Evochron Mercenary doesn’t have aliasing, but only because it uses MSAA.
If we’re just getting post aa i’ll probably try upscaling the game or just leaving it off. Post AA usually makes the game look worse.
Seriously, When is the kickstarter going to start? Been waiting since I saw that video back in 2010.
Thanks for the pictures Hutch. Really keeps me interested. There was a solid year there where nothing new came out. I gave up at that point. Seeing some more ‘movement’ is encouraging.
But really… Kickstarter… and don’t skimp out on the DK2 support =D
beautiful 
i have a question. could the city lights reach the outer space?
1 Like
I played with the levels on the latest image to make a bit more detail visible.
< image removed - updated version in follow up post below >
Note that altering the image in this way has completely destroyed the visual fidelity that I-Novae have worked hard to achieve. This image should ONLY be used for personal curiosity about detail that is somewhat hidden in the original.
Do not redistribute this image.
2 Likes
Now I wish I’d posted the screenshot with the correct vertical shift, although it doesn’t show off the sky as well it does show the buildings properly oriented (not slanted due to the lens) with lens correction it would look better, but that’s not a feature in engine at this time, and I don’t want to do any post work in Photoshop on these 
(Context: I’ve been working in the Architectural Rendering field for the past year, and as such, tilt shift!!!)
No tilt shift, but the camera is lined up on the horizon to keep things in order.
3 Likes
I also played a bit, although my version definitely looks nothing like it should anymore. However quite a bit of detail can be seen. 
Please note that this is doubly so for this image as it is heavily modified!
EDIT: Image removed, better one below.
I can see why you used the tilt-shift effect as it really gives the image a lovely feel of depth.
Here’s an updated detail shot without the tilt-shift slant that was visible in the first version I posted.
Again, this is a butchered and unofficial image and should not be redistributed.
It will probably still show up on the SC and ED forums showcasing how much our rings suck 
7 Likes
Splashing a label across such images that says something along the lines of “fan-modified artwork” might be helpful.
3 Likes
Or INS could give us a screenshot that doesn’t require modification to gain more information
I thought Dan’s nighttime picture was quite cool. But silly me for thinking it would satisfy everyone.
4 Likes
Most of the screens posted here (planet-side) are dark and seem more like a tease than actually showing off the capability of the engine. I guess you are saving the good stuff for later…
It is a cool picture, no doubt, yet a dark one again, Dan must be a Night Owl.
I assume that’s the intent.
If they’re going with the dim-and-murky style of tease, I think they need to post process their teaser images to remove information that the unaided human eye cannot make out. If there are two shades of light between which the human eye cannot differentiate, then the released image should not have two different color values. One might say that should be true in-game as well, to avoid gamma cheats and such.
As frequently happens, I am inspired to be creative. This time, a teaser campaign occurs to me.
Periodically release an image from a sequence of stills as a camera approaches a planetary system, then approaches a single planet, and finally begins a planetary transition, traveling almost to the surface - to the point where something is visible in the distance. Then the Kickstarter video would pick up that sequence in real time, completing the transition down to a ship (with as much game-compatible content and activity around it as possible) that the camera enters, and then the ship and camera fly off, performing a planetary transition back to space.
The trip in would dodge a planetary ring in order to keep it a pure tease, while the trip out would definitely make the most of a visit to it.
If clouds are available, then the teaser would end as the camera enters a cloud layer, while the Kickstarter video would start by emerging from the clouds.
To mix up the teaser, introduce various random images so that people aren’t completely obsessed with the planetary approach sequence.
Note that if the stills in the approach sequence are at all compatible, people are going to take the time to assemble them into videos and post them on YouTube. Throw in some odd color quirks that require skill to correct and it’s a kind of challenge to properly present the teaser.
Another thought is to publish a series of short videos that knit together. The idea with the videos is that there would be no sound. The Kickstarter could then begin with that same soundless video knitted together. As the video transitions into the Kickstarter portion, the camera would come clear of the clouds and sound/music would kick in. Dramatically. To a degree, it would mimic traveling in the serene emptiness of space followed by the violence of entering a planet’s atmosphere. As the ship continues into space, music and/or sound effects would continue.
I don’t know about you guys, but that transition would be viscerally satisfying to this Old Guard member. We’ve been spending a long time in the quiet and empty time, and the Kickstarter should begin with a blare of trumpets and a release of pigeons.
A final variation is to publish still images, then do the Kickstarter with the video of those stills without sound, and again bust into the audio as the camera clears the clouds. It’s intended to be a kind of underpromise and overdeliver kind of deal.
Just amusing myself as I wait for their Kickstarter.
3 Likes
Well, actually the closing-in screenshots idea would be pretty cool but as I explained in another thread, Kickstarter video should definitely include a ship, alpha or fake version of first person in-cockpit camera and a subtle “Real time in-engine” in a opaque-ish font.
Not that I care, but the average gamer does. Also why “Real time in-engine” and not “Real time gameplay”? So you can add animations/camera angles that could not be present in the final game just to show off. The gameplay on screen must feel cinematic but not fake.
But then again, I-N said that they aim on putting in a Demo. The kind of transition you’re talking about could occupy a great space there. Not so much game to spoil, enough spaceporn to tease.
Yep. I included as much in my postulated Kickstarter video; it starts with a descent to a ship in a - hopefully busy - surface port. In contrast, the teasers wouldn’t include a ship. We don’t want to give away too much.
We know they have at least one ship and I assume that it has a real cockpit. I make that assumption because they’ve clearly stated that small ships will have cockpits When they make a clear statement, I assume that means that the deal is already done. In contrast, bridges will not be modeled. I assume that they plan on using a third person camera for larger ships.
I’m assuming that the demo that they’re creating is going to be used for the Kickstarter video. So they’ll design the thing to follow a certain scripted path, then add a certain scripted set of camera angles for their video (or just look around manually). Add overvoice, add happy smiling faces… done. They hand out the same demo software that will then follow that same scripted path but allow the tourist/player to look around as the camera/ship moves along.
Another variation has the camera picking up the ship while docked to a space station. That avoids teasing anything about planetary transitions, but it also creates a slight problem when trying to introduce dramatic audio as the camera approaches or enters the ship. I think I prefer dramatic organic audio over dramatic mechanical audio.
Ooh my bad, you meant an eventual teaser (which would be an awesome way to get attention on the KS campaign), then it’s cool. ^^
About the Demo, I really hope we have unlocked view on rails. I need it.
[quote=“MuchStache, post:315, topic:582”]
Well, actually the closing-in screenshots idea would be pretty cool but as I explained in another thread, Kickstarter video should definitely include a ship, alpha or fake version of first person in-cockpit camera and a subtle “Real time in-engine” in a opaque-ish font.[/quote]
I don’t want to raise expectations too much but… oh well. We haven’t been working on 2 years on the KS just to show a single ship. The KS video will actually include some pretty diverse things.
14 Likes
This just in: Battlescape Kickstarter video to include scuba diving and black jack simulator!
6 Likes
Finally the door is being opened! I’ve been waiting for years to play blackjack in my spaceship simulator.
1 Like