Technical Changes in 1.5

[Arlee]

Originally Posted by SWTOR

Developer Update: Technical Changes in Game Update 1.5

Hi everyone,

As a tech artist, I create tools to help the artists get their work into the game, and I work with the programmers to make the game run more efficiently. One of my favorite things to do is write shaders. Shaders are small programs that run on the graphics chip that describe the appearance of surfaces. For example, shaders define if an object looks shiny or dull, reflective or matte, and they also help us define the visual style of the game in terms of how lighting works.

Before	After

After we shipped the game last year, I started looking for ways to update the shaders to improve the appearance of the game without impacting performance. Several of these updates have already gone in, but one of my favorites is going live with Game Update 1.5 – translucency on foliage.

Before	After

I really enjoy looking at nature and figuring out how to take the ideas that I observe in the natural world and imitate them with computer graphics. Over the summer I was really struck by the translucent properties of leaves and grass. When the sun is behind these thin membranes, it creates a really beautiful glowing light as it diffuses through the back. After studying this effect for awhile, I found a way to reproduce it in our game. And best of all, the effect does not reduce the frame rate at all.

Before	After

So, new in Game Update 1.5, with Shader Complexity set to High in the Graphics Preferences, if you look toward the sun in outdoor environments such as Tython, Voss, Alderaan, etc, you’ll notice that the sun shines through the trees and the grass. Before Game Update 1.5, trees and grass would look really dark when looking toward the sun, but now that the sun is shining through them, they have that same type of beautiful diffused light that you see in the real world.

Before	After

I hope that you like the improvement! And we have some even better improvements in the pipe for future updates – so stay tuned.

Ben Cloward
Senior Technical Artist

(Source)

[Profyrion]

That's cool.

+10char

[iceberg265]

SWTOR was already the best looking MMO on the market IMO, and they keep improving it. Very nice.

[Tiev]

SWTOR was already the best looking MMO on the market IMO, and they keep improving it. Very nice.

Really? You think so? I disagree with that statement.

[Azhreia]

While it's debateable whether SWTOR is the best looking MMO or not (I would probably give that title to Tera myself) it's good to see that they are working on improvements.

[jazen]

Comparing wow and swtor is apples/oranges. Wow has always had/will continue having a cartoonish feel to it. Swtor doesnt have that, and therefore looks more 'real.' Different strokes for different folks, I play both games, and enjoy both graphic representations.

[Valeron]

Well how it looks and his preferences are really subjective. So if someone says it is the best looking mmo in the market than who are we to disagree with his own preference. In my opinion it isn't but I do agree that the changes do make it look better (it appears to be mostly lighting changes).

[Edge-]

Comparing wow and swtor is apples/oranges. Wow has always had/will continue having a cartoonish feel to it. Swtor doesnt have that, and therefore looks more 'real.' Different strokes for different folks, I play both games, and enjoy both graphic representations.

SWTOR still absolutely uses the very stylized approach. Heck, it's been derided for being too cartoony in the past >.>?

[notorious98]

Comparing wow and swtor is apples/oranges. Wow has always had/will continue having a cartoonish feel to it. Swtor doesnt have that, and therefore looks more 'real.' Different strokes for different folks, I play both games, and enjoy both graphic representations.

Uh, nobody compared the game to WoW except you. The only thing said was "best looking MMO on the market". There are more than 2 MMOs in existence. Personally, I think GW2 (what I've seen of it) and TERA (also, what I've seen of it) have a better look to them. Personally, I still prefer Rift. I think their environments are top notch. Iron Pine Peak elicited stronger emotions in my mind than any place in Northrend or Hoth. I can't really say why, but it just feels the way that it looks.

[Potato Bus]

Uh, nobody compared the game to WoW except you. The only thing said was "best looking MMO on the market". There are more than 2 MMOs in existence. Personally, I think GW2 (what I've seen of it) and TERA (also, what I've seen of it) have a better look to them. Personally, I still prefer Rift. I think their environments are top notch. Iron Pine Peak elicited stronger emotions in my mind than any place in Northrend or Hoth. I can't really say why, but it just feels the way that it looks.

I'm just glad to see that newer MMOs are embracing graphic improvements, WoW's environment just doesn't do it for me. I haven't seen much from GW2, TERA, or Rift, but I'm glad to hear that developers are allowing users to push their rigs to bring beautiful areas to life (one of the reasons I don't like console gaming much anymore is the graphic limitations of the old hardware, and some MMOs have been known to cater somewhat to lower power PCs to bring in more players)

[OneSent]

Maybe I'm not looking hard enough, but I really don't see any real difference in those before and after pics. There's a little more light shining through the trees I suppose, but I actually had to stare long enough for me to notice it.

"I work with the programmers to make the game run more efficiently." I can think of a dozen other areas in the game that need to run more efficiently than some minor lighting effects. Seeing updates like this is somewhat taunting. Afterall, the sun doesn't shine on the Fleets.

[Strah]

SWTOR was already the best looking MMO on the market IMO, and they keep improving it. Very nice.

Best looking?
Have you seen TERA? Guild Wars? Vindictus?
They all look MUCH better and perform MUCH better as well.

Swtor looks good, but the engine is absolutely horrible, very poorly optimized with a lot of memory leaks.

[Arlee]

Please stop the game vs game vs game graphics discussion, it's not the point of this thread and is a completely subjective thing anyway.

[notorious98]

Maybe I'm not looking hard enough, but I really don't see any real difference in those before and after pics. There's a little more light shining through the trees I suppose, but I actually had to stare long enough for me to notice it.

Agreed. The first two pictures look remarkably similar. The third pic is actually a pretty nice view. The fourth pic is pretty much meh. It doesn't really look like it's that much of a difference. I can see there being a difference, but it just seems small. To me, I'm not entirely sure this was a necessary improvement. But, who knows, maybe the guy has nothing else to do but this.

[RoninaThorstone]

I don't think that lighting is really high up there on the complaints list.

Kind of surprised they bothered to do a show and tell about this.

But then again, if they talked about anything meaningful the world would end.

[Profyrion]

I don't think that lighting is really high up there on the complaints list.

Kind of surprised they bothered to do a show and tell about this.

But then again, if they talked about anything meaningful the world would end.

So jaded.

Game runs like a top on my system. Very little stutter or object pop, and then only on fleet at prime time. I must be incredibly lucky.

[RoninaThorstone]

So jaded.

Game runs like a top on my system. Very little stutter or object pop, and then only on fleet at prime time. I must be incredibly lucky.

Runs fine on my 3y/o system.

Not sure what you are getting at.

[Kelimbror]

I'm guessing that the people responsible for this kind of thing dont' have a lot going on right now, but they are not expendable. They probably just devote time trying to figure out how to improve every little thing without breaking the game. As cynical as I am about these silly announcements and that I don't see a great difference in most of the examples, I can try tounderstand why they have these things.

Additionally, subscribers can only be retained for so long without lots of positive things going on. These are the people they aim for with these kinds of updates, because they will probably notice a huge difference in the game when it hits.