Extreme physics, applied into videogames

[kremiso]

Do you think Splinter Cell, a 2002 title, has been the last attempt to apply the extreme physics realism into the videogames?

don't you think this picky attention to detail was lost in the other best games of the following years?
some developers might think '...and thank goodness'

[ Show youtube player ]

[TCD]

Maybe it was done to show (off) the XBox capability? It's impressive though.

[dreadnought]

It's true that meaningful use of physics has been largerly abandoned or at least relegated to some tired tropes (psi power that will pick a box up, etc...). Same happened to AI, emergent gameplay, and other things which I was waiting for to get "future" treatment, and which have been substituted with the new holy grail of "storytelling" (yawn).

If you want to see what could be done with modern tech's firepower, if instead of chasing silly resolutions and photorealism (at least in some games) they at least have tried, look at Noita. One of the best games of the last 5 years, its extreme physics are not a gimmick but the core of the gameplay experience. And something which should be applied in a heap of other games, even if on a smaller scale. Another one is that indie fighting game - "Gang beasts" or some such?

But developing these kind of systems and resulting gameplay is hard. It's much easier to slap some cutscenes and/or Tumbler-level writing on a formulaic template (most of which haven't changed for decades) and have everyone oohin and aahin about how ~deep~ it is.

[CodyJarrett]

There was a 2010/2011 water physics-based game called Hydrophobia Prophecy.

The Red Faction series was good for destructible scenery. Knocking down buildings in Red Faction: Guerrilla was a lot of fun.

[Coagulus]

Stranglehold on Xbox 360 was satisfyingly destructible

[Gzegzolka]

I miss games with good physics and enemies AI. First F.E.A.R. got great AI and simple level details, but what was there were reacts perfect to gunshots, each material was different and holes in walls looks phenomenal. Second FEAR got much more detailed environments, more textures, more small props etc but somehow enemies lose their AI and lot of stuff were glued and do not react to shooting/destruction. It is like at some point in time developers decide rather than utilise smart AI, destructible environments, physics they transfer all hardware power to get more polygons and screen filters, so graphics looks better,but gameplay look repetitive and there is no way to see different stuff on same stage. I like a lot old Half Life 2 and Dark Messiah of Might and Magic for how different You can play same stages. Few days ago I decided to play first Rage from Id Software, as much as I like gunfights and how well enemies react to player I miss more interaction with levels,no destructible glass, small items, furniture, if something moves than it is always scripted to move in exact same way

[lmimmfn]

For me Half Life 2 was the pinnacle of physics in computer games everything else had a lesser implementation or fake like the Battlefield series.

[Reynolds]

The best physics-driven game for me was Terep2 all the time. Recently RCross has stepped in.

[TCD]

Originally Posted by lmimmfn

For me Half Life 2 was the pinnacle of physics in computer games everything else had a lesser implementation or fake like the Battlefield series.

I tend to agree. It was really fun to speed the buggy up and then exit it to see how it would behave when hitting an obstacle. That and having the gravity gun plus saw blades in Ravenholm

[kremiso]

Originally Posted by dreadnought

...If you want to see what could be done with modern tech's firepower, if instead of chasing silly resolutions and photorealism (at least in some games) they at least have tried, look at Noita. One of the best games of the last 5 years, its extreme physics are not a gimmick but the core of the gameplay experience. And something which should be applied in a heap of other games, even if on a smaller scale...

I think I made a big mistake with that game, evaluating it only by looking at static screenshots; i missed it

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personally, i don't like too all the games focused around the psi powers

about Half Life 2, played to death like most people here
atm cannot remember how it was the interaction with light sources,
ie was it possible to make it dark by shooting light bulbs?

thanks for the other entries, there are a couple i have never heard of

[TCD]

Originally Posted by kremiso

about Half Life 2, played to death like most people here
atm cannot remember how it was the interaction with light sources,
ie was it possible to make it dark by shooting light bulbs?

You made me install the game to check No, you can't shoot lights out in HL2.

[kremiso]

Originally Posted by TCD

You made me install the game to check No, you can't shoot lights out in HL2.

thanks, as 'good punishment' now i have to finish it, once again
well, it does remain a milestone, for being a 2004 title

btw, the light sources interaction seems to be missing in many new aaa titles

[TCD]

Originally Posted by kremiso

well, it does remain a milestone, for being a 2004 title

I selected Ravenholm for the 'test' and just playing for two minutes while listening to the music and seeing the level design again shows that it's not only the engine that made the game a milestone

[kremiso]

Originally Posted by TCD

I selected Ravenholm for the 'test' and just playing for two minutes while listening to the music and seeing the level design again shows that it's not only the engine that made the game a milestone

absolutely
one picky lack is highly counterbalanced with a ton of other things
and well, as already said the physics is also there, in other aspects

seems has been a good period, to experiment, the games development in that range of years

[Gzegzolka]

In first Alien vs Predator on PC You can shoot lights and turn everything into dark, if You play as xenomorph and destroy lights Marines and other humans will not see You in darkness.
In Doom 3 You can shoot some lights and broke them but since game is very dark it will not benefit You.
In Darkness 2 You also can destroy light bulbs so You can use Your two additional tentacles to grab, toss and attack.
In No One Lives Forever 2 You can also shoot , turn off light bulbs on some stages to avoid detection.

[phx]

Some flight simulators (DCS, X-Plane) tend to simulate physics quite accurately.

[Keops/Equinox]

Kremiso: to be fair, there is 0 physics involved in that scene. It's basically just a script that will lower the water level until it reaches the position of the bullet impact, while playing a VFX for the leaking water. It's very simple but very nice indeed.

[kremiso]

Originally Posted by Gzegzolka

In first Alien vs Predator on PC You can shoot lights and turn everything into dark, if You play as xenomorph and destroy lights Marines and other humans will not see You in darkness.
In Doom 3 You can shoot some lights and broke them but since game is very dark it will not benefit You.
In Darkness 2 You also can destroy light bulbs so You can use Your two additional tentacles to grab, toss and attack.
In No One Lives Forever 2 You can also shoot , turn off light bulbs on some stages to avoid detection.

let me remember Darkness, the first one

Originally Posted by Keops/Equinox

Kremiso: to be fair, there is 0 physics involved in that scene. It's basically just a script that will lower the water level until it reaches the position of the bullet impact, while playing a VFX for the leaking water. It's very simple but very nice indeed.

a bit more, seems the little fishes inside 'adapt' their position to the water volume remained
really a picky work

[TCD]

Talking about neat tricks, Project Gotham Racing did a great job at faking raytracing also on the original XBox: [ Show youtube player ]

[kremiso]

Originally Posted by phx

Some flight simulators (DCS, X-Plane) tend to simulate physics quite accurately.

watching some DCS videos atm, it seems realistic indeed

Narrowing my initial questions to the Amiga world, I presume flight simulators are the best examples then, physics/realism talking?