DX10 on Test Server (my thoughts)

[ceafo]

I took a small break from writing a training outline for work and downloaded the testlive server because I read DX10 had been included in the 1.04 patch which hit last month. It's not completely optimized but they did make quite a few improvements (so they state) on the client side with the jan 16th patch.

I'm not sure what DX10 capabilities were implemented in LOTRO or any others but in AoC they implemented:

Screen Space Ambient Occlusion Lighting
God Rays
Specular on Ocean
Underwater Caustics
Volumetric Light
Advanced Parralax (no idea what this does)
Wind in Trees
Shockwave Distortion
Radial Blur

I didn't run around for long but I have to say I was impressed. I'm not going to jump up and down and say it was the best thing ever but I did notice a significant improvement in the lighting, shadows, water, and the God Rays were particularly impressive because it really looked like rays of bright light shining down between structures and such. The videos I have seen really don't do DX10 justice from what I just experienced.

As impressive as it was I did take a performance hit for all the goodies. It wasn't that bad but I did notice a fps drop and wonder what it will be like when there are others around since I was running around alone.

Anyways, just some initial thoughts on DX10 that I saw. :)

[Landro]

I took a small break from writing a training outline for work and downloaded the testlive server because I read DX10 had been included in the 1.04 patch which hit last month. It's not completely optimized but they did make quite a few improvements (so they state) on the client side with the jan 16th patch.

I'm not sure what DX10 capabilities were implemented in LOTRO or any others but in AoC they implemented:

Screen Space Ambient Occlusion Lighting
God Rays
Specular on Ocean
Underwater Caustics
Volumetric Light
Advanced Parralax (no idea what this does)
Wind in Trees
Shockwave Distortion
Radial Blur

I didn't run around for long but I have to say I was impressed. I'm not going to jump up and down and say it was the best thing ever but I did notice a significant improvement in the lighting, shadows, water, and the God Rays were particularly impressive because it really looked like rays of bright light shining down between structures and such. The videos I have seen really don't do DX10 justice from what I just experienced.

As impressive as it was I did take a performance hit for all the goodies. It wasn't that bad but I did notice a fps drop and wonder what it will be like when there are others around since I was running around alone.

Anyways, just some initial thoughts on DX10 that I saw. :)

I must say WOW! Tested this with my curent card and was impressed how easily it pushed it. Cranked everything wide open. What I noticed the most was the wild animals. Running around AoC you hear random jungle/animal sounds but with DX10 I, accidentally, looked to my left and up from a sneeze and saw a shadow of a monkey, right after hearing a monkey call. I stood on a cliff and over looked the sea and the look of the sea and the sun rays was AMAZING!
The leaves actually rustling around with the wind.....grass moving as you run through it.