enkisoftware
Biting the bullet
Doug Binks - 09 Nov 2001 - edited 30 Oct 2013
[This is an archive post about the first version of Avoyd which we now call Avoyd 1999. The full game is now free to download.]
My current development schedule points one way, and a body of evidence points the other. Both directions have benefits and drawbacks, and it's really a matter of biting the bullet and making the call. Perhaps a coin toss would work?
We've now received graphics cards and development support from nearly everyone in the market, and have identified that the cards fit into two groups as far as performance vs theoretical performance is concerned. Either the cards perform as we'd expect from their theoretical performance, or they perform abysmally poorly. We could leave this issue alone and hope that driver support improves, and indeed we are working with these vendors to help improve the situation - their support so far has been wonderful. Alternatively, I could re-code a substantial portion of our graphics engine. Since this would involve an algorithm change it would be a fairly involved process, and would take up a great deal of time. However, it may be required if I am to get decent performance on all graphics cards.
Re-coding the graphics engine would thus take me away from adding features and improving the network code, thus pushing back the time when Avoyd is playable over the internet. If this was a problem which affected all graphics cards the decision would be easy. Yet we have great performance on the most widely installed base of modern graphics cards, so it's tricky to make the final judgement.
To let things settle in my mind, I'm currently doing something different. Once that's finished, I'll come back to this issue.
As always, any and all comments are welcome in the forums.
› 2023
› Avoyd Release Streams and Minecraft Lit Materials› Avoyd Beta Stream
› 2022
› Isometric Render of a Minecraft Map in Avoyd Voxel Editor› 2021
› Importing Minecraft maps in Avoyd Voxel Editor improved› 2020
› Runtime Compiled C++ Dear ImGui and DirectX11 Tutorial› 2019
› Boxes in Space: procedural generation of abstract worlds in Avoyd› Procedural python word generator: making user names out of 4 syllables
› In-game building
› Player-deployable turrets in Avoyd
› 2018
› Avoyd Game Singleplayer and Coop Multiplayer Test› Voxel Editor Evolved
› 2017
› Speeding up Runtime Compiled C++ compile times in MSVC with d2cgsummary› Multiplayers toxic last hit kill and how to heal it
› Avoyd Editor Prototype
› 2016
› Black triangles and Peter Highspot› Colour palettes and lighting
› Concept art by Rebecca Michalak
› 2015
› Internals of a lightweight task scheduler› Implementing a lightweight task scheduler
› Feral Vector
› Normal generation in the pixel shader
› 2014
› Python Google App Engine debugging with PyCharm CE› Lighting voxel octrees and procedural texturing
› Patterns and spheres
› Python Google App Engine debugging with PyTools
› Interview
› Domain masking using Google App Engine
› Octree streaming - part 4
› Black triangles and nervous_testpilot
› Presskit for Google App Engine
› Octree streaming - part 3
› Octree streaming - part 2
› Octree streaming
› 2013
› LAN discovery with multiple adapters› Playing with material worlds
› Developer Diary archive
› Website redesign
› First Person Editor
› First Avoyd tech update video
› Implementing a static website in Google App Engine
› Multiplayer editing
› First screenshots
› Thoughts on gameplay modes
› Back in 1999
› 2002
› ECTS 2002› Avoyd Version 1.6.1 out
› Avoyd Version 1.6 out
› 2001
›› Biting the bullet› Avoyd version 1.5 out
› Monday Mayhem
› Avoyd version 1.5 alpha 1 out
› Avoyd version 1.4 out
› ECTS 2001
› Fun with Greek letters
› Closer just a little closer
› Back already
› Artificial Humanity
› Products and promises
› Ecommerce
› Explosions galore
› Spring fixes
› Open source and ports to other operating systems
› Avoyd LAN Demo Version 1.1 is out
› Thanks for the support
› Avoyd LAN Demo Ready
› Game Tech
› Importing Minecraft maps in Avoyd Voxel Editor improved› Runtime Compiled C++ Dear ImGui and DirectX11 Tutorial
› Boxes in Space: procedural generation of abstract worlds in Avoyd
› Procedural python word generator: making user names out of 4 syllables
› Speeding up Runtime Compiled C++ compile times in MSVC with d2cgsummary
› Internals of a lightweight task scheduler
› Implementing a lightweight task scheduler
› Normal generation in the pixel shader
› Lighting voxel octrees and procedural texturing
› Octree streaming - part 4
› Octree streaming - part 3
› Octree streaming - part 2
› Octree streaming
› LAN discovery with multiple adapters
› enkiTS
› Internals of a lightweight task scheduler› Implementing a lightweight task scheduler
› RCC++
› Runtime Compiled C++ Dear ImGui and DirectX11 Tutorial› Speeding up Runtime Compiled C++ compile times in MSVC with d2cgsummary
› Web Tech
› Procedural python word generator: making user names out of 4 syllables› Python Google App Engine debugging with PyCharm CE
› Python Google App Engine debugging with PyTools
› Domain masking using Google App Engine
› Presskit for Google App Engine
› Implementing a static website in Google App Engine
› Avoyd
› Avoyd Release Streams and Minecraft Lit Materials› Avoyd Beta Stream
› Isometric Render of a Minecraft Map in Avoyd Voxel Editor
› Importing Minecraft maps in Avoyd Voxel Editor improved
› Boxes in Space: procedural generation of abstract worlds in Avoyd
› In-game building
› Player-deployable turrets in Avoyd
› Avoyd Game Singleplayer and Coop Multiplayer Test
› Voxel Editor Evolved
› Multiplayers toxic last hit kill and how to heal it
› Avoyd Editor Prototype
› Black triangles and Peter Highspot
› Colour palettes and lighting
› Concept art by Rebecca Michalak
› Feral Vector
› Patterns and spheres
› Interview
› Black triangles and nervous_testpilot
› Playing with material worlds
› Website redesign
› First Person Editor
› First Avoyd tech update video
› Multiplayer editing
› First screenshots
› Thoughts on gameplay modes
› Back in 1999
› Avoyd 1999
› Developer Diary archive› Back in 1999
› ECTS 2002
› Avoyd Version 1.6.1 out
› Avoyd Version 1.6 out
›› Biting the bullet
› Avoyd version 1.5 out
› Monday Mayhem
› Avoyd version 1.5 alpha 1 out
› Avoyd version 1.4 out
› ECTS 2001
› Fun with Greek letters
› Closer just a little closer
› Back already
› Artificial Humanity
› Products and promises
› Ecommerce
› Explosions galore
› Spring fixes
› Open source and ports to other operating systems
› Avoyd LAN Demo Version 1.1 is out
› Thanks for the support
› Avoyd LAN Demo Ready