Cities And Housing Archive
Thread: why do buildings not have windows?
neinnunb
Tue Sep 13, 2005 1:52 pm
#14
Thunderheart wrote:
FilanVader wrote:
may seem like a silly question but honestly outside of the Tatoine design which for clear reasons wouldnt have windows, it would be cool to get that nice waterfront lot and have a real use for it.
2 reasons.1. The stuff isn't inside doesn't load to the client (your computer) until you actually inside the house. This is why sometimes you walk into a house and when there is a lot of stuff in it, it takes a while to load.
2. If there were windows and you could see inside the house, every time anyone walked by the window, the game would have to render all of those items for everyone within viewing distance and your video card would choke and die...
The game doesnt have to be that, lets say, "realistic". In the same way you can see outside by making a door open, you can make a window that would be permanently open for you to see outside. For anyone riding around outside they would see an empty building, however if they come inside is when they load all objects. The objects stay loaded for quite some time even after you leave the building, so that person can now see objects inside the house through the windows just the same way if he/she can look inside by standing outside near the door.
A perfect example of this is the merchant tent. Its "door" is like an open window and only if you come inside you see the objects inside. If you walk outside you can still see the objects inside. Add a translucent pane of some sort and call it a window!
So that means technically there is no reason why windows cant be made.
Message Edited by neinnunb on 09-13-2005 04:54 PM
JagoKien
Tue Sep 13, 2005 1:59 pm
#15
"Time is money..." and we are paying you a lot per month.
I say...GO FOR IT!
I say...GO FOR IT!
AntiXryst
Tue Sep 13, 2005 2:03 pm
#16
While windows sounds wonderful 'in the future' - I think most everyone can agree that the above manpower is better spent elsewhere for now.
Bionic
Tue Sep 13, 2005 2:03 pm
#17
Thunderheart wrote:
Tarnak_Archvold wrote:
And considering that the ability to se out of the house is already there with doors, how hard can it be.It would take quite a while.
Hypothetically speaking, Each and every house model would have to be re-worked. This could potentially take artists weeks or months. Then, only newly crafted houses would have the feature (though personally I think thats a good thing for architects).Programmers would have to code a brand new way for the system to know the difference between old houses and new houses. This would have to be done for all of the base code and all of the database code. It would have to know the difference on loading the house and all of the existing schematics, all of the components and anything that may not have come to mind while I was making this post.Once that was done, the designers would have to update all of the crafting schematics in code. They would have to account for both types of houses, all of the components, all of the connections to player cities, merchant skills, etc.That would take a designer a few weeks (even more if there were any surprises). Once all the art and design was finished, it would have to be internally and externally tested. The external tests would have to be on a fully loaded server (such as TC-Bria or TC-Corbantis).
Considering that no new houses have been introduced since launch, I think it'd be nice for Architects to have something to look forward to, whether it took a week or a year.
CyberFett
Tue Sep 13, 2005 2:04 pm
#18
Please do not waste time on this. GCW Revamp instead.
Any word on this? We were told that it would be after the curb, still nothing.
Thanks 
Thunderheart
Tue Sep 13, 2005 2:04 pm
#19
AntiXryst wrote:
While windows sounds wonderful 'in the future' - I think most everyone can agree that the above manpower is better spent elsewhere for now.
This is really what it comes down to. Though I do keep a "wishlist" of items from the boards that I torture the team with from time to time 
Kurt "Thunderheart" Stangl
Community Relations Manager
gera
Tue Sep 13, 2005 2:05 pm
#20
Would be nice to see newmodel houses rather than editing current or not "self lighted" such as generic houses which makes all walls like flash spoted but everything inside still dark.
Thunderheart wrote:
Tarnak_Archvold wrote: And considering that the ability to se out of the house is already there with doors, how hard can it be.
It would take quite a while.
Hypothetically speaking, Each and every house model would have to be re-worked. This could potentially take artists weeks or months. Then, only newly crafted houses would have the feature (though personally I think thats a good thing for architects).
Programmers would have to code a brand new way for the system to know the difference between old houses and new houses. This would have to be done for all of the base code and all of the database code. It would have to know the difference on loading the house and all of the existing schematics, all of the components and anything that may nothave come to mind while I was making this post.
Once that was done,the designerswould have to update all of the crafting schematics in code. They would have to account for both types of houses, all of the components, all of theconnections to player cities, merchant skills, etc.
That would take a designer a few weeks (even more if there were any surprises). Once all the art and design was finished, it would have to be internally and externally tested. The external tests would have to be on a fully loaded server (such as TC-Bria or TC-Corbantis).
Or yet better...
Lighting from windows of houses at night when seen from outside (not showing inside ofcourse but just seen like its been used)would be also nice to see enlighted houses in middle of night in a nice player city.
Message Edited by gera on 09-13-2005 02:06 PM
Feardreamer
Tue Sep 13, 2005 2:05 pm
#21
What? thats the silliest explanation iv heard, instead of reworking the old houses just add a new database that loads seperatly from the old one. Like houses and npc cities load differently.
And instead of reworking the old house models make brand new houses, or better yet look at www.UO.com and make architects acctually design the floorplans themselves.
AntiXryst
Tue Sep 13, 2005 2:07 pm
#22
Thunderheart wrote:
AntiXryst wrote:
While windows sounds wonderful 'in the future' - I think most everyone can agree that the above manpower is better spent elsewhere for now.
This is really what it comes down to. Though I do keep a "wishlist" of items from the boards that I torture the team with from time to time
I know a few Bothan SpyNet tricks I can teach you in lieu of torture.
That or you can loop Palpatine's Empire Day speech in their ears!
The agony!
Message Edited by AntiXryst on 09-13-2005 02:07 PM
neinnunb
Tue Sep 13, 2005 2:09 pm
#23
CyberFett wrote:Please do not waste time on this. GCW Revamp instead.
Any word on this? We were told that it would be after the curb, still nothing.
Thanks
Yes VERY TRUE. Quite frankly I rather devs spend their time putting some real meat into the game rather than making it more like The Sims Online or Animal Crossing with all the decorations.
Bionic
Tue Sep 13, 2005 2:09 pm
#24
Thunderheart wrote:
AntiXryst wrote:
While windows sounds wonderful 'in the future' - I think most everyone can agree that the above manpower is better spent elsewhere for now.
This is really what it comes down to. Though I do keep a "wishlist" of items from the boards that I torture the team with from time to time
Like a real Smuggler or Ranger revamp. Hahahahaha.
Oh, I made myself sad.
LordFerno
Tue Sep 13, 2005 2:12 pm
#25
Along something of the same track. With Large Naboo Houses, when you look at the front from outside, there's a smalldoor and balcony midway up, that doesn't actually appear inside.
Is that just a decorative feature or for the past 2 years have I completely missed an extra room in my house?
Glzmo
Tue Sep 13, 2005 2:14 pm
#26
One-way windows where one can see outside would truly increase immersion alot. I would love that. It would be nice if existing houses would get such windows (Naboo houses have mock windows anyway) and new house styles with large Windows would be introduced for all planets as well.