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How the game kind of works(Or the you can skip this part... part.)
Now to understand what's going on under the hood you can read my engine thread, or this one. This one is for the less Game Engine Savvy. Let's break down how unreal engine works. First virtualization. Then scripting. Then acceleration. Now the unreal engine is an engine defined entirely in machine code, that can understand and interpret scripts in unreal script at an incredible rate(99% machine rate! That's almost as fast as if the script was compiled!). This means it reads in commands, and runs it based on a set of interpreted instructions, much like you reading a book describing how to tie a shoe. Now it can do one of two things, it can do everything(including drawing the graphics) all in CPU at terrible resolution, color, and resolution, like it did back when 3D capable graphics cards weren't in all PCs, or it can run it with the assistance of geometric and color shaded processors(a GPU or graphics card in layman terms). The first one worked well, but it looked terrible.
However with todays Windows Vista and Windows7 requirements, a 3D capable GPU is REQUIRED. So the unreal engine no longer needs to virtually compute any of the graphics on the CPU. It can now push the graphics onto the GPU and continue on with the Scripting. The scripting is what takes up the CPU. It reads in a script command, and then looks at it's reference and decides how it should take that command and turn it into an action. Like you reading that book on tying shoes. You read the text, look at the pictures, and make your shoes look the same. The engine does the same thing with the scripts. It reads it. Then it looks at it's handy picture of how to do a command. It then makes the screen look like the command picture says it should. Lastly it can go onto Acceleration.
Now a CPU can computer what a color should look like, and what point in the vector is the starting point(that's math for a line or line segment with direction[north by north-east and such], and magnitude[distance basically]). It takes a long time to do this math though, as it then has to look at other scripts, and other command pictures, and try as hard as it can to do something it doesn't really know how to do. It can do math, but DANG CPUs suck at drawing. So instead with todays PCs it says "Hey graphics card, draw this for me_ Because I suck, but he wants to see a picture." And the Graphics Card replies with "Sure, no problemo holmes." So how does a graphics card do that so much faster_ It's got a big old set of commands that tell it how to draw. It sucks at math(well certain types, it can't do calculus, but it can do geometry really well), but it's really good at drawing lines and thinking all artistic like. So the CPU lets the GPU draw the picture faster, and better, than it can. Thusly accelerating the process. It's like you, reading that To Tie a Mockingshoe book, and having to look into another book to understand what each part of the picture of the commands means, or just being able to yell for mommy and have her tie it for you(man I miss those days :cry:)
Now that's all done with, you can play the game itself! But wait, how powerful does my PC have to be to be able to do all this in a timely manner that I can play it easily_ Well I can tell you! Well yeah I could, but it's a lot easier to post lists and ranges of parts that will be able to run the game itself anyways.So here's a list. No pictures, sorry. I suck at drawing XP
YOUR PC MUST BE THIS GOOD TO RUN THE GAME(Guaranteed anyways)(Also known as jump to this part)
While you could run it on a lower card, with the latest updates to the UDK engine there is no guarantee. A good test is to see if you can run the tribes beta. If that works at a decent frame rate, you *should* be okay.
OS:
Windows Vista or Windows 7.
A recent issue with windows XP has been found, rendering D3D almost useless in modern games due to smoke processing and the inability to tessalate in DX9-11. If you are on Win XP 64 bit, it MIGHT work at stable frame rates. If not, time to upgrade old boy.
CPU:
Dual Core 2.4 GHz or faster, or a Quad Core 2 GHz or faster
CPU with IGP:
Dual core 2.8 GHz or faster second gen Intel or AMD
Quad core 2.5 GHz or faster second gen Intel or AMD
RAM(Memory):
3 Gigs or more
Hard Drive space:
As much as needed to install the game.
Graphics Card:
Most 3D cards paired with a good CPU should be able to run the game.
Intel:
Any second generation card should be able to run it on the LOWEST POSSIBLE SETTINGS
Intel CPU i5 series with IGP
Intel CPU i3 series with IGP
AMD/ATI Radeon series 6550 or better with 256 MB ram
Nvidia 450 or better
So these are great jumping points that should be able to run the game. Don't believe me_ The following is a review of the Intel IGP running Batman:AS http://www.anandtech.com/show/2901/4
So with this new understanding, a knowledge of what you need to play the game, I look forward to playing it against you guys on the battlefield.
Interesting and funny side notes: No I'm not drunk. I'm just tired as HECK.
It wanted to change it to fuzzy bunny(what's with my auto correct_ mmm fuzzy bunny. Interesting birds.)
When I'm tired I like to ramble
Intels second Gen i processors are AWESOME
AMD makes better graphics cards for the money
Graphics cards are like waves, coming and going as the latest and greatest. No one brand is greater than the other.
fuzzy bunny. Lol
.And no, you can't play the game because you lost it.
The above line has an easter egg.
Edits and revisions:
correcting some model mistakes, added a performance disclaimer.
Added disclaimer about windows XP
Edited by skatcat31, September 21 2012 - 01:52 AM.
