Doom 3 Mac maybe not so far away...

[vraxtus]

From LinuxGames @ http://www.linuxgames.com/?dataloc=articles/ttimo/

What's the status of the DOOM 3 dedicated server and the client?

I think there's a very good chance we can get the dedicated server out with the next patch, because it's been running very smoothly in the DOOM 3 tournaments. We still need to polish it a bit, but it will get released pretty soon. I know that the server admins are waiting, and Linux gamers don't really care about it, but we have to follow our priorities. Since gold, the Mac port was definitely the big thing; it benefits both the Linux and the Mac version, but Mac had to come first. The Linux client is running pretty good, I'm getting surprisingly good performance compared to the Windows version, but I absolutely don't want to release something that's half-done or half-finished. I want to polish it; it should come together within a few weeks.

If the Linux version is only a few weeks away... and the Mac version had a HIGHER priority... we may be looking at a sooner release than we thought!

*crosses fingers*

[Sneeper]

Originally Posted by vraxtus

From LinuxGames @ http://www.linuxgames.com/?dataloc=articles/ttimo/

If the Linux version is only a few weeks away... and the Mac version had a HIGHER priority... we may be looking at a sooner release than we thought!

*crosses fingers*

I wonder when "the next patch" is? There hasn't even been a first patch. Their patch cycle may be 6 months apart.

And last I heard, they don't even have a publisher for the mac version. I wonder how long it would take from game-being-done to game-being-on-the-shelves.

[keysersoze]

Originally Posted by vraxtus

From LinuxGames @ http://www.linuxgames.com/?dataloc=articles/ttimo/



If the Linux version is only a few weeks away... and the Mac version had a HIGHER priority... we may be looking at a sooner release than we thought!

*crosses fingers*

That's good news... keeps the spirits up... I had started to give up hope on a timely release, what with the news of no Mac publisher and all... I'd be happy with it coming out before 2005... so a few weeks would be awesome.

[Converted2Truth]

That interview is quite interesting... Glad to hear id isn't all about the money. Maybe the mac port will run better on similar hardware... that'd be cool...

[Timelessblur]

Originally Posted by Converted2Truth

That interview is quite interesting... Glad to hear id isn't all about the money. Maybe the mac port will run better on similar hardware... that'd be cool...

I think some one is dreaming. I do feel sorry for mac using current imacs who will not be able to experices the gloaring of the game and I feel really sorry for emac users who dont even have the system specs to even play the game

[Sneeper]

Originally Posted by Timelessblur

I think some one is dreaming. I do feel sorry for mac using current imacs who will not be able to experices the gloaring of the game and I feel really sorry for emac users who dont even have the system specs to even play the game

He's not dreaming.. He said on similar hardware. There are no imacs or emacs with similar hardware to what Doom 3 requires on the PC. It's all about the graphics card.

[vraxtus]

Originally Posted by Sneeper

He's not dreaming.. He said on similar hardware. There are no imacs or emacs with similar hardware to what Doom 3 requires on the PC. It's all about the graphics card.

You also might want to note that the Mac build they mention was running on a Radeon card... No iMac has ever had a Radeon card, and the eMac's 9200 is basically a crippled GPU.

So at this point, I'm thinking that the only systems that will be able to run it decently are G5s or at the very least, a MDD dual.

[Laslo Panaflex]

Originally Posted by Sneeper

I wonder how long it would take from game-being-done to game-being-on-the-shelves.

It only took like a 2 weeks from the "gone gold" announcement, to doom 3 being on shelves. I would imagine that the mac port would be comparable.

[Sneeper]

Originally Posted by Laslo Panaflex

It only took like a 2 weeks from the "gone gold" announcement, to doom 3 being on shelves. I would imagine that the mac port would be comparable.

Possibly.. but Activision was signed on as the PC/X-Box publisher long before the game was finished.. there may be a lot of overhead work that Activision got a head start on.

[Laslo Panaflex]

Originally Posted by Sneeper

Possibly.. but Activision was signed on as the PC/X-Box publisher long before the game was finished.. there may be a lot of overhead work that Activision got a head start on.

Good Point, I guess we shall see. I for one am waiting for WOW to spend what little spare time I have for gaming.

[galbis]

it's been a month since they were talking about this...so i really really hope they get it out. I've been playing my friends version of doom 3, besides that i dont know what to say.

[kilpajr]

Originally Posted by Sneeper

He's not dreaming.. He said on similar hardware. There are no imacs or emacs with similar hardware to what Doom 3 requires on the PC. It's all about the graphics card.

Yes, the graphics card is going to be the biggest factor on performance. But, this is only if you have a very fast CPU. I looked at the box for PC the other day and the minimum CPU is 1.5GHz. I would like to play this on my PB but I don't think it will be fast enough for me even on the lowest settings for me to enjoy. I wouldn't have it any other way though. I'm glad the newest game engines are coming out to really push hardware to its limits.

[tom.96]

This is great news. I really hope it comes out soon, and I *really* want to know how optimised it is. I wonder how altivec will help it, and if G5s make a real difference at similar clock speeds to G4s. I don't know how OS X compares to other OS's for games support either....

I just hope those min specs don't exclude too many of the Mac faithful when they finally come out,

[James L]

Originally Posted by kilpajr

Yes, the graphics card is going to be the biggest factor on performance. But, this is only if you have a very fast CPU. I looked at the box for PC the other day and the minimum CPU is 1.5GHz. I would like to play this on my PB but I don't think it will be fast enough for me even on the lowest settings for me to enjoy. I wouldn't have it any other way though. I'm glad the newest game engines are coming out to really push hardware to its limits.

I am sure you know this, but for those that don't, there is a HUGE difference between a 1.5Ghz PC processor, and a 1.5Ghz RISC PPC processor. The PPC is much faster when you compare them clock speed for clock speed.

Cheers!

[kilpajr]

Originally Posted by James L

I am sure you know this, but for those that don't, there is a HUGE difference between a 1.5Ghz PC processor, and a 1.5Ghz RISC PPC processor. The PPC is much faster when you compare them clock speed for clock speed.

Cheers!

I do realize this but I wasn't thinking about it when I posted. But, wouldn't this benefit be somewhat negated by the advantage of special multimedia instructions that the Intel chips have? Also, the PB has a much lower bus speed than the P4 although I'm not sure how much of an effect this will have.

I really would like to be able to play this game at a reasonable frame rate even if I have to cut down the quality settings. I hope this doesn't turn out to be the same experience I had when I got the first computer that was really mine. It cost over $3000 and had a Pentium 2 450 w/128MB of RAM and a 16MB video card. A few weeks after I got it I bought Descent 3 and had fairly low frame rates so it sometimes jerked. That really hurt. I'm trying to keep my expectations low.

[MacsRgr8]

It will be so nice to be able to compare the industry's leading game on PCs an Macs.

I have Doom 3 running on my (just in ) P4 3.6 GHz, Radeon X800 XT, 1 GB RAM... and it's ab-sol-lu-te-ly GORGEOUS (and freaking scary!)! Got it running @ 1600 x 1200 rez, Ultimate quality.... WOW!

I wonder how my Dual 1.8 G5 will cope.... just waiting for my GeForce 6800.

I got the feeling that when my grfx card is comg, Doom 3 will be here for Mac in 24 hours (well, here's to hoping! )

[Dont Hurt Me]

I doubt very much we will see a Mac version of doom3 anytime soon, maybe at christmas if lucky. reason is there are just to few Macs that will run this thing. Any G4 machine will struggle and any G5 machine will need a decent video card. how many Macs have the specs to make it viable for iD to release now? not many. i think this is ids thinking waiting for the performance to reach the market then they can sell the mac version. on a AMD 3500 with a 6800gt it is very sweet with everything on high and at 1280! Awesome looking game.

[MacsRgr8]

I hope a Mac like a Dual 1.0 GHz G4 with Radeon 9700 would make it playable at least.
Not ultimate settings, but medium at the least.
Any Dual G5 with a 128 MB VRAM Radeon card should be able to handle the game at high settings.

Only the GeForce 6800 Ultra will get the settings to ultimate (on a Dual G5, that is...)

[ravenvii]

I played the demo on a friend's 1 GHz P4 PC with a 5700 LE, and it played like a champ even on high settings (not ultra) - constant 25-30 fps. If if a DUAL 1 GHz G4 can't handle it (with a good graphics card of course), I would call this an embarassment of a lifetime.

[MacsRgr8]

Originally Posted by Raven VII

I played the demo on a friend's 1 GHz P4 PC with a 5700 LE, and it played like a champ even on high settings (not ultra) - constant 25-30 fps. If if a DUAL 1 GHz G4 can't handle it (with a good graphics card of course), I would call this an embarassment of a lifetime.

I never would have thought that a 1 GHz P4 could handle Doom 3 well at all. But, "played like a champ" is a little "suggestive", I would say.
But if a 1 GHz P4 can do it.... then a Dual 1.0 GHz G4 should be able to do it easily!

[benpatient]

wow raven. excellent lie. Totally unbelievable and poorly delivered, though...


and MacsRgr8, "Any dual g5 with a 128mb VRAM card should be able to handle the game at high settings" is only true if you mean "high settings" and 640x480 resolution.

Because that's about what a a dual 1.8 G5 with an ATI 9600 128 is probably going to be able to handle.

Maybe 800x600.

medium quality, 1024...maybe.

[invaLPsion]

I think my baby can handle it...

(Once I upgrade the graphics it should be a well-rounded beast...)

Bring on your P4, MacsRgr8!

[invaLPsion]

Originally Posted by benpatient

wow raven. excellent lie. Totally unbelievable and poorly delivered, though...


and MacsRgr8, "Any dual g5 with a 128mb VRAM card should be able to handle the game at high settings" is only true if you mean "high settings" and 640x480 resolution.

Because that's about what a a dual 1.8 G5 with an ATI 9600 128 is probably going to be able to handle.

Maybe 800x600.

medium quality, 1024...maybe.

9600XT gets over 40FPS at 1024 by 768 at medium quality runing Doom3, tests show. Performs better than an X600XT...

Don't be such a pessimist...

[takao]

played the demo a bit on my computer (athlon xp 2000, geforce ti4200) on 1024x768 on high details (i think)... wasn't smooth as silk (2 occasions where it was quite choppy) but very playable...

[johnnyjibbs]

Any hope on a 12" PowerBook with 1GHz processor and nVidia 5200 Go with 32MB VRAM? Didn't think so..