NWN shiny water

[a_h]

Sure you can use a non-smp kernel. It's just that Hyperthreading won't be used - it's just like turning it off in the Bios. However you can HT-P4s with w2k/NT4/w9x too, but they don't support HT at all.

Hey the linux client has an advantage! Must be the first time that the linux version gets a nice feature the win version doesn't already have...

I'm sure bioware will rip the Securom-part off (from the win-version), they did that with the original nwn, they will do it with the expansions. Just too many problems with that stuff.

True, I'm remembering something about this shiny water bug, but I still haven't got my damn P, so I cannot try it. The P is on the way I was told, but it just doesn't want to arrive...

[leech]

Indeed, I currently run Kernel 2.4.20-686 from Debian (so no SMP) and I don't have any problems with OpenGL software (with the few exceptions of some GL programs.... such as some screensavers, which reportedly have problems on other cards as well...)

There is even a way to get the NWN client for windows to play the movies!

http://home.woh.rr.com/nwmovies/

Leech

[Che Guevara]

I don't think NW uses pixel shaders, I remember reading about NW using a kind of enviromental mapped bumpmapping. DX8/DX8.1/DX9 pixel shaders are a standard, can't imagine that matrox uses a different language, in this case we would have this problem in much games, don't we?

[a_h]

About environment mapping the NWN-faq says:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8.07 What is 'Environment Mapping' and will it work on all video cards?

Environment mapping is a reflective effect we're applying on various metal surfaces within the game, such armor on the characters. Our system gives us per-pixel control of this, allowing us to do very intricate metalwork against a more traditional matte background such as cloth, wood, or leather. The technique that we use for environment mapping should work on all 3D video cards that meet our minimum requirements.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

However, according to the SoU-readme shiny water on the P is still not supported.

Maybe I should mail Bioware my emails again.

[Che Guevara]

You're right, but 'Enviroment Mapping' is not the same like 'Envirometal Mapped Bumpmapping', further 'Enviroment Mapping' is not a kind of Bumpmapping, like 'Embossed Bumpmapping' or 'Dot3 Bumpmapping'.
Any kind of Bumpmapping normally creates a structure on the the surface of a object, Enviroment Mapping creates just simple reflections on the surface.
You see Eviromental Mapped Bumpmapping in 3DMark2001 SE and in the G400 tech demo.

[a_h]

Ah okay. Sorry, my fault.

You guys, do you know, what I'm really looking forward to?

To OpenGL 2.0.

Then this whole extension-crap finds an end - at least for some time. I really hope matrox concentrates on that, instead of OpenGL 1.5.

[leech]

Amen to that!

Quick question, does anyone know whatever happened to a project called Farenheit? It was supposed to be a collaboration between SGI, Microsoft and a few others and was supposed to be an API which would combine the best from DirectX and OpenGL and then standardize the 3D API's across all platforms. Of course could have just been some vaporware that I read in a Magazine (I wonder if Byock still has that mag....) It would be nice to have one API to do the 3D in rather than the conflictng OpenGL and DirectX (also to get rid of those stupid extensions that are created by one video card and held back from all others. The API/extensions shouldn't be closed off, but perhaps the particular way each manufacturer decides to enable them in their hardware should/could be different. Just a thought.)

Leech

[a_h]

Never heared of Fahrenheit. But there are so many 3D-standards today. Wether they're a success or not depends mostly who stands behind them...Since M$ won't be interested in supporting the unix platforms and lots of manufacturers don't care much about these too, I fear such a standard won't have too much future.

BTW: Hey I just read my the first line of my first post: f*** P arrives in a few days! Good laugh. I still haven't got it.

[Che Guevara]

An API called Fahrenheit?
A nice german name, but never heard about that.

Anyway, sounds interesting.

[leech]

A little more on topic..... There is a Neverwinter Nights patch to version 1.31 now. Has a huge list of fixes.

Leech

[a_h]

Thanks! I'm going to look into.

Maybe they removed the new Securom-protection (and replaced it with an activation? ;-))...

[a_h]

Seems that securom issues still annoy lots of people.

However my P arrived, so expect updates to this shiny water issue soon (tm).

[a_h]

P arrived lately!!

No shiny water though...

[a_h]

Hey now the 2nd expansion has gone gold, I'm feeling a bit nostalgic, since bioware hasn't done anything about the shiny water and the P.

Aw, had to much time and emailed them again.

PS: guys note the email-adress nwbugs@bioware.com!! It's not easy to find it on the bioware-site, so if you want to mail them directly...

PPS: maybe you consider dropping an email or 2 when you got too much time, just to annoy them a bit.

[Belwarrior]

hehe now i can grab NWN + 2 expansions together and install in linux... the other day i saw the NWN Gold CD (original NWN + SoU) now i am playing using my friend's CD.. he need them back when he gets the 2nd expansion..

Hope bioware use common extensions though, i loved their older games as they can run on almost any hardware and scales up well on the high end systems