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The Last of Us |OT| It Can’t Be For Nothing (Spoilers)

Evolved1

make sure the pudding isn't too soggy but that just ruins everything
I can't even begin to imagine how good Naughty Dog games will look on PS4.






Here's something to put it in perspective...

Our fx files are surprisingly small. Most of our memory usage comes from the materials we apply to our particles. Our materials are loaded in memory all the time and I believe we were somewhere around 25Mb of texture memory around the time we shipped. We don't have a limit really we just try to play nice with everyone else. We use dxt1 compression on our textures so they come out pretty small and we try to keep the textures small. We rarely go above 256x256 for texture samples. We also don't do a lot of animated flipbooks. So for instance the fire is composed of about 3 texture samples and our materials distort uv's to make it look like fire. There are other things we do to try and deal with things like overdraw but those are mostly related to framerate and buffer memory.

http://dougvfx.blogspot.ca/2013/06/visual-effects-in-last-of-us-hometown.html?m=1 (comments section)

Pretty crazy what they have done with such a pittance of memory.

edit: also...

Our workflow changes so much all the time. Working on The Last of Us we were given a lot of ways to interact with our particle systems on the runtime side. I wouldn't say we expect our workflow to change radically on the next console. Our methods will remain largely the same and continue to evolve. We don't want to reinvent the wheel or anything. Game fx is always a collection of hacks. I think our team is looking forward to more memory. We constantly ran out of memory making this game and had to scale back some stuff.
 

Mik2121

Member
Hey Dennis! Could you go to the Capitol and take pics there of the furniture, walls and all that stuff? I remember it looked great :)
 

todahawk

Member
Got hooked deep and marathon'd the last 60% Sunday and today. Finished it a couple of hours ago... playtime was just shy of 30 hours.

Absolutely loved it. I really got emotionally invested in the characters. Can't wait to try out multiplayer and NG+.
 

B-Genius

Unconfirmed Member
Don't put too much stock in the amazed posts about each season. I don't quite get the fuss about fall. I think it is best to go in with no different expectations than you already have.

Cool. I'm not one to get too over-hyped, but such posts did catch my eye ;)

It's been amazing so far. Expectations thoroughly being met. The gameplay and exploration is extremely more-ish, and performances are fantastic all round. If it keeps up like this for another 8-10 hours (already taken me about 10 hours to get to 50%) I'll be a happy camper.
 

Evolved1

make sure the pudding isn't too soggy but that just ruins everything
really not looking forward to Uncharted 4 after playing this game, I understand now why people hate Uncharted :/

I love Uncharted but I am so tired of the platforming. These basic genre-mechanics have been the same since PoP on PS2. I think PoP:WW is even better at platforming in some ways! Hell, they are still doing some of the same basic shit as Tomb Raider on PS1!

It's so damn boring and played out now.

If they limited the platforming to just those "action-platforming" sequences where you actually retain control as a setpiece is collapsing all around you (ala Uncharted II office building, but NOT the burning chateau in UCIII) then that would be fine with me. That's something that they actually innovated on, instead of just the recycled vanilla no-danger platforming crap in most other areas.

If they can't think of a new way to do climbing/jumping... or just cut it out... I don't think I want another Uncharted.

And now they are getting 8GB of GDDR5................my God............

Yeah... I don't think we're prepared for new-gen ND.

It's too bad the consoles have kinda crappy CPU/GPU combos... eh... at least it's better than RAM-starved PS3's I guess.
 

Blackthorn

"hello?" "this is vagina"
Looking at Dennis' screenshots after reading about 25mb texture memory, I just... what? How?

Also, Dennis, are you going to upload a .zip of all your shots when you're done?
 

Evolved1

make sure the pudding isn't too soggy but that just ruins everything
Looking at Dennis' screenshots after reading about 25mb texture memory, I just... what? How?

Also, Dennis, are you going to upload a .zip of all your shots when you're done?

You also have to think about how... game never frigging loads after the initial. And you have sooooo much animation in this game. It blows most other AAA games out of the water in sheer volume. And quality. Then the crazy shit they do with audio.

TLoU might not have perfect IQ and all that... but it's straight up voodoo what they've done on the tired PS3.
 
You also have to think about how... game never frigging loads after the initial. And you have sooooo much animation in this game. It blows most other AAA games out of the water in sheer volume. And quality. Then the crazy shit they do with audio.

TLoU might not have perfect IQ and all that... but it's straight up voodoo what they've done on the tired PS3.

The Grounded documentary actually gave some really surprising info on the animation in the game. They talk a bit about how RAM is so precious to them because there's so little of it. They then mention that all of Joel's and NPC animations (I think the NPC part may just be Joel's interactions with NPC's) had to fit into a 4-5mb footprint.
 

Blackthorn

"hello?" "this is vagina"
I read somewhere there was a way to start Surivival+ without needing to complete Survival. Anyone know how to?
Start a new game plus, complete the prologue then quit out. Go to the chapter menu, select the prologue then Survivor difficulty. Save, and enjoy free Survivor+!
 

Harlock

Member
Here's something to put it in perspective...



http://dougvfx.blogspot.ca/2013/06/visual-effects-in-last-of-us-hometown.html?m=1 (comments section)

Pretty crazy what they have done with such a pittance of memory.

edit: also...

Is the sci-fi version of old videogame tricks.

tiles.jpg
 

CorrisD

badchoiceboobies
Going through on easy getting all the collectables, I wish I had noted down what I got in other play throughs, but god damn there is quite a number of things to get from items to conversations.

I'm calling it, the last of us DLC is about ish and his sewer friends.
He didnt die.

Your a little late "calling it", lol.
 

G_Berry

Banned
You also have to think about how... game never frigging loads after the initial. And you have sooooo much animation in this game. It blows most other AAA games out of the water in sheer volume. And quality. Then the crazy shit they do with audio.

TLoU might not have perfect IQ and all that... but it's straight up voodoo what they've done on the tired PS3.

It is voodoo. When inside, rooms filled with detail and the light
Coming through the windows... amazing. Makes you not care about the jaggies.

Outside however. Jags! On everything! Poor Framerate. Its rough in some places.

Lets face it, its good, but uncharted still takes the cake.
 

Fjordson

Member
Uh..is there supposed to be a certain cutscene in winter where the dialogue sound drops out. You see Joel saying something to Ellie but I couldn't hear anything. Anyone else get this?
 

Fjordson

Member
It's supposed to do that. The music continues playing iirc.
Okay, cool. Yeah, the music and ambient sound is there so I thought it might be on purpose. Just making I didn't miss anything :lol

I feel like I'm nearing the end. I'm enjoying it a lot, but I'm sort of ready for it to be over to be honest. I think it's too draining for someone like me who avoids horror games. Every play session is intense basically the entire time.
 
Ok, so Clickers annoyed the F out of me until I realized that when they say they can't see you, they literally cannot see you. As long as they don't touch you and you stand still, they can pretty much walk right up against you and you wouldn't trigger them..
 

nib95

Banned
I thought it was really cool and the takedown itself amazing! More games should take cues from HL2

damn I love this game! Best game I have played in years

Interesting you should say that, because in many ways this game reminded me more of HL2 than it did RE4 or Uncharted.
 

Evolved1

make sure the pudding isn't too soggy but that just ruins everything
Is there a way i could steal enemy's weapon like from the first E3 demo? Or was most of the stuff in that demo just scripted sequences?

The last 20 seconds or so of the E3 demo appears to have been pre-canned. And with the exception of making a guy beg for his life, cannot be reproduced in actual gameplay.

But everything else they demoed was genuine.
 
The last 20 seconds or so of the E3 demo appears to have been pre-canned. And with the exception of making a guy beg for his life, cannot be reproduced in actual gameplay.

But everything else they demoed was genuine.

Did enemies react to your empty gun clicking sound? During my first play through, they didn't say anything unlike the E3 demo.
 

antitrop

Member
Did enemies react to your empty gun clicking sound? During my first play through, they didn't say anything unlike the E3 demo.
I can say with 100% certainty that I had enemies react to me accidentally firing an empty gun. They called it out to their friends and charged me.

It was something like "Hey, I know that sound!".
 

nib95

Banned
Did enemies react to your empty gun clicking sound? During my first play through, they didn't say anything unlike the E3 demo.

I heard enemies comment at my empty chamber click a few times in my play through. One said something along the lines of "That's right, you ain't got nothing left, you're fucked now!" First time I heard it was the segment right after the original trailer where you and Ellie crash in to that store after the hunter's ambush you, and the firefight follows.
 

Evolved1

make sure the pudding isn't too soggy but that just ruins everything
How on Earth do they pull these visuals off with 25mb of textures lol.

Idk... as Blackthorn pointed out, Doug might just be talking in the context of effects. I don't know anything about game dev'ing. The main point from what I quoted was that they are having to be really creative to get things into memory, and it's an admission that they had to scale things back due limitations. So, yay for PS4.

I can say with 100% certainty that I had enemies react to me accidentally firing an empty gun. They called it out to their friends and charged me.

It was something like "Hey, I know that sound!".

Lol... this is one of my protips for survivor. If you want to coax an enemy to charge you for an easy bottle + melee kill (or whatever) squeeze off a few *clicks* of an empty gun, and then switch to a weapon you do have. This is good if they're hunkered down and they have other guys shooting too. You can draw them into a trap, sheltered from the other gunfire.
 

Reule

Member
Did enemies react to your empty gun clicking sound? During my first play through, they didn't say anything unlike the E3 demo.
They did for me. I was blasting on some fools and ran out of ammo. I think one guy said something like "I know that sound!" and charged me with a pipe.

Another time, I had no ammo in my pistol and was letting the enemies in the area finish talking. I pointed at the wall and made "pew pew" noises while shooting my empty gun. They all heard the noise and came out after me, lol.
 

Lord Error

Insane For Sony
How on Earth do they pull these visuals off with 25mb of textures lol.

Love these shots from the link.
25MB of textures just for effects (particles etc.)

I heard enemies comment at my empty chamber click a few times in my play through. One said something along the lines of "That's right, you ain't got nothing left, you're fucked now!" First time I heard it was the segment right after the original trailer where you and Ellie crash in to that store after the hunter's ambush you, and the firefight follows.
They did comment on it for me as well. Once they said something like "Clickety-click, let's see what you do now mother******".
 

Evolved1

make sure the pudding isn't too soggy but that just ruins everything
Alright... get your bets in now.

Do you think we'll get a horde mode? Or anything like it?

I say no. Even though I want one badly. I also say Infected will never be in MP in any capacity.
 
Beat the game just now, pretty great.

The AI on both sides is pretty silly sometimes. Not too long after Ellie joined me, we were in an area with some normal human enemies. Stalking around, killing 'em silently, everything is going well. One of them begins to walk by in front of whatever I'm using for cover, so I'm waiting for him to come around the side where I can pop out and grab him...

...and then behind me, Ellie yells "HEY, FUCKER!" and half a second later a brick came flying over Joel's head and hit the guy right in the face while his buddies elsewhere started to come running.

It was dumb but I must admit I laughed my ass off.
 

Shrennin

Didn't get the memo regarding the 14th Amendment
There are just some awesome gameplay moments in this game that I haven't seen replicated anywhere else in any other game that I have ever played.

I took a hunter hostage and held my pistol out about to shoot his friend when I realized that I was out of pistol ammo. I promptly bash the guy's face in with the butt of my pistol while the friend is pulling out his gun to shoot me. Ellie proceeds to shoot at the guy, causing the guy to stumble back, while I rush over to him and finish him off with a crowbar to the face. Ellie is so awesome.
 

likewiise

Neo Member
Amazing game, so restrained, so slick. I love the levels of intensity within the combat, from patient stealth timing to all out attack and back again... compelling world, bravo ND.

As a father I'd say the story was even more poignant, other parents out there feel the same?
 
So I just got to the first section with a clicker, and I can't figure out why I'm so bad at this? I've died like 10 times in a row trying stealth, combat, everything. I'm normally a stealth guy, just got done with Deus Ex HR and loved the shit out of that, but jesus christ, 1 runner sees you and then you're fucked cuz the clicker will come and one shot you.

Any tips?
 

Evolved1

make sure the pudding isn't too soggy but that just ruins everything
So I just got to the first section with a clicker, and I can't figure out why I'm so bad at this? I've died like 10 times in a row trying stealth, combat, everything. I'm normally a stealth guy, just got done with Deus Ex HR and loved the shit out of that, but jesus christ, 1 runner sees you and then you're fucked cuz the clicker will come and one shot you.

Any tips?

You can break from combat will L2. So, if you get spotted, beat down the closest one to you... keeping an eye out for the clicker. If you see it, run and hide! Break line of sight.

Pick your battles.

If you have a melee weapon, use the brick/bottle stun and then sprint and hit melee... it's a one hit kill on anything. As long as you stun them with the brick or bottle. This is one of the most important attacks in the game. Get familiar with it.

You don't have to stealth everyone.You honestly aren't even supposed to. It's just another tool. Use stealth to thin out a few from their ranks, and then go kick some ass. You can punch runners to death if necessary. Clickers though, you have to be more careful with. But they are blind.
 
So I just got to the first section with a clicker, and I can't figure out why I'm so bad at this? I've died like 10 times in a row trying stealth, combat, everything. I'm normally a stealth guy, just got done with Deus Ex HR and loved the shit out of that, but jesus christ, 1 runner sees you and then you're fucked cuz the clicker will come and one shot you.

Any tips?

The bricks can kill clickers
 
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