In the Role of the End-user
On occasion, we here at R-Technics participate in Graphics Animation and Motion Effects Research Sessions. It’s a way for us to see first-hand the techniques used by skilled graphics programmers and artists, as well as relieve some of the daily tension of constant programming.
Our most recent research project is Star Wars Battlefront II. It was nicely done, of course, from those at LucasArts. However, in getting this game to work, we came across very similar problems that our own users experience. For one: On the first system I attempted to use, the video would not render correctly which made the game unplayable – this was on a system with a NVidia 6800 Ultra. Updating the video drivers probably would have solved the problem, but the last time I did that, that system BSODed. I ended up using a machine with a Matrox Parhelia, of all things. Second: David found that this game would not run on a dual core system (note, I said dual core, not hyper threaded). He had to disable the dual core capability of Windows just to get the game to function.
I guess those of us on the cutting edge of graphics technology are all in the same proverbially-digital boat. It is good for us to be in the role of the end-user ever so often.
(BE52)