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Rare, mythological creature known as RO2 SDK

Mike133

Grizzled Veteran
Sep 13, 2011
150
177
So, was anyone else peeved that we were told there would be an SDK released on launch day and there wasn't?

Was anyone else peeved that when we were told the SDK might come just a few days after release to iron out some bugs?

Was anyone else peeved when a few days turned into a week, and now over a month?

Oh well, it doesn't matter anyway. You all realize that when the SDK is released, all hell will break loose because map makers are going to try to copy the GIANT custom maps we all loved in RO:OST and DH. The game can barely handle the jail cells we call stock maps, just think what is going to happen to performance when maps come out that are measured in square miles.

This is a genuine problem for me, because I loved RO:OST & DH for some of those giant, combined arms, "travel simulator" maps. And I think we all know that Ro2 in its current state simply CANNOT run maps that size well for any reasonable number of people. Sure, all you guys with the super-rigs might be able to get them working alright, but even that might not be enough for this game, whose developers thought optimization was some kind of new laser eye surgery...:rolleyes:

This is Mike signing off and eagerly awaiting the incoming SDK and consequent server meltdowns.
 
As always, map-making is a balancing act between performance and vision.

I don't think getting large maps to work will be a problem. I think getting them to work while also looking as good as the mapper wants them to is the real problem. I am personally expecting the first large maps to look kind of spartan and lack stuff like fallen bricks and buckets and debris like that.
 
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Ramm said you're going to want 10 gigs of ram to do large-sized RO2 maps in the SDK.

That right there is going to cut a few modder's legs out from underneath them.

Geez, I have 8 gigs and I thought I was on the upper end of RAM quantities...

Using UE3 (or UE3.5 whatever you wanna call it; which was designed mostly for 8v8, quick, console-style games) was clearly a mistake...if you know your customers love the wide open spaces and long battles of RO:OST (which TWI should've known), then why even develop on an engine that caters to the exact opposite experience? Then you have to go and optimize and tweak and do all kinds of extra little things to retrofit an engine to run your style of game...and we all see what kinds of problems that caused. Yes, I know about the "Win Something Unreal" contest, and so I know that other factors were in play than just searching out the best possible engine for this style of game. But still, I think the UE3 choice is the root of so many Ro2 problems (besides blatant diversions from what many would call "Classic Ro-style gameplay").

10 gigs of RAM TWI? Are you kidding?

IBM should contract some of its supercomputers out to Ro2 modders...
 
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I cannot begin to describe how tired I am of people assuming "bigger = harder to run"

The reason RO2 eats up so much performance is because of the volume of detail in the maps. travel simulator maps aren't going to be very demanding so long as structures and trees have proper LODs and there's reasonable variation in the terrain.
 
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Honestly, for a development tool, 10GB isn't unreasonable. Assuming you want to do it in any reasonable time. 16GB is getting to be easy enough to do, and if you want to be serious about your work, then you have to invest in the tools.

I've stressed work stations with 32GB of RAM, and once even brought an old super computer to its knees because it was starved for memory on the project. RAM is cheap these days, get lots of it.
 
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I cannot begin to describe how tired I am of people assuming "bigger = harder to run"

The reason RO2 eats up so much performance is because of the volume of detail in the maps. travel simulator maps aren't going to be very demanding so long as structures and trees have proper LODs and there's reasonable variation in the terrain.

there isnt a huge amount of detail in the maps right now from what ive seen, hell most of the maps are populated with buildings that are literally just for show.

im im the camp that says the game engine cant cash what TWI is trying to check. its simply not meant for the type of RO1 battles we are used to, its geared toward "console style" maps and gameplay, infact i would go as far as say it was made just for it and nothing else. i dont think peoples computers will have any problems rendering theses things, its the game im worried about. TWI is esentually getting what it paid for.
 
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