I Hear CA will be taking advantage of certain physics systems

[Raz]

Including 'Ragdoll' dead bodies. I could never get used to this in engines like TES4:Oblivion, Resistance and other titles on the new gen. consoles. It always ends in disaster, mainly with legs being twisted over their necks and arms wrapping around their bodies twicefold. It turns out to look more like some kind of Yoga Class.

I don't really want to watch battalions of Frenchmen performing Yoga in Cairo. I'm wondering if there'll be a way to turn it off? If physics also includes cannon-fire trajectories well then I'll have to leave it on, but a) it'd probably lag on my system. (starting to get quite old), and b) well, as I said above, arms wrapping around twicefold.

[Husar]

First off, no it doesn't, not if the ragdoll physics are properly done, see Mount&Blade for example, no yoga there usually. And second, that sounds rather demanding, usually shooters or so have this, which is okay due to the low number of men, but I don't know whether computers could handle a whole lot of ragdoll effects simultaneously. Might be possible but I'm a bit curious.

[rajpoot]

I don't know why you're against it, but the thing looks quite neat in Oblivion......
Secondly, it'll add a new dimension to the look of the battle, bodies flying, coming in way, and I think, and hope that it will have some more remarkable implications too........like they had said about the bodies of the horses, as to how the soldiers will be crushed beneath them if they fire too late......
But the system requirements............whoooooooo, upgrade time.

[Raz]

I'm not against it,

Just that you can tune down it's effects, is all.

[Husar]

To explain a bit more, I think the yoga stuff only happens when the joints are completely free to move in any direction but it is possible to restrict them to humanly possbible movements so that the whole thing gets a more realistic look and you don't end up with very silly positions. Of course some positions may be somewhat funny as the systems don't simulate soft tissue or the fact a human may be somewhat alive before dieing etc. but it can be done quite well, only concern here are the system requirements but of course there can be a limited implementation or so I guess.

[Mikeus Caesar]

I'm quite looking forward to the ragdoll physics - if cav charges are done correctly, they'll look amazing, with men flying everywhere as the horses plow in.

And as for the effects of cannon on a unit...that would be truly worthy of my money.

[lars573]

First off, no it doesn't, not if the ragdoll physics are properly done, see Mount&Blade for example, no yoga there usually. And second, that sounds rather demanding, usually shooters or so have this, which is okay due to the low number of men, but I don't know whether computers could handle a whole lot of ragdoll effects simultaneously. Might be possible but I'm a bit curious.

Company of Heroes uses ragdoll physics for dead bodies. And they are restricted to human movements. But bodies don't persist that long. And CA has always had the engine cheat with dead bodies. That they become part of the scenery after ther death-throws are over.

[Husar]

And CA has always had the engine cheat with dead bodies. That they become part of the scenery after ther death-throws are over.

I guess that is because the AI routines won't do any calculations for dead bodies anymore if they're part of the scenery, thus saving CPU power, I'd do it as well.

[Myrddraal]

with men flying everywhere as the horses plow in.

Not like RTW I hope. Those super-corpses were a little odd.

[Mikeus Caesar]

Not like RTW I hope. Those super-corpses were a little odd.

I don't mean men flying everywhere in the sense of the RTW super-corpses, but i mean that the way men fly everywhere (everywhere being sensible distances, unlike RTW) would be much more realistic. After all, you don't fly a short distance flailing your limbs like you just fell out of a building, do you?

[rajpoot]

Trust me, ragdoll physics will do it all and more for you.......ooooh I can't wait to see the gameplay movies!!

[LadyAnn]

Going toward semi-point-and-shoot :) New unit size: tiny.

Annie

[Rodion Romanovich]

Cavalry charges shouldn't cause men to fly, it should cause them to fall over backwards onto the ground or back into the men behind them. The force of the charge doesn't come from below and up, but more often the other way, and the other forces acting on the person are ground friction and similar, and with the ground below the impact from the horse (which is always the case), this would cause a torque acting to make the person fall backwards, and NOT fly upwards. I think men flying UPWARDS would be impossible or at least INCREDIBLY rare from a physical point of view, besides it looks pretty silly.

Please give us cavalry charges that make the men crash down into the ground and into their friends behind them with tremendous force and then being trampled, instead of cavalry charges that make the people fly!

[Raz]

^^ Yes, definitely. You don't even see men flying in Hollywood movies so how could you put it into a game? Though, the flying bodies are certainly cool to watch - for me at least.

[rajpoot]

Umm...., we didn't have cavalry charging straight into musket formations in this age anyway did we?
I mean, they had sabres not lances, and apart from the disaster of the Light Brigade, I don't know of any other straight cavalry charge.......correct me if I'm wrong......

[Matt_Lane]

Umm...., we didn't have cavalry charging straight into musket formations in this age anyway did we?
I mean, they had sabres not lances, and apart from the disaster of the Light Brigade, I don't know of any other straight cavalry charge.......correct me if I'm wrong......

Polish Lancers where part of the French army during this time. They were so successful that other nations, including Britain adopted Lancer units after the Napoleonic Wars. Cavalry did charge at Infantry but if they had formed square it was usually unsuccessful. The aim of cavalry was to take infantry by surprise or to flank them, using the terrain or screening troops to mask their movements. If this wasn't possible they would try goad them into releasing their volley prematurely, either by faking charges at the lines or firing off their own carbines at them. This might work with inferior troops by experienced infantry should be able to resist all cavalry aggression, as the British did at Waterloo.

[Russia_CCCP]

Ragdoll effect should be worthy. But I'm afraid to buy this game. My PC is from 1998 with some upgrades. I play MTW2 on the lowest graphics very smoothly, but once its high/medium, then even the smallest battles lag like crazy.

Anyone know when ETW will come out?

[Matt_Lane]

Ragdoll effect should be worthy. But I'm afraid to buy this game. My PC is from 1998 with some upgrades. I play MTW2 on the lowest graphics very smoothly, but once its high/medium, then even the smallest battles lag like crazy.

Anyone know when ETW will come out?

I haven't read an official release date but they were saying it should be out in 2008 so I reckon we are looking at October this year.

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

Ragdoll effect should be worthy. But I'm afraid to buy this game. My PC is from 1998 with some upgrades. I play MTW2 on the lowest graphics very smoothly, but once its high/medium, then even the smallest battles lag like crazy.

You're going to want a serious upgrade or three. What're your system specs?