Comments on: The Making Of Natural Selection http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2009/10/31/the-making-of-natural-selection/ Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:07:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: noobcake http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2009/10/31/the-making-of-natural-selection/#comment-345925 noobcake Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:50:57 +0000 http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/?p=20477#comment-345925 I remember the first time I played Tremulous -- it was supposed to be based on Natural Selection. This is the first time I've seen NS...looks amazing. I remember the first time I played Tremulous — it was supposed to be based on Natural Selection. This is the first time I’ve seen NS…looks amazing.

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]]> By: jsutcliffe http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2009/10/31/the-making-of-natural-selection/#comment-345874 jsutcliffe Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:44:28 +0000 http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/?p=20477#comment-345874 <blockquote><cite>Anonymous Coward <a href="http://rockpapershotgun.com/rpsforum/"//rockpapershotgun.com/rpsforum/topic.php?id=607&page=3#post-26401""" rel="nofollow">said</a>:</cite> I honestly don’t understand why they made their own engine, rather than saving tonnes of time and just using another one. </blockquote> I think it's because they needed particular special effects or behaviours, e.g. having the kharaa goo dynamically expanding on surfaces in kharaa-controlled areas that Source (which I believe they tried first) couldn't provide, and also that the cost of a good commercial engine is likely a barrier for a small team relying on fan support to make ends meet. I suspect there are also benefits to making your own engine that probably shouldn't be overlooked -- you can build in the features you want to include, and not bother with things you'll never use which presumably makes the engine more efficient. It's analogous to building your own PC or buying a prebuilt HP or Dell that's bundled with lots of crap you don't need. I'll bet the Unreal Engine (which I pick since it's so popular, and expensive) has many features that just aren't relevant to most games that use the engine and just sit there consuming RAM and CPU time.

Anonymous Coward said:
I honestly don’t understand why they made their own engine, rather than saving tonnes of time and just using another one.

I think it's because they needed particular special effects or behaviours, e.g. having the kharaa goo dynamically expanding on surfaces in kharaa-controlled areas that Source (which I believe they tried first) couldn't provide, and also that the cost of a good commercial engine is likely a barrier for a small team relying on fan support to make ends meet.
I suspect there are also benefits to making your own engine that probably shouldn't be overlooked — you can build in the features you want to include, and not bother with things you'll never use which presumably makes the engine more efficient. It's analogous to building your own PC or buying a prebuilt HP or Dell that's bundled with lots of crap you don't need. I'll bet the Unreal Engine (which I pick since it's so popular, and expensive) has many features that just aren't relevant to most games that use the engine and just sit there consuming RAM and CPU time.

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]]> By: Pod http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2009/10/31/the-making-of-natural-selection/#comment-345849 Pod Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:54:27 +0000 http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/?p=20477#comment-345849 I honestly don't understand why they made their own engine, rather than saving tonnes of time and just using another one. I honestly don’t understand why they made their own engine, rather than saving tonnes of time and just using another one.

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]]> By: Pod http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2009/10/31/the-making-of-natural-selection/#comment-345846 Pod Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:53:58 +0000 http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/?p=20477#comment-345846 I wsn't in the Beta, but was there from release day 1, and I agree with the sentiment: The more game modes they added and the more they tweaked the marine side to make it easier to play without serious teamwork, the less fun it became :( I wsn’t in the Beta, but was there from release day 1, and I agree with the sentiment: The more game modes they added and the more they tweaked the marine side to make it easier to play without serious teamwork, the less fun it became :(

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]]> By: Schmung http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2009/10/31/the-making-of-natural-selection/#comment-345638 Schmung Mon, 02 Nov 2009 10:52:21 +0000 http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/?p=20477#comment-345638 Good read. The stuff about trying to balance the game rings very true. It's a total nightmare of an experience and one of the hardest things to do right IMO because you've not got the resources numbers wise to run huge scale tests of you're working off word of mouth and testing experience with very little hard data. As much luck as it it is judgement IMo Good read. The stuff about trying to balance the game rings very true. It’s a total nightmare of an experience and one of the hardest things to do right IMO because you’ve not got the resources numbers wise to run huge scale tests of you’re working off word of mouth and testing experience with very little hard data. As much luck as it it is judgement IMo

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]]> By: Stukov http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2009/10/31/the-making-of-natural-selection/#comment-345516 Stukov Mon, 02 Nov 2009 06:02:20 +0000 http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/?p=20477#comment-345516 of course, I could also read Comps post and see they're already here. Damn him...oh. And uh. Go NS2. of course, I could also read Comps post and see they’re already here. Damn him…oh. And uh. Go NS2.

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]]> By: Stukov http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2009/10/31/the-making-of-natural-selection/#comment-345515 Stukov Mon, 02 Nov 2009 06:01:09 +0000 http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/?p=20477#comment-345515 As a good ole FFT member and former nsR DJ, I may have some of those songs laying around if anyone wants them... As a good ole FFT member and former nsR DJ, I may have some of those songs laying around if anyone wants them…

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]]> By: Erlam http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2009/10/31/the-making-of-natural-selection/#comment-345379 Erlam Sun, 01 Nov 2009 18:37:40 +0000 http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/?p=20477#comment-345379 "A lot of reinvention, and fiddling, and problems, bugs and errors – a lot of 2 steps forward 1.998 steps back." I think this echos some of my feelings during the middle of it's lifespan - basically one patch you'd have 80% alien wins, then the next you'd have 70% marine wins, then it'd be 65% alien wins... etc. that said, it's probably the most fun I've had in a multiplayer game in ages. Setting up a perfect ambush on the marines, or holding out just long enough to take down a hive, all great memories... “A lot of reinvention, and fiddling, and problems, bugs and errors – a lot of 2 steps forward 1.998 steps back.”

I think this echos some of my feelings during the middle of it’s lifespan – basically one patch you’d have 80% alien wins, then the next you’d have 70% marine wins, then it’d be 65% alien wins… etc.

that said, it’s probably the most fun I’ve had in a multiplayer game in ages. Setting up a perfect ambush on the marines, or holding out just long enough to take down a hive, all great memories…

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]]> By: CMaster http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2009/10/31/the-making-of-natural-selection/#comment-345358 CMaster Sun, 01 Nov 2009 17:46:12 +0000 http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/?p=20477#comment-345358 I'm pretty sure it hovared too. I’m pretty sure it hovared too.

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]]> By: Noumenon http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2009/10/31/the-making-of-natural-selection/#comment-345353 Noumenon Sun, 01 Nov 2009 17:33:03 +0000 http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/?p=20477#comment-345353 You woulda saved me some typing if you had used the "Reply" button so your post appeared higher up. You woulda saved me some typing if you had used the “Reply” button so your post appeared higher up.

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]]> By: Noumenon http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2009/10/31/the-making-of-natural-selection/#comment-345352 Noumenon Sun, 01 Nov 2009 17:31:48 +0000 http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/?p=20477#comment-345352 "Sublimated" is Freudian jargon for transforming your sex drive into a socially acceptable drive like sculpture. It actually makes a bit of sense evolutionarily speaking as if you're a young male your best approach to gaining status is to make something difficult and impressive that signals your talent. See "The Mating Mind" by Geoffrey Miller. “Sublimated” is Freudian jargon for transforming your sex drive into a socially acceptable drive like sculpture. It actually makes a bit of sense evolutionarily speaking as if you’re a young male your best approach to gaining status is to make something difficult and impressive that signals your talent. See “The Mating Mind” by Geoffrey Miller.

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]]> By: Glove http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2009/10/31/the-making-of-natural-selection/#comment-344834 Glove Sun, 01 Nov 2009 01:55:53 +0000 http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/?p=20477#comment-344834 Interpreted as "instantly evaporated from an appreciable amount to nothing", I do believe. Interpreted as “instantly evaporated from an appreciable amount to nothing”, I do believe.

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