Not far from $500 million in funding UPDATE - 500 Mil hit

[NaffNaffBobFace]

This is as of today, not far from a big milestone:

Invictus bought in $20 million and we've been seeing roughly 5 to 8 million a month in recent times so it's fairly certain we'll see 500 mil soon. That's not to say all this funding came in at once, this is over the duration of the whole project, but what a milestone to see!

I forget, is a billion 1000 million or 1 million million? Isn't a one thousand million a Milliard?

 

[stockish]

pfft, $500 million and not even a capital sized Aurora in my hangar!

 

[NaffNaffBobFace]

pfft, $500 million and not even a capital sized Aurora in my hangar!

When the Supeaurora launches expect the crowd funder total to double!!!1!!

 

[Lethal1961]

Personally I want one of these .

View: https://youtu.be/w3Rugr0dzH0

 

[Vavrik]

I forget, is a billion 1000 million or 1 million million? Isn't a one thousand million a Milliard?

Its complex. The short scale is now the official way in most English speaking countries. In those countries the long scale is defunct. So:
A billion is 1000 million, 10⁹
a trillion is 100,000 million, 10¹²
But this doesn't necessarily apply even to all English speaking countries, let alone the rest of the world.

In my world, we say 1.00 X 10⁹ and don't decorate it with ambiguities. We just say what it is, like pounds, dollars, cats, amoebas, etc.

 

[Lorddarthvik]

Huh, interesting, we use the word Milliárd for 1000 million. But we also use the word billió as to exaggerat which I guess comes from billion, but it's not quantified.
When it comes to English, I learned a 1000 million as one billion.

Anyways, " over 500mill and no game" and "most expensive game that doesn't even exist" articles, here we come!

 

[NaffNaffBobFace]

Its complex. The short scale is now the official way in most English speaking countries. In those countries the long scale is defunct. So:
A billion is 1000 million, 10⁹
a trillion is 100,000 million, 10¹²
But this doesn't necessarily apply even to all English speaking countries, let alone the rest of the world.

In my world, we say 1.00 X 10⁹ and don't decorate it with ambiguities. We just say what it is, like pounds, dollars, cats, amoebas, etc.

Half a billion on the short scale, gotcha.

Huh, interesting, we use the word Milliárd for 1000 million. But we also use the word billió as to exaggerat which I guess comes from billion, but it's not quantified.
When it comes to English, I learned a 1000 million as one billion.

Anyways, " over 500mill and no game" and "most expensive game that doesn't even exist" articles, here we come!

When the articles come saying 'Half a billion and still no game" I am going to be ignorant and be like "this article is misleading its not 500,000 million its only 500 million"

 

[NaffNaffBobFace]

Only 4 million away from the half milliard...

 

[Vavrik]

Only 4 million away from the half milliard...

Ah, perfect! Well done - How much more before you have your starting amount?

 

[NaffNaffBobFace]

Ah, perfect! Well done - How much more before you have your starting amount?

I dread to think!

 

[Devil Dog Hog]

Im gona be the asshole here and say it. $500 mil and I still get eaten by the elevator.

 

[Vavrik]

Im gona be the asshole here and say it. $500 mil and I still get eaten by the elevator.

This is a prime example of where "It's Alpha" is absolutely not an excuse. In real time software, preloading objects is not an option, it's a must do.

There is a kind of workaround we can use, that is to open the elevator door, and if what is behind hasn't rendered then let the door close - Wait a second, then reopen the door. The same thing can happen exiting the elevator too, and doing almost anything that requires a screen update.

 

[Aramsolari]

$497,103,073 last I checked.

Prepare for the Kotaku articles!

 

[NaffNaffBobFace]

This is a prime example of where "It's Alpha" is absolutely not an excuse. In real time software, preloading objects is not an option, it's a must do.

There is a kind of workaround we can use, that is to open the elevator door, and if what is behind hasn't rendered then let the door close - Wait a second, then reopen the door. The same thing can happen exiting the elevator too, and doing almost anything that requires a screen update.

Makes you wonder why the door is programmed to open if the elevator hasn't loaded in yet... I mean... This is how elevators work isn't it? The door isn't supposed to open until the thing has arrived for you to step in to...?

Would any one notice waiting another few moments...?

 

[Bambooza]

Makes you wonder why the door is programmed to open if the elevator hasn't loaded in yet... I mean... This is how elevators work isn't it? The door isn't supposed to open until the thing has arrived for you to step in to...?

Would any one notice waiting another few moments...?

Sometimes you are seeing a desync between your client and the server world state. Another factor that play a part is door open is a triggered animation, asset streaming is client-side reading of your computer and the position of the elevator and boundary checks are server-side. I have also noticed that there have been errors in the z buffer culling in regards to doors in SC in that the assets on the other side exist. Still, the engine for whatever reason has not correctly updated the zbuff culling range and so it's just not rendered but if you walk into the void it will snap into view what is beyond, or kill you or you fall through the floor and sometimes you'll luck out and the server says no which causes you to snap back.

 

[NaffNaffBobFace]

Sometimes you are seeing a desync between your client and the server world state. Another factor that play a part is door open is a triggered animation, asset streaming is client-side reading of your computer and the position of the elevator and boundary checks are server-side. I have also noticed that there have been errors in the z buffer culling in regards to doors in SC in that the assets on the other side exist. Still, the engine for whatever reason has not correctly updated the zbuff culling range and so it's just not rendered but if you walk into the void it will snap into view what is beyond, or kill you or you fall through the floor and sometimes you'll luck out and the server says no which causes you to snap back.

I have no idea what you just said, but you reached out and touched my heart.

 

[Vavrik]

I have no idea what you just said, but you reached out and touched my heart.

What do you mean? It is all English. Actually it is. If you're inclined to have your eyes glaze over, just read the last paragraph.

A zbuff is shorthand for Z axis buffer. The depth buffer. Look around you where you are. Your monitor is overlapping the wall, and your table overlaps the floor. Now stand up and back up ... you see how what you see changes as you move. That's what the Z buffer does in a 3d scene generated digitally. Without it everything looks like a flat jumble of stuff and you would never be able to tell what is in front of what.

A programmer can use the Z axis buffer to save on the amount of memory your computer needs to use to draw the game on the screen by not rendering objects that you couldn't possibly see, like when they're behind a wall or a closed doorway, or too distant. That part of the program though had better be efficient if that door opens and the player enters the room, or it'll look weird for a bit.

There's also something called a collision surface, which should keep you from falling through things like walls, floors, elevators, your ship etc. (There is at least one misplaced collision surface in SC, in Area 18. As you enter the tram going to the spaceport, there is a wall like surface blocking part of the doorway. That's the collision surface of the door you just saw move to the right to allow you to enter the tram. but you have to move slightly left to get past it)

A collision surface is something that's only available to a computer program - it's a usually invisible 2D surface that presents a solid barrier to the player he can't pass through. They're used when the player is interacting with a moving object, a sliding door for example, or the floor and walls of your ship. (another example: There seems to be an occasional desynchronization between the interior surfaces of your ship and the collision surface, hence people fall through and find themselves in space. )

These are a couple of very basic things, every developer writing a 3d program needs to know about, and know how to use. That's part of the reason I said this is not about "It's Alpha". This is stuff that should be found in unit testing, that's developer testing their own software to make sure it works as intended and that there aren't holes in the logic. It is, it turns out, one of the hardest things to get developers to do - but it's one of the most important things they can do. Implied timeline: An Alpha is what you (hope to) have after everything has passed unit testing.

 

[Bambooza]

What do you mean? It is all English. Actually it is. If you're inclined to have your eyes glaze over, just read the last paragraph.

A zbuff is shorthand for Z axis buffer. The depth buffer. Look around you where you are. Your monitor is overlapping the wall, and your table overlaps the floor. Now stand up and back up ... you see how what you see changes as you move. That's what the Z buffer does in a 3d scene generated digitally. Without it everything looks like a flat jumble of stuff and you would never be able to tell what is in front of what.

A programmer can use the Z axis buffer to save on the amount of memory your computer needs to use to draw the game on the screen by not rendering objects that you couldn't possibly see, like when they're behind a wall or a closed doorway, or too distant. That part of the program though had better be efficient if that door opens and the player enters the room, or it'll look weird for a bit.

There's also something called a collision surface, which should keep you from falling through things like walls, floors, elevators, your ship etc. (There is at least one misplaced collision surface in SC, in Area 18. As you enter the tram going to the spaceport, there is a wall like surface blocking part of the doorway. That's the collision surface of the door you just saw move to the right to allow you to enter the tram. but you have to move slightly left to get past it)

A collision surface is something that's only available to a computer program - it's a usually invisible 2D surface that presents a solid barrier to the player he can't pass through. They're used when the player is interacting with a moving object, a sliding door for example, or the floor and walls of your ship. (another example: There seems to be an occasional desynchronization between the interior surfaces of your ship and the collision surface, hence people fall through and find themselves in space. )

These are a couple of very basic things, every developer writing a 3d program needs to know about, and know how to use. That's part of the reason I said this is not about "It's Alpha". This is stuff that should be found in unit testing, that's developer testing their own software to make sure it works as intended and that there aren't holes in the logic. It is, it turns out, one of the hardest things to get developers to do - but it's one of the most important things they can do. Implied timeline: An Alpha is what you (hope to) have after everything has passed unit testing.

Well said. Sorry about that @NaffNaffBobFace I still have not gotten around to set up my desk top pc so been typing on an iPad and it’s a pain so that’s my excuses.

 

[NaffNaffBobFace]

What do you mean? It is all English. Actually it is. If you're inclined to have your eyes glaze over, just read the last paragraph.

A zbuff is shorthand for Z axis buffer. The depth buffer. Look around you where you are. Your monitor is overlapping the wall, and your table overlaps the floor. Now stand up and back up ... you see how what you see changes as you move. That's what the Z buffer does in a 3d scene generated digitally. Without it everything looks like a flat jumble of stuff and you would never be able to tell what is in front of what.

A programmer can use the Z axis buffer to save on the amount of memory your computer needs to use to draw the game on the screen by not rendering objects that you couldn't possibly see, like when they're behind a wall or a closed doorway, or too distant. That part of the program though had better be efficient if that door opens and the player enters the room, or it'll look weird for a bit.

There's also something called a collision surface, which should keep you from falling through things like walls, floors, elevators, your ship etc. (There is at least one misplaced collision surface in SC, in Area 18. As you enter the tram going to the spaceport, there is a wall like surface blocking part of the doorway. That's the collision surface of the door you just saw move to the right to allow you to enter the tram. but you have to move slightly left to get past it)

A collision surface is something that's only available to a computer program - it's a usually invisible 2D surface that presents a solid barrier to the player he can't pass through. They're used when the player is interacting with a moving object, a sliding door for example, or the floor and walls of your ship. (another example: There seems to be an occasional desynchronization between the interior surfaces of your ship and the collision surface, hence people fall through and find themselves in space. )

These are a couple of very basic things, every developer writing a 3d program needs to know about, and know how to use. That's part of the reason I said this is not about "It's Alpha". This is stuff that should be found in unit testing, that's developer testing their own software to make sure it works as intended and that there aren't holes in the logic. It is, it turns out, one of the hardest things to get developers to do - but it's one of the most important things they can do. Implied timeline: An Alpha is what you (hope to) have after everything has passed unit testing.

Ah i see, developers took an exestential thought experiment (does it exist unless i can see it) and used it to get gains and thats whats killing my ride to the pad!

If a players pushes a call elevator button and no one is in the lift shaft to see it, does it exist?

Well said. Sorry about that @NaffNaffBobFace I still have not gotten around to set up my desk top pc so been typing on an iPad and it’s a pain so that’s my excuses.

No need for apologies, its always nice to get the chance to misquote a line from an old film :-)

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7Dt5Nf7ct5c

 

[Bambooza]

The thing is the zbuffer is culled normally after all the object meshes have been updated. So in general terms all objects are placed on the scene then polygons behind others in the z direction (into the camera or behind the camera ie what you see on the screen) is culled. Not always as new engines need those objects for shadows, ambient occlusion and some other lighting effects.