Source Engine - In The Belly Of The Beast?

Thanks to Half-Life 2 Fallout for its fan-written feature discussing the content of Valve's Source videogame engine, as used for Half-Life 2. The piece explains: "The Source engine is not just a 3D engine (in the sense it's not just a renderer) -- it contains many different modules that are all brought together into one package", and tries to clarify discussion on subjects as diverse as lighting ("Something that has caused confusion in the past is 'dynamic lights' [in the Source engine].... All a light has to be in order for it to be qualified as dynamic is to be able to move and have changeable attributes.... It doesn't mean that it will [necessarily] cast real time shadows like in Doom 3 or Unreal Engine 3.0"), and in-game water ("When Valve say the water is physically simulated, they mean objects have buoyancy. They don't mean the Source engine has fluid dynamics.")

Comments

No fluid dynamics in "simulated water"

[PhysicsGenius]

That's great. Look for my upcoming release to "Totally Real Interactive Virtual Fighter" where "interactive" means when you press the one button the big on-screen square hops over the monster sprite. All, when I say "immersive 3D technology" I mean that every pixel has an X and Y position and you are seated a certain distance Z from the display.

Re:AI is "very, very powerful"

[The Ultimate Fartkno]

5. Profit!!

Assuming, y'know, that he's not doing all that work pro bono. Killer robots have to pay rent, too!

Re:AI is "very, very powerful"

[AlexMax2742]

You mean like "When it's done"?

Oh yeah, I went there.

Re:AI is "very, very powerful"

[Zorilla]

The NPC's will refuse to take stupid orders

I believe Warcraft already had that feature. You know, the one where you'd try to flank the enemy, but because your troops think your orders are stupid, they instead find a really good shortcut that involves going in head-on single file towards a large number of enemies.

Re:AI is "very, very powerful"

[Snowmit]

No, no, I'm sure it was:

1. Why, I say, looks like time to go out and hunt humans!
2. Gadzooks, it seems my height prevents me from getting past this bridge-like structure. I wonder how Molly and the children are faring up north?
   
3. There we go, a nice blast took care of that pesky obstacle. Truly, there is much to me said of the satisfaction of a good explosion. The Futursists where right when the said "Art and war are the great manifestations of sensuality; lust is their flower."
   
4. Still, I can't help but wonder: what's it all for? It seems my life is this endless meaningless loop of slaughter with no beginning and no end. Why am I here? Well, better get on with the killing.
   

Re:AI is "very, very powerful"

[Ford Prefect]

Powerful AI? Scripted sequences?

I can just imagine...

"But what's my motivation in this battle?"

Re:AI is "very, very powerful"

[Soul-Burn666]

5. What is this thing that is flying around always misses... it needs a nice name... miss miss.... missle! ... I wonder if it will be friends with me?

6. ...silence...

Re:AI is "very, very powerful"

[The Ultimate Fartkno]

"Grr! Argh! Snarl! Rowwwrrr! Erm... Ah... Dammit! LINE?!"

Re:Explanation needed?

[megan_of_wutai]

Children's (usually) amusement at a fair, gala or similar, non-porous inflated structure usually shaped like a castle, constantly kept inflated by a generator at the back.

You jump on it and bounce, have to take your shoes off first ;).