The graphics in SoH have improved steadily over time.
SoH makes no false claims or representations about its graphics. Even splash screens are screen grabs, not artist paintings. The web site shows only screen grabs, no artist paintings. Primeval world gives a free preview of what the player is going to experience graphically. If SoH graphics are not good enough, then the player hasn't spent any money yet and they can move on to the next carefully staged and rendered rail shooter.
As much as I avoid the use of infinitives, SoH graphics will never compete with mainstream games, ever. The scenery is too dynamic. The lighting is too dynamic. The story is too dynamic. The player has too many options for looking at the scenery from every angle under constantly changing lighting and atmospheric conditions. Lights and atmosphere in the scene change in every render frame; they never stay the same.
I dwell on this because it is the precalculated lighting and shadows that give many mainstream games their stunning appearance. With the work load of calculating lighting done in advance, the lighting and shadows become simple textures on the polygons. This enables them to render a lot more polygons in a scene and they look awesome. Shadows and soft lighting are incredibly CPU intensive, far too much work to do on the fly.
People challenge me, who won't even try the game without better graphics. I have long believed that people have a threshold of tolerability for the visual quality of games. If a game doesn't cross that threshold, then they are just not interested. My challenge is to continue making improvements in hopes of crossing that threshold for a larger and larger audience of potential players.
I will continue to make improvements to the SoH scene. It isn't easy. I have no fabulous graphics hidden under my hat, waiting to be pulled out like a magician's bunny. I am drawing the best picture I can.
If we ever started making a profit, the first employee to be hired would likely be a graphic artist, one who can wear many other hats as well, lol.
SoH makes no false claims or representations about its graphics. Even splash screens are screen grabs, not artist paintings. The web site shows only screen grabs, no artist paintings. Primeval world gives a free preview of what the player is going to experience graphically. If SoH graphics are not good enough, then the player hasn't spent any money yet and they can move on to the next carefully staged and rendered rail shooter.
As much as I avoid the use of infinitives, SoH graphics will never compete with mainstream games, ever. The scenery is too dynamic. The lighting is too dynamic. The story is too dynamic. The player has too many options for looking at the scenery from every angle under constantly changing lighting and atmospheric conditions. Lights and atmosphere in the scene change in every render frame; they never stay the same.
I dwell on this because it is the precalculated lighting and shadows that give many mainstream games their stunning appearance. With the work load of calculating lighting done in advance, the lighting and shadows become simple textures on the polygons. This enables them to render a lot more polygons in a scene and they look awesome. Shadows and soft lighting are incredibly CPU intensive, far too much work to do on the fly.
People challenge me, who won't even try the game without better graphics. I have long believed that people have a threshold of tolerability for the visual quality of games. If a game doesn't cross that threshold, then they are just not interested. My challenge is to continue making improvements in hopes of crossing that threshold for a larger and larger audience of potential players.
I will continue to make improvements to the SoH scene. It isn't easy. I have no fabulous graphics hidden under my hat, waiting to be pulled out like a magician's bunny. I am drawing the best picture I can.
If we ever started making a profit, the first employee to be hired would likely be a graphic artist, one who can wear many other hats as well, lol.