Graphics Update?

Toemoya·May 6, 2016·1 votes·884 views

I'm not saying make this game look fantastic, but there are some interesting shaders that this game could benefit from to add depth to these models. These shaders can easily be turned off if your computer cannot handle it. I'll list the shaders below...

Ambient Occlusion: Can bring a lot of depth/pop into the models
Better shadows like dynamic shadows. I've looked at the HLSL shader for their shadow map and it's pretty damn old and standard. Why not make the shadows more dynamic and modern.
Global Illumination is a wide stretch, but might be interesting to inject.
Dynamic lighting or lighting at all? You can't add fixed/mapped lighting into the game's engine?

I'm a game dev, and these graphical effects are easy to port, and if people can't run them, they can simply turn any of the features off.

4 Comments

ZaryelleMay 6, 20162 votes

I'm doing game dev also and I think the graphics are pretty good, not excellent but good enough. I think the major reason they don't want to 'improve' is they like the current cartoonish style, and because of the impact it might have on performance to online play.

Most people probably have a stable connection <20 ms ping and >40 fps, but the few that have higher ping may be more greatly affected by higher graphics. They are more highly focused on performance than a lot of other games, because of its competitive nature and with the gaming network they're implementing I can tell this is probably their reasoning. That said, maybe when their gaming network is improved upon they will be able to handle higher graphics with the same performance as current.

ToemoyaMay 6, 20161 votes

I'm not sure if I understand what you mean by people being affected by ping or FPS(I'm getting a little lost.) I did state these effects could be disabled within the menu, and there game can even auto set the settings based on the person's computer specs. Remember that these graphical effects I'm recommending are shaders(nothing extremely heavy.) Even if they don't want Ambient Occlusion to keep the cartoon look, can they at least add a better lighting/shadows system? What they do now is a fixed shadow map via HLSL. It would be nice to have the shadows more dynamic, and these features can easily be turned off. They can also add a light object where things are emitting light(the turret blue stones, Nexus crystal, the fire places, spells, etc.) with these light objects, it projects actual light to the shadows or something. Again, these can all be turned off in the settings. This game can look cartoony, but in a beautiful sense. With these new champs and reworked models, they're kinda looking outta place, and they would look beautiful if there were more graphical enhancements.

ZaryelleMay 6, 20161 votes

If you don't understand that improved graphics can affect ping AND fps then I don't know what to tell you. Most of the things you're talking about cannot be simply disable and enabled. The shadows are one of the only things you've requested that can easily be turned off and on.

The company is extremely focused on performance, they will hesitate to improve anything as it could cause the average person to have horrible performance if they don't do it well.

ToemoyaMay 6, 20161 votes

1st Shaders can easily be toggled on/off. Ambient Occlusion isn't even graphically intensive and can, again, EASILY be toggled on/off.

2nd I'm not saying add dynamic lighting and whatnot, but was a suggestion via reply to your comment.

3rd I think you're missing the point of my suggestions. This game can use a makeover, and those graphical effects are simple makeovers that can very much so be turned off. Look at the "Character Inking" effect; it's a shader.

With all this aside, I think I'll just port the shaders myself. I'll probably mess with the HLSL code to make the shadows pass over objects because what shadows do now is just cast under the player model. I'll also try porting SSAO or HBAO. I'll try this stuff and keep you guys updated.