Digital Foundry Article Technical Discussion Archive [2012]

[kots]

I was looking for specifics. Is it FP10/16? Nao32?

I'm noticing the similarities and non-similarities in the technical specs between Forza Horizon and GT5:

720p/4xMSAA+TAA vs 720p/4xMSAA+FXAA
HDR + Day/Night cycles + weather vs HDR + Day/Night cycles
Non-open world vs Open world
60Hz vs 30Hz
Fully dynamic ray-traced headlights vs not quite fully dynamic headlights
no in-game OMB vs in-game OMB
Split-screen vs no split-screen
16 players online vs 8 players online

This is about all we know, right?

You forgot the light shafts ....and the less jaggerific shadows - and since when GT5 is a 60fps game ? More like 40-50-60 . And what about tearing ? One of them never ever tears .....
And it's not just open world vs Closed tracks ... it's also the quality of the scenery .

It is not that simple .

 

[HokutoNoKen]

Anybody here that actually has Forza Horizon and can clarify if the day/night cycles changes during gameplay? From the videos posted on DF it seems like its not changing during the race for some reason.

/ Ken

 

[tuna]

You forgot the light shafts ....and the less jaggerific shadows - and since when GT5 is a 60fps game ?

Since version 2.0?

 

[tuna]

Or how's about a colour spinner that appears white when spun because all the colours blur together?

The color spinner is of course an excellent test regarding blurring!

 

[HokutoNoKen]

For anybody that is interested about GT5 V2.03 performance can check out this framerate/tearing test from Beyond3D member PS360.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CM4cJmiCKtU

The perfomance has improved allot, framerate is very solid and the tearing % is very low at least on this stage but at the same time they seem to have sacrified some of the crowds and flags...

/ Ken

 

[kots]

For anybody that is interested about GT5 V2.03 performance can check out this framerate/tearing test from Beyond3D member PS360.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CM4cJmiCKtU

The perfomance has improved allot, framerate is rock solid and the tearing % is very low at least on this stage but at the same time they seem to have sacrified some of the crowds and flags...
/ Ken

I don't have to check videos , i have my own eyes .... i was playing the Madrid track the other day and it still has tearing and slowdown . Maybe they didn't cut all the people there....

Since version 2.0?

Improved ? Ofcourse .... 60fps , not really .

 

[Ruskie]

Digital Foundry Forza Horizon making of interview with lead engineer.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-the-making-of-forza-horizon

Digital Foundry Forza Horizon time lapse.

http://www.eurogamer.net/videos/forza-horizon-red-rock-time-lapse-video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kRChp1xJQo

 

[kagemaru]

I'm surprised the game uses 4xMSAA, game looks great, job well done by the devs. Hope it sells well.

I was looking for specifics. Is it FP10/16? Nao32?

I'm noticing the similarities and non-similarities in the technical specs between Forza Horizon and GT5:

720p/4xMSAA+TAA vs 720p/4xMSAA+FXAA
HDR + Day/Night cycles + weather vs HDR + Day/Night cycles
Non-open world vs Open world
60Hz vs 30Hz
Fully dynamic ray-traced headlights vs not quite fully dynamic headlights
no in-game OMB vs in-game OMB
Split-screen vs no split-screen
16 players online vs 8 players online

This is about all we know, right?

The article isn't about Forza Horizon vs any other game, so keep this crap out of this thread please.

 

[Nesh]

You forgot the light shafts ....and the less jaggerific shadows - and since when GT5 is a 60fps game ? More like 40-50-60 . And what about tearing ? One of them never ever tears .....
And it's not just open world vs Closed tracks ... it's also the quality of the scenery .

It is not that simple .

Sacrifices on scenery were imminent on GT5 considering that the game was aiming to output 50% more pixels with a less flexible memory pool.
T10 didnt have this issue to be concerned with. It certainly had more performance to play with which doubled by halving the framerate. They also had the basis for further optimization.

So yeah it is not that simple.

In terms of lighting cant comment from a technical point of view but PD certainly got the lighting right.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfGQzPBNF9M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kRChp1xJQo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vi5A9TrsZAw

 

[kots]

T10 didnt have this issue to be concerned with. It certainly had more performance to play with which doubled by halving the framerate.
So yeah it is not that simple.

Well it's not like the rock solid 60fps Forza4 didn't have better scenery than GT5 ...

 

[Lucid_Dreamer]

I, also, wonder about the amount of polys the Forza Horizon cars have. To me, there were far too little pieces of actual tech information in this article. Hopefully, a more thorough/in-depth article will be done on the game.

 

[Nesh]

Well it's not like the rock solid 60fps Forza4 didn't have better scenery than GT5 ...

Sacrifices on scenery were imminent on GT5 considering that the game was aiming to output 50% more pixels with a less flexible memory pool.

 

[Arwin]

I don't have to check videos , i have my own eyes .... i was playing the Madrid track the other day and it still has tearing and slowdown . Maybe they didn't cut all the people there....

(Some?) people were brought back in a later update, according to that video. Also, tearing and drop have always been worse in 1280x1080p mode than in 1280x720p mode.

 

[kagemaru]

Console warrior bullshit aside, DF have posted an interview with Playground over Forza Horizon:

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-the-making-of-forza-horizon

 

[Lucid_Dreamer]

Console warrior bullshit aside, DF have posted an interview with Playground over Forza Horizon:

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-the-making-of-forza-horizon

Okay. So, lighting precision is the same as Forza 4 with 24 hour cycle and dynamic shadows added.
- Car poly count and textures are the same as Forza 4
- Physics update frequency is the same as Forza 4.
- Per pixel blur added to system, for smoothness, due to being 30Hz game
- A.I. base is the same, but several improvement made to cope with open world.
- If GPU has extra cycle available, FXAA kicks in.
- streaming to max capability of DVD drive
- All new LOD system to handle up to 20km viewing distance.

 

[XpiderMX]

Assasin's Creed 3: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-assassins-creed-3-face-off

 

[FATBOT]

Medal of Honor: Warfighter Face-Off:

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-medal-of-honor-warfighter-face-off

 

[Billy Idol]

Medal of Honor: Warfighter Face-Off:

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-medal-of-honor-warfighter-face-off

Frostbite 2 is king! Playing the game on PC...its visuals are amazing!!

 

[Boxercide]

I keep hoping DF does a feature on Skylanders and Skylanders Giants. Besides the interesting use of NFC tech, I'm wondering if they upgraded the rendering technology now that it's become a rather huge franchise.

 

[Alucardx23]

Digital Foundry vs. Halo 4
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-vs-halo-4