Halloween Speed Build Contest

[nbohr1more]

Looks great MD!

 

I hope you meet your release goal... that would kick the esteem of contest up a couple of notches.

[Bikerdude]

@MD, if you need a hand etc, you know where I am.

[Mortem Desino]

On a different note, didn't you make a mission 'the broken fence' in the past? Why isn't that availlable to the public? Or is it?

Yessir. I didn't publically release it because in the two years following, I made the map at least four times larger. It will probably be released as prefabbed bits & pieces glued into other FMs. (My storytelling since then has gotten much, much better. The original was quite terrible. )

[DeTeEff]

Serious problems! Probably my graphic card has malfunctioned. It started with all windows turning pink and lots of artifacts around the mouse pointer. It froze and I rebooted. Now there is lots of dots and lines over the screen, even the starting logo for the mother board! I cannot see anything useful in "normal" Windows but if i start in safe mode, there's no artifacts...I have/had a Nvidia GeForce 8800GTX 768 ram...

 

I now have a dilemma. I don't currently have the funds to invest a whole new computer (This one, including the graphic card is from 2007, when the graphic card itself cost about 5000 swedish kronor. (about 6-7 kronor per dollar)

 

My plan is to buy a card for about 500-1000 kronor around 100 $ JUST TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE THE WORK ON THE CONTEST ENTRY!

 

Like this one: ASUS Radeon HD 6450 1GB DDR3 Silent PCI-Express 2.1

 

It costs 589 kronor...Is it resonable to believe that this card will be at least as good as my old? Will I be able to achieve resonable FPS in TDM with this?

[nbohr1more]

The 6450 gets 60FPS in Crysis Warhead at 1280x1024 "Performance Quality".

 

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4263/amds-radeon-hd-6450-uvd3-meets-htpc/5

 

It should run TDM just fine as long as you are flexible about the resolution you play at.

 

If you can pickup a Geforce GT430 for the same price it's a better value and has a little more oomph.

 

Good luck.

[DeTeEff]

I played TDM at 1280 x 1024 with not too much antialiazing, so it was not a bone cracker card

 

The same shop sells this one

ASUS VGA-Card nVidia GT430 1024MB PCI-E D-Sub/ DVI HDMI HDPC PhysX CUDA DDR3 Heatsink

for 681 kronor.

 

I guess that is the one you mentioned, that's presumeably more value

 

Thanks

[nbohr1more]

Yes, that'll get the job done. You might loose a little to the old 8800 series in scenes where tons of lights overlap but overall should be pretty close.

[DeTeEff]

Well, this is just a stepping stone for the huge computer upgrade I've planned in the winter/spring 2012. I don't think it's a good buy to shop for a 5000 kronor card to insert in this 2007 computer with Windows XP I guess the newer hardware needs Windows 7 to perform max out?

[nbohr1more]

Overall, yes.

 

Windows 7 (or 8) have new driver infrastructure that utilizes parallel processing better and is adapted to GP-GPU stuff.

 

That said, Doom 3 is OpenGL.

 

OpenGL does not really care too much about whether it's on XP or Win7 (etc) you can have all the latest OpenGL tech in Windows XP (at least until ATI and Nvidia stop supporting XP...).

 

But if you play anything other than TDM ... you are better served to make your big change include the newer Windows versions. And even TDM will likely prefer the better multi-tasking support and 64bit addressing in newer versions of Windows once Doom 3 goes GPL (as evidenced with the "4GB Patch").

[DeTeEff]

But the GT430 performed good on Crysis Warhead so that gives me a good insight in what kind of performance I can assume other, similar games will be played at.

 

But at the moment I don't play anything other than TDM No, not even that, I don't play, I map!

 

I don't have time for these breakdowns! And I really do hope that the problem actually IS the graphic card. I couldn't imagine that the computer would show anything at all on the screen with a crippled graphic card. It must have been an isolated short circuit caused by dust or something that has destroyed certain resolutions or something...I'm now eunning in safe mode with 640x480 and 32 bit colour. It doesn't look bad other than the low resolution...But when I try to start windows normally, there is just a mishmash of colours in pink and flickering shit. (Photo proof exists). I've removed the card and removed the dust with no luck...

[SiyahParsomen]

Nvidia GeForce 8800GTX

 

My 8800GT was in same condition like yours. Since I baked it, yes literally, it works absolutely fine. Look for youtube videos such as bake 8800GTX.

[DeTeEff]

It's tempting to try, but as the time runs out for the contest, I must go for the easier solution...

 

But the baking must be tested at a later stage Haha, bizarre idea!

[Bikerdude]

But the baking must be tested at a later stage. Haha, bizarre idea!

 

What its actually doing is re-melting the solder balls under GPU itself. The same technique works on 360's and PS3's that have died etc.

[DeTeEff]

Hmm, The store didn't have the GT430 even though they said so on the homepage...Went to another place and the cheapest they had was the GTX 550 Ti for about 1500 kronor...Bought that one and returned home. Thought of trying the owen method and looked angrily on the card in the computer...Rebooted one last time and the shit actually started allright Went in here and tried typing a message, pink colours and new crash...Fuck you! Now you're goin in the owen!

 

So now I'm sitting here with a freshly baked GTX and it seems to work

 

Thanks for your support and especially SiyahParsomen for charing this tip for me Thats a Staropramen for you, my friend!

[Bikerdude]

Just an update on my map, will be linking & building the last bit of the map that links the other to big parts together. And then get more Ai+patrol routs added, then ambient speakers, then story, then beta testing.

 

But... if the mission isn't ready for testing by Wednesday night next week I will have to pull out of the contest :-(

 

So fingers crossed.

[DeTeEff]

I'll second that Biker...this is not a speed build, it's a cramming-in-as-much-as-you-can contest

[SiyahParsomen]

well I'm behind my schedule. However, I'll finish it on time in any condition. I give my words.

 

@Fieldmedic

 

you're welcome.

[nbohr1more]

Alright.

 

I was hesitant to bring this up but...

 

Sir Taffsalot's (and Biker's) mission is a spooky mission that fits with the theme of this contest. Sir Taffsalot took a long time to build it but OTOH this is his first mission release. Fieldmedic brought-up the idea of including this (something that I was considering...). I would love to add it as it would increase the esteem of the contest because it's a high quality release and (more importantly from a promotions POV) adds to the size of roster of participants.

 

What say you participants?

 

If Sir Taffsalot agrees, would you be alright competing against his first mission?

 

(I would totally understand if anyone objected to that rule being bended.)

[Melan]

Well, was it a speed-built mission? I think that should settle the matter. Otherwise, the objective was to produce a mission under a narrow time limit - so it should not be included. Not ever mission has to be a contest mission.

[nbohr1more]

Yes.

 

That's why I was hesitant to bring it up.

 

Plus Mr Taffsalot had the benefit of being "grinded to a pulp" with feedback from his beta test . (Ithel is almost as sharp an eye as Grayman... very valuable I'd say ... Ppoe also was pretty good at finding issues... a close second... ).

 

His mission will just get a "special mention" in the Halloween article unless all the participants want him in the mix.

Edited October 20, 2011 by nbohr1more

[SiyahParsomen]

It's okay with me if he doesn't have a chance to win. Joke aside, if I should declare my opinion; more the merrier.

[lost_soul]

@Fieldmedic, my GT440 plays TDM great at 1280x1024. It was about $60 after rebate. As far as baking computer parts goes, we had an NVIDIA laptop that quit working due to solder problems. I'm betting if we baked that, it would be a gooey melty mess.

[Bikerdude]

Just a small update -

 

I am hopefully on track for the Wednesday deadline for beat testing.. I have built more of the map to the point its ready for Ai, path nodes, readable's, and some scripted/triggered objects/events etc.

[Sir Taffsalot]

@ Nbohr - I would be more than happy for just a special mention in your halloween article. My map was 90% done when the Halloween contest started.

 

@ Biker - If you would like me to beta test your map feel free to PM me when the time is ready.

[Arcturus]

I have been doing map for the contest but one and half month is not enough for me. I will continue working on it though.