close up textures

[dogeddie]

Is there an option to improve the textures on asteroids and stations when close up? They look great from a distance, but up close they need a boost. I thought I read somewhere there was a way to do this.

[Maarschalk]

I, do not know, but I think it depends on your graphics Card and your resolution settings!;)

[Vice]

For default, they're about as high as they will go from a resolution/detail standpoint at this time. I had tried using 2048X2048 for the stations, but it exceeded memory limits I needed to keep (and significantly increased load time). Just going from 1024X1024 to 2048X2048 takes a raw texture from 3 MB to over 12 MB each. Add in mipmaps and you're looking at 5 MB versus about 18 MB each. The game is at the target limits of video memory, system memory, download size, and load time. It may change in the future as those limits may increase.

You can try using the legacy texture mode for the asteroids at least, which bypasses some mipmapping and leaves them at full detail regardless of distance and angle. To try it out, place the attached file in the game's directory. If you decide you don't like the shimmering from the full detail, just delete the file to restore the original mode.

[dogeddie]

thanks

[Goatnado386]

What would your targets be? Why not release a 2048x2048 or 4096x4096 add-on package for fun? Many of us can easily support those requirements. Loading times for EL are several seconds for me, right now. I'd much rather wait a little longer and enjoy higher detailed textures.

The recurring complaint I see on other forums is the graphics of ER and EL. While EL has improved graphics, many consider it still well behind the curve. Take it from id Software, you don't need to increase polycount to improve graphical appearence; just use some optional badass, high-resolution texture maps.

[Edited on 4-2-2009 by ncc386]

[Vice]

What would your targets be?

60 second or less load time on the mid-spec configuration. 128 MB video memory for low settings, 256-512 MB for high settings. Under 900 MB of system memory at run time (not to exceed 1050 MB preferably). Certain other resource management conditions having to do with swapping/tasking and loading limitations.

Why not release a 2048x2048 or 4096x4096 add-on package for fun?

The game might become unstable on some system configurations as it's been designed to manage a certain load under certain conditions using certain media parameters. The textures are licensed, not open for distribution stand-alone, meaning the binary would need to changed (issues with this as well). Some of the media isn't available in higher resolutions. The time and resources I have to create/acquire such media is limited.

Many of us can easily support those requirements.

It isn't your system that's the only factor as explained above.

The recurring complaint I see on other forums is the graphics of ER and EL. While EL has improved graphics, many consider it still well behind the curve. Take it from id Software, you don't need to increase polycount to improve graphical appearence; just use some optional badass, high-resolution texture maps.

Such complaints are fine, it's a subjective thing anyway (they can often come from people who are 'loyal' to some other game and feel threatened by other games). I'm pleased with how the game looks and plays on the range of systems it's designed for. This game has to account for far more than just a mostly empty space room with some objects in it, particularly in terms of system resources to achieve those other options/graphics (objects that you can actually interact with for example, like planets), some balance has to be included. But I'll likely continue to increase the graphics as time goes on and systems become more powerful.