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Pushing the envelope: Achieving next-level clouds in Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores

legacy24

Member
Star-Citizen-CloudsHD-scaled.jpg

these are "next gen" clouds
 

GHG

Gold Member
Its not close.

MS Flight Simulator is an entire system, not just that but the cloud occludes light. The Cloud is also casts shadow and is also self shadowing. This is without even mentioning whether phenomenon (rain, rainbow, hurricane, storms, cloud types and formation, etc) and physics.



This would all be fine and dandy if they didn't downgrade the shit out of the clouds just in time for the console release.

https://forums.flightsimulator.com/...clouds-are-back-starting-with-1-14-5-0/375977
 

CamHostage

Member
True.
DC had clouds that affect lighting during gameplay, so for example you had races where a part of a track was rainy and another part was sunny.

That's why DC still has the best transition from sun to rain in a videogame, and it's still unmatched.

But that's a result of DriveClub using something like a 2.5D cloud system, right? As I understand it, they generate a 2D pattern of where they want clouds to be and of what type/density and what movement speed (mixed with noise and other compounding factors), and then that's converted into the voxel system for propagating 3D cloud spaces according to the instructions of that pattern where visible.

It's an effective solution for something ground-based like a racing game (and they went the extra mile by having rain events selectively trigger when under cloud cover of precipitation-level density,) but that wouldn't be the approach needed in the airborne "landscape" that has to be made for flight through the clouds to work here.
 
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I will NEVER forgive Sony for killing this studio and my chances to get a sequel and 4k/60fps patch


Here's the thing ...what's REALLY stopping Sony from patching DC for 4k/60? Nothing! Other than they just don't feel like it. I think this mentality is really shitty. A patch for this wouldn't take all that much effort, would make fans happy and bolster PS5 library and PS+ services.

It's a win win. Same goes for lots of other games on MS and Sony's catalogue from last gen. This kills me.
 

GHG

Gold Member
I remember reading they fixed the clouds in SU10. I haven’t seen that issue.

You're playing on console, you don't know any better.

It's a well known issue on PC and has been since they released an update in preparation for the console release.
 

RCU005

Member
I wonder if all these changes will apply to all the game once it’s updated, or just the burning shore zone/area.
 

nkarafo

Member
True.
DC had clouds that affect lighting during gameplay, so for example you had races where a part of a track was rainy and another part was sunny.

That's why DC still has the best transition from sun to rain in a videogame, and it's still unmatched.


I need to get a PS4 for this game, along with P.T and Shadow of Colossus Remake.
 
Hopefully this also applies to the base game tho.
I asked the same thing but thinking about it made me ask myself why it wouldn't apply to the base game.

Unless they are making it a zone with a loading screen you can not create an entire updated version of the cloud system and only have it in one region.

The difference will be absolutely jarring when you are flying around the world.
 

UnNamed

Banned
But that's a result of DriveClub using something like a 2.5D cloud system, right? As I understand it, they generate a 2D pattern of where they want clouds to be and of what type/density and what movement speed (mixed with noise and other compounding factors), and then that's converted into the voxel system for propagating 3D cloud spaces according to the instructions of that pattern where visible.

It's an effective solution for something ground-based like a racing game (and they went the extra mile by having rain events selectively trigger when under cloud cover of precipitation-level density,) but that wouldn't be the approach needed in the airborne "landscape" that has to be made for flight through the clouds to work here.
I don't remember what type of tech they used, so you're probably right.
But at this point, since everybody could use the same technique, someone should explain why DC is so effective compared to other games.
 

Fabieter

Member
I asked the same thing but thinking about it made me ask myself why it wouldn't apply to the base game.

Unless they are making it a zone with a loading screen you can not create an entire updated version of the cloud system and only have it in one region.

The difference will be absolutely jarring when you are flying around the world.

Would be awesome. I just don't want to be disappointed:D
 

RoadHazard

Gold Member
So I guess with all these upgrades and it not being possible on PS4 this DLC will be a completely separate thing and not connected to the rest of the game? Like, it won't be a new area in the same world? Maybe Frozen Wilds was like that too, never played it.
 

midnightAI

Member
Casting Shadows, Self shadowing, Multiple cloud layers, etc? Not according to the gif we have seen.
Thats why the clouds looks so painted/flat compared to MSFS.

Don't know which gif you are watching, but yes, they cast shadows onto other clouds and themselves.

I really don't understand where you get 'flat' from, they look like volumetric clouds to me.

Just because these look great doesn't mean FS clouds look any worse so why so defensive?
 
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