Pre-beta features: Difference between revisions

[[wp:Inverse kinematics|Inverse kinematics]], also promised in Oni's [[Oni/Positioning|positioning statement]], was planned in order to allow complex melee interactions such as disarm moves. IK was removed when Bungie West found that it wasn't necessary to perform throws and disarm moves, as explained by Bungie spokesman Matt Soell [http://carnage.bungie.org/oniforum/oni.forum.pl?read=4166 here].

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 [https://web.archive.org/web/20210116052716/http://halo.bungie.net/projects/oni/content.aspx?link=onifaq required] a mere 8 MB of VRAM (there were reports on the Oni Central Forum of running it on 4-6 MB of VRAM as well).

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. 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.

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?" Bungie West's 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 easily explain all cuts to the game as the result of rushed development without even needing to point to technical limitations in computers of the day as a further rationale.