|
|
Bioshock
About Truespace Archives
These pages are a copy of the official truespace forums prior to their removal somewhere around 2011.
They are retained here for archive purposes only.
Post by splinters // Aug 21, 2007, 1:26pm
|
splinters
Total Posts: 4148
|
Maybe it is my artist's mentality but I really can't get over just how good this game looks so I just ordered a copy which should hopefully arrive by release date on Friday. Hope my PC is still up to the challenge. Kinda reminds me of a workspace grab with the bloom effects too...
Ooooh, creepy screenshots! |
Post by Jack Edwards // Aug 21, 2007, 1:51pm
|
Jack Edwards
Total Posts: 4062
|
I saw the add for that on the nVidia website. Sounds like an odd story line but the promo art really caught my eye.
-Jack. |
Post by transient // Aug 21, 2007, 3:53pm
|
transient
Total Posts: 977
|
They've released a book of concept art from the game for free. It's got some great stuff in it.
Link (http://digg.com/xbox_360/Bioshock_Artbook_that_couldn_t_be_included_with_th e_LE_version_for_download) |
Post by Jack Edwards // Aug 21, 2007, 4:19pm
|
Jack Edwards
Total Posts: 4062
|
Aw yeah direct download :cool:
Awesome link Transient! |
Post by weaveribm // Aug 21, 2007, 11:28pm
|
weaveribm
Total Posts: 592
|
I played the demo last night and it's all true it's more than amazing it's way past jaw-dropping. Astounding
Water so beautiful in all its forms, mirror-like and then suddenly dangerous. Huge streams of very realistic water bursting under pressure into- when- and- (can't say more obviously, you'd kill me) :)
I have never seen anything like it in a game. The volumetric light and smoke (while probably faked in places, tech-talk) are- sorry we've run out of superlatives now we're in new territory altogether.
Quite short the demo is, but you really will become inspired. Warning note though there must be 50 billion triangles* in some frames in there and that's just the (working) toilet. Where you can find out in which hemisphere you are... yes you can at the back :)
The very nice game where at the end (legacy spoiler space, look away now) you have to bump off some nutter at the top of a high building - with the tripods and the antlike creatures you command and throw pheromones at enemies for your vicious antlike comrades to follow and attack. That one was the only game I've ever played all the way through. Bioshock makes that one look a bit legacy in the imagination
It's very damp in the deep so all surfaces must be wetted-shiny you'll find :)
System Shock 2 I think was an earlier game from this crew. Bioshack is more arcadey than games I like to play usually, 360 version I suppose so less for RPG fans. Massive eyecandy, no need to play at all just walk around with your mouth open. Definitely getting this one it's a milestone
Peter
* I've told you a thousand times stop exaggerating |
Post by splinters // Aug 21, 2007, 11:50pm
|
splinters
Total Posts: 4148
|
Glad I ordered it then. Not a massive fan of PC games as mine is usually rendering something but I get all the biggies to see what all the fuss is about; HL2, Doom3, Quake 4 etc.
I usually enjoy them too.
Just a question Peter, will it run ok on my PC; AMD X2 6000, 2Gb Ram and Geforce 7900GT?
I meet recommnded specs (as opposed to minimum) but that rarely means anything nowadays.
And this is from the System Shock guys and was meant to be a sequel of sorts but it mutated into an 'underwater' based adventure. Still has the haunted/ghost aspect of the earlier game though...:) |
Post by parva // Aug 21, 2007, 11:58pm
|
parva
Total Posts: 822
|
funny setting and great use of shaders :D
it's obvious that it based upon Unreal engine, the plastic look can't be rejected but there nearly everything is wet, it's not that bad. The textures could be sharper but due to the amount of textures it's OK (think a decision to make it run at console).
I played the demo. Haven't read anything about the game so I hadn't expect anything but if the final runs as smooth as the demo it's a funny game (even if I'm not a fan of splatter-shooters - violence everywhere - gamedesigners seams to have no other ideas) ^^ |
Post by brotherx // Aug 22, 2007, 1:01am
|
brotherx
Total Posts: 538
|
I am so tempted to order a quad 2.4 core 2 just for it but then I thought...buy it for the xbox - cheaper...:) mind you, 400 euro for a quad core and motherboard is pretty decent.
The game is sweet. played the demo earlier in the week before the PC demo is out. Might see if it works on my PC like because it's a good bit cheaper. |
Post by weaveribm // Aug 22, 2007, 1:06am
|
weaveribm
Total Posts: 592
|
I get all the biggies to see what all the fuss is about
Same here, it's all polygons after all :)
will it run ok on my PC; AMD X2 6000, 2Gb Ram and Geforce 7900GT?
Looks good splinters, there'll be some graphics setting that will look good I bet, your CPU and RAM are fine
parva is right there's lots of stuff you can turn off I should think, the gore is large particles and I've just remembered where I've seen them before. The particles look like er, blood cells but about as big as a small dog they are huge and quivering like 3D jellyfish. Imagine big balloons full of liquid but deflating - they can definitely go :)
I see that Bioshock is using Securom. Bit nervous seeing that but I'll take my chances on the full game it's definitely a biggie this one. Crysis, Alan Lake to follow
There's a demo of Two Worlds out too now, that should be more er, mellow :) (Gamershell for UK is very quick)
Peter |
Post by parva // Aug 22, 2007, 1:56am
|
parva
Total Posts: 822
|
I am so tempted to order a quad 2.4 core 2 just for it but then I thought...buy it for the xbox - cheaper...:) mind you, 400 euro for a quad core and motherboard is pretty decent.
Mostly the bottle neck for games is the GPU but if you want not just to use PC for playing games then yes, a quad core+mobo for 400 is good.
I placed a quad6600 on a DS4 gigabyte board and it runs like charm.
But just for gaming a quad core isn't needed yet. |
Post by brotherx // Aug 22, 2007, 3:34am
|
brotherx
Total Posts: 538
|
Mostly the bottle neck for games is the GPU but if you want not just to use PC for playing games then yes, a quad core+mobo for 400 is good.
I placed a quad6600 on a DS4 gigabyte board and it runs like charm.
But just for gaming a quad core isn't needed yet.
Yeah...I don't use my PC that much for gaming since I got the XBox and hence the reason for it being so 'slow' :D But I notice the speed or lack of when using TrueSpace/Liquid Edition or occasionally when working with massive photos or scans.
For everything else it works...it's only 2 1/2 years old.... |
Post by Bobbins // Aug 22, 2007, 4:05am
|
Bobbins
Total Posts: 506
|
I notice the speed or lack of when using TrueSpace/Liquid Edition or occasionally when working with massive photos or scans.
Good grief, a fellow Liquid Edition user! Don't come across them too often. |
Post by Délé // Aug 22, 2007, 4:35am
|
Délé
Total Posts: 1374
|
I might have to get this game too. Looks pretty good. I was really hoping that Far Cry 2 was going to be out soon, but now that's looking like next spring. So I'll need something to tide me over until then. |
Post by brotherx // Aug 23, 2007, 2:44am
|
brotherx
Total Posts: 538
|
Only thing that concerns me is the 20 hours gameplay...that's nothing really. Mind you, I've been playing lego star wars for what feels like ages and have only clocked up 16 hours.... |
Post by TomG // Aug 23, 2007, 4:23am
|
TomG
Total Posts: 3397
|
Should be replayable though as you can simply "experiment" - the essence of the game is various ways in which you can string together many different solutions to a problem, so you can go back and do it all again and do it a different way.
This is one I am going to rent first, and may well not purchase. Kind of involved in LOTRO at the moment, and Pokemon Pearl as a backup. Combine that with upcoming games that I want (Crysis and Mass Effect and Halo 3 and the Half Life Orange box or whatever they call it now that will have Episode 1 and 2 in it as I havent played the Episodes yet just the core game) then I think I need to first, save my money as games are expensive these days and that is quite a list I have already of upcoming games to buy!; and second because LOTRO is enough to keep my spare time busy anyway (and I really ought to move on with Final Fantasy XII too, as well as aim for 100% in Okami, plus I want to take a look at the demo of Fatal Inertia as I could use a next generation "Wipeout" and buying a PS3 for that just ain't gonna happen at the prices they are at); plus I think I might take some spare time to look into some game development workflows or maybe even do some modeling of items that I could sell just for fun.
So with all that, I don't think I'll go for buying Bioshock as it hasn't quite grabbed my interest in the way those other games have. But I do want to have a look at it, so rental is a good option (especially if it is indeed short to go from start to finish, would make it an ideal choice).
Let me know how it plays!
Thanks!
Tom |
Post by Délé // Aug 23, 2007, 4:43am
|
Délé
Total Posts: 1374
|
For me it's the other way around. I went ahead a purchased it. Not too many games perk my interest but this one did. I've played some online games and they're fun, but I can't get into those like personal 1 player games.
I watched a bunch of the videos for Bioshock and I like the way they opened up the environment. Fire can spread to anything flammable, electricity travels through water, you can catch grenades thrown at you and throw them back, you can hack into bots and make them fight for you, etc. So it's not just a matter of using weapons, but how you can use the environment to your advantage too. Looks interesting.
The story looks really creepy too. You've got the "Big Daddies" which are very tough machines that protect their "little sisters" which are creepy little girls with glowing yellow eyes that drink the blood of the dead.
It sounds like there are different paths you can take and the game will play out differently based on your choices. Like for instance, you can choose to kill the "little sisters" (which you have to do if you want to gain power) or you can try to break the spell on them and save them (though you're not sure if they really can be saved). Some interesting moral choices to make in the game and different paths to take. So you should be able to play it a few times and try different scenarios as you said Tom. |
Post by splinters // Aug 23, 2007, 8:34am
|
splinters
Total Posts: 4148
|
Arrived this morning and finally got to play it after I went in for the GCSE results. I was completely hooked until my wife shouted me to walk the dog.
Very immersive, very creepy. Audio is excellent and remininscent of Resident Evil 4 but much better. The voice acting is excellent and it's graphically superb.
Add to this the gorgeous Art Deco/Underwater thing and I am hooked. A great buy for £25 (Play).
No regrets here. |
Post by TomG // Aug 23, 2007, 10:07am
|
TomG
Total Posts: 3397
|
It's actually the twisted art deco artwork that I want to rent the game to see :) That's the part that has the biggest appeal for me. I've always liked art deco, and the idea of this failed utopia founded on that old look is great!
Somehow that isn't enough to make me purchase though, so I think a rental is in order just to I can admire that aspect (hopefully the gameplay will not be too intrusive into that experience haha!).
I do think its nice to see some different art and design cultures / styles / eras show up in computer games. That's one reason I like Okami, the whole feel of being inside a piece of Japanese art is quite an experience, and great to see the different environments, look and monsters that arise from that brilliant art approach.
It's still rare to see though, mostly games come out of the regular cookie cutter moulds, and I still enjoy them, but it's always very refreshing to see different aspects of art and culture get picked up and used in games.
Thanks!
Tom |
Post by splinters // Aug 24, 2007, 9:35am
|
splinters
Total Posts: 4148
|
Wise move Tom, my install has developed technical issues and is now almost unplayable. I have no idea why but it keeps freezing for about 5 seconds at a time and I can't put up with it anymore as it has become very frequent (every few minutes now).
A visit to their forum shows things to be even worse with many, many problems the worst of which is the securerom DRM system which seems to hardware lock the game (like XP or Vista) and if you install it more than twice it cannot be played.
I love this game...but it may have to go back.
Oh, and the issues seem to affect 360 owners as well so it must be code rather than hardware.
Just thought you might like to know...:( |
Post by weaveribm // Aug 24, 2007, 9:58am
|
weaveribm
Total Posts: 592
|
[Peter earlier] I see that Bioshock is using Securom. Bit nervous seeing that...
Allow me splinters
AAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!
Peter :) |
Post by splinters // Aug 24, 2007, 10:04am
|
splinters
Total Posts: 4148
|
Indeed you did point that out but it is not an issue for me, the freezing is especially when an enemy starts attacking and you go to 1 frame every two seconds.....:( :(
Maybe I could turn some settings down but it runs like a dream when it isn't doing this.....
Anyway, this is not a game forum but worth a mention for other prospective buyers. |
Post by Garion // Aug 24, 2007, 10:57am
|
Garion
Total Posts: 116
|
I was going to buy this game until I read all the hoo ha at the 2K forums, it's DRM gone mad.
I would post a link but some of the langiage used there is rather.. erm.. colourful :rolleyes:
Cheers
Garion |
Post by TomG // Aug 24, 2007, 11:35am
|
TomG
Total Posts: 3397
|
This is always a big issue with software - do you lock it up as tight as you can with hardware dongles and software DRM? Or do you just do the simple "type in your registraton code that you find on the CD"?
You'll note that Caligari has always taken the second approach, basically it's easier to crack, but then it is easier for users. They don't experience any nightmares. We believe that penalising the legitimate folks in order to stop some of the illegitimate folks is just not a good way to go. Call it a trust thing, we go more on trust.
And of course the whole thing is that you can lock it up as tight as you like with DRM, make it require blood samples and retina scans and who knows what, and someone somewhere will STILL crack it and release it for free.
I've been rather alarmed with DRM in games, there was a whole debacle about a year ago I forget which game, but anyway it basically blocked people from using their CD / DVD burning software and interfered with normal use of their computer, and it all installed itself unnannounced when you installed the game, and basically users felt it was spyware more than anything, which I would say I agree with, that's how I would feel - I would be real mad if a game decided to tell me what I could and could not run on my computer.
Sounds like it still isn't all sorted out, I had hoped that whole issue last time around would just scare developers away from using that sort of software.
As for the slow downs, is that the DRM, or is it some graphics issue? I got that Might and Magic game as a free include with my 8800 card, I forget what it was called now. Anyway it would run for 5 to 15 minutes, then the frame rate would suddenly go through the floor, and I had to change resolutions, then it would work for 5 to 15 minutes, and so on.... needless to say I quit playing it. That was some sort of hardware / drive / software issue I am sure, running out of graphics memory most likely.
Would be scary if 360 owners are having the same problem (that's where I plan to rent it of course, I dont think you can rent PC games) - of course if the 360 has some sort of online registration to lock it to one console, then that would rule out renting too. The PS3 was talking about doing that to games, you run it, and the game basically locks itself to the one machine, but that never materialised.
Ah well it still comes down to the fact that you will never stop the illegitimate users no matter what you do, all you will do is make it harder and more unpleasant on the guys who supported you by spending their hard earned cash on your product.
Will look into the Bioshock release news after work today, to see what has been going on. Sad to see an exciting release marred by this (of course if people would just quit stealing software in this way, we'd have no need to even think about adding DRM and similar.... )
Thanks!
Tom |
Post by weaveribm // Aug 24, 2007, 12:18pm
|
weaveribm
Total Posts: 592
|
it basically blocked people from using their CD / DVD burning software and interfered with normal use of their computer
Silent Hunter 2 Tom yes that's the one, the installation of which caused a few system problems when we had to practically storm the Securom battlements to get them to take notice. I was kidding about Securom though earlier, I'm sure it's fine and won't stop me getting this one. I was being gently ironic only. British thing :)
DRM gone mad
Usual FUD yes
Peter |
Post by Steinie // Aug 24, 2007, 1:23pm
|
Steinie
Total Posts: 3667
|
I think LightWave still uses dongles! They did back in the Amiga days too. Jack pass me that bag you modeled, arghhhhh. We used to use a cracked version because we hated looking for our dongle. There was other software too, maybe WordPerfect? My mind doesn't want to remember those days.
I think there were major issues with HalfLife 2 when it first came out.
Someone showed me Caligari that was cracked back in the day. I forget what it cost but something like $500 (or seemed like that much) so we couldn't afford it. If it wasn't for that encounter with cracked software I wouldn't know about TS or own TS today. That is why a TS demo was so important for new potential buyers. |
Post by Garion // Aug 24, 2007, 2:11pm
|
Garion
Total Posts: 116
|
The scary thing about this kind of DRM is that it's only Legitmate users that are affected by it, pirates, who were never going to buy the game anyway, have it cracked and don't have this problem. :mad:
It beggers belief that the publishers of PC games can't see this and rattle on about every pirate copy is a lost sale:rolleyes:
Online Activation is another bugbear of mine..
What happens if the company goes bust or gets bought over and yoo need to re-activate yer software?.. I had this happen to me a few years back and I am still fizzing about it.
I just reinstalled The 7th Guest on my Uber XP machine and use Dosbox to run it. I am having a blast with it so for the moment they can keep Bioshock:D
On the other hand.....
It could be a conspiracy to kill off PC games and concentrate on the consols... but thats a debate for another place and time :)
I'll get my coat:cool:
Cheers
Garion |
Post by Délé // Aug 24, 2007, 2:21pm
|
Délé
Total Posts: 1374
|
Yikes! I'm not too happy to hear this news. I purchased it the other day. I suspect it will arrive either tomorrow or Monday. I'll have to pay close attention to how it works and read those forums. If I encounter the same problems, I'll be sending it back as well.
Too bad, it really does look like a cool game.
Thanks for the heads up though Paul. |
Post by splinters // Aug 24, 2007, 2:53pm
|
splinters
Total Posts: 4148
|
maybe by the time you get it there will be a patch or such like...:) |
Post by parva // Aug 24, 2007, 10:21pm
|
parva
Total Posts: 822
|
maybe if the pressure of the folks is strong enough, they will erase this drm tralalala stuff :D
I remember that there was another game where this was the case.
Well I can understand that a company protects there software. For software which costs hundreds of bucks I even go with dongles but the technique they use to protect games cause more trouble as it helps. |
Post by Paul Boland // Aug 25, 2007, 8:43am
|
Paul Boland
Total Posts: 383
|
Being a games developer myself, I do not in any way, shape or form support piracy, but I think the whole issue of protecting games on the PC today is really getting out of control and beyond a joke! I've read about the issues with this game and suffice to say, I won't be buying it till it hits budget release which is when all the protection hassle goes down a few steps.
Yes, by all means, protect your software, but don't go to extradinary messures, so much so that you end up penalising the loyal customer.
Remember Half-Life 2...
I was playing Half-Life 1 up to the day 2 shipped, I loved it so much. I bought it and put myself through torture by docking it under the Christmas Tree. Christmas morning, I couldn't install it fast enough...
LITERALLY!!!
After less then a minute of installing, a some stupid thing call "STEAM" wanted to install. I didn't think anything of it at the time...
Until...
I was told I had to go online to install a single player game!?!?!?!
WHAT THE HELL!!!!!!
And it didn't end there... Oh no... At the time, I was still on a dial up connection...
Ten minutes passed...
Fifteen...
Twenty...
Thirty minutes, the game is still insalling...!!! I'm losing my patience...
AN HOUR PASSES!!! I'm ready to rip the Half-Life 2 DVD from my computers drive and take a hammer to it.
AN HOUR AND A HALF PASSES!!!! I'm peed big time!
After one hour and forty minutes, Half-Life 2 installed!
I've been with the PC since the days the 286 was king, and never, ever, have I had a game take so long to install. I got right onto Valve and the Steam forums and I left my anger rip. I even ran a "Name & Shame" campaign on Steam on my website for a few months.
To this day, Half-Life 2 is the only Steam title I've bought. I bough every single addon for Half-Life 1, even the very short Blue Shift game, and I loved them all. I haven't picked up one addon for Half-Life 2 and have no intension of. Any game that ships via Steam doesn't appear on my computer, no matter how badly I want it.
I don't mind having to go online to register a program or activate it, but Steam is a joke and the latest methods and hassles caused by todays protection routines are only penalising the loyal customer. Those who pirate will hack the protection routine out and sell it to those who support piracy. So, by all means, protect your software, but don't penalise the loyal cunsumer by doing so. As for BioShock, I'll see you when you hit the budget label. |
|
