🚀 go-pugleaf

>:       Nope... and again, for a 486 computer, WHICH is better? VLB or PCI?

For all the bench marks I've seen PCI kill vesa for video but not disk access. 
I would think that that will come though.  
 

>: And is it likely that when the 686 will be released they will bring out a
>: new chipset as they brought out the PCI for the Pentium chips?

They allready have new chip sets in the works, both PCI and VESA LB will have 
new versions soon.  Hardly any Mother boards are even shipping with the full 
64 bit PCI yet.  There is almost no hardware for it yet.  

>I read a while ago that someone was working on a 128 bit card, so maybe
>they'll have a new chip set with that. If one of the video card
>manufacturers is reading, a chipset designed with games in mind would be
>quite nice.

There is already a 128 bit card out.  It's called the Imagine by #9. It fits, 
I believe in a 32 bit Vesa or PCI slot (different versions of the card 
obviously).  It is mainly aimed at CAD apps.

>: > your set for SVGA graphics
>: >in dogfights where a capital ship is not present. The engine in the demo is
>: >unoptimized. I actually think the engine is date before Armada was released,
>: >so it unoptimized, as they admit in the readme file. So who knows how much
>: >faster it's going to be on final release?

I was very impressed on my dx50 with Isa, et4000, old video card.  It was 
smooth enough to blast bad guys.  Although with that AI I could have done at 2 
FPS with a little Force.

>: >I agree, my DX-50 is going be lasting me at least another 2 years,
>: >regardless of what OSI or any other company does.

Not Mine I hope.  P90, here I come.  Hopefully right after Xmas season.  

>:       How long have you had it?  I hope you are right though... even though
>: games like Nascar are being released, at the moment it really does not worry
>: me since Nascar (I hear) cannot run fully on a P90 even.  Which reminds me:
>: what specs does EA's "US Navy Fighters" (or whatever) need?

It's kind of funny that companies are anticipating the 686 already, in the 
sence that for the first time Intel is seriously planning to move away from 
the 8086 structure and the target market and design features of the 686 are in 
question right now.  On the otherhand I don't think it was all that hard for 
EA and Papyrus to design there games above current hardware levels.  

>>:       Well, I FINALLY had a look at the demo too.  I was very impressed -
>: especially with the acting, it really did make me feel like watching the
>: trailer for a top new sci-fi movie... I especially liked Tolwyn's (McDowell)
>: and that other redhead-spiked-hair guy's (not Maniac, but the one who says in
>: point form something about not having R&R for so long) performances...
>: but I digress.  The Kilrathi looked better than I expected, but somehow those
>: "flat elongated lips" still remind me of those Dark Crystall muppets...  I
>: think there is still room for improvement (or is it too late?  How about
>: touching up with comp. graphics like they did in the Crow?).

>The final game will be in SVGA, maybe it won't be quite as noticable, but I
>really am impressed with what I see. I was initially against the idea of
>video footage, but I am now happy with it :)

I anticipate much better graphics in the final version.  I could be wrong, but 
I doubt origin will release this with crisp graphics, since it is one of the 
major selling points and it certainly can be done.  i thought the acting was 
first rate in comparison with EVERY other game out there and many movies.  I 
loved the "make your peace" part.

>:       If that is true, then perhaps the complaints of "people like me" have
>: not been in vain.  About Bio-forge though, is it REALLY possible to make a
>: game like that "totally interactive"?
>In CD-rom format, I believe it is. Theyt have the space in which to make the
>world big, and interactive. They can have multiple plot lines. I don't know
>if Bioforge will be as interactive as they like, it was initially designed
>for floppy release, but a Bioforge 2 could possibly be totally interactive.

I think the bigest problem with interactive games is that it would take so 
much vision to guess every thing that every person might try to do in a game.  
Thats where the game begins to break down.  But they keep trying and 
occasionally the fruits of there labor are worth picking.

>:       By the way, did anyone have problems with their SB type card?  I think
>: my volume chip on the card went haywire after running the demo for the 1st
>time.
>No worries here, with my SoundBlaster. Although I do have it running through
>my stereo.

Sorry SB16 worked fine.   

>:       And my MOST sincerest thanks to the person who uploaded the demo.  Quite
>: readily the best demo I have ever downloaded. :-)

>Bloody well right:)

Certainly is.
PDeMaio

Is that a light at the end of the tunnel or just an oncoming train?