekes usual insane hot chocolate orders @ Starbucks. @mel_f_lem - will keep you briefed.
Cameron Harris @camharr 2h2 hours ago
@KarinWeekes @Mike_Laidlaw @PatrickWeekes @mel_f_lem He's going to be seeing through the walls, space, AND time in an hour, won't he.
Karin Weekes @KarinWeekes 2h2 hours ago
@camharr @Mike_Laidlaw @PatrickWeekes @mel_f_lem My money is on something very much like that, yes.
(user)
@KarinWeekes @camharr @Mike_Laidlaw @PatrickWeekes @mel_f_lem And this order is??
Mike Laidlaw @Mike_Laidlaw 1h1 hour ago
(useR) @KarinWeekes @camharr @PatrickWeekes @mel_f_lem A non-fat, no-whip hot chocolate with 4 additional pumps of cimmamon dolce.
Cameron Harris @camharr 1h1 hour ago
@Mike_Laidlaw (user) @KarinWeekes @PatrickWeekes @mel_f_lem Well, Godspeed, sir.
Karin Weekes @KarinWeekes 1h1 hour ago
@Mike_Laidlaw (useR) @camharr @PatrickWeekes @mel_f_lem Ok, he can still type. That's a good sign.
Patrick Weekes @PatrickWeekes · 1h 1 hour ago
@Mike_Laidlaw (useR) @KarinWeekes @camharr @mel_f_lem Spice is life!
@Mike_Laidlaw Now go write a fight scene! You can see it, right? Right? And hear it? All of it, the whole thing, at the same time?
I cannot finish this. I cannot get even half-way through this. @PatrickWeekes, you are operating on a level I cannot understand.
My only wish is that someone had thought to take a picture of Laidlaw's face when he took that first sip...
Retour en haut
