Will there be an NS2 demo to try out ?

Browser_ICE

<div class="IPBDescription">to find out if player's PC is able to run it before buying it</div>Since I am unsure of how NS2 would perform on my old rig, I would prefer trying out a demo to find out before buying NS2.

Will there be a demo before the actual release date ?

kicker

i guess a lot of experience will be written down in the forums while alpha/beta stage.
...so even if no demo will be released you get to know if you can run the game on your pc

darken

Not sure about a demo, i'm sure the alpha/beta will be tested on some low spec machines.

Mr. Epic

<!--quoteo(post=1708590:date=May 30 2009, 03:02 PM:name=darken)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (darken @ May 30 2009, 03:02 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1708590"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Not sure about a demo, i'm sure the alpha/beta will be tested on some low spec machines.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
ya, there will be plenty of testing during the alpha- if need really be, i'm sure max could get a quick benchmarker together for the alpha testers to post... that would be pretty cool actually.

pequette

someone can try with barton 2600+ and geforce fx5200 everything to minimum since i dint even meet " theorical " minimum requirment

aeroripper

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->someone can try with barton 2600+ and geforce fx5200 everything to minimum since i dint even meet " theorical " minimum requirment<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Not even a chance. The FX 5xxx series were abysmal running under Direct X 9 even years ago when the first real dx9 games were coming out. Time for an upgrade.

Mr. Epic

<!--quoteo(post=1708723:date=May 30 2009, 11:01 PM:name=pequette)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (pequette @ May 30 2009, 11:01 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1708723"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->someone can try with barton 2600+ and geforce fx5200 everything to minimum since i dint even meet " theorical " minimum requirment<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
ya, thats low spec 2003... time to upgrade.

SjN

Is there any chance the game is gonna run under ATI Mobility Radeon x1400

Memory Size 128 MB
GPU Clock 392 MHz (original: 432 MHz)
Pixel Pipelines 4
TMU Per Pipeline 1
Vertex Shaders 2 (v3.0)
Pixel Shaders 4 (v3.0)
DirectX Hardware Support DirectX v9.0c
Pixel Fillrate 1568 MPixel/s
Texel Fillrate 1568 MTexel/s



With 2GB 667mhz dual channel RAM and 1833MHz CPU Dual-core.

I can't install a better video card on this laptop... would I have to buy a new machine to play NS2?

schkorpio

not sure how a demo would work tbh - maybe a free weekend like with other steam games.

also i'm sure a string of benchmarks will be made availabe by players early on

steppin'razor

This is what alpha and beta will discern

Biglines

Not true usually. Normally Alpha's and Beta's are running with debug processes and error reporting in, therefore requiring more specs than the normal game would.

then again, if the engine gets finished on time, and beta testing is only lua based, it could be it performs just as well I suppose. But if you are unable to run beta, doesn't mean you can't run the final version

Prefix

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->1.2 GHz Processor, 256MB RAM, a DirectX 9 level graphics card, Windows Vista/2000/XP, mouse, keyboard and an internet connection.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

mf-

Considering how low they quote the minimum system requirements, i'm gonna imagine you can work some magic with the command console.

I doubt u'll be able to get any fps that allows you to play competitively with thsoe graphics we've seen. Time for an upgrade mate

steppin'razor

<!--quoteo(post=1708770:date=May 31 2009, 05:58 PM:name=Biglines)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Biglines @ May 31 2009, 05:58 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1708770"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Not true usually. Normally Alpha's and Beta's are running with debug processes and error reporting in, therefore requiring more specs than the normal game would.

then again, if the engine gets finished on time, and beta testing is only lua based, it could be it performs just as well I suppose. But if you are unable to run beta, doesn't mean you can't run the final version<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
That may be true for bigger dev studios, but I think this would be the best opportunity for a wide player base to test the game on different rigs (obviously it will also include all the error reporting etc you mentioned).

Unknown

I just can't see a demo being practical for a multiplayer only game built by 4 people that has had tens of thousands (maybe hundreds of thousands) playing its first iteration.
There's enough momentum there to be sure NS2 has a huge player base to start with, and much more will come in when the very many positive reviews follow.

As for "can I run it", this isn't the purpose of demos, that's what system requirements are for.
Demos are provided by companies to advertise their game, not to act as a test-drive for your computer.

glimmerman

The "free weekend" Idea is definately the way to go. You will get so many more customers in that way. Maybe do it after a couple of weeks or so that all the people who shelled out for the game when it came out (or pre-ordered) have time to learn it properly and teach the influx of newbs.

locallyunscene

<!--quoteo(post=1709037:date=May 31 2009, 11:02 PM:name=glimmerman)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (glimmerman @ May 31 2009, 11:02 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1709037"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->The "free weekend" Idea is definately the way to go. You will get so many more customers in that way. Maybe do it after a couple of weeks or so that all the people who shelled out for the game when it came out (or pre-ordered) have time to learn it properly and teach the influx of newbs.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Agreed, i see a "Free Weekend" working pretty well.

pequette

<!--quoteo(post=1708724:date=May 30 2009, 10:05 PM:name=aeroripper)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (aeroripper @ May 30 2009, 10:05 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1708724"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Not even a chance. The FX 5xxx series were abysmal running under Direct X 9 even years ago when the first real dx9 games were coming out. Time for an upgrade.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

well at the start they wanted to be close to bf2 and hl2 episode 1

i can play bf2 everything low and with frame lag in big action only
i can play lost coast but never tryed episode 1 hdr light just not available in option it locked ( gray )

oh and it not 2003 it end 2001 <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink-fix.gif" /> if i remember <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />

Windburn

<!--quoteo(post=1709166:date=Jun 1 2009, 08:44 AM:name=locallyunscene)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (locallyunscene @ Jun 1 2009, 08:44 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1709166"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Agreed, i see a "Free Weekend" working pretty well.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

I don't think the free weekend has to happen as early as what was stated above though.
There shouldn't be any problems with sales early on, the free weekend is more of an interest injector after a couple of months.