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Lord of the Rings Online: DirectX 10 and NVidia Screens
Stradden
Managing EditorMember CommonPosts: 6,696
Earlier today, Turbine issued a press release stating that Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar is the first MMORPG to support DirectX 10 Graphics and NVIDIA GeForce graphics processors. Here's what the press release had to say:
WESTWOOD, MA – January 7, 2008 – Turbine, Inc. announced today that The Lord of the Rings Online™: Shadows of Angmar™ has become the first massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) to support the Microsoft DirectX® 10 API and NVIDIA GeForce graphics processors for stunningly realistic imagery. The Lord of the Rings Online, named the 2007 PC Game of the Year 2007, now offers gamers with DirectX 10 graphics cards the most immersive online experience available today.
Players can now experience Middle-earth™ like never before with major improvements to The Lord of the Rings Online’s graphics, including upgraded shaders for water, particle effects and lighting for distant terrain. Players will also be treated to new levels of immersion with the new DirectX 10 exclusive dynamic shadowing features which render realistic real-time shadows in the vast outdoor environments of The Lord of the Rings Online.
“Turbine has a history of pushing the graphics envelope so we can deliver state-of-the art immersive virtual worlds,” said Fernando Paiz, Director of Game Technology at Turbine, Inc. “We began working with NVIDIA very early in the development cycle so that we could fully leverage DirectX 10 technology to achieve our goal of creating the most complete and authentic recreation of Middle-earth. The results speak for themselves as The Lord of the Rings Online has set the bar for what persistent online worlds can be.”
“The FPS genre has long dominated the race to better graphics but with this major update from Turbine, The Lord of the Rings Online players can enjoy graphics as good as or even better than many FPS games. This is an outstanding achievement and the whole Turbine team should be rightly proud of what they have produced,” said Roy Taylor, Vice President of Content Relations at NVIDIA. “This deserves the attention of the entire video games industry and all MMORPG players everywhere. It points to a future where we will see increasing blending of genres and deeper, more immersive PC gaming experiences. We are delighted to have been able to support this work.”
The Lord of the Rings Online delivers an interactive experience brimming with life and filled with the familiar people, places and monsters from the most beloved fantasy adventure of all time. From the quaint surroundings of the Shire to Angmar, the vile kingdom of the Witch-king, players will experience the world of Middle-earth as never before. The Lord of the Rings Online is available for purchase at major retailers across North America. For more information, or to download a free trial, visit www.lotro.com.
Turbine has been kind enough to provide us with comparison DirectX9 and DirectX10 comparison screens from Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar.
Check out the screenshots here.
Cheers,
Jon Wood
Managing Editor
MMORPG.com
Comments
ah.. Middle-earth, what a great sandbox game the devs could've made with that IP.
What else do you want? you have emotes, a music system, a clothing system coming up, housing (which will be added to) hats.
I don't see any reason why people can't roleplay to their heart's content?
Godfred's Tomb Trailer: https://youtu.be/-nsXGddj_4w
Original Skyrim: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109547
Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo
What else do you want? you have emotes, a music system, a clothing system coming up, housing (which will be added to) hats.
I don't see any reason why people can't roleplay to their heart's content?
Because there are people that would prefer a game where it gives you some form of freedom with what you can do with your character.
There will always be people that dislike LotRO and/or are disapointed on how the game ended up.
I still remember when they said there you could learn your skills offline ala EVE Online, the game has changed a lot but its still a good game, enough to keep me entertained until something better comes up.
Regarding DX9 vs DX10, those screenshots look really nice, the water and the shadows are truly amazing.
Hm... what does Sandbox have to do with Role-playing..?
Anyway, I want an LOTRO game in which the devs doesn't hold my hand, open-PVP (Not really required though, at least enable Orcs/Uruk-Hai's to be played like the "good" side. See WAR as an example on how a PvP system in LOTRO could work), skill-based instead of item-based and some more stuff.
If I wanted to play an Everquest clone I would just go back to WoW.
DX9 can do everything DX10 does but developers don't want you to know that and just restrict the DX9 version on purpose :O Crysis anybody? ROFL! All these screens do is add more shadows :S Oh WOW you can't get these shadows done on DX9 can you lol.......
I've never had a dev hold my hand. Guidance does not have to be hand holding.
Orcs/Uruk-Hai cannot be played like the "good" side. Would not fit the IP. LOTR is a classic good vs. evil story. One cannot exist without the other.
"Skill-based instead of item based" means "twitch" combat instead of RPG combat. LOTRO makes no attempt to lie saying that they are a mmoRPG
I've played EQ 1 and 2. Let me say WoW is no EQ clone. EQ2 is a WoW clone. EQ 1 was a XP grind MMO. Any XP grind game (like Lineage series, most Eastern MMOs) are the real EQ clones. Level grinders.
ANYWAY - back on topic:
Screens look amazing. I downloaded the trial when I got Vista and my new 8600 to try the DX10 version and it does look and run amazing.
DX10 is all marketing? Show me a screenshot of DX9 graphics looking that good. Thank you
Do you think, that DX9 fail to draws those shadows?
DX10 is only for marketing.
Looks great....less filling
They keep making the game look better, yet keep forgetting the one major fix..
Fun!
Get your facts straight before spouting...
Later
Just out of curiousity how can EQ2 be a WoW clone when EQ2 came out before WoW did?
edit: Bah beaten ^^^
Actually DX9 can NOT do alot really cool stuff that DX10 has been touted for being able to do. I work as a Graphics Engineer and while I think 10 is in bad shape aka .. should of been released a year or two later than it was..it still does more than 9. DX10 Supports Geometry Shaders & High Resolutioned Lighting that the DX9 Pipeline & DX9 only cards Pipelines are not designed to handle which is why Nvidia and other companies had to make NEW cards instead of just making it a software update.
Honestly don't talk out of your ass unless your an actual programmer.
Please Refer to Doom Cat with all conspiracies & evil corporation complaints. He'll give you the simple explination of..WE"RE ALL DOOMED!
I guess I'm gonna be the party pooper here and say that I prefer the DirectX9 screenshots shown here to those showcasing DirectX10. To me, the shadows here actually detract from the image, creating something more disharmonious.
Based on these screenshots, I won't be getting DirectX10 anytime soon. But kudos to the LOTRO dev team for being first
I have mixed feelings about this to be honest. I am glad that they are embracing the new tech and I am sure we will all have to accept dx10 as the way forward at some point but even though their seems to be low opinion of the real level of difference between dx 9 and dx10, most peoples issue seems to not be with the graphics but with the Vista platform it runs on.
I do not run Vista so I can only go by the user comments and PC magazine reviews which seem to suggest that a change to Vista is not prudent yet. I can also remember the output of Valves survey via steam that suggested the average of the majority tech in people PC's was not that current anyway and therefpre I wonder how much the DX10 / Vista upgrade puts a significant number of people of a game rather than invest in upgrades to play it.
Its all inevitable of course and I welcome the move to more relaism in games but I would still prefer to see the investment in story and new settings ( horror, etc) than grpahics upgrades.
To err is human....to play is divine
and maybe i am wrong ,probably am, but I thought Eve was already dx10 compatable rather than LOTRO being the first?
To err is human....to play is divine
After playing Lotro using the direct 10 option with vista it really is beautiful... i just went back to try wow and it just frankly looked ugly... but perhaps that just because I got used to the more realistic feel of lotro... sucks though that all my friends are still playing wow... they're missing out because lotro is a lot of fun at least in my opinion.
Get your facts straight before spouting...
Later
Eq2 is not the same game as it was when it launched. They changed it to match WoW in almost every aspect, most people that played it back then will tell you the same thing.
Get your facts straight before spouting...
Later
EQ2 released before WoW, and it has been dumbing down the game to WoW levels ever since release. Get your facts right.
Get your facts straight before spouting...
Later
Eq2 is not the same game as it was when it launched. They changed it to match WoW in almost every aspect, most people that played it back then will tell you the same thing.
exactly my points. Thanks.
EQ2 started out a EQ1 clone. WoW was very different at release then either EQ1 or EQ2. Over time, EQ2 has changed to be a lot less like EQ1 and a lot more like WoW.
So, saying WoW is an EQ clone is false.
LOTRO is a WoW clone, if anything. But calling anything except Eastern level grinders "clones" is simply not correct. LOTRO does not = WoW does not = EQ2 does not = etc. etc.
All the games have similarities, but also great differences.
Get your facts straight before spouting... Later
Get your facts straight before spouting...
Later
EQ2 released before WoW, and it has been dumbing down the game to WoW levels ever since release. Get your facts right.
IT didn't dumb it down to WoW simplicity it made it just worked out the over complicated crafting system & the you can only group now that you've reached lvl 10 mechanics which made the game completely unenjoyable if it was a low pop time. Anyone who played the game at launch knows it was a pain in the ass to do everything because of their complicated Con system.
Honestly get your facts straight!
Please Refer to Doom Cat with all conspiracies & evil corporation complaints. He'll give you the simple explination of..WE"RE ALL DOOMED!
All i can envision in my mind is this long line of Hobbits with their big ugly feet following behind Frodo singing , dancing and getting all tanked up on whatever they drink. Maybe a little smoking going on too. Almost makes me want to be a Hobbit.. Right up until they get slaughtered it would be a good time.
All i can envision in my mind is this long line of Hobbits with their big ugly feet following behind Frodo singing , dancing and getting all tanked up on whatever they drink. Maybe a little smoking going on too. Almost makes me want to be a Hobbit.. Right up until they get slaughtered it would be a good time.
Haha, O yes.
To get abit on-topic: The graphics looks nice.
Actually DX9 can NOT do alot really cool stuff that DX10 has been touted for being able to do. I work as a Graphics Engineer and while I think 10 is in bad shape aka .. should of been released a year or two later than it was..it still does more than 9. DX10 Supports Geometry Shaders & High Resolutioned Lighting that the DX9 Pipeline & DX9 only cards Pipelines are not designed to handle which is why Nvidia and other companies had to make NEW cards instead of just making it a software update.
Honestly don't talk out of your ass unless your an actual programmer.
All DX10 is, is better coding and support for offloading work to the GPU. There isn't a single thing Dx10 can do graphics wise that Dx9 can't.
Case in point - Crysis.
On the topic of Dx10 in this game. It looks like using Dx10 and vista (and thus reducing your performance in the game by 20-40%, if what we've seen in the industry holds true,) you get slightly cooler water and very hard edged real time diffuse shadowing. Sorry but IMHO that'll be hardly worth the performance loss.
I'll wait for AoC, which should perform better under Dx10 simply because it was designed with it in mind, like Crysis. While it is sure to not perform as well as Dx9 and XP, it should hopefully be playable on your average 'gamers' machine.
I prefered the dx9 screenshots also,, I thought the shadows looked too sharp and artificial in the 10 and once a game reaches a certain amount of graphic I think they should spend more time making the game fun to play it seems that game companies hire 100 graphic designers but not one writer.
make a world, not a game, we dont want another game.
ROFL, I wonder how much M$ is paying for Turbine so they'll bullshit their customers with these pics
DX9 can just as well do those shadows as DX10.