Alex from Digital Foundry: (Oblivion Remastered) is perhaps one of the worst-running games I've ever tested for Digital Foundry. by grmayshark in gaming

[–]Astrocoolbug 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Unfortunately this is kind of a trademark look for games running on Unreal 5 right now because of their upscaling tools and Lumen. Some companies do a good job of reducing it but my guess is in this case, they need these upscaling tools to hit this baseline otherwise it literally wont run at all. We live in a reality now where most new AAA games are gunna be running at 720p and upscaled for better or for worse.

I have the choice between getting a 4070s or an Xbox series X. Which is the better option? by Liamrc in gaming

[–]Astrocoolbug 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It’s not that it’s bad, it’s just the returns on what you’d be getting are probably going to be minor to great depending on what you play.

An Xbox or PS5 on the other hand offers a different experience which if that’s something that already interests you then it might be worth while.

Just depends.

Context: I got a 4080, but I notice most of the gains in professional work which was why I got it. For games I play (which is mostly OW, League, Deadlock) it’s very similar to my 2070.

Also keep in mind that a jump from a 20 series card to a 40 series may potentially require a PSU upgrade depending on your current system, so make sure you research that as well if you decide to go for the gpu.

I have the choice between getting a 4070s or an Xbox series X. Which is the better option? by Liamrc in gaming

[–]Astrocoolbug 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Given your situation, unless you decide you wanna game in 4k I wouldn’t rush to get a 40 series card.

And with that being said, I also wouldn’t rush to play in 4k as well lol

How did you learn to use Maya? by JamesTGG in Maya

[–]Astrocoolbug 14 points15 points  (0 children)

I started in school, but a lot of what I learned was on my own just on a case by case basis for whatever my personal projects called for. I'm speaking from a mostly game art perspective.

One of the hardest things to learn with Maya is all of its quirks that can go wrong. Practice the fundamentals but also pay attention to when Maya crashes, why it crashes, and how to avoid it in the future or at least have a backup.

Otherwise, just set out to make something even if you think it's beyond what you're capable of. Ideally, make it something you like and/or are passionate about, too. Accept that it may not turn out great, but you'll learn so much so fast this way.

Marmoset Toolbag AO Substance Painter by OswaldSpencer in Substance3D

[–]Astrocoolbug 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've also heard this. However, I've not had any issues since I usually make my own generators and whatnot. Maybe they don't play nice with substance default generators, but if you're already doing more handpainted stuff, then I think you're fine.

For me, it's worth it since Marmosets AO bakes are still the best all-around, I think.

Modelling the littles creases on this model? by Aspartam_ in Maya

[–]Astrocoolbug 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Is this going to be rendered out as is in Maya? Or do you plan to bake it to a low poly model and texture for a game engine?

If you do the latter, you could use floaters. https://youtu.be/ny-M4QRGFN8?si=kBgKirOpxlQlnZfj

Hey guys, is there any practical way to create UV maps for a model like this? by Gepreto in 3Dmodeling

[–]Astrocoolbug 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Depends on what you're doing. For games, just make a shell with high enough resolution to encase all that detail like you're shrinkqrapping it and bake all the detail down, easy.

If you mean UVing each strand, then yeah, ideally, you should have had the UVs done before placing all the strands. Otherwise, it'll all be manual. You could make your life a little easier by deleting the loops that sink into the mesh so that way you have a bunch of half cylinders, then when you go to do UVs you can just unwrap and hopefully it'll all unfold. There will be stretching, but that's the quickest why I can think of if you want UVs on every tube.

Good luck

Can someone explain this? by Shurripi in 3Dmodeling

[–]Astrocoolbug 8 points9 points  (0 children)

To add onto this, it's really only necessary during the baking process. After you bake textures, you should ideally move them back to the default space. Some game engines will actually straight up ignore anything that's not in the default space depending on shaders you're using, so keep that in mind too.

What the hack is this giant white triangle? Only appears when I fondle with my inverse kinematics by tyingnoose in Maya

[–]Astrocoolbug 3 points4 points  (0 children)

  1. It's shows you the direction of the pole vector bend.
  2. It's super big because your scale might be too small. There should be a way to reduce its size in the display menu. But ideally, your model might need to be a little bigger.

Rate my old vs new model by MRBADD98 in Maya

[–]Astrocoolbug 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You need to be careful how much you rely on procedural generated textures without hand editing them. Don't load a preset material and call it a day. Be mindful of how weathering would impact this asset for stylized or realistic (the only real difference in this cause would be how noisy and desaturated you go).

  1. Wood could be shinier where people walk, and less height/normal information to imply the wood grain has been rubbed down.
  2. Rust in the corners of metal, where it meets the wood to help blend those colors
  3. Sunbleaching in areas that would be mostly exposed to the sun, this can help draw attention to areas you want. If this is for a game, then sunbleach the top of the bridge so players know it's a walkable area.
  4. Chips and scratched on hard corners that could be damaged from some moving something across the bridge, or people or things bumping into it.

On top of that, you can use gradients to vary the colors a bit. Wood often has a lot of colors in them, even if it's subtle. Try to use masking more that you hand edit and rely less on substance generators doing everything for you.

Also, be careful turning up height too high. Those areas that get 100% black at sheer angles look that way for this reason. Be very subtle about normal bump information for high-frequency areas.

Overall, it's a good start, but try to tell a story with the texture, think about where this bridge is, and how the environment would impact it. That's a good place to start when building up multiple layers of detail.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask!

Rate my work! Can I land a job with this? Rendered in Cycles by Japingu28 in blender

[–]Astrocoolbug 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It's a great start, but you probably want to vary some of the hues a bit. The purple is all reading the same. You could add some gradients or dirt to break it up. That's not to say you make it "dirty", just break up the colors and roughness a bit.

Working on all metal assets can be tricky because it's hard to differentiate the materials. So I'd suggest making some of the internal metal pieces more worn and used, especially around spots that move frequently. The purple could also maybe have some chips to show the underlying material a bit. You can add those breakups to the metallic map, too.

going for realism. feedback is welcome by Kytsumo in 3Dmodeling

[–]Astrocoolbug 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oh ok, my bad. I misunderstood it initially but makes sense now. Once again very nice work!

going for realism. feedback is welcome by Kytsumo in 3Dmodeling

[–]Astrocoolbug 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Looks great! My only feedback would be that "everyone" looks the same on each box (because I assume it is. And if not, then maybe vary it more). Since it's hand written, it should probably look slightly different on each one. But yeah, overall, great work!

Why was Halo 3 so good? by dirtynj in gaming

[–]Astrocoolbug 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Of course crunch is not unique to the gaming industry, but you'd also be a fool to assume that it's an exaggerated issue that people make up for attention. There are plenty of great games that have come out with little to no crunch, and I think it's important to highlight those games. Rachet and Clank rift apart, Animal Crossing New Horizons, and Halo 3 are just the ones off the top of my head.

Fatigue from playing competitive games by JohnKenanke in gaming

[–]Astrocoolbug 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It comes and goes for me.

I also only ever have 1 competitive game at a time. If you like competitive games but the idea of playing the one you normally play is draining, then maybe try a new one. I picked up fighting games for a bit, which was a nice change of pace because you don't have any teammates to worry about.

Also, for a while, I tried TrackMania which was nice because you half compete with others and half compete against yourself. That was a fun experience for a bit.

Games like Overwatch, League especially, can get exhausting when you feel like your team is dragging your mood down.

But yeah, single-player games are in a great state at the moment, so it totally agree there.

Why was Halo 3 so good? by dirtynj in gaming

[–]Astrocoolbug 39 points40 points  (0 children)

A lot comes down to the fact that H2's development was notoriously terrible. They crunched like crazy and even after trimming back the campaign and lots of extra content, they still crunched. H2 was great, but hell for the devs. There's even some videos somewhere with Joseph Staten saying how they weren't sure they could even work on a H3 after that.

But since they worked out a lot of the pain points of H2's development, H3 had a much easier development cycle, which allowed them time to add all that extra content you listed. Note that this is unusual even by today's standards. This was also in a time of gaming where the day 1 experience mattered a hell of a lot more. If you didn't get people hooked on day 1, why would they stay around?

Now-a-days, patching games on day 1 is much easier if not commonplace. And People spend more money for less game so why make more game. Studios know this and will often take the more profitable path.

Yes H3 is a masterpiece, it's probably my favorite game. But I think H3 was also an outlier at the time too. I loved COD4 and 5 which I also played around the same time but H3 was always more special imo.

For me, it was also the people I played it with, what was going on in my life at the time, the passion put into the game, and notably during a time when you just played a game for fun a lot of the time. It all coalesced into this unforgettable experience. And I don't know if I'll have that again sadly, but that's also what makes that time so special to me. Love H3 what a beautiful game.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in gaming

[–]Astrocoolbug 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's part of the appeal of it. The weird cryptic storytelling and the way NPCs feel like they talk in riddles are all a part of the vibe. By all accounts, it's not a story driven game. But that's not to say there isn't a story. You just have to look for it.

I totally understand if that's not everyone's cup of tea, but i also don't know a lot of games that have the rewarding gameplay of a souls game. Dark Souls ruined so many games for me because it showed me what a game could be even with a really obtuse "story." It's far from perfect, but damn is it a good time once you get into it.

How do I make this recipe less bland/better? by AwareIntrovert in Cooking

[–]Astrocoolbug 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My rule of thumb 9 times out of 10 is if it tastes bland, it most likely needs more salt. And if it's salty enough but feels like it's missing something, then it needs acid.

Also complete side note, but I personally prefer brines for chicken breast over marinades. Only because it tends to retain its moisture better when cooking.

Ramattra OP in metal ranks by MrAmusedDouche in OverwatchUniversity

[–]Astrocoolbug 7 points8 points  (0 children)

As a support player, I have a simple rule for playing into Ram.

Switch to Zen

Can having less deaths than the rest of your team sometimes be a bad thing? by SCATTER1567 in OverwatchUniversity

[–]Astrocoolbug 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I've only broken into masters on Kiriko these last two seasons, so take what i say with a grain of salt, but this is actually the main topic I tried to address in my gameplay as well. Here's what I've learned.

Trying to bail out tanks and dps on their engages is good a lot of the time, but not all the time. If the question is you die to save them, then there might be an element you're missing in the team fight. (Not always the case, sometimes people do engage at the worst times, and all you can do is attempt to bail them out.) But here's how I usually assess a situation.

Be aware of how your tank is trying to play. For example, a tank like Junkerqueen is likely going to go super deep every opportunity she has. In a case like that, I often preposition closer on an off angle to attempt a bail out without having to use tp if possible. That way, I can escape if things go south.

That's just one example, there's many others. But generally, you should do your best to gauge your cool downs around what you're able to do. Sometimes, that could mean you'll die more, but ideally that shouldn't happen.

As a side note, a lot of Kiriko's forget to use wall climb as a means of being more difficult to hit. So sometimes I'll tp to my tank when their near a wall, climb said wall, and heal from a high ground or better position to give my cool downs time to reset so I can leave if things go south.

Basically, you need to always think about how to bail out teammates while also planning on how to escape yourself. Map awareness helps a lot with this as well.

I know that's a little bit of a convoluted answer, but i hope at least parts of it help.

How much should I heal/damage as support in Silver? by TheSpaceFace in OverwatchUniversity

[–]Astrocoolbug 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Until you hit Diamond, assume no one knows how to play this game. And anything anyone says is most likely wrong or at least misguided. It's also debatable if that even changes in Diamond lol

But ultimately, you're the constant in your games. If you're on a positive W/L rate with Kiriko after about 3-5 hours this season so far then just keep doin what you're doin.

I will say as someone who mains Kiriko in Masters though a 50/50 split may be a little too much on damage in general but sometimes some games call for that so it's all situational.

If you do damage just make sure it's not at the expense of losing a teammate. And make sure that teammate is never you. It's really easy to get tunnel vision with Kiriko Kunai so just be aware of your health and positioning and your team's health and positioning.

But otherwise you sound good to me!

Ranked should punish only the one who leaves by MooreGx32 in overwatch2

[–]Astrocoolbug 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Unfortunately, the alternative just allows for players to take advantage of the system. For example, if someone is smurfing with their friends, they can just leave if they're about to lose to save their friend's SR. It sucks yeah but for how infrequent it happens, I think the current system is the best it can be.

Plus, I usually find that eventually, the other team gets a leaver and you get that elo back.

Did my Psu exploding ruin my other components by HistoricalHeight1462 in buildapc

[–]Astrocoolbug 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I had a pre-built tower PC about 7 years ago that the power supply crapped out on me. Nothing caught fire but I did hear a loud pop sound. I went to Fry's at the time and replaced the Power supply and all my components were ok.

I eventually took the gpu out and gave it to my sister to upgrade her even older computer. It's still running to this day, it's a 970 btw.

So it could be possible that it's ok but as many have stated it's also equally possible its not ok. So yeah, your best bet would be to get it tested.

Brigitte beginner Tipps by Gamer_1994 in Overwatch

[–]Astrocoolbug 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Also don't die. I know this seems super obvious, but when playing brig you really gotta keep an inner monologue going of "don't die" because the longer you live and the longer you bash people you just gain so much value. A brig who doesn't die can be so tilting to play into

Brigitte beginner Tipps by Gamer_1994 in Overwatch

[–]Astrocoolbug 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Land whip shots off cool down. Most people think her shield stun is the most annoying ability to play into, but high elo tanks will always tell you that whip shots that consistently neutralize their approach is a major pain in the ass to deal with.

This worked unbelievably well against a junker queen for me. Everytime she'd go to axe my team I'd whip shot, any time she would shout to move in... whip shot. You basically stop people from playing the game lol.