First Eagles 2 Release Build Screenshots (big)

[Helmut_AUT]

Just ordered. Viper, does the terrain still change color with time of year? I didn't find that such a bad solution.

[+Gr.Viper]

No, TK didn't include any stock terrain tiles for seasons other than summer. Cambrai in November is still green :( I bet mods can fix it.

[Helmut_AUT]

Hhmm... I liked how in FE Gold, the Terrain simple was "colored over" to different shades of green, brown and white. I don't think that were different tiles, just a shader effect to color the ground depending on time of year.

 

Green Cambrain in November is a bit of a step-back.

[+Gr.Viper]

Those were textures which were automatically applied when the date was right.

[+Julhelm]

Does it have specular mapping too?

[+quack74]

Try setting antialiasing to 0

 

I'm running and install of FE2 on EEE 1000H with Intel GMA 950 on medium settings and it's quite playable.

 

 

I changed antialiasing to 0 and still unplayable. I though my PC was pretty good for FE2 even with DX9 running. This sucks big time! I'm not about to buy a $250.00 graphics card for a $20.00 game . Looks like I'll be sitting this one out for awhile fellas . At least a have a pretty good FE1 to fiddle with still.

[Helmut_AUT]

It doesn't make sense. If your system can run FEG but not FE2, even though using same detail settings, low shaders, DX9, it just shouldn't make a difference. Put the question to TK on the official board...

 

Maybe you can find a 9800GT Green Edition GFX card somewhere, they are cheap and would be tons faster than your current onboard solution.

Edited February 11, 2010 by Helmut_AUT

[Bandy]

Thanks quack74, aye there's the rub (or bump!).

 

While seasonal terrain textures may not be included, it should be a simple matter of editing the terrain.ini file in each terrain folder (my copy from Cambrai folder below NB: I have changed the weather settings so revert to stock values in each season...), and then make sure you have the season folders (and tiles!) in the terrain folder, and that the folder names match the seasons you inserted into the ini code. Grab the seasonal tiles from FE (if you like monochrome), or use 3rd party tiles here at CA.

 

If this works, let us know, I'll buy a copy then

 

[Terrain]

TerrainFullName=Cambrai, France

DataFile=wwiCambrai_data.INI

TargetFile=wwiCambrai_targets.INI

TargetTypeFile=wwiCambrai_types.INI

MovementFile=wwiCambrai_movement.INI

NationsFile=wwiCambrai_nations.INI

BriefingText=wwiCambrai_briefing.INI

DogfightFile=wwiCambrai_dogfight.INI

DogfightOnly=FALSE

Longitude=5.221

Latitude=49.176

 

[Map]

FilenameFormat=wwiCambrai_Map%d.bmp

Width=250000.0

Height=250000.0

NumZoomLevels=3

 

[WeatherChance]

ScatteredChance=25

BrokenChance=25

OvercastChance=17

InclementChance=8

 

[season001]

Directory=Deep Snow

StartDate=1/1

EndDate=2/26

ScatteredChance=30

BrokenChance=25

OvercastChance=5

InclementChance=1

 

[season002]

Directory=Spring

StartDate=02/27

EndDate=05/31

ScatteredChance=40

BrokenChance=25

OvercastChance=5

InclementChance=1

 

[season003]

Directory=Summer

StartDate=06/01

EndDate=08/31

ScatteredChance=25

BrokenChance=25

OvercastChance=5

InclementChance=1

 

[season004]

Directory=Fall

StartDate=09/01

EndDate=10/31

ScatteredChance=25

BrokenChance=40

OvercastChance=5

InclementChance=1

 

[season005]

Directory=Snow

StartDate=11/01

EndDate=12/31

ScatteredChance=25

BrokenChance=35

OvercastChance=10

InclementChance=1

Edited February 11, 2010 by Bandy

[Heck]

I changed antialiasing to 0 and still unplayable. I though my PC was pretty good for FE2 even with DX9 running. This sucks big time! I'm not about to buy a $250.00 graphics card for a $20.00 game . Looks like I'll be sitting this one out for awhile fellas . At least a have a pretty good FE1 to fiddle with still.

 

 

There's something else wrong, Quack, and I have no idea what it is. Helmut's right. It's not inherent in this sim. I have both my old FE installation and FE2 installed (straight vanilla FE2, no mods) and get roughly the same frame rates with both using the same settings in both. And you're going to cring when you see what my system is. It's a 2.4Ghz single core, 2 Gigs of ram, with an old Nvidia 6100 series card. I believe Bill Gates once used it to create DOS. I have to keep many settings medium, and never get spectacular frame rates, but it's only unplayable if I set everything to high in the settings. Then I get a slide show. There has to be something else going on here, because I get the same behavior from all the Series 2 sims, even though I'm running them in XP with DirectX 9, not 10.

[Helmut_AUT]

Bandy, that sounds highly interesting but is way over my skill level. I'll let someone else test...

 

BTW, I'm still fascinated by that "High Gloss" Dr1 Screenshot. It does look remarkable close to Rise of Flight already, although the landscape needs some beefing up.

Edited February 11, 2010 by Helmut_AUT

[Wodin]

How come no bump mapping on XP?

[Helmut_AUT]

Likely he only had time to code the new effects for the new DX10 shader/lighting mode.

[+Gr.Viper]

TK said somewhere that under DX10 he can just tell the system he wants to use a particular GPU feature and DX will sort it out. Under DX9 he has write code for each feature both used and not used, depending on whether user's GPU supports it or not.

[Wodin]

Likely he only had time to code the new effects for the new DX10 shader/lighting mode.

 

 

I thought DX10 and bump mapping depended on the graphics card not the operating system.

[+Gr.Viper]

It depends on both. Sort of. Windows XP supports DX9 max, so to see DX10 features the player has to run Vista or Win7 and have a DX10-capable GPU.

[+quack74]

Not to be a d@#k or anything but it seems like if you dont have a top of the line PC FE2 is not a whole lot different then FEG. I can only run FE2 on medium settings at best using DX9. Whats the point? to see crashed aircraft wreckage with bad smoke? Green grass in the winter? And that damn horizon Line! The flight models will all need some work(again). TW didnt seem to take much consideration into all the work modders have done for the last 5 years. If you ask me, FE2 needs another 5 years to be up to speed. So many things missing. All I visually see thats new ( that I can use) is some skins. FEG is what I'll be playing for a long time. I can do without the wing rib shadows. Why it's soo slow using DX9 with medium settings I dont know. But I'd rather spend my time with what I know. I spent so much time figuring out FE1. Now FE2 is configured totally different. New cat pack utilities, new folder locations, skin folders with no skins inside only TextureSets. ARG! Sorry guys. It kind of pisses me of. I waited a long time for nothing. Oh and hey! how about that Strutter! Oh thats right you cant fly it

[Wodin]

It depends on both. Sort of. Windows XP supports DX9 max, so to see DX10 features the player has to run Vista or Win7 and have a DX10-capable GPU.

 

 

Well I never knew that. I have an OK system and my graphics card is a ATI4870 1 gig. So it looks like I need to invest in WIn7 for future games. I thought I was already playing some games in DX10 already!!

[+JediMaster]

No, your 4870 is a DX10 capable card, but you need Vista or 7 to utilize it that way.

 

As for quack, remember FE2, like SF2, is simply a remake of the previous release with changes made for the way Vista/7 do things and a few new things tossed in as he gets them working. SF2 originally didn't make real use of DX10, now with later patches/releases it does. FE2 has intro'd the save mission feature which I think will be back-ported into SF2 with another patch/release.

 

I believe TK even once flat-out stated to someone who asked "I have XP, is there any reason for me to get SF2?" a simple "not really." I'm sure he'll say the same about FE2 as it's the same engine more or less.

 

With the release of FE2 he has now re-released every one of his SF/FE series in the new format for Vista/7 with DX10 utilized. Along the way new features he's working on have been slipped in quietly, like the crashed planes and now saving. This simply means that after over a year without any new material but a plane or two he's now on track to release new things for 2010, whether it be the long-delayed expansions for Israel and FE or whole new releases. I can't wait!

 

I do wish he'd do a next-gen game with MP, though. It's the one major omission from the new engine I really miss.

[+quack74]

I understand TK and TW had to make a version compatable with Vista And 7. But now will FE2 be the new standard? If TW releases ExPacks for FE1 (Gold) they would also need to create an ExPack for FE2 and so on. So things would have to get messy I would asume. If they didnt have the funds or time before, They sure wont now with two versions to upgrade. Thank God for the free modders and all their time. And it's not just like FEG. There is a hand ful of different things.

[Southside Bucky]

 

...But now will FE2 be the new standard? If TW releases ExPacks for FE1 (Gold) they would also need to create an ExPack for FE2 and so on. So things would have to get messy I would asume....

 

 

In answer to that question,...see post No.4:

 

http://bbs.thirdwire.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=7352&sid=8d276d7b13e3480653378d475eb67b31

[+quack74]

In answer to that question,...see post No.4:

 

http://bbs.thirdwire...3378d475eb67b31

 

 

Ok sooooo, FEG is done? No more upgrades to a game that seemed to be pretty hot. So now there is a whole new platform that seems to be starting out just like FE1, from the beginning. Most of the things that were improved for FEG by modders to make it look better, sound better, and even fly much better never made it to FE2. From what I can tell already FE2 needs a "Nov'08" patch already and an "Expansion Pack I" and all of Peter01's flight models. I dont really understand the progress here. Why call it FE2 if it's the same game with some different shading. Why not save the revamping for an ExPack 2 for FEG? How much of the stuff we all have in our FEG setup can be transfered over to FE2? Terrains, aircraft, clouds, sounds, flight models. Or does it all have to be done over for the next couple of years by use AGAIN. You all know what I'm saying. And the minimum system requirements are pretty much our PC's maximum. The only way I can even play FE2 is if it looks like Combat Flight sim 1 . That's no way to sell a product. It should be running a lot smoother on medium or even high settings. If you really need the DX10 and bump shading stuff (which is very cool I must say) then thats what "unlimited" is for. But thats not the case. You need a great PC to enjoy FE2 at its basics. Thats not right. Not what I was expecting for sure. I've already uninstalled it. Why bother. Anything added to it will only make it slower. The whole worl doesnt have high end PC's with awsome graphics cards. TK said awhile back they needed to cater to more customers that use Vista and Windows7. How is this going to help. Most of these "new" people will not enjoy what FE2 has to offer. LIKE ME!!! BTW I have Windows 7 and didnt have one problem installing FEG into it

[+peter01]

Ok sooooo, FEG is done? No more upgrades to a game that seemed to be pretty hot. So now there is a whole new platform that seems to be starting out just like FE1, from the beginning. Most of the things that were improved for FEG by modders to make it look better, sound better, and even fly much better never made it to FE2. From what I can tell already FE2 needs a "Nov'08" patch already and an "Expansion Pack I" and all of Peter01's flight models. I dont really understand the progress here. Why call it FE2 if it's the same game with some different shading. Why not save the revamping for an ExPack 2 for FEG? How much of the stuff we all have in our FEG setup can be transfered over to FE2? Terrains, aircraft, clouds, sounds, flight models. Or does it all have to be done over for the next couple of years by use AGAIN. You all know what I'm saying. And the minimum system requirements are pretty much our PC's maximum. The only way I can even play FE2 is if it looks like Combat Flight sim 1 . That's no way to sell a product. It should be running a lot smoother on medium or even high settings. If you really need the DX10 and bump shading stuff (which is very cool I must say) then thats what "unlimited" is for. But thats not the case. You need a great PC to enjoy FE2 at its basics. Thats not right. Not what I was expecting for sure. I've already uninstalled it. Why bother. Anything added to it will only make it slower. The whole worl doesnt have high end PC's with awsome graphics cards. TK said awhile back they needed to cater to more customers that use Vista and Windows7. How is this going to help. Most of these "new" people will not enjoy what FE2 has to offer. LIKE ME!!! BTW I have Windows 7 and didnt have one problem installing FEG into it

 

 

Well quack, no doubt there are some issues in transferring mods over - hangar screens don't work (writing is off) and unfortunately Guitarclassic's brilliant menu screens are affected too, I think. Maybe other things - I see some weird things on some models too - eg, JunkersD1. Also some decals etc missing from planes that were fine before. Who knows about campaigns, terrains - guess we will find out over the next few weeks.

 

I'd agree with the slower FPS, but it does look quite a bit better even with Dx9/XP. If your system isn't great, maybe just reduce graphics or sound options, it will probably go as well and look better tha FE1? I'm sure it is playable.

 

But, I don't think it is a big deal. Firstly, FE1 skins, flight models, sounds, most plane models generally seem fine. These are the most important things.

 

Secondly, it is better "under the hood" - graphics, FM wise (even just the slower roll?), and some new functionality/improvements.

 

It also means your skins will look even better to people that have systems that can appreciate them (with better shading, richer colours), and that TK is obviously be committed to doing another Expansion Pack.

 

Is it worth $20 in itself? No, but I think TK made it clear that if you are using Vista/Win7 and have a decent graphics card it may be worth upgrading. If you don't have that, probably best wait until FE2 Expansion Pack.

Edited February 12, 2010 by peter01

[Helmut_AUT]

The reason it's called FE2 even though it's very much FEG with minor addons is that Vista/7 upgrade. TK simple must have been aiming for a coherent naming sheme.

 

I think TK is very upfront and honest (in that post linked above and other places) about who should/might want to buy it, and who not.

 

Personally, I forgot how good FEG looks, and fell for the GFX of FE2. I find now that the improvements are minor, but worth it to me, and TK deserved more than 20USD for FEG anyway, in my opinion.

 

OTOH I would never buy more than SF2E, because other theatres don't interest me. But within the same setting (First Eagles and Strike Fighters Europe) I'll always keep the latest version.

[+Gr.Viper]

Simple display of bump mapping.

Same shot made in the afternoon and in the morning. Notice shadows on ribs.