graphics have barely changed since Q2. (well, FPS graphics.) I know you''re gonna give me a bunch of nurb, and polygon crap but just from a visual point of view I can hardly tell the difference

Hmmmm....
Well, In response to the question posted, I think the game industry *could* use physics, and physics majors, but more than that they need Game Designers. People who aren''t concerned with writing a computer game, but with writing a game that can be played on computer. You probably could do some really cool things in the game industry with a physics digree, but you *really* have to have a passion for games. I''m affraid that the game industry will start bringing in lots of really good physics majors/programmers, and then instead of having cruddy games with pretty graphics, we''ll have cruddy games with good physics AND pretty graphics.

As an intersting aside, you probably know that the diffrence between a physics major, a math major, and a major in any other ''hard'' science is fairly minimal. Recently I was at college recruiting fair at a college, and I was chatting with a guy at an IBM booth. I mentioned that I was interested in computer jobs, and he asked if I was Electrical Engineering major, and I said I was theoretical math. He looked at me blankly and asked what I thought I could do with computers with a degree in Math.

Good luck in whatever you choose to do.

Rog

Thank for your inputs =)

So it seems obvious that game physics is one of the next frontiers in game design.

Of course, like graphics, good physics dont mean good game. But I think it can enhance the gaming experience.

I think I'm gonna try to write a small & FUN game using non trivial physical equations.

Rog:
Iin facts, I m really an addicted gamer, I trashed a full year of physics playing Rise of Rome night and day =)
By the way, what do you do now?




Edited by - SuperBlaireau on 3/6/00 11:41:06 AM

Good luck using non-trivial physics in a physics game. I know it can be done, but you have to be real careful how you do it. I tried a halflife mod using magnetic and electric fields and with just a few entities it choked my frames-per-second into seconds-per-frame. I think i still have the source laying around if you (or anyone) wants to give it a shot, but it is very tricky. If the physics resolution is too low, it just doesn''t work, if it is high enough to work, it tends to be painful.

Later,
The Timdog