What changed
0 fixes3 additions0 changes0 removals
- Gameplay
- Performance
- UI and audio
addedBattlezone 98 fans... it's nearly here!As we get closer and closer to the launch of Battlezone 98 Redux ,we're excited to share with you a brand new dev blog series that will delve deep into the remaster's development. Here, courtesy of producer Mike Arkin, is the very first post. Further posts will go into even more detail, but to kick us off, here's a guide for what to expect from Battlezone 98 Redux! Hi, my name is Mike Arkin and I’m the producer of Battlezone 98: Redux. By strange coincidence, I was also a member of the original team that launched Battlezone in 1998. Since announcing Battlezone 98 Redux I’ve often been asked what a remaster means. While there is no one definition of a game remaster, I thought I’d use this first dev diary to explain what this remaster is. Our high concept when we planned this project was to preserve the original gameplay, but enhance and augment the game in every way we could. Keep in mind that we constantly struggle with the idea that we want to make the game as modern as possible, but we also need to service the fans that have been playing Battlezone for so many years and have kept the community alive. It’s hard to please everyone, but I’m pretty sure that most people will be happy with what we’ve done. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bp57Lo2grfM
addedLET THERE BE LIGHT...The longer version? For starters, we introduced a shader-based DirectX 9 renderer which allowed us to use an all new shader/material system throughout the game. All vehicles and buildings were remodeled and retextured in high resolution and high polygon meshes. We also used advanced shader techniques to add a little glow and shine to the new models. And what’s the point of shine if we don’t have lights? So of course we added headlights to all the tanks and adapted the system to allow for real-time lighting. Speaking of lighting, we now have a real lighting system, and all game objects like vehicles and buildings cast shadows and self-shadow! You might be thinking that Battlezone had shadows in 1998, but really it just had blobs, not actual projected shadows with soft edges like Battlezone 98 Redux has.
addedHEADS UP!The in-game heads-up display (HUD) was also completely redesigned. And we’ve made it scalable so at higher resolutions it looks nice and sharp. This also means that if you have a giant monitor you can now have your HUD scale up way high, or dial it back down if you’d prefer! Oh, and the Russian vehicles now have their own HUD, as do the mysterious
Battlezone 98 Redux changes
addedAs we get closer and closer to the launch of Battlezone 98 Redux ,we're excited to share with you a brand new dev blog series that will delve deep into the remaster's development. Here, courtesy of producer Mike Arkin, is the very first post. Further posts will go into even more detail, but to kick us off, here's a guide for what to expect from Battlezone 98 Redux! Hi, my name is Mike Arkin and I’m the producer of Battlezone 98: Redux. By strange coincidence, I was also a member of the original team that launched Battlezone in 1998. Since announcing Battlezone 98 Redux I’ve often been asked what a remaster means. While there is no one definition of a game remaster, I thought I’d use this first dev diary to explain what this remaster is. Our high concept when we planned this project was to preserve the original gameplay, but enhance and augment the game in every way we could. Keep in mind that we constantly struggle with the idea that we want to make the game as modern as possible, but we also need to service the fans that have been playing Battlezone for so many years and have kept the community alive. It’s hard to please everyone, but I’m pretty sure that most people will be happy with what we’ve done. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bp57Lo2grfM
addedThe longer version? For starters, we introduced a shader-based DirectX 9 renderer which allowed us to use an all new shader/material system throughout the game. All vehicles and buildings were remodeled and retextured in high resolution and high polygon meshes. We also used advanced shader techniques to add a little glow and shine to the new models. And what’s the point of shine if we don’t have lights? So of course we added headlights to all the tanks and adapted the system to allow for real-time lighting. Speaking of lighting, we now have a real lighting system, and all game objects like vehicles and buildings cast shadows and self-shadow! You might be thinking that Battlezone had shadows in 1998, but really it just had blobs, not actual projected shadows with soft edges like Battlezone 98 Redux has.
addedThe in-game heads-up display (HUD) was also completely redesigned. And we’ve made it scalable so at higher resolutions it looks nice and sharp. This also means that if you have a giant monitor you can now have your HUD scale up way high, or dial it back down if you’d prefer! Oh, and the Russian vehicles now have their own HUD, as do the mysterious
Battlezone 98 fans... it's nearly here!
As we get closer and closer to the launch of Battlezone 98 Redux ,we're excited to share with you a brand new dev blog series that will delve deep into the remaster's development. Here, courtesy of producer Mike Arkin, is the very first post. Further posts will go into even more detail, but to kick us off, here's a guide for what to expect from Battlezone 98 Redux! Hi, my name is Mike Arkin and I’m the producer of Battlezone 98: Redux. By strange coincidence, I was also a member of the original team that launched Battlezone in 1998. Since announcing Battlezone 98 Redux I’ve often been asked what a remaster means. While there is no one definition of a game remaster, I thought I’d use this first dev diary to explain what this remaster is. Our high concept when we planned this project was to preserve the original gameplay, but enhance and augment the game in every way we could. Keep in mind that we constantly struggle with the idea that we want to make the game as modern as possible, but we also need to service the fans that have been playing Battlezone for so many years and have kept the community alive. It’s hard to please everyone, but I’m pretty sure that most people will be happy with what we’ve done. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bp57Lo2grfM
OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE NEW...
So what did we do? Well, the short version is that we’re still working with the old engine, but we have ripped pieces out and replaced them with modern features. Also, we’ve replaced most if not all of the art in the game with modern versions. Some of the art looks similar to the original since we used all of the old art as reference, but when you put the two side by side the difference is clear. We’ve not redesigned the game, though. Instead, we’ve strived to make the game we would have made in 1998 if PCs were 100 times more powerful back then, like they are now. In fact, based on some quick math, maybe perhaps 1000 is a better number (our minimum spec back in 1998 was a Pentium 90!).
LET THERE BE LIGHT...
The longer version? For starters, we introduced a shader-based DirectX 9 renderer which allowed us to use an all new shader/material system throughout the game. All vehicles and buildings were remodeled and retextured in high resolution and high polygon meshes. We also used advanced shader techniques to add a little glow and shine to the new models. And what’s the point of shine if we don’t have lights? So of course we added headlights to all the tanks and adapted the system to allow for real-time lighting. Speaking of lighting, we now have a real lighting system, and all game objects like vehicles and buildings cast shadows and self-shadow! You might be thinking that Battlezone had shadows in 1998, but really it just had blobs, not actual projected shadows with soft edges like Battlezone 98 Redux has.
HEADS UP!
The in-game heads-up display (HUD) was also completely redesigned. And we’ve made it scalable so at higher resolutions it looks nice and sharp. This also means that if you have a giant monitor you can now have your HUD scale up way high, or dial it back down if you’d prefer! Oh, and the Russian vehicles now have their own HUD, as do the mysterious
