@GaryPlatner

#6 - Nov. 20, 2010, 2 a.m.

First off, as an artist, I think what you guys do is amazing.

I do have one suggestion if you will, and it was touched on in your video. Plants and Trees.

Fire was updated. Water was updated. Do you think that maybe next round you guys can do something with the paper trees? The trees moreso, and to a lesser extent the plants look almost like cardboard cutouts with 4 corners on them. They look really flat even at Ultra game settings.

I mention this because i look at all the beautiful texture work that has been done, and the models that have been created, and the trees sorta kill it in some locations:(

Thanks for the interview - even though it was on the stinking Ali side - and for all your teams hard work.

#59 - Nov. 23, 2010, 12:42 a.m.

Thanks for the compliments! I love getting questions ‘bout our exterior environments!! As with everything we do in our zones, trees and plants are something we would love to improve! So, basically the reason some trees appear to be like ‘paper trees’ is because of performance.

Trees are complex things. We simply cannot afford to render every branch and leaf. And most zones have more trees than anything else, so they have to be very efficient! Working on a computer game like this is kinda like playing a computer game. You're given parameters to work within, rules you have to follow, and ya try to be as creative as possible within all of those limitations. So to answer your question, of course we will be improving our trees and bushes! As to what exactly the form of that improvement will be, we’ll all just have to wait and see! ;)