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Alan Wake: There may be something at Gamescom, there may not.. (see p.47)

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  • pabhpabh Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    what does volumetric actually mean?

    wiki says
    Volumetric lighting is a technique used in 3D computer graphics to add Tyndall-effect lighting to a rendered scene. The term seems to have been introduced from cinematography and is now widely applied to 3D modelling and rendering especially in the field of 3D gaming. It allows the viewer to see beams of light shining through the environment; seeing sunbeams streaming through an open window is an example of volumetric lighting, also known as God rays.

    In volumetric lighting, the light cone emitted by a light source is modeled as a transparent object and considered as a container of a "volume": as a result, light has the capability to give the effect of passing through an actual three dimensional medium (such as fog, dust, smoke, or steam) that is inside its volume, just like in the real world.

    pabh on
  • SilkyNumNutsSilkyNumNuts Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    Ah. Cool beans. thanks.

    SilkyNumNuts on
  • The_SpaniardThe_Spaniard It's never lupines Irvine, CaliforniaRegistered User regular
    edited October 2008
    darleysam wrote: »
    I've actually seen this game played live.

    !!!!
    Don't get excited.
    D:
    it wasn't recently. This was back before the launch of the xbox 360 and they were demoing in a private room on a 360 using an old DUKE controller. Anyway it looked glorious back then.
    !!!!

    I think that charts my reactions while reading

    Ahh I didn't mean to cause confusion. I meant don't get excited because it wasn't recently that I saw it played live, not don't get excited because it like sucked or something. :P

    The_Spaniard on
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  • skaceskace Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    We waited a long time for Stalker, I don't mind waiting a long time for Alan Wake. And I don't think it is at the point where the engine has aged anywhere near long enough to be considered missing the mark.

    skace on
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  • darleysamdarleysam On my way to UKRegistered User regular
    edited October 2008
    Ahh I didn't mean to cause confusion. I meant don't get excited because it wasn't recently that I saw it played live, not don't get excited because it like sucked or something. :P

    Yeah no worries, just wanted to demonstrate how I read it. Good to hear though.
    I'm hoping we do get some of that expected news today.

    darleysam on
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  • The_SpaniardThe_Spaniard It's never lupines Irvine, CaliforniaRegistered User regular
    edited October 2008
    darleysam wrote: »
    Ahh I didn't mean to cause confusion. I meant don't get excited because it wasn't recently that I saw it played live, not don't get excited because it like sucked or something. :P

    Yeah no worries, just wanted to demonstrate how I read it. Good to hear though.
    I'm hoping we do get some of that expected news today.

    I could always post the blurb I wrote on the game from way back when. It wouldn't be current news, but it would be kinda fun to look back on something from almost 4 years ago.

    The_Spaniard on
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  • Mr_GrinchMr_Grinch Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    I was looking forward to this game for such a long time.

    I still am.

    Mr_Grinch on
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  • darleysamdarleysam On my way to UKRegistered User regular
    edited October 2008
    darleysam wrote: »
    Ahh I didn't mean to cause confusion. I meant don't get excited because it wasn't recently that I saw it played live, not don't get excited because it like sucked or something. :P

    Yeah no worries, just wanted to demonstrate how I read it. Good to hear though.
    I'm hoping we do get some of that expected news today.

    I could always post the blurb I wrote on the game from way back when. It wouldn't be current news, but it would be kinda fun to look back on something from almost 4 years ago.

    Sure why not, it'll be something to read here at work :)

    darleysam on
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  • The_SpaniardThe_Spaniard It's never lupines Irvine, CaliforniaRegistered User regular
    edited October 2008
    darleysam wrote: »
    darleysam wrote: »
    Ahh I didn't mean to cause confusion. I meant don't get excited because it wasn't recently that I saw it played live, not don't get excited because it like sucked or something. :P

    Yeah no worries, just wanted to demonstrate how I read it. Good to hear though.
    I'm hoping we do get some of that expected news today.

    I could always post the blurb I wrote on the game from way back when. It wouldn't be current news, but it would be kinda fun to look back on something from almost 4 years ago.

    Sure why not, it'll be something to read here at work :)

    Ok, but keep in mind this is like 4 years old..
    Blurb from a larger article:
    I decided to sit in for a showing of Remedy’s new psychological action thriller, 'Alan Wake'. A very interesting departure from Remedy’s linear Max Payne titles, it is best classified as Grand Theft Silent Hill; combining massive free roaming gameplay with mind bending horror elements. The story that they gave us so far (which I won’t give away here, only to say that the light is your friend and an effective tool in protecting you as well as fighting your enemies.) sounded like something straight out of a Stephen King novel and I look forward to seeing where they go with it, but the thing that really impressed me was the engine powering Alan Wake.

    The game literally rendered an entire town as well as hundreds of miles of countryside seamlessly with fully dynamic lighting everywhere and impressive detail scaling. Day/night cycles and even advanced weather effects can be generated instantly on the fly. Havok physics also make a big showing, but one thing that particularly stood out for me was the absolutely beautiful water in this game. Now, if I had to pick anything disappointing I would say that the tree sprites don’t exactly look up to snuff in game (they look a bit prettier in the trailer) but when you keep in mind the stage of development that the game is in right now and the fact that there are thousands of these trees as well as the rest of the positively enormous (literally hundreds of miles) environment being rendered at once, it is only a minor complaint.

    The_Spaniard on
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  • Darth NathanDarth Nathan Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    I'm more pumped than a pump for this game. Max Payne 1 and 2 are some of my favourite shooters ever, and I have faith in the Remedy guys.

    That said, I'm not too big on survival horror style combat (or in other words, lol you can't aim a gun which makes it scary). Did you get to play the combat Spaniard?

    Darth Nathan on
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  • darleysamdarleysam On my way to UKRegistered User regular
    edited October 2008
    Yeah, that's in line with what I'd heard about it before. Personally I'm fascinated by the story, I love the bits in Max Payne where things go weird and his sanity starts to break down, and Alan Wake sounds like it is entirely that.

    Then you've got the engine which, from the videos I saw back when this was first announced, looked utterly amazing.

    I just hope and pray that they've not had to compromise this at all.

    darleysam on
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  • AbsoluteZeroAbsoluteZero The new film by Quentin Koopantino Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    Um...now look...now look, mate, I've definitely 'ad enough of this. That game is definitely cancelled, and when I looked it up not 'alf an hour ago, you assured me that its total lack of news coverage was due to it bein' tired and shagged out following prolonged development.

    Well, it's.. ah...probably pining for the fjords.


    Sorry, I got Parrot Sketch syndrome from the thread title.

    AbsoluteZero on
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  • darleysamdarleysam On my way to UKRegistered User regular
    edited October 2008
    I was actually going for the same pun as Remedy (A. Wake, about a guy suffering from insomnia), but that works too. Good job!

    darleysam on
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  • The_ScarabThe_Scarab Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    What's taking so long?
    - We want the game to be good, it takes time
    - Relatively small studio even though we have hired more staff
    - Our expectations are high and we want to meet them
    - Our team is ambitious
    - Doing open-ended games is hard
    - If everything worked out the first time, it wouldn't take so long (Trial and error)
    - Competition is hard
    - After Max Payne we thought that it would be easier but for example technologically things have gone forward really fast

    What was ready when you first showed the game in E3 2005?
    - concept, vision, technology, game world, game engine
    - actual gameplay in prototype-state
    - we were showing people the idea, vision behind the game (they were still looking for publisher at that time)

    Has the game changed?
    -The vision behind the game is still the same
    -Gameplay mechanics lives and changes throughout the development cycle as we test and try new stuff
    -We are trying different stuff to find the perfect Alan Wake -game
    -For example, the bullet time feature in Max Payne was perfected just months before the game shipped

    Why is the team size so small?
    -Control over development
    -We want that things work
    -Aggressive recruiting while in a big project is a risk, lots of examples of this
    -Making the game is the priority

    Trailer
    -The idea of making a trailer to be shown before Max Payne movie started off as a joke
    -We probably wouldn't have done a trailer had the movie not came out.
    -Remedy's games are cinematic
    -Funny idea to see Alan Wake on "big screen"
    -The idea of "between friends only" as it's shown only in Finland
    -It was easy to work things out with the film's distributor
    -The basic idea behind the trailer is to show an atmospheric trailer and a glimpse of how the game looks today and to remind people about the game
    -"Hands-on gameplay stuff" coming a bit to the future, we don't want to show it "just yet"

    Max Payne Movie
    -Surrealistic vibe, really cool when you think that we made something that interested Hollywood so much that they have made their own version of it
    -I'm a little nervous because it's a project in which I haven't been involved in any way and everything we have done with Max Payne before has been under our control
    -We have no idea what's coming
    -Mark Wahlberg is an excellent choice for Max
    -We sold the movie rights before the first game came out
    -We'll wait and see what we want to do with Alan Wake's movie rights

    Alan Wake's storytelling:
    -Lot of cinematic and plot elements to be included as part of the game
    -Trying to be much like a modern TV series
    -Thriller, atmosphere is a bit like in Max Payne, has it serious side but some humor as well
    -Totally different type of story and genre than in Max Payne
    -Crazy people and strange stuff going on in the village where the game is taking place

    Episodic?
    -goal: same type of experience you get from a season dvd box of a tv series
    -the game is divided into episodes
    -pacing, development of plot is structured the same way than in a tv season
    -cliffhanger moment at the end of an episode
    -we want to have players to get the feeling of "just one more episode and then I'll stop playing"
    -the ending leaves some things open for a sequel but ties up the main plot, just like in tv series

    When is it coming out?
    -When it's done
    -We have a good vibe about the game and the current development process

    Click for holy shit
    30rqtfk.jpg


    Everything sounds utterly fantastic, especially the tv series pacing. Alone in the Dark had very few redeeming features, but that continual cliffhanger / pacing change setup was excellent.

    The_Scarab on
  • DarkWarriorDarkWarrior __BANNED USERS regular
    edited October 2008
    No.

    Episodes are not a good way to do a game.

    DarkWarrior on
  • ZhaosukeZhaosuke Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    Antihippy wrote: »
    Zhaosuke wrote: »
    Thank christ it is'nt cancelled


    Also Heavy Rain, that looks top notch too

    Heavy Rain is by Quantic Dreams.... o_O

    Aye i know, i just thought id randomly slap it in, coz that's gonna be awesome too

    Zhaosuke on
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  • The_ScarabThe_Scarab Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    No.

    Episodes are not a good way to do a game.

    What? Games have been employing self contained levels for twenty years and it has worked out nicely.

    The_Scarab on
  • CherrnCherrn Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    I assume it's like Alone in the Dark/Siren Blood Curse. It's a bit hamfisted in those games, considering they're... you know, not TV shows, but there's nothing inherently wrong with dividing a game into "episodes".

    Cherrn on
    All creature will die and all the things will be broken. That's the law of samurai.
  • X3x3nonX3x3non Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    Yeah holy shit I hope they don't mean episodes as in Half Life "episodes." Because I always felt that they weren't nearly as enjoyable as a fully fledged game. Oh and Valves problem of making episodic content not episodic at all.

    X3x3non on
  • MarikirMarikir Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    They are probably referring to what in other games are called "chapters." Instead, they went for an "episodic" format. I never played Alone In The Dark (the new one), but that one had a setup where you could skip around to the different "episodes" like a DVD of a TV show.

    I don't know if it will be implemented the same here, but he seems to be referring to a plot setup where multiple things occur and are not all resolved in the same chapter. Perhaps time passes between "Episodes/Chapters." Modern TV shows, with plotted out Seasons, have been doing this for a little while and it appears that the format is moving to a few games now.


    To me, it's all a question of "Does it serve the overall story? Do I get some satisfaction as each chapter/episode is finished that all leads up to the game's 'Finale'? Or is this just a way to divide up the game (levels) by using a term that is just interchangeable with chapter/level?"

    Marikir on
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  • RenzoRenzo Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    Sounds like they're splitting the game into chapters like Alone in the Dark did. Alan Wake looks to pull heavily from Twin Peaks, an early 90's tv drama. It makes sense that the similarities would be apparent on many parts of the project.

    A small town with a dark underbelly and strange citizens, lots of psychological/supernatural dealings, etc. Sounds good. Glad to know the game still exists.

    Renzo on
  • X3x3nonX3x3non Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    In any case I share the sentiment of many here that I have been looking forward to this game for years and am wondering what the hell is going on. It blew my mind when I watched that trailer years ago. I get a hardon from large open environments.

    X3x3non on
  • The_ScarabThe_Scarab Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    Actually the way I see it the theme of the game is that he is a writer. I think if they split it up into a story format it would mirror the serial nature of a lot of writing. Chapters etc.

    The_Scarab on
  • Shoegaze99Shoegaze99 Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    No.

    Episodes are not a good way to do a game.

    I do not agree. It's pretty easy for me to envision what they're doing as full of awesome.

    Besides, as has been pointed out already, games have been doing "episodes" for two decades, only the episodes have been called by a different name.

    (Aren't the main planets of Mass Effect really just self-contained "episodes" that are part of a larger narrative, for instance?)

    Shoegaze99 on
  • The_ScarabThe_Scarab Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    Shoegaze99 wrote: »
    No.

    Episodes are not a good way to do a game.

    I do not agree. It's pretty easy for me to envision what they're doing as full of awesome.

    Besides, as has been pointed out already, games have been doing "episodes" for two decades, only the episodes have been called by a different name.

    (Aren't the main planets of Mass Effect really just self-contained "episodes" that are part of a larger narrative, for instance?)

    Yeah. Or even in incredibly linear games like Half Life 2. Nova Prospeckt is as much an episode as highway 17.

    Episodes are just contained gameplay moments, thematically and with their own pacing.

    The_Scarab on
  • DarkWarriorDarkWarrior __BANNED USERS regular
    edited October 2008
    Its an open world game though. You can't have contained episodes without it feeling closed off.

    Open world is synonomous with GTA and if that isnt the type of game they're making it shouldn't be advertised that way but I don't think episodes would work very well in that type of game. Then again maybe they're just being stupid about the definition of episodes.

    DarkWarrior on
  • CherrnCherrn Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    Open world is a relative term. There's no reason to believe that the world in the game won't correspond to the episodic structure that they're planning. It is not necessarily a hindrance to free-form gameplay. Besides, none of us know how the narrative will actually progress.

    Cherrn on
    All creature will die and all the things will be broken. That's the law of samurai.
  • rayofashrayofash Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    Shoegaze99 wrote: »
    This was the first post-launch 360 game I was really, really eager to play. Really eager. Looked for news about it every now and then because it looked so damn awesome ...

    ... but all went silent and it fell off the radar.

    Which is a GOOD thing, I think. The two-year cycle of hype we get before a game's release these days more often than not results in backlash and broken hearts. I'd like to see more devs do what the Call of Duty 4 folks did. Shortly before the game be like, "Hey, check this out," then release it.

    Could you imagine how different the reaction would have been to Spore if it wasn't set to be the Most Important Game Ever Released?

    I will play this when it comes out. For now, all I need to know is that it's still coming out.

    To be fair, Spore was supposed to be this awesome game with all sorts of cool features that were demonstrated in videos for years before the game was released. Then when the game came out, it turned out a lot of that stuff was cut and the game was basically not at all like what we'd been told to expect (except for creating things that look way different but basically do the same things).

    The disappointment is Spore was due to being shown features that the game didn't end up having and ending up with a dumbed-down version of what people could've had. That's not the hype machine's fault; that's the fault of Will Wright and EA.

    Umm... It had almost all the features that were first announced. The only thing it didn't have that comes to mind was a water phase, underwater colonies, I think the 'Genesis Device', and the Close Encounters of the Third Kind UFO singing flashing thingy.

    rayofash on
  • Shoegaze99Shoegaze99 Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    Its an open world game though. You can't have contained episodes without it feeling closed off.

    Open world is synonomous with GTA and if that isnt the type of game they're making it shouldn't be advertised that way but I don't think episodes would work very well in that type of game. Then again maybe they're just being stupid about the definition of episodes.

    I think you're thinking in very rigid terms. An episode doesn't need to feel closed off or very strictly "like a level," even in an open world game. Their definition of an episode appears to be narrative-driven, and that could work fine. The idea is that a series of smaller story arcs -- "missions" or however you want to term them -- will somewhat standalone within the context of a larger story. Narrative levels, so to speak.

    And there are plenty of ways to segment them in a recognizable way, each with its own feel, even within an open world game.

    Maybe an episode's story takes place largely in a specific locale even (while allowing you to go elsewhere if you want). Maybe changes are made to the world between each episode (this building is gone, people disappear for this one, zombies line the roads in that one, etc.). Maybe the main characters of each episode differ/change. Maybe the sky is spooky red for a certain episode. Maybe cars don't work in another. Whatever.

    There were thematic end points in GTA IV, for instance, that would need little restructuring outside a title card and maybe a slightly better narrative structure in order to be called the end of one episode and the start of another. Like when you hit that small island up top and work for the female drug dealer and the "the streets" camera dude. You're working in one part of a larger world, for a small and specific cast, each with their own arc. Ensure the writing gives that segment a bit more a well-defined beginning/middle/end arc and wala, you have an episode. An episode part of a larger narrative.

    Shoegaze99 on
  • The_ScarabThe_Scarab Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    Where have they said it is open world? Serious question, I cant find recent documentation that it is.

    The_Scarab on
  • RainbowDespairRainbowDespair Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    The Siren games went with an essentially episodic structure and it was seriously one of the best things they could have done.

    RainbowDespair on
  • Ah_PookAh_Pook Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    The_Scarab wrote: »
    Where have they said it is open world? Serious question, I cant find recent documentation that it is.

    they said something about "open-ended" in that long quote you posted a couple posts back, wherever that came from. i think theres plenty of room for something to be open-ended and not be a GTA style sandbox game though.

    Ah_Pook on
  • randombattlerandombattle Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    What's taking so long?
    - We want the game to be good, it takes time
    - Relatively small studio even though we have hired more staff
    - Our expectations are high and we want to meet them
    - Our team is ambitious
    - Doing open-ended games is hard
    - If everything worked out the first time, it wouldn't take so long (Trial and error)
    - Competition is hard
    - After Max Payne we thought that it would be easier but for example technologically things have gone forward really fast

    randombattle on
    itsstupidbutidontcare2.gif
    I never asked for this!
  • The_ScarabThe_Scarab Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    No I said open world. Not open ended. there is a large difference in the two styles of game world.

    The_Scarab on
  • randombattlerandombattle Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    Seems like the same thing to me.

    randombattle on
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    I never asked for this!
  • The_ScarabThe_Scarab Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    Open world is GTA style. Or Oblivion. Or perhaps Mass Effect to an extent.

    Open ended is different. Actually a better example is Crysis. The levels are very wide and open, not particularly linear, but the overall game is a linear progression of levels not connected to one another.

    Is Crysis at all structured like GTA? Nope. Open ended just means that the tunnel of linearity is wide, but there are still walls.

    The_Scarab on
  • Shoegaze99Shoegaze99 Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    Hmmm. I've had the impression it's open-world since I first saw previews. Dunno why, though. Something had to have triggered the thought.

    A Computer Gaming World cover story preview, maybe?

    Shoegaze99 on
  • darleysamdarleysam On my way to UKRegistered User regular
    edited October 2008
    it's alive... IT'S ALLIIIIIIIIIIIVE

    That picture is hot, and I can't wait for the trailer to be leaked to the internet. "Between friends" my ass, it'll be out by the evening and I will be extremely happy.

    darleysam on
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  • randombattlerandombattle Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    Shoegaze99 wrote: »
    Hmmm. I've had the impression it's open-world since I first saw previews. Dunno why, though. Something had to have triggered the thought.

    A Computer Gaming World cover story preview, maybe?
    The preview with the tornado makes it look like it's one big world.

    Also whats the deal with that? Alan Wake doesn't seem like the game that needs super physics.

    randombattle on
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    I never asked for this!
  • SpoitSpoit *twitch twitch* Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    You can still have "episodes" in an open world too though, someone posted a long response about GTA4. I also got the feeling from the early previews that it was an open world too, btw

    Spoit on
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