Support NeoGAF

[The Shadow]

I remember the first time I saw shader effects in a game when I first got my Radeon 8500LE and tried out Morrowind. On my GeForce 2 Pro, the water was just a flat plane that would have little splash textures when something made contact with it. With the Radeon, the water looked 3D. Stepping through would make little ripples that would radiate from where you were. Once you went into the water so that your viewpoint was level with the water, you'd see that it was all just an illusion and that the water was still a flat plane and wasn't really wavy like it looked.

Obviously shader effects have been used on a lot more than just water since. So what's been your favorite use so far?

Mine, and mind you if you haven't finished Half-Life 2 then don't read this.

Spoiler

I'd have to say the most interesting use has been those columns of energy you find in the citadel walking around. Everything behind it is blurry and distorted and when you toss people in them, they further distort making for a really cool effect.

Just as impressive and similar effect would be the occasional door that had that wavy glass on it. Everything behind it was distorted and blurry. It's not really all that noticeable until you see something moving behind it, which is when you realize how nicely done it is.

 

[Ironclad]

The Unreal 3 demo at GDC, and E3 had such beautiful shader effects. The way the glass would distort an imagine behind it, and then cast a shadow depending on the color of the window pane. Of course, all in realtime. The way the glass would distort the normal mapped character models was absolutely gorgeous as well.

 

[Harmonica]

I always found that spinning pane glass portrait of Gordan Freeman from the E3 presentation to be mind boggingly real looking... this thread is useless without pics though!

 

[firex]

HL2, I think. It will probably be outdone sometime in the future, but I honestly wonder who will have the sense of design to make such good use of shaders next.

 

[Lazy8s]

the diversity and otherworldliness that shaders lent to the creature designs in Panzer Dragoon Orta

 

[The Shadow]

I always found that spinning pane glass portrait of Gordan Freeman from the E3 presentation to be mind boggingly real looking... this thread is useless without pics though!

Even so, sometimes the nature of shaders can only be seen in motion so still pictures really don't show them off properly.

I took a pic of a floor in HL2 to post in the HL2 thread and it just doesn't look nearly as impressive as it does in motion. Looked like a flat texture without the light and perspective changing.

 

[Ironclad]

the diversity and otherworldliness that shaders lent to the creature designs in Panzer Dragoon Orta

I remember how I was blown away by the absolutely gorgeous use of shaders and lifelike creature designs in Orta. If Sega puts their mind to it, they can create such beautiful effects.

 

[Blimblim]

The water in Crimson Skies (Xbox) was a very impressive usage a shaders.

 

[Ironclad]

I am surprised nobody has mentioned Far Cry, and it's incredible water effects. That game was a technological power house. Also, if you want to see a great use of shaders, just watch the Unreal 3 tech demo. I know I have already said it, but I just watched it again, and the part where the human like monster is pacing back and forth behind the pane of rotating glass, and the shaders that are used there just make my jaw drop everytime.

 

[The Shadow]

I am surprised nobody has mentioned Far Cry, and it's incredible water effects.

Far Cry had great water but I think I was still more impressed with my example above. As a mater of fact, it seems like Far Cry had a lot more shader effects but I'd say HL2 used them far better, if more subtly.

I'll post a pic of both in just a sec.

 

[Pimpbaa]

I remember the first time I saw shader effects in a game when I first got my Radeon 8500LE and tried out Morrowind. On my GeForce 3 Pro, the water was just a flat plane that would have little splash textures when something made contact with it. With the Radeon, the water looked 3D. Stepping through would make little ripples that would radiate from where you were. Once you went into the water so that your viewpoint was level with the water, you'd see that it was all just an illusion and that the water was still a flat plane and wasn't really wavy like it looked.

The Geforce 3 has shader capabilities as well. The water in morrowind looks the same on my 9800 as it did on my geforce 3. You sure you don't mean GeForce 2 Pro or something?

 

[truesayian]

The best use of a shader is when they are there and you dont notice em.

 

[Ironclad]

Far Cry had great water but I think I was still more impressed with my example above. As a mater of fact, it seems like Far Cry had a lot more shader effects but I'd say HL2 used them far better, if more subtly.

I'll post a pic of both in just a sec.

Absolutely, IAWTP. HL2 shader effects were so subtle that I actually overlooked them sometimes. Anybody who says that videogames aren't art needs a smack on the head, and then a look at a running trailer of HL2. Far Cry's shader effects were rampant but very well done. I must say though, that I agree with you, and enjoyed HL2's much more.

 

[The Shadow]

The Geforce 3 has shader capabilities as well. The water in morrowind looks the same on my 9800 as it did on my geforce 3. You sure you don't mean GeForce 2 Pro or something?

Doh. Yeah you're right. It was a GeForce 2 Pro.

 

[Ironclad]

Doh. Yeah you're right. It was a GeForce 2 Pro.

I thought there was something wrong with your initial post. My friends GeForce 3 can render some shaders just fine. GeForce 2 Pro was weaker, and definetly missing the shader capabillities.

 

[The Shadow]

The spoiler example I was talking about. Don't click unless you've finished the game(though it really doesn't spoil much really).

First example

These two are examples of the shaped glass on the doors. The first is with the door closed and the second is the door open showing what it was distorting.

Door closed

Door open

 

[Monk]

From the artistic point of view, i love the ripples that energy weapons make as the move forward in MP. Very subtle but once you know it is there, it is a thing of beauty. Does that count?

 

[Late Stage Marxist]

Real life.















Just kidding I have no idea.