Quote:
|
Originally Posted by CB..
oh great we get uber graphics --uber physics--and AI that can't think it self out of a paper bag---if they include some cross-over between the physics and the AI (so the AI can use the more advanced physics lets say on a World War One Biplane for example--) the ok other wise---it depends what they use it for--if they use it purely for modelling buildings collapsing then it's just another form of graphics card IMO--eye candy nothing else--
if they use it for correctly modelling the stall on a Sopwith camel- or dynamics of a ship plowing thru heavy seas perhaps--or the handling of a formula one car--then ok--fine
me i'd much rather have brilliantly intelligent and human AI pilots flying poor aircraft--then poor dumb AI pilots flying aircraft with hugely complex physics--(they wont be able to do it for a start off---lawn darts a go go)
had to come tho---a combine physics and AI card yes definitely--if they are talking about physics in terms of simulations then they are going to need enhanced AI to make it work any way--
|
That is the point - your CPU can be left to handle nothing but AI and the base system + game engine. All math intensive physics can be offloaded to the physics board leaving plenty of CPU power open to be utilized on AI.
There are some games that will be released shortly that will start to 'require' some sort of physics processor, and if you have none, you can't play.
ATI and NVidia already have some sort of strategy. ATI says both the x1800 and x1900 series of boards will utilize spare cycles for physics (Not sure I want my GPU doing this over graphics after playing Oblivion which can still drag my x1900 XTX down in places), and NVidia says they can do the same with the 7800 and 7900. ATI takes it one step further though in that they say when you upgrade to a new video card, you can use your old card for pure physics processing.
I am not sure about the NVIdia and ATI approach since it is not an 'optimized' engine they are trying to use for Physics calcs like the Aegia engine is. We will see how this plays out in the future. You may get stuck having to buy a $300 board in addition to a $650 graphics board - which equals $1000 worth of hardware - just to have decent gameplay in the future. Are we being drained of our pocket books through the 'wow' factor???
-S