Jonas wrote:r00tb33r wrote:Quite honestly the missing new models for trees aren't such a big deal as the overall appearance of the game has not improved. It seems no one cared to make more complex level geometry.
That is not correct:
http://www.moddb.com/mods/deus-ex-revision
Yes it is correct. And I do know that mod. That mod creates completely new level arrangement, modifying the gameplay. While it is probably a damn good mod, that's not what I meant by "more complex level geometry".
Deus Ex levels are very low polygon. There are plenty of places where you can round things off, or possibly create new shapes which were not suitable for PCs in year 2000 due to limited end user system power. I'm talking like nice curved pipe railings instead of concrete textured blocks, like in UNATCO HQ. Perhaps some randomized geometry like uneven pavement, chips in steps in subways, busted tiles on walls, etc. Games like HL2, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and Fallout 3 are filled with freeformed geometry. It's nice. It creates immersion which takes away the feeling of a virtual tour in an architectural design program.
Take a good look here:
http://www.moddb.com/mods/black-mesa/im ... 5#imagebox
Sure the mod did create completely new layouts for
some areas, but there are plenty of examples of the old "floorplans" being reproduced in greater detail such as the screenshot shown.
While Deus Ex: Revision creates new layouts for areas of the original storyline, they aren't necessarily of the level of detail that I am implying.
You might say that Unreal 1 engine is aged and not suited for this sort of detail and that sort of thing... In that case I would have only one answer - "No shit, all new content should have been done on a newer engine."
Fine, you will agree that Unreal 2 (or even 3) is better suited for a true high definition mod. You will perhaps blame Deus Ex: Reborn mod for not having much progress with the port. My answer to that would be "Who cares? Deus Ex: Reborn is not focused on making new level geometry. If you look carefully at the project outline, Deus Ex: Reborn is meant to convert the
existing Deus Ex level geometry to Unreal 2 engine. Deus Ex: Reborn produces no new content. Projects that create new content (new models, textures) such as HDTP are the ones responsible for making their content for Unreal 2."
You would probably make a personal witty remark that HDTP does not focus on level geometry or levels themselves, just item and NPC models and textures. My answer to that would be "If you would have read the post carefully, I never said that HDTP was the project responsible for new level work. Perhaps there should be another project consisting of artists that will freshen up the appearance of the old levels. Take a look here:
http://www.visualwalkthroughs.com/deuse ... ral/21.jpg Ain't that fugly? There are lots of ways you can improve that cathedral without changing the internal layout and thus not modifying the gameplay."
With that said, someone perhaps should drop out of school and quit their job and get cracking on improving the look of the game.
And I think HDTP really oughta be out as-is, and perhaps with a separate download of 3dsmax models and stuff or whatever to import directly into whatever the new platform might be.
[EDIT]
I guess I should state the point of the post more clearly: HDTP makes Deus Ex look like a new Lamborghini parked in front of a barn. And New Vision isn't of any help here because the overall look does not change, as levels will still remain looking like this:
http://www.visualwalkthroughs.com/deuse ... ral/21.jpg
While I didn't say that New Vision is a useless mod, however it isn't... well... as effective as it could be.
