Turbine Games Q&A/Graphics/Q-73

Original Link (now dead) - http://www.turbinegames.com/qa/view_questions.html?id=3087

Less vague graphics question

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Asked:	2000.11.24
Name:	Fighta
Question Title:	Less vague graphics question
Category:	Graphics
Question:	I would like to know why you chose not to use a Z buffer for AC. Since playing my xbow i found that I’ll try to hit something that’s visible but actually behind a tree! You also see some strange effects when your running around the countryside. This is not a whinge, I’m just curios

Answered:	2000.11.25
Name:	Jason Booth
Answer:	The graphics engine was originally designed around 1995, when a fast computer was a pentium 100 and there was no such thing as 3d hardware. At that time, the calculations needed for z-buffering in software were considered quite high, so the decision to use a collection of hand sorting techniques was made to speed up the engine. During later development, we considered switching to a full zbuffer, but found that much of the content created was designed without that in mind; for instance, we had basements that intersected the landscape, something that worked fine when you do your own sorting, but creates a real mess with a zbuffer. During the first few weeks of retail, we added full support for z-buffering to the client, but found that many cards were incompatable with it, or many new errors popped up. It's still in the client, and can be enabled by editing the registry, but is prone to errors.