My first fan mission is "done to alpha state" now

[geegee]

My timing was off on this one.  Work on beta-testing is much more needed elsewhere as there are several missions for the contest alone.  

So I apologize.

Edited January 15, 2022 by geegee

[thebigh]

Sure thing. Count me in! I'm happy to help.

[JackFarmer]

22 hours ago, geegee said:

My timing was off on this one.  Work on beta-testing is much more needed elsewhere as there are several missions for the contest alone.  

So I apologize.

Feel free to send it to me for alpha testing; I am pretty sure I can manage an alpha and a beta.

Edited January 15, 2022 by JackFarmer

[datiswous]

Do you still need help testing?

[geegee]

@datiswous and the other kind souls willing to help, I apologize for being out of the loop for the past while. 

Dragofer saw my FM and offered some advice which I've been following.  Like some earlier advice from Cabalistic (which I followed, and finished - and it was a shitload of work), Dragofer's suggestions were global and required very extensive global changes to my map.  Those changes are 90+% done - with corresponding global improvements.  A very good learning experience indeed!  That's what's been taking up my time.  I've also been implementing volumetric lighting throughout - this lighting improvement is fantastic!  

I want my FM to go straight to beta after this, and this should be soon.  I simply haven't got it in me to do more global fixes.  

[thebigh]

No problem! Give me a ping when you're ready to go.

[datiswous]

19 hours ago, geegee said:

I've also been implementing volumetric lighting throughout - this lighting improvement is fantastic!

In my opinion you shouldn't implement volumetric lighting everywhere. You should examine it on a per scene basis, if it improves the lighting. I see plenty of scenes in new missions where the scene in non volumetric lighting imo looks better (by activating stencil shadows) and in other scenes it does look better.

[HMart]

I agree with datiswous do not over use a effect or you risk killing its appeal.

Also IMO current volumetric lights, even thou cool when casting shadows and such, do take a important toll on performance and visually, when not at 16 samples or above, to me look a tad worse than the older particle effect system.