I run an intel 945gm which I have just learned will not be supported by this game(not even a little bit ). I could eventually try to 3danalyze it but I have a question to the developers. PLEASE dont take this as criticism. It really isnt. Its just curiosity on my part. I have very little coding experience on medium scale projects let alone large scale ones such as elemental. I dont really care too much about graphics. As long as I can see and play im fine(which is why SMAC is probably one of the best games I have ever played). So how much work would it take to add a crappy graphics mode?
There is the 'crappy graphics mode' but you have to remember there's still tons of actions going on, so that underlying code would have to run.
You might be interested in following along in this thread:
https://forums.elementalgame.com/364501
Long story short, the Intel 945GM Chipset is as powerful as the Geforce 3 Series base model released in 2001. While techincally it is capable of more advanced instruction sets than the 3 series cards, this is done in software.
For reference, here's a list of games released in 2001.
Strategy games of this era were still using sprite based graphics, and 3D engines were entirely the realm of first person shooters. A crappy graphics mode that would work on extremely low-end equipment would almost have to be a completly different game engine. Right now Elemental has a Cloth Map Mode that simply displays significantly less complex 3D graphics inside the existing engine, so that the user may seemlessly move between them. That same engine that displays the pretty stuff is still required to display the not-so-pretty stuff.
For Elemental to work in some sort of crappy mode, a new engine would have to be built. An engine where the pretty graphics mode didn't exist. A new engine would also require an entirely new set of Assets (Art), and would essentially be a different game entirely.
EA makes a version of Madden for the PS3, the XBox 360... and cellphones. The version for the cellphone has very little in common with the version for the consoles, and is indeed made by an entirely different team of people. It's simply not possible to make one version of a game and have it work across every available piece of hardware.
Actually, Empire Earth did use 3D graphics for units, buildings etc.
To make a point though, Intel graphics chipsets and games aren't compatible purely because, if someone wants to buy and play games, they actually have something decent - i.e. an GeForce or ATi chipset - designed for the purpose. An Intel chipset is designed for laptops usually used for word processing and company work (where you ain't going to be playing games) and is merely filling the requirement that said laptop have a graphics chip. They're a way to fill a hole on the motherboard, nothing more. Most games don't cater for these chipsets because so few people who buy games use these cards as they're rubbish for that and said people usually have a computer available with one of afformentioned superior cards, which makes coding for the Intel chipset redundant anyway. Point is, you happen to be a minority who do use an Intel chipset for gaming, and unfortunately you are part of such a small minorty that the effort expended to make a game work with an Intel chipset (especially the graphics hit) is not justfied by the profits/customers gained. Sorry, but the Intel chipsets don't work with games because its not worth bothering (please don't take that offensively) - there is no clearer way to explain it.
That sounds a bit blunt when I read it over, sorry 'bout that.
...I refuse to believe that that is all it can do . That is because I have MADE it do more. With 3danalyze: C&C 3(some advice, dont build any flashy weapons), SupCom always zoomed out. Without: Rise of Legends on very low.
Didnt see the other post there: Dont worry about blunt, I realize I messed up and it was when I was young so that kinda excuses it .
I could have sworn the laptop we used to fix gfx issues for the Beta1 Update had an Intel 945, but I'll verify for you. In the end, the only video card REQUIREMENT is support for Shader 2, which every card made for the last 5 years should have (even most intel internals).
Here's a link to the rundown on the graphics part of the Intel 945GM, the Intel® GMA950 chip. It supports Shader Model 2.0, however some aspects of DirectX 9 are software only. So even if the requirements are to merely support DirectX 9 (Shader Model 2.0), this chipset only manages to technically support it.
Not that Elemental will work on anything, but we have not even begun to optimize video performance. I have a Intel setup on my laptop so I will be pushing right along with you to get it supported.
Just verified that the 945 is what we have running and is the lowest intel intergraded card we will be supporting (it was the fist one with Shader2 support).
So yeah, you're all good for Elemental!
My graphics card cost $150 (australian) brand new. It plays demigod fine. Spend a little and enjoy a lot!
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