Quote: "if you intend to do game development your hardware you use should at least be on par with the end user.So keep the end user in mind not the developer...."
Excactly..... there are more end users that still use the older gfx cards instead of the current and previous cycle. My gfx is pretty much an average one, being used by the majority of computer owners. Most people simply do not have the latest machines. I'm not aiming at the hardcore gamers, I'm aiming at the more general public.
BUT..... recommending not using shaders has nothing to do with the gfx card at all. It's not that my gfx card can't do shaders. I've just played stronghold 2 putting every setting to the max and using shaders 2.0, worked fine. I've played many more games using shaders without a probkem.
We all know shaders in FPSC do behave weird at times and are very buggy, that's why I do recommend not using them.
Quote: "if you intend to do game development"
I don't intend to, I already do so, were have you been lately
By the way, a couple more remarks....
1. Start in the middle of your level builder.
Why?
3. Never use ONLY pure single white light sources
Why not?
(I've been working on a realistic project and only use white lights, since those are most realistic. In most of the houses in countries I've visited people use white lights.)
4. Never use a single coloured light source.
Why not?
6. Refrain from using Fog in door in small cramped area’s
FPSC fog doesn't even work in small cramped areas, it has a set range.
7. Use your entity library to it’s full extent never leave a room or area empty
But be carefull that you don't overdo it, before you know you're going to infuence the framerate very negatively. You can't just stuff your levels with entities, we all know that's going to cause problems.
Many of your points are excellent but with some of them I do wonder what the reasoning is behind them. They seem a bit arbritary, while there's really nothing wrong with not following the guide.
