Polygons and Maps: In-Game vs CG

Kyle_butler

Hi, guys!
I'm trying to have a further understanding in how game's cinematics are made.

Generally speaking, a ps3/xbox 360 in-game character has somewhere between 10.000 to 20.000 polygons and the details are simulated with normal maps, right?

But when you watch a game cutscene (cinematic), where realtime rendering is not an issue, how many polygons are we talking about?
What about the maps (displacement instead of normals)?

Example:
The Batman model in Injustice game vs Blur studio's cinematic.

ZacD

Here's an hour long talk from Blizzard on their cinematics, [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-gNsbL6BmA"]Blizzcon 2011 Diablo 3 - Making of The Black Soulstone Cinematic Panel - YouTube[/ame]

I've heard of in game characters going as high as 40,000 tris on current consoles.

But for cinematics there aren't really any rules, displacement maps are common, but really it's mostly about getting the best result as quick as possible. Characters can be millions of tris. A big part of it is how many polygons are practical to work with on their hardware. There isn't limits of what kinds of texture maps are used, multiple textures can be used to simulate subsurface scattering on models. Materials can be procedural and animated in ways not possible to simulate realtime, yet.

arrangemonk

arent most cutscenes nowadays just prerendered ingame graphics with are played back with bink so a level can be loaded while the video plays?

ZacD

That seems to be the crappiest way to do cut scenes, I know the benefit of using it as a loading screen is nice, but there's is always a break in graphically fidelity when a game uses that approach. Also I wouldn't say most games use that, they are often in-engine cut scenes that use items that you gave your characters.

EarthQuake

ZacD wrote: »

they are often in-engine cute scenes

Kawaii ne?

ZacD

I play video games in order to accessorize my +10 into dragon bone helm with my crit boosting assassins boots.

Sardu

arrangemonk wrote: »

arent most cutscenes nowadays just prerendered ingame graphics with are played back with bink so a level can be loaded while the video plays?

I think it depends. That's certainly how the new Mortal Kombat games seem to do it.

McGreed

Yeah, I dislike the whole "Use realtime models for cutscenes/movies instead of prerender" because the quality is lower and you can easy spot it. One of my favorite things to with games, is to watch the cutscenes/movies, which are properly made (such as most of the ones by Blur/Blizzard). Back in the days I started to collect those, because there was a big difference between the 2D games and the prerender movies.

Obviously there is advantages using the realtime models, like there was already mention, you can see your own character and it's custom items on it.

Valandar

It's also easier to do cutscenes for mods when cutscenes use in-game graphics.

But the WORST in-game cutscenes are the crudely drawn "motion comics" used in Marvel Heroes Online. NEVER do that if you have any choice, please?