Digital Foundary: Titanfall Tech Interview

ZombiesRUCrazy

ZombiesRUCrazy

Alcohol, cause of and solution to life's problems.
Sep 11, 2013
4,222
2,310
1,930
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2014-titanfall-tech-interview

What made the situation somewhat unique is that it was the first time that Microsoft's Azure cloud platform had really been stress-tested for gameplay. Respawn isn't making any grand claims about the cloud as a gateway to a next-gen nirvana ("In the end it's just a bunch of computer capacity. You can do anything with the cloud that you can do with a bunch of computers," says Baker) but it is a highly innovative approach to tackling the issue of multiplayer infrastructure which could open the door to a wider array of developers.

Titanfall may well be one of the most hyped and well-funded launches of 2014, but the implications here are intriguing - smaller developers can tap into the Azure infrastructure and don't have to take on the enormous financial burden of buying a server network with worldwide coverage. Bespoke server code created by the developer runs on Azure, and it could be tasked to do anything. In Respawn's case, it's a dedicated server, with trimmings - for example, running the AI cannon fodder drones that populate the levels. There is potential here for something more, and a mature network to make it happen. Perhaps the biggest revolution of Microsoft's cloud isn't game-changing graphics, but instead accessibility. The only question really is how much CPU resource is given to game creators - and did Respawn need to push Microsoft for functionality that simply wasn't present?
Click to expand...

Respawn is also talking about what sounds rather like extensive Xbox One optimisations, including a revision for the 1408x792 native rendering resolution of the game on the Microsoft console.

"We've been experimenting with making it higher and lower. One of the big tricks is how much ESRAM we're going to use, so we're thinking of not using hardware MSAA and instead using FXAA to make it so we don't have to have this larger render target," Baker tells us. "We're going to experiment. The target is either 1080p non-anti-aliased or 900p with FXAA. We're trying to optimise... we don't want to give up anything for higher res. So far we're not 100 per cent happy with any of the options. We're still working on it. For day one it's not going to change. We're still looking at it for post-day one. We're likely to increase resolution after we ship."
Click to expand...

"A lot of the performance is on the GPU side. There's still room for optimisation and we're still working on it," Baker says. "Ideally it would have been a rock-solid 60 all the time when we shipped but obviously when there's big fights going on, lots of particle effects, lots of physics objects... we're still working to condense the systems, make them more parallel so we can hit 60 all the time, ideally."

Titanfall's '792p' resolution and frame-rate dips call into question - once again - the power of the Xbox One's hardware architecture. The GPU - based on AMD's Bonaire part - seems to be falling well short of the sort of performance we would expect from the architecture, making us wonder if the custom ESRAM is proving to be more of a problem than it should be.
Click to expand...

so much for that quantum gpu that puresouls/mistercteam keeps talking about.

drop a titan on me if old.
 
Last edited:
Remove hardware MSAA and up the res with no AA or mediocre FXAA. I say stick with Hardware MSAA and current res. A jump to 900P wouldn't even be all that noticeable, but the drop in AA quality may be more noticeable. A jump to 1080p would be noticeable but then so would the complete lack of AA. 1080P isn't a high enough res for no AA.
 
The thing that stood out to me is that the Kinect system reserve is still in place so developers still only have 90% of the GPU to access.

I bet Xbox One developers can't wait for that little bit extra to be given back.
 
Troublegum said:
The thing that stood out to me is that the Kinect system reserve is still in place so developers still only have 90% of the GPU to access.

I bet Xbox One developers can't wait for that little bit extra to be given back.
Click to expand...

Yeah. That was interesting alright.

The article is a real good read.
 
And yet, another big title from MS that doesn't utilize the Kinect at all. I mean, it doesn't even support Kinect chat. Again, why did MS add the device in for the $75 cost and the $100 premium for consumers if major titles like Titanfall's not even going to use it?
 
DriedMangoes said:
And yet, another big title from MS that doesn't utilize the Kinect at all. I mean, it doesn't even support Kinect chat. Again, why did MS add the device in for the $75 cost and the $100 premium for consumers if major titles like Titanfall's not even going to use it?
Click to expand...

Will only get worse. Once MS frees up those Kinect reserves I would expect most devs to use them for graphics/FPS over kinect functions.
 
That's some crazy tech that goes into Titanfall. No wonder why Microsoft locked this game up. Respawn is about to blow the roof off the industry with this franchise.
 
DriedMangoes said:
And yet, another big title from MS that doesn't utilize the Kinect at all. I mean, it doesn't even support Kinect chat. Again, why did MS add the device in for the $75 cost and the $100 premium for consumers if major titles like Titanfall's not even going to use it?
Click to expand...

Here's your answer:

 
DriedMangoes said:
And yet, another big title from MS that doesn't utilize the Kinect at all. I mean, it doesn't even support Kinect chat. Again, why did MS add the device in for the $75 cost and the $100 premium for consumers if major titles like Titanfall's not even going to use it?
Click to expand...

Not every title will need Kinect so I don't understand your beef. Dead Rising and Ryse have Kinect voice commands. Forza has head-tracking. I do agree that its up to MSFT to bring more examples of the potential for Kinect but this blind hate for the device on a system that's only a couple months out the gate is getting old.
 
I love Titanfall on PC so far, but honestly there isn't any kind of "crazy tech" in this game. Based on 10 year old source engine, low res textures, not a deferred render, framerate locked at 60, etc.
 
BUSTERMAN said:
Not every title will need Kinect so I don't understand your beef. Dead Rising and Ryse have Kinect voice commands. Forza has head-tracking. I do agree that its up to MSFT to bring more examples of the potential for Kinect but this blind hate for the device on a system that's only a couple months out the gate is getting old.
Click to expand...

If you're not going to complain, there will be no improvements. You fine with the Kinect the way it is right now in the market? Not many game support and just entertainment voice commands which makes going into the game faster. Is that what you paid extra $100 for?

How am I hating? I'm just pointing out yet another title that doesn't take full advantage of the Kinect, there's a difference. I mean come on, not even Kinect chat? Are you kidding me. There is zero support for Kinect for Titanfall at this time and no plans on getting any and you're telling me you're fine with that. Okay then.
 
DriedMangoes said:
If you're not going to complain, there will be no improvements. You fine with the Kinect the way it is right now in the market? Not many game support and just entertainment voice commands which makes going into the game faster. Is that what you paid extra $100 for?

How am I hating? I'm just pointing out yet another title that doesn't take full advantage of the Kinect, there's a difference. I mean come on, not even Kinect chat? Are you kidding me. There is zero support for Kinect for Titanfall at this time and no plans on getting any and you're telling me you're fine with that. Okay then.
Click to expand...

Everyone uses party chat anyways. It's not nearly as big of a deal as you want to make it out to be. Even in BF4, almost everyone was in party chat.

It is weird that they decided to not add it, but Respawn gonna Respawn.

Besides voice, do you want every game to take full advantage of Kinect? Because I get the feeling you don't and if they did you'd probably complain about that too. :tounge::tounge:
 
DriedMangoes said:
And yet, another big title from MS that doesn't utilize the Kinect at all. I mean, it doesn't even support Kinect chat. Again, why did MS add the device in for the $75 cost and the $100 premium for consumers if major titles like Titanfall's not even going to use it?
Click to expand...
Because it's not just about the games. That's the other guys.
 
pravus said:
Everyone uses party chat anyways. It's not nearly as big of a deal as you want to make it out to be. Even in BF4, almost everyone was in party chat.

It is weird that they decided to not add it, but Respawn gonna Respawn.

Besides voice, do you want every game to take full advantage of Kinect? Because I get the feeling you don't and if they did you'd probably complain about that too. :tounge::tounge:
Click to expand...

I don't really care to be honest. I just find it funny how everyone is like Kinect is useful in games, you know for those voice commands etc.! Yet a major title such as Titanfall which has been promoted like crazy, doesn't support the Kinect at all. Like I said earlier in another post, the Kinect seems to be only favourable in party, exercise or sports games which is a small market. Seems unreasonable to price the console at a premium price while catering to the casual market. If it was $399, it would've been a lot better.

Hammerclaw said:
Because it's not just about the games. That's the other guys.
Click to expand...

If it's not about the games, then is it about the entertainment features?
 
I don't know what to tell you man. I don't play party, excercise or sports games and I'm not a casual gamer yet I find the Kinect to be a great feature. Also, you keep saying "entertainment features" when in reality you should be saying "every-single-function-the-console-is-capable-of". For me Kinect delivers more on a overall experience level than to simply pigeon-hole it as just being for casual gamers and like I said before I wouldn't even have purchased the console at this point if I wasn't sold on Kinects functionality.
 
Last edited:
DriedMangoes said:
I don't really care to be honest. I just find it funny how everyone is like Kinect is useful in games, you know for those voice commands etc.! Yet a major title such as Titanfall which has been promoted like crazy, doesn't support the Kinect at all. Like I said earlier in another post, the Kinect seems to be only favourable in party, exercise or sports games which is a small market. Seems unreasonable to price the console at a premium price while catering to the casual market. If it was $399, it would've been a lot better.



If it's not about the games, then is it about the entertainment features?
Click to expand...
Works great for twitch live streams, Skype and of course xbox fitness. Also when my buddy comes over we trade off playing ghost and bf4 and since I use strange controller settings so everyone says. Lol. The kinect recognizes him and automatically changes the controller settings for his profile which is nice . Its made to be part of the whole system. Bottom line if people dont like it then dont buy the system. I liked the voice stuff and the auto profile sign in so much I went out and got the PS eye for my ps4.
 
entrer1 said:
Works great for twitch live streams, Skype and of course xbox fitness. Also when my buddy comes over we trade off playing ghost and bf4 and since I use strange controller settings so everyone says. Lol. The kinect recognizes him and automatically changes the controller settings for his profile which is nice . Its made to be part of the whole system. Bottom line if people dont like it then dont buy the system. I liked the voice stuff and the auto profile sign in so much I went out and got the PS eye for my ps4.
Click to expand...

Never thought about controller settings and what not, that's pretty awesome. Does it change it by who's holding the controller?
 
Yup
BDaddyK said:
Never thought about controller settings and what not, that's pretty awesome. Does it change it by who's holding the controller?
Click to expand...
Yup. As long as they have a profile setup it will always revert back to the person holding the controllers personal preference settings
 
entrer1 said:
Yup

Yup. As long as they have a profile setup it will always revert back to the person holding the controllers personal preference settings
Click to expand...

That's awesome. I have a couple friends that use southpaw and inverted looked, we're always having to switch up the layout.

I also like the QR code scanning, goodbye and good riddance 20 some odd character code inputs :)
 
BDaddyK said:
and inverted looked,
Click to expand...

I don't get how anyone can play an FPS without using inverted look. To me it's far more natural. When I look down I push my head forward (or up on the stick) when I look up I pull my head back (down on the stick). I've had friends that don't use inverted and to me they're freaks of nature.
 
IdleHands said:
I don't get how anyone can play an FPS without using inverted look. To me it's far more natural. When I look down I push my head forward (or up on the stick) when I look up I pull my head back (down on the stick). I've had friends that don't use inverted and to me they're freaks of nature.
Click to expand...

Up is Up.Down is Down. It is far more intuitive to the masses. When you look down you move you face/eyes from vertical to horizontal/ from up to down. If anything, you're the freak of nature in this debate.
 
Inverted for life, yo.

I have an excuse, though, the first 'first person' games I grew up with were flight sims for 8 bit computers made by MicroProse.

Gunship and F-19 Stealth Fighter ruined me for life.
 
Troublegum said:
Inverted for life, yo.

I have an excuse, though, the first 'first person' games I grew up with were flight sims for 8 bit computers made by MicroProse.

Gunship and F-19 Stealth Fighter ruined me for life.
Click to expand...

Not those specific games but that's where I got it from as well, flight games way way back when.
 
Hey guys, I don't have TF yet as I want to see if the mouse issue is fixed. Could someone here try this fix and let me know if it helps or not?

Force raw mouse input (fixes mouse lag) • Link
Icon_fix.png
Launch the game with +m_rawinput 1 parameter

Icon_fix.png
Instructions • Link

  1. Open the Library.
  2. Right Click on the game's box art and select Game Properties.
  3. Type in the argument, such as -windowed then click Apply'.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back