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==Rationale for cuts== | ==Rationale for cuts== | ||
When contemplating why various graphical effects below were removed, it's important to first look at the amount of VRAM on the early 3D graphics cards of the time. Computers made when Oni started development in 1997 were coming with 3D cards for the first time, and the VRAM on them ranged from 2 to 6 MB. Bungie West apparently anticipated continual growth in VRAM and they were aiming at that future point during development. As [[Alex Okita]] [https://web.archive.org/web/20170705124855/http://www.glixel.com/interviews/oni-bungies-classic-inspired-by-ghost-in-the-shell-w474297 later recalled], "we had one thing in mind when we were going into it, thinking that video cards would catch up. But then halfway through, Apple hands us this iMac, and our bar just sort of dropped on top of us. We're trying to figure out how we're going to get anything to run on it. They had this, I don't know – [[wp:IMac G3#Second generation|eight-megabyte video card]] or something? It was pretty miserable." VRAM would have been a particularly limiting factor in the use of lightmaps. By the time of Oni's release, the VRAM on 3D cards in new computers ranged from 8 to 64 MB (of course, most computer users did not own a brand-new or top of the line system). Thus, when it shipped, Oni required a mere 4 MB of VRAM.<ref>This is inferred from [https://web.archive.org/web/20210116052716/http://halo.bungie.net/projects/oni/content.aspx?link=onifaq Bungie's Oni FAQ] which lists the ATI Rage Pro as a supported card. The Rage Pro came with as little as 4 MB of memory. Stefan Sinclair's [https://web.archive.org/web/20010429035130/http://www.doomhammer.com/Oni/ personal Oni help page] and Dave Dunn's [http://web.archive.org/web/20000824155730/http://www.insidemacgames.com/features/00/dunn/p3.shtml August 2000 interview] also claimed that the game would run in 4 MB of VRAM. However it's difficult to find any reports from users who ran Oni on such a graphics card. There were reports of running it on 6 MB cards, e.g. [http://carnage.bungie.org/oniforum/oni.forum.pl?read=9318 "Re: What do you Mac users have?"], [http://carnage.bungie.org/oniforum/oni.forum.pl?read=18458 "Re: Oni runs really slow"]. Oddly, the [[:Image:Windows (US) box art (holographic) - bottom.jpg|U.S. Windows box]] | When contemplating why various graphical effects below were removed, it's important to first look at the amount of VRAM on the early 3D graphics cards of the time. Computers made when Oni started development in 1997 were coming with 3D cards for the first time, and the VRAM on them ranged from 2 to 6 MB. Bungie West apparently anticipated continual growth in VRAM and they were aiming at that future point during development. As [[Alex Okita]] [https://web.archive.org/web/20170705124855/http://www.glixel.com/interviews/oni-bungies-classic-inspired-by-ghost-in-the-shell-w474297 later recalled], "we had one thing in mind when we were going into it, thinking that video cards would catch up. But then halfway through, Apple hands us this iMac, and our bar just sort of dropped on top of us. We're trying to figure out how we're going to get anything to run on it. They had this, I don't know – [[wp:IMac G3#Second generation|eight-megabyte video card]] or something? It was pretty miserable." VRAM would have been a particularly limiting factor in the use of lightmaps. By the time of Oni's release, the VRAM on 3D cards in new computers ranged from 8 to 64 MB (of course, most computer users did not own a brand-new or top of the line system). Thus, when it shipped, Oni required a mere 4 MB of VRAM.<ref>This is inferred from [https://web.archive.org/web/20210116052716/http://halo.bungie.net/projects/oni/content.aspx?link=onifaq Bungie's Oni FAQ] which lists the ATI Rage Pro as a supported card. The Rage Pro came with as little as 4 MB of memory. Stefan Sinclair's [https://web.archive.org/web/20010429035130/http://www.doomhammer.com/Oni/ personal Oni help page] and Dave Dunn's [http://web.archive.org/web/20000824155730/http://www.insidemacgames.com/features/00/dunn/p3.shtml August 2000 interview] also claimed that the game would run in 4 MB of VRAM. However it's difficult to find any reports from users who ran Oni on such a graphics card. There were reports of running it on 6 MB cards, e.g. [http://carnage.bungie.org/oniforum/oni.forum.pl?read=9318 "Re: What do you Mac users have?"], [http://carnage.bungie.org/oniforum/oni.forum.pl?read=18458 "Re: Oni runs really slow"]. Oddly, the [[:Image:Windows (US) box art (holographic) - bottom.jpg|U.S. Windows box]] lists a requirement of 2 MB, which is exceedingly unlikely to be correct. The [[:Image:Windows (CA) box art - back.jpg|Canadian box]] (and probably others) give 4 MB as the minimum.</ref> | ||
The PlayStation 2 was [[wp:PlayStation 2 technical specifications#System memory|even more limited]] than most computers, with 32 MB of main system RAM and 4 MB of VRAM. (Oni for Windows and Mac required 64 MB of RAM | The PlayStation 2 was [[wp:PlayStation 2 technical specifications#System memory|even more limited]] than most computers, with 32 MB of main system RAM and 4 MB of VRAM. (Oni for Windows and Mac required a computer with 64 MB of RAM, though some of this memory would have been used by the OS.) Bungie West never blamed the PS2 port, which was performed by an outside studio, for any changes to Oni's features or release date, but considering the simultaneous release of the Windows, Mac and PS2 versions, and the [[Oni (PlayStation 2)#Visual differences|small cuts]] made to content in the PS2 version on account of limited RAM, as well as Take-Two's emphasis on the PS2 version in their advertising, it's possible that there was (at best) a lack of interest on Take-Two's part in adding niceties to the PC versions which PlayStation owners would not be able to experience. Likewise, multiplayer was not a common part of the PS2 gaming experience in 2001 (the Network Adaptor being an optional attachment), so it might not have seemed worthwhile to extend development just to make multiplayer happen. | ||
An anecdotal report [http://carnage.bungie.org/oniforum/oni.forum.pl?read=1612 here] from a forum member indicates that Bungie may have had frame rate troubles as well with earlier builds of the game. Even watching the [[1999|1999 trailer]], one can see segments which seem to be running as low as 10 frames per second. Hardy LeBel, the Design Lead, commented on Oni Central Forum that they had issues with performance due to the use of glass in some areas (see {{SectionLink|Pre-beta content|Decline in appearance}} for quotes). If simple glass was causing frame rate issues, we could imagine that performance would have been a huge problem with some of the fancier features above. Even after further optimization, the final game faced complaints from some players about low frame rates even when they played on high-end systems (mainly Macs<ref>[http://carnage.bungie.org/oniforum/oni.forum.pl?read=13349 This player] considered it acceptable to drop below 5 fps in large areas on his high-end Mac from 1998, and Michael Eilers in [https://web.archive.org/web/20010517121408/https://www.insidemacgames.com/reviews/view.php?ID=120&Page=5 his IGN review] identified the Mac as getting the short end of the stick performance-wise, as his top of the line 500 MHz G4 with 32 MB VRAM frequently got sub-20 fps.</ref>). | An anecdotal report [http://carnage.bungie.org/oniforum/oni.forum.pl?read=1612 here] from a forum member indicates that Bungie may have had frame rate troubles as well with earlier builds of the game. Even watching the [[1999|1999 trailer]], one can see segments which seem to be running as low as 10 frames per second. Hardy LeBel, the Design Lead, commented on Oni Central Forum that they had issues with performance due to the use of glass in some areas (see {{SectionLink|Pre-beta content|Decline in appearance}} for quotes). If simple glass was causing frame rate issues, we could imagine that performance would have been a huge problem with some of the fancier features we've documented above. Even after further optimization, the final game faced complaints from some players about low frame rates even when they played on high-end systems (mainly Macs<ref>[http://carnage.bungie.org/oniforum/oni.forum.pl?read=13349 This player] considered it acceptable to drop below 5 fps in large areas on his high-end Mac from 1998, and Michael Eilers in [https://web.archive.org/web/20010517121408/https://www.insidemacgames.com/reviews/view.php?ID=120&Page=5 his IGN review] identified the Mac as getting the short end of the stick performance-wise, as his top of the line 500 MHz G4 with 32 MB VRAM frequently got sub-20 fps.</ref>). | ||
Apart from all the above issues, we should keep in mind that Oni was rushed to completion because of the Microsoft acquisition, which happened three years into Oni's development in June of 2000. All staff were going to have to move to Redmond, Washington and contribute to Halo so it could be an Xbox launch title. In the limited time remaining to them, the Bungie West staff put in massive crunch time in order to complete and polish as much of the game as they could, but difficult decisions had to be made, such as cutting multiplayer and the unfinished BGI level. Even if Take-Two had decided that they wanted to extend Oni's development by another six months in order to polish the game, the question would be "With what staff?" All Bungie West staff had quit or merged with Bungie HQ in Redmond by the end of 2000. The entire game would have needed to be handed off to a new team that was totally unfamiliar with the engine. Keeping this timeline in mind, we could explain many cuts to the game as simply the result of rushed development without even needing to point to technical limitations in computers of the day. | Apart from all the above issues, we should keep in mind that Oni was rushed to completion because of the Microsoft acquisition, which happened three years into Oni's development in June of 2000. All staff were going to have to move to Redmond, Washington and contribute to Halo so it could be an Xbox launch title. In the limited time remaining to them, the Bungie West staff put in massive crunch time in order to complete and polish as much of the game as they could, but difficult decisions had to be made, such as cutting multiplayer and the unfinished BGI level. Even if Take-Two had decided that they wanted to extend Oni's development by another six months in order to polish the game, the question would be "With what staff?" All Bungie West staff had quit or merged with Bungie HQ in Redmond by the end of 2000. The entire game would have needed to be handed off to a new team that was totally unfamiliar with the engine. Keeping this timeline in mind, we could explain many cuts to the game as simply the result of rushed development without even needing to point to technical limitations in computers of the day. | ||
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==Hypothetical but unseen== | ==Hypothetical but unseen== | ||
<!-- I'm preserving this gem of a press release here because I can't retrieve it from the Web | <!-- I'm preserving this gem of a press release here because I can't retrieve it from a primary source anywhere on the Web, including sites preserved in the Wayback Machine. Supposedly it was at http://www.feralinteractive.com/game/oni: | ||
Enemies will communicate, work together, move objects to block your path, hide behind furniture, even behind moving objects. Rather than retreat an overmatched enemy group might call for backup. If you retreat they will hunt you through doorways, up elevators, and into different buildings. Not only are the enemies smart and reactive, so is the world you play in. If the doors aren't open you might break it down or perhaps sneak in through an open passageway. In combat the world around you becomes your weapons as well as your defenses. You'll be able to use objects within your environment to your advantage, such as throwing a chair at an oncoming enemy, or pushing a bookcase over to block a pursuer. | Enemies will communicate, work together, move objects to block your path, hide behind furniture, even behind moving objects. Rather than retreat an overmatched enemy group might call for backup. If you retreat they will hunt you through doorways, up elevators, and into different buildings. Not only are the enemies smart and reactive, so is the world you play in. If the doors aren't open you might break it down or perhaps sneak in through an open passageway. In combat the world around you becomes your weapons as well as your defenses. You'll be able to use objects within your environment to your advantage, such as throwing a chair at an oncoming enemy, or pushing a bookcase over to block a pursuer. | ||
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**follow you by using elevators, | **follow you by using elevators, | ||
**and generally demonstrate [https://tedai-sanfrancisco.ted.com/glossary/emergent-behavior/ emergent behavior]. | **and generally demonstrate [https://tedai-sanfrancisco.ted.com/glossary/emergent-behavior/ emergent behavior]. | ||
:This much-hyped feature [http://web.archive.org/web/20000815110700/http://www.insidemacgames.com/features/99/pease/pease_interview.shtml was claimed] to have been working in the office, and described in detail by an IMG reporter in [http://web.archive.org/web/20010309233058/http://www.insidemacgames.com/previews/99/oni/oni4.shtml this preview]. But after the first AI programmer was fired, the feature seemingly evaporated and the programmer [http://carnage.bungie.org/oniforum/oni.forum.pl?read=19661 was blamed] for promising too much. Interestingly, the AIs in the final game normally run blindly into your gunfire, but a patch by a fan restored their ability to take cover intelligently. It turned out that the ability was present all along but obscured by a simple blunder in the code. Was this the result of the second AI programmer lacking familiarity with the code written by his predecessor? How much other working code was lost in the migration from "AI" to "AI2" code after the first programmer supposedly "couldn't deliver on" her promises? It's worth noting that the term "neural net" was used by Pease and Zartman, not the programmer herself (see above sources). | :This much-hyped feature [http://web.archive.org/web/20000815110700/http://www.insidemacgames.com/features/99/pease/pease_interview.shtml was claimed] to have been working in the office, and described in detail by an IMG reporter in [http://web.archive.org/web/20010309233058/http://www.insidemacgames.com/previews/99/oni/oni4.shtml this preview]. But after the first AI programmer was fired, the feature seemingly evaporated and the programmer [http://carnage.bungie.org/oniforum/oni.forum.pl?read=19661 was blamed] for promising too much. Interestingly, the AIs in the final game normally run blindly into your gunfire, but a patch by a fan restored their ability to take cover intelligently. It turned out that the ability was present all along but obscured by a simple blunder in the code. Was this the result of the second AI programmer lacking familiarity with the code written by his predecessor? How much other working code was lost in the migration from "AI" to "AI2" code after the first programmer supposedly "couldn't deliver on" her promises? It's worth noting that the term "neural net" was used in PR statements by Pease and Zartman, not the programmer herself (see above sources). | ||
*Movable furniture. Konoko would be able to throw a chair at an oncoming enemy or push over a bookcase to block a pursuer. As mentioned above, the AI would also be able to do these sorts of things. | *Movable furniture. Konoko would be able to throw a chair at an oncoming enemy or push over a bookcase to block a pursuer. As mentioned above, the AI would also be able to do these sorts of things. | ||