Wishlist - what do you want to see in DXX-Rebirth

[Diedel]

Using shader programs in Descent 1/2 is possible, but not with the Rebirth code base.

A better approach would be to add an entirely new renderer as well as a modern physics and networking library. Again, you'd need a better code base than Rebirth though.

[zico]

Sure - you can also implement a whole 3D engine into a text-processing program. The question is if it's the right approach - like Diedel said a new engine would probably be a better choice for that fancy effects.

On the other side I still think effects like reflections look totally out of place in an old game like Descent.

[Gold Leader]

Sure - you can also implement a whole 3D engine into a text-processing program. The question is if it's the right approach - like Diedel said a new engine would probably be a better choice for that fancy effects.

On the other side I still think effects like reflections look totally out of place in an old game like Descent.

yeaps I totally agree btw Zico your slogan @ DXX-REBIRTH in your sig says exactly the right thing

"You can take that game engine out of 1994, but you can't take the 1994 out of the engine."

adding reflections as other new gen based effects would make Descent 1 & 2 alot less original, that we have OpenGL rendering does clean up the pixels alot, though still has the good old feel.

Mouse support for single player is very smooth, though mouse player for multiplayer should be implented also but that's just my opinion there bud

[jshaner]

Using shader programs in Descent 1/2 is possible, but not with the Rebirth code base.

A better approach would be to add an entirely new renderer as well as a modern physics and networking library. Again, you'd need a better code base than Rebirth though.

Well, that is something that would be cool to see. @Diedel-Would you be able to implement that in D2X-XL then? Maybe even customizable shaders? that would be the next step towards realistic-ness. I don't need an old time gameplay type thing, even though it can be quite a blast at times.

[Floyd]

uhh?

[jshaner]

uhh?

maybe that would've been better...

[karx11erx]

Sure - you can also implement a whole 3D engine into a text-processing program. The question is if it's the right approach - like Diedel said a new engine would probably be a better choice for that fancy effects.

On the other side I still think effects like reflections look totally out of place in an old game like Descent.

I think that depends on what makes Descent being Descent for you.

For some it's the looks - those will prefer Rebirth, for some it's rather the gameplay - those will probably be happy with XL. Personally I'd love to see Descent 2 with modern gfx, like parallax mapping, per pixel lighting, proper shadow casting, environment mapping, and I believe if applied properly and decently that would still convey D2's atmosphere very well.

D2X-XL is ready for addition of a modern renderer, physics engine and networking code, and that's what I will try during the next months. It will be done in a way that you can still play every legacy Descent 1/2 level, or create new levels with state of the art level editors.

Well, I hope I am not straying too far from this thread's topic - maybe a mod wants to split it?

[Stroodles]

Unnerf the level 7 boss. He's beyond easy now. Put it back to the definitive edition boss. That was actually difficult. Or at least fun.

[Sirius]

I don't think D1X-Rebirth would actually have changed the level 7 boss. Perhaps you're just a better pilot than you used to be?

[Duper]

Lvl 7 Boss was never really that hard as long as you had all the other bots destroyed. *shrug* Like I posted, head on over to the Dxx site and ask Zico.

[Stroodles]

I don't think D1X-Rebirth would actually have changed the level 7 boss. Perhaps you're just a better pilot than you used to be?

I'm running D1X on an xp machine, and the original game on a '98 machine. I tested both within a few days-I didn't get THAT much better THAT fast.

[Xfing]

Maybe add the robot counter and the powerup counter like they are in DXX-XL? On the other hand, no. Those give essential information for completionists. And they should acquire that information by themselves

[Alter-Fox]

Sorry for the bump, but...

Interplay turned the difficulty of the level 7 boss down in the first patch, I've heard. This is because players kept complaining it was too hard. I believe you could download a save game at the beginning of level 8 from their website as well.

[akula65]

The relevant page to use in the Wayback Machine is:

http://www.interplay.com/descent/descent.html

There is a section toward the bottom titled \"Having trouble with Level 7?\". The savegame is still downloadable.

[Duper]

hmm. link didn't work for me. iirc, that boss was Bugged and couldn't be taken down. ... or was that the demo...

[Alter-Fox]

I managed to kill it in the demo... using the invulnerability cheat. It took about 20 minutes of shooting to bring him down (on Trainee!)

[Sirius]

Hey, that sounds like it'd be fun to try killing without cheats now.

[Xfing]

I have a proposal for a tweak in D2X-Rebirth. If you can, please add a command line called -d1fusion. If typed in an .ini file, it would double the power of the fusion cannon in Descent 2 (bringing it to its power from Descent 1).

This way it would be possible to arbitrarily switch the Fusion power to its D1 value. I suggested a command instead of a slider, as using a slider would just be too tempting (playing regular D2 with stronger Fusion CAN be considered cheating). The reason I'm asking is that I started a new mission set for Descent 2, where you are stuck with only D1 weapons for quite a few levels, having Fusion at its rightful power is therefore a necessity. I hope this issue gets addressed in the next release

[Duper]

lol!

[Krom]

The Fusion damage in D2 is not set by anything in the game source code, it is part of the game data files. DXX can't change them without using a horrible hard coded override hack.