HL2 Lost Coast Update

[Evil Avatar]

Included in the most recent Steam News Update (http://www.steampowered.com/Steam/Marketing/June24.2005/) is more information on the upcoming Half-Life 2 map, Lost Coast, and information on Valve's new technology, High Dynamic Range lighting.

We're getting much closer to having Lost Coast ready to release. Originally planned as a section of the Highway 17 chapter of Half-Life 2, Lost Coast is a playable technology showcase that introduces High Dynamic Range lighting to the Source engine.

Once Lost Coast is released, we will include HDR in our future product releases. For instance, Day of Defeat: Source will feature HDR lighting for all of its levels the day it is released.

[Sazime]

Does this mean it will also be implemented in CS and HL2? That'd be sweet.

[Teddeh]

As long as you can turn it off if you don't have the hardware for it. HL2 runs well enough and looks nice enough, I don't need funky lighting if it kills my framerate.

[Last of the Red Hot Mamas]

The video they have shows the same scene in both HDR and non-HDR modes, so I think we can safely assume it's an optional feature.

[Varsity]

Does this mean it will also be implemented in CS and HL2? That'd be sweet.
"Partly", whatever that means. I don't want to imagine the bitching if it was fully enabled in CS, and they've said that as HL2 was designed with a fixed aperture it looks better without HDR.

[Groo]

In that video, the two sides looked identical to me.

[Abash Alarmist]

You must of been beaten with a rather large stick across the face several hundred times, which in turn burst the capillaries that fed blood to your eyes...That, or you are a fucking moron.

[Groo]

You must of been beaten with a rather large stick across the face several hundred times, which in turn burst the capillaries that fed blood to your eyes...That, or you are a fucking moron.

Or maybe it has something to do with the fact that the video was grainy and low-res. Oh, and because HDR isn't really a huge difference. The only significant thing I noticed was that the sunlight flared up on the right side of the screen.

[Bubby]

Rogue, grow up.

[fndarkone]

i lost interest. ive beaten hl2 twice already. dod is a no show, and ive got other things (games) to occupy my time now.

[Taco]

I was checking out the Gamespy Stats (http://archive.gamespy.com/stats/) . CS:Source has almost eclipsed the original CS. I didn't think they'd pull that off for another year, if at all. I'd say they can take their time releasing new content, they already have a massive online player base.

I'm guessing the Battlefield numbers are inflated from the demo, but still shows a high level of interest. If only someone else was making money off it.

[saneman]

woohoo! Now your video games can look as wonderful as your home movies shot with auto-exposure on! Technology! Perhaps next they can add some auto-white-balance! Woohoo!

(i kid, i kid...)

[KarmaGhost]

I'm more excited about having an extra level to play, rather than some bright lights.

Although, I'm not one to brush off the importance of lighting in creating a sense of realism.

[TrackZero]

I can't wait to see how my Radeon 9600XT can't do HDR. ;)

[Gpig]

Taco, gamespy stats for some reason aren't correct. It may just be the people that use gamespy arcade or something, I don't know. The real numbers are directly from steam: http://www.steampowered.com/status/game_stats.html

As of me typing this now at 2:48 AM eastern(the numbers fluctuate quite a bit, though source never eclipses or even comes close to it that I've seen) the numbers are:
1.6 - 88,991
source - 16,614

[Varsity]

Or maybe it has something to do with the fact that the video was grainy and low-res. Oh, and because HDR isn't really a huge difference. The only significant thing I noticed was that the sunlight flared up on the right side of the screen.
It's a lot clearer once you get to the monastery on top. They chose a really naff place to show it off. :p

[Triprotic]

I was checking out the Gamespy Stats (http://archive.gamespy.com/stats/) . CS:Source has almost eclipsed the original CS. I didn't think they'd pull that off for another year, if at all. I'd say they can take their time releasing new content, they already have a massive online player base.

I'm guessing the Battlefield numbers are inflated from the demo, but still shows a high level of interest. If only someone else was making money off it.

Check that list again, BF2 demo is seperate. Looks good for BF2 then, might have to pick it up :)

[Shifteh]

"CS:Source has almost eclipsed the original CS."

uh, CS:S has less than half the players 1.6 does. It has 1/3rd the playtime per month.

There was a huge post on Gotfrag about it - Source players were less than pleased. I found it interesting that while Source has half the playerbase - it has 1/3rd the playtime. Wouldn't the playtime be half? Are Source players less-inclined to play longer or what?

[51|RandoM]

screw hdr, where is team fortress II?

Source has less players because it has higher hardware requirements and was something more to buy, whereas CS players already had paid for halflife.

Source players play less CS cause they have computers that are good enough to play new games like doom 3, farcry and even bf2. :-)

[Liquidize105]

I'm ready for more hl2. Bring on the expansions, the more the better. :D

[Taco]

Thanks for that link GPig, that looks much more like what I would expect.

[markster3000]

Man, I just simulated that effect by playing the game with the lights off.

Go from the bright outside into a dark house, and you feel blind for a few seconds!