New Paraworld Screenshots [Archive]

Julian

09-06-2005, 02:44 PM

Sunflowers posted a batch of new Paraworld screenshots (http://www.paraworld.com) for your viewing pleasure. Showing the T-Rex in action among other things. The RTS title is being developed by SEK (http://sek-ost.de/index.php?topic=news&set_language=english) and is set for a release in spring 2006.

http://www.sunflowers.de/gfx/games/paraworld/scr_pw_001_th.jpg (http://www.paraworld.com)

metr0

09-06-2005, 04:03 PM

I demand that the T-Rex in this screenshot be updated to reflect what is now scientific reality!

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-1764136,00.html

KarmaGhost

09-06-2005, 04:10 PM

I demand that the T-Rex in this screenshot be updated to reflect what is now scientific reality!

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-1764136,00.htmllol

Anyway, it looks pretty good, but the view distance doesn't look to far.

Draft

09-06-2005, 04:12 PM

Graphics are super hot.

Evil Avatar

09-06-2005, 04:27 PM

I demand that the T-Rex in this screenshot be updated to reflect what is now scientific reality!

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-1764136,00.html

The problem is that this isn't scientific reality. No T-Rex or Velociraptor has been found with evidence of feathers. What they have found are a few VERY TINY dinosaurs that had feathers, not the giant dinosaurs of the Cetaceous and Jurassic period.

I'm not saying dinosaurs didn't have feathers, because I don't share my Time Machine with anyone outside a small circle of friends, but this is another case where people want to re-write all of scientific history to get their name in the paper and not based off any real evidence.

Zeal

09-06-2005, 04:45 PM

Wow, amazing graphics.

TheKeck

09-06-2005, 04:53 PM

My question is, do all these nifty dinosaur and other units mean anything in the way of new gameplay mechanics, or is this just the latest graphic laid over my orc grunt or ultralisk?

easi

09-06-2005, 04:59 PM

Some of those don't look like screenshots. They look like artists renditions, if you look closely at the man being tossed in the air in this:

http://www.sunflowers.de/gfx/games/paraworld/scr_pw_005.jpg

it looks really fake. Is it possible they've been 'enhanced' to make the animations and such look more varied and spectacular?

Kamalot

09-06-2005, 05:12 PM

Too bad the dinos are wrong. Turns out that dinos had feathers.

http://kamalot.blogspot.com/2005/09/cute-fluffy-dinosaurs.html

Most predatory dinosaurs such as tyrannosaurs and velociraptors have usually been depicted in museums, films and books as covered in a thick hide of dull brown or green skin. The impression was of a killer stripped of adornment in the name of hunting efficiency.

This week, however, a leading expert on dinosaur evolution will tell the British Association, the principal conference of British scientists, that this image is wrong.

“The way these creatures are depicted can no longer be considered scientifically accurate,” he said. “All the evidence is that they looked more like birds than reptiles. Tyrannosaurs might have resembled giant chicks.”

The feathered finds include an early tyrannosaur, a likely ancestor of Tyrannosaurus rex, two small flying dinosaurs and five other predators. Feathers are thought to have evolved first to keep dinosaurs warm and only later as an aid to flight.

Back to the concept art! ;-)

Having said that, these shots look great! It is nice when you have to do a double-take to see if they are really scren shots or if they are concept art.

Cool sense of style and artistic direction. I like!

Lint of Death

09-06-2005, 05:37 PM

Like everyone else, I'll compliment the amazing graphics and say something about feathered dinosaurs. I'm excited to see an RTS with so many dinosaurs. <3 dinos.

About feathered rexes, I read something in Discover magazine about a baby tyrannosaurus rex was found with evidence of feathers; it was postulated that the young had feathers until their size alone could provide the heat they needed.

Zeal

09-06-2005, 05:37 PM

The dinosaurs evolving into birds theory still isn't accepted by the scientific community. It's just one of many theories.

Another leading theory is that all Nintendo fans evolved from dinosaurs, including Koopa. Miyamoto, on the other hand, evolved from a mexican lady.

Wadmaasi

09-06-2005, 05:41 PM

I guess I'll be the first to say that T-Rex + strap-on wooly-mammoth tusks = teh b0mbz0r!

A-Team

09-06-2005, 05:45 PM

Thanks Julian. I'll be sure to credit you when I get them up on my site.

:)

Thenetcase

09-06-2005, 06:30 PM

How come cave drawing in the cave dwellings don't show dinosaurs with feathers? Oh wait, how come they don't know dinosaurs like that at all???

And by the way... I recently saw some concept art saved from the Nerthandernalisticmaniacpoodletangbatzamicaic era, and apparently the T-Rex was covered in purple fuzz, not feathers, and he liked to dine on extra large mushrooms that were yellow and had green poofy stuff coming out of them.

My name is Dan Rather and I approve this message.

-TNC-

TheKeck

09-06-2005, 06:39 PM

Kamalot

09-06-2005, 06:46 PM

Lint of Death

09-06-2005, 08:15 PM

What, exactly, is exploding in the back of that screenshot?

Julian

09-07-2005, 12:30 AM

it looks really fake.
The Triceratops Titan actually does toss around units like that. These guys (http://www.4gamer.net/news.php?url=/news/history/2005.08/20050820194801detail.html) recorded some in-game footage, directly available here (http://www.4gamer.net/jump.php?http://download.bbgames.jp/4gamer/movie/GC_Para_1.zip) and here (http://www.4gamer.net/jump.php?http://download.bbgames.jp/4gamer/movie/GC_Para_2.zip). You can see the T-Rex tossing around units in the first. (Shaky cam footage, so graphical details don't get communicated quite well.)

What, exactly, is exploding in the back of that screenshot?
Well, there are things that can explode in the game. :P

Varsity

09-07-2005, 12:52 AM

I think this is the most overtly colourful game I've seen. Should be fantastic to run in realtime.

Roc Ingersol

09-07-2005, 05:31 AM

The first screenshot sold me.
The third one made me retract that.

Absurdly large swords elicit one kind of inward groan.
But a giant sumo samurai with elbow length white gloves (http://www.sunflowers.de/gfx/games/paraworld/scr_pw_003.jpg)?

Vjornaxx

09-07-2005, 06:38 AM

The problem is that this isn't scientific reality. No T-Rex or Velociraptor has been found with evidence of feathers. What they have found are a few VERY TINY dinosaurs that had feathers, not the giant dinosaurs of the Cetaceous and Jurassic period.

I'm not saying dinosaurs didn't have feathers, because I don't share my Time Machine with anyone outside a small circle of friends, but this is another case where people want to re-write all of scientific history to get their name in the paper and not based off any real evidence.

Evil - You're absolutely crazy. You and I have absolutely no place to make any kind of claims on this person's studies. You and I don't know the first thing about the find and how it relates to palaeontology and for you to say that this man is making a claim simply to get his name on a publication is completely stupid. The guy is a doctor and he probably knows way more about the subject than this entire site put together. That's completely arrogant on your part to assume that his evidence is somehow not real. How can you even say that you run any kind of news site when you're unwilling to believe an article that says that someone with a Ph.D might have credible evidence?

Julian

09-07-2005, 07:18 AM

But a giant sumo samurai with elbow length white gloves?
Yeah, would you want to pull off a rectum-related finishing move without them? :P

Jokes aside, it's supposed to be bandages and the textures for that one are going to get a little rework anyway.

Evil Avatar

09-07-2005, 08:44 AM

How can you even say that you run any kind of news site when you're unwilling to believe an article that says that someone with a Ph.D might have credible evidence?

It might have something to do with me not being stupid enough to believe every thing I read on the internet.

I also know that people with Ph.D.'s who are invoved in research where they rely heavily on grants are often throwing out stupid new theories to get their names in the journals.

Don't you remember just a few weeks back when some quantum physics moron came up with "absolute proof" that it wasn't possible to travel in time? An assertion that we just don't have the scientific knowledge to prove one way or the other, but it got his name in the papers and probably helped him secure funding for another year.

---

For your information, this isn't a new theory. This has popped up several times now as new fossils have been discovered, but as I stated, all the fossils discovered to date with feathers have been tiny dinosaurs, no bigger than a house cat. (Even smaller, really.)

They haven't yet discovered any evidence that the huge dinosaurs had feathers and given the massive number of fossils available for the larger animals, doesn't it make sense that if they had feathers some of the fossils discovered over the last 200 years might have shown evidence of those feathers? But, they don't.

A healthy dose of cynicism goes a long way.

Vjornaxx

09-07-2005, 09:46 AM

I'm not advocating believing everything you read. I'm saying it's absurdly arrogant to instantly assume that any evidence he has has brought to the table has no bearing at all... especially since neither you or I are experts on the subject.... we have no idea what evidence is cirulating in the world of palaeontology and have absolutely no place in saying what is and is not valid. Sure.... be skeptical, but jumping to the conclusion that his research is purely for politics is a completely ignorant position to take. That's not healthy skepticism... healthy skepticism is keeping an open mind while questioning ideas... it is NOT instantly rejecting ideas because of your beliefs about the politics of people with Ph.D

merlinchang

09-07-2005, 11:45 AM

I'm actually quite excited about this game. It reminds me of that reaaaaaaaaally old Cartoon Dino-Riders, which I still like although it was corny and, well, old.

Zeroman

09-07-2005, 01:45 PM

Wasn't there an RTS in development that was prehistoric, and had like Saurians (evolved bipedal dinos), humans, and... uhh.. some other race.. neanderthals or something...? Is this the same game?
Maybe that was one of my fevered game design dreams... I can't tell sometimes. Reality... fantasy... reality... fantasy...

Zeroman

Xerxes

09-07-2005, 02:37 PM

That article comes off as little retarded at one point to me. People have all this time played with the bones to get the fossils we see. Even if you slapped feathers on a t-rex, that's no were near looking like a big chicken. And if they are reptiles, when the hell did all we know about reptiles change to include feathers, fur, hair, and what have you... O_o

And evil, you saying I can get a grant if I right a paper about why I think super giant sharks of the past had jerrycurls and continue the research on such a thing as well?

Julian

09-08-2005, 04:54 AM

Wasn't there an RTS in development that was prehistoric, and had like Saurians (evolved bipedal dinos), humans, and... uhh.. some other race.. neanderthals or something...? Is this the same game?
You're probably confusing Paraworld with Peter Molyneux's B.C., which was in development for Xbox until it got canned.

Vjornaxx

09-08-2005, 05:27 AM

That article comes off as little retarded at one point to me.

Well, you're not a doctor of palaeontology who has been studying dinosaurs at at least a graduate level since 1997. All you and I can do is discuss how we may or may not agree with this based upon what we have read in books and seen on TV. Until you and I have studied dinosaurs scientifically, then the level of our discussion is going to be on the same level as philosophy - purely speculative.

Have you guys heard of phlogiston? It was the paradigm for a long time until Lavoisier came up with another idea and the paradigm shifted. Perhaps the findings of Dr. Gareth Dyke are not as profound as fathering modern chemistry as we know it, but if Dyke's theory holds true, there is a shift in the model on the way.

As consumers of research, it is certainly a good idea to attempt to understand and question the data and its implications, however... as I've stated before, instantly rejecting the data is a pretty close-minded thing to do and counters any growth one might achieve from new theories.

Xerxes

09-08-2005, 06:29 AM

Dude I was just talking about a T-Rex covered in feathers still wouldn't look like a chicken... O_o Those stubby arms aren't wings and those legs ain't drumsticks. And was the last time you seen a chicken with that bone structure let alone chompers. That the one point I'm talking about. Isn't there another doctor(pfft fucking phds) of palaeontogoly with the same 15 years that would argue the opposite that they are just skinless reptiles?

And I'm not rejecting the Dyke. Sure he's very smart but sometimes paradigms don't shift. I can't recall one and I don't really feel like finding an example but you know sometimes the these articles are debunked. What then? Has Ross Geller and the rest of the palaeontology council accepted this yet?

Vjornaxx

09-08-2005, 08:14 AM

Xerxes, I think at this point, we're not really disagreeing too much. In fact, I agree with you on a few points:

1. A T-Rex with feathers would certainly not look like a chicken, unless that chicken was the spawn of Satan sent to destroy Tokyo.

2. You don't reject Dyke. My point isn't whether you should accept or reject the man's findings. My point is that you at least entertain the idea and inform yourself more about it before you come to a conclusion rather than immediately rejecting it.

3. Paradigms don't always shift... you're absolutely right. This is normally because new theories are offered, tested, and found to be less correct than the current model. If the new theory proves to be more correct than the current paradigm, a shift may occur. I guess this is another way of illustrating how instantly rejecting new theories is counter to progress.

4. Yes, I'm sure there are many doctors of palaeontology that subscribe to a different theory, but I would hope that they at least take a look at the new theories before forming their opinions.

Xerxes

09-08-2005, 08:23 AM

Vjornaxx, I'm still trying to picture a dinosuar with feathers. Could make for cool concept art. I never was able to find out if dinosaurs had hollow (or is it like the density of) bones like birds?

Kamalot

09-08-2005, 08:32 AM

I think hollow bones are only for flight.

Vjornaxx

09-08-2005, 08:38 AM

There was a lengthy Discovery special about dinosaurs on a while back. The CG velociraptors they made had feathers on them. It wasn't what I was used to seeing... you know... a streamlined killing machine. It was more of a puffy and ugly killing machine. It was kind of funny to watch at first... then you got used to it.

As for the hollow feathers, man I have no clue. I read a book about the evolution of dinosaurs to birds and it said that they were probably solid and only the ones who happened to be born with what is basically osteoperosis could fly... but that book was dated 1956 and I don't know how the theories have changed.