Will DNF take advantage of quad cores?

[RVD]

Just wondering.... since the game probably won't be graphically groundbreaking and its strong point seems to be the fun factor and super interactive environments, where the CPU counts most. Even if quad cores are not required, mapmakers could make amazing stuff with lots of AI and stuff interacting in a map

[Echo Black]

Where are you getting from that DNF's visuals won't be a strong point? You are probably right, it might not look "groundbreaking", since such visual achievements are usually reserved to games that go balls-out in that department (Crysis) - But I don't know, the teaser's graphics looked competitive when compared to current games.

Sure, we'll play DNF for the gameplay and fun factor, but I wouldn't rule the graphics out of its "strong points".

[George Broussard]

Originally Posted by RVD

Just wondering.... since the game probably won't be graphically groundbreaking and its strong point seems to be the fun factor and super interactive environments, where the CPU counts most. Even if quad cores are not required, mapmakers could make amazing stuff with lots of AI and stuff interacting in a map

It's a multicore engine. Graphic detail is a large part of why.

[Gamebrain]

Well, theres your answer from the man himself.

[RVD]

Oh well I'm very glad to hear that. I tought advanced graphics only depended on the GPU. Good luck with the game.

[hark]

Yeah, I was wondering this as well. I have a quad core CPU and I'm finding that only half of it gets used at the most, even by Crysis.

Also, I don't understand why people are saying that Duke Nukem Forever is behind with the graphics. I thought they were excellent, especially the lighting. From what little I've seen from the teaser, the lighting and colours are vibrant and beautiful while still fitting in with the dark theme.

[Kennerado]

Also the trailer was blurred and had motion effects. We did not see much detail at all.

[peoplessi]

Originally Posted by George Broussard

It's a multicore engine. Graphic detail is a large part of why.

Another thing, how scalable is the engine? Comparing 2 cores against 4 cores - will there be a significant boost in performance with 4 cores against 2 cores?

[brabee]

Originally Posted by peoplessi

Another thing, how scalable is the engine? Comparing 2 cores against 4 cores - will there be a significant boost in performance with 4 cores against 2 cores?

You forgot about 3 cores

[JobivanHiob]

if DNF also comes to next gen consoles multicore use is vital!

[Danule]

good news for meee

[IwantMORE]

Anyone know how much of the multi-core optimization can be done by the software and how much the OS can help/hinder this?


My guess is there is much work to be done over the next few years getting the most out of these chips. I expect a significant boost to performance when both OS and software utilize the cores to the max.

Maybe Duke having the long development cycle will benefit in this respect.

[Reaper]

Originally Posted by brabee

You forgot about 3 cores

Lol. Are those even coming out? I heard they're just quad core CPUs with a dead core on it.

[lofty]

Originally Posted by IwantMORE

Anyone know how much of the multi-core optimization can be done by the software and how much the OS can help/hinder this?


My guess is there is much work to be done over the next few years getting the most out of these chips. I expect a significant boost to performance when both OS and software utilize the cores to the max.

Maybe Duke having the long development cycle will benefit in this respect.

Picking up on this a little more, i hope DNF will be written for "xp" as well as "vista".

[brabee]

Originally Posted by Reaper

Lol. Are those even coming out? I heard they're just quad core CPUs with a dead core on it.

Basically, yes But they seem to be pretty good anyway.

Originally Posted by lofty

Picking up on this a little more, i hope DNF will be written for "xp" as well as "vista".

I may be wrong, but isn't DNF a DX9 game?

[Monkey Butler]

Originally Posted by Reaper

Lol. Are those even coming out? I heard they're just quad core CPUs with a dead core on it.

The xbox 360 has 3 cores

[avatar_58]

Pretty much all games have been multi-core for the last year or so. The question is when are games going to make proper use of greater than 2 cores. So far developers haven't been able to do it.

[vcatkiller]

I certainly hope they think about us impoverished gamers who are still in single core land. If only I could afford an upgrade...

Still, Assassin's Creed declared that it needed a multicore and it runs reasonably ok on my system...

[RVD]

You only need like $300 to upgrade to a good dual core (including mobo)

[Mr.Fibbles]

Not even that really. That is if you don't need a new power supply and you have a non agp video card.
Bottom line is if you are upgrading your MoBo and CPU, you will probably have to upgrade everything. I built my current computer (not counting recent upgrades) for like $500. I might (OK, probably will) have to upgrade to play DNF, but I am satisfied with it now (I can play Crysis. . .not well, but I can play it)

[hark]

I wonder what kind of computers the folks at 3D Realms are using...

[alexgk]

Originally Posted by hark

I wonder what kind of computers the folks at 3D Realms are using...

I hope there's a mid-end computer running DNF at 3DR. If not, I can start begging for a console version.

[ryche]

Originally Posted by George Broussard

It's a multicore engine. Graphic detail is a large part of why.

Sweet.


Alex - I remember there was a quote earlier this year or late last year that had George talkin about running it on Q6600s at the office.

[Tim. Just Tim.]

Originally Posted by alexgk

I hope there's a mid-end computer running DNF at 3DR. If not, I can start begging for a console version.

I donno exactly what you mean by that, but Im pretty sure DNF will come out for PC, 360 and PS3, and all at once. I dont know if 3DR ever said that, but its just a hunch I have.

[alexgk]

Originally Posted by Tim. Just Tim.

I donno exactly what you mean by that, but Im pretty sure DNF will come out for PC, 360 and PS3, and all at once. I dont know if 3DR ever said that, but its just a hunch I have.

I mean my computer sucks, but not so much. And no console versions have been confirmed yet, so everything said about that topic is speculation.

[Monkey Butler]

Originally Posted by RVD

You only need like $300 to upgrade to a good dual core (including mobo)

PC parts tend to be a lot more expensive in Australia though.

[Commando Nukem]

Originally Posted by RVD

You only need like $300 to upgrade to a good dual core (including mobo)

Some us dont have 300$ to mess around with. Some of us could actually use a computer upgrade for career reasons.

You wanna know how much money I have? 80 bucks. Wanna know how much money I had three months ago? 80 bucks.

This whole upgrade thing burns holes in life savings. Im glad that 3DR isnt pushing this game into the "insane engine" zone. Then again my computer ran Crysis pretty good on medium.

One upgrade every four or five years is the best I can hope for.

[Kristian Joensen]

Originally Posted by ryche

Sweet.


Alex - I remember there was a quote earlier this year or late last year that had George talkin about running it on Q6600s at the office.

You are probably talking about this quote:

Multi-core support is in and quite nice. We all run Core Duo 6600's and 7950/8800, ati 1900 level cards.

Multi-core is the future and the game is pretty much going to require it. You really have to, to make a game competitive with modern consoles, or beyond. One cpu isn't enough anymore.

64 bit will come, but is lower priorty. Vista/64 bit isn't a priority for us at the moment.

- George Broussard, April 19th, 2007.

[Roma Loom]

Dunno much about modern engines and programming but I've heard that the more threads you are trying to split the engine to - the more hard it gets to sync them. All I can imagine is splitting the engine into Game (AI and Physics) and GFX threads for 2 cores...

[Minty]

The idea is to offload as much of the graphical processing to the GPU as possible, thats why its there. For multicore they could probabaly have one core for AI, one for physics, one for networking and the other to run the the rest of the game, im sure by time the game comes out we will all be on dual oct cores or something.

[froggerdonkey]

I'm pretty sure alot of how the game will run depends on how it's programmed - efficient programing = doesn't hog resources - a prime example being windows vs. linux.
Given 3dr's irritating philosophy/excuse of 'We wont release it until it's properly done', I reckon they'll probably have this fairly nailed.

[Skiffer]

That'd be a first in a long, long time. I've been dogging PC-exclusives of being sloppily optimized for a fair number of years now, and considering it's mainly console ports these days, a clean coded game would be a welcome breath of fresh air.

[fast-1]

I got an old Intel pentium 4 pro with hyperthreading technology. I wonder if the specs will go beyond mine don't matter though. I can always see the movies people make on you tube.

[IwantMORE]

Don't forget all those background OS tasks too, they could do with a core to themselves. Duel core is like one for OS one exclusive for app with a bit of help from the other.

4 or more cores is where it will get interesting. Now which OS's are best at distributive systems? Ideally I guess you would want the OS to handle as much as this as possible, only thing the sotware should have to do is effectively group the core elements and tag them as to which should be run together on a core. Then it's a case of making the most out of the performance boost in areas that count and like always not wasting resources.

Then again I don't know much about how mulit core - software and OS interact.

[alexgk]

Originally Posted by Kristian Joensen

- George Broussard, April 19th, 2007.

Unfortunally for me, that was last year's build of the game.

[ryche]

I'm not letting system requirements stop me from buying it and watching it chug on my pc...

[JobivanHiob]

today:
Multi-core (aka 4 cores) is in and quite nice. We all run Core Quad and 9800 GTX/GTX 2, ati 3870 X2 level cards

[froggerdonkey]

Originally Posted by JobivanHiob

today:
Multi-core (aka 4 cores) is in and quite nice. We all run Core Quad and 9800 GTX/GTX 2, ati 3870 X2 level cards

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Montykoro!]

Originally Posted by JobivanHiob

today:
Multi-core (aka 4 cores) is in and quite nice. We all run Core Quad and 9800 GTX/GTX 2, ati 3870 X2 level cards

Hahahahahaha...

My rig is a e4400 2gb of ram and 8600gt

[George Broussard]

Originally Posted by hark

I wonder what kind of computers the folks at 3D Realms are using...

Most people are on intel core duo machines, a couple gigs of ram and a 7950 or 8800 level video card.