- last post: 01.01.0001 12:00 AM PDT
The reason the textures are "sharper" on the xbox is because the resolution of the shaders wasn't increased. High resolution screen and not so high res textures means bluriness. Don't even start about how they could have redone the textures. (doubt you would but just so you can't argue that point)
OK I don't understand why you bothered to say that. If you actually read my post, I said that the textures in the PC version are crisper, not the XBOX.
Just because you seemed to have missed that fact.
Re writting pixel shader effects doesn't have anything to do with not having the shinyness on the ar or flag pole. Thats a bitmap that wasn't included. The same kind of bitmap was included on many many other things like vehicles and scenery. I have no idea what cave fog things you are talking about.
Actually I didn't miss that fact... I just told you, they could've easily put in a "Very High" setting which would then utilize another "alternate effect" for the high-end graphics cards to render it. If a teenage kid can rip the bitmaps and put them into the game himself, then there is no reason Gearbox couldn't handle it. There is simply no excuse for this other than that they must've been short for time... but I don't see how that could've been the case since basically they were porting a game that was already completed and required little tweaking of the physics engine, let alone additions of new wireframe models and textures in the game. But if that is so, then fine, I will accept that, but we don't know if time constraints were the issue for sure.
As for the cave fog effects, I can't believe you don't notice it? Do you even HAVE Halo 1 for XBOX? You can very clearly see the difference. Load up the second level titled "Halo" on the XBOX version, then get to the Forerunner cave with the bridge structure in the middle of it. You'll notice the fog. Then boot up Halo PC and go to that same exact place, and notice how the fog effects aren't there, it's just a bland grayish-white color that fades into the distance.
I think "missing" 4 things out of thousands of files is one hell of an achievement.
There are several other minor effects too, but I just listed the main ones. Another example would be the teleporters in Blood Gulch and various other maps, as they are missing effects as well.
You have no reliable evidence that gearbox was lazy therefore you have no valid argument as you don't know why these things werent included. All you have is assumptions. What bugs me is ignorant people like you voicing opinions about things they don't understand. Its like me trying to argue quantum physics with albert einstein.
The thing is, I said that I think it was because they were lazy. I never said that I know they were lazy, so before you draw your own conclusions about me and make your own false assumptions that I am an ignorant person, please double check yourself. I'm just saying that more evidence seems to be pointing towards them being lazy, but admittedly it isn't reliable enough to truly confirm that. The same goes for your evidence too, however. You can't disprove it for certain either.
Just because it doesn't cause any noticable effect to you, doesn't mean it is that way for everyone else, or that the problem wasn't fixed in a later patch, and if included would have resulted in a very large download because every map file would have had to be downloaded (basicaly the whole game).
Again, that argument is defeated by the fact that you the player would have the choice to enable all graphics settings or not. And FYI most of the bitmaps are stored in a single file, including the Assault Rifle's effects, so you wouldn't have to redownload every map all over again. I know this because SuperSunny's mod required me to manually install the bitmap file that I was given using a certain program.
I don't pick fights I can't win. I know you may think you are right, but that doesn't mean you are. I am not arguing that gearbox could have done a better port, I am arguing that the visual quality wasn't reduced, and that even if you think it is, you shouldn't be blaming gearbox.
As Recon Number 54 once said, it's not about winning or losing a fight here. When you view things that way, then it just becomes an ugly competition. We're all here to share our knowledge and enjoy community debates and discussions.
And no offense, but considering that you didn't even notice the missing fog effects in the Forerunner cave as opposed to the XBOX version, I'm not so sure you're in a position to claim that Halo PC has been visually improved... I seriously recommend that you play through Halo XBOX again. You really do notice the differences after playing through Halo PC. If you so strongly believe that it was improved, then I think Omnios (for once) said it best:
No the graphic quality wasn't lowered, it was , in fact, increased. which is why 100's of shader effects are missing form the game. i guess in your book that's a quality increase
Look, I'm not necessarily trying to force my views of Gearbox on you, but what jumped my gun was how you so mockingly introduced your argument at the start. Let's just say this: you and I have our separate views of how good of a job Gearbox has done on Halo PC, and you're fine to keep yours and vice versa for me. I don't think either of us are really ignorant on the situation here though. We're just interpreting the information differently.
[Edited on 9/13/2006]