#Halo wars 2 target full#
#Halo wars 2 target pro#
#Halo wars 2 target Pc#

In the early stages of the project, the team encountered several issues: This included testing the performance of the game across multicore machines to ensure acceptable decent scaling. As the DX 12 version became more mature, areas for improvement were pinpointed. Intel engineers talked BaileyвЂ™s team through their tools, on site, to diagnose issues and measure performance for added features. Fortunately, the graphics systems used by Creative Assembly were designed to be scalable without hurting the overall look and feel. Getting the game to play on Ultrabookв„ў devices and laptops was a key task.Д«ailey had not specifically optimized previous games for IntelВ® HD graphics, but working directly with Intel allowed him to get up to speed quickly.

That means developers can no longer concentrate on either CPU or GPU optimizations-both are crucial.ДЇigure 3. With top-end Ultrabooks and laptops nearing the Xbox One in power and performance, those devices are now considered mainstream. But this makes later scaling the game to Xbox One* and Ultrabookв„ў devices tricky, as early design choices could limit optimization options.

#Halo wars 2 target full#

There is a temptation to develop early versions of a game to initially fit the specs for a high-end desktop system, taking full advantage of 10 teraflops of GPU potential. Dazzling particle effects keep the screen display busy.Д®xcellence across a wide spectrum of hardware was key.

#Halo wars 2 target pro#

Our primary goal here was to ensure the game ran on a wide range of hardware, and the Microsoft Surface* Pro 4 laptop was a natural to target, aiming for 30 fps and still looking great.вЂќДЇigure 2. вЂњThis, combined with a deterministic networking model common to RTS games, put restrictions on how scalable we could be, so we pushed from the start to ensure we had a good base to make use of multiple CPU cores. вЂњGiven the nature of RTS games, unit counts and large-scale battles with plenty of VFX were always a big focus,вЂќ he explained. Michael Bailey, Lead Engine Programmer at Creative Assembly, was one of the principal developers involved. The new mode also streamlines most of the traditional RTS systems, such as base-building, skills development, and resource management. Halo Wars 2 also introduces вЂњBlitzвЂќ mode-a new, innovative and action-packed twist on RTS gameplay that combines card-based strategy with explosive combat. Switching the game to an RTS title meant tracking more units and packing the interface with crucial statistics, while updating the вЂњmini-mapвЂќ constantly.

Halo Wars* 2 is the latest addition to the Halo* universe. They were experienced at producing games for multiple platforms but, with DirectX 12 still maturing, the team faced challenges with their engine, the DX 12 driver, multicore efficiency, and more.ДЇigure 1. Development work for Halo Wars 2 was performed by Creative Assembly, veterans of Alien: Isolation* and Total War: Warhammer*. By late 2015, Halo had generated over USD $5 billion in lifetime game and hardware sales.

#Halo wars 2 target Pc#

Extending a FranchiseДЇirst-person shooter Halo* is one of the most popular franchises in PC gaming history it started in 2001 with Halo: Combat Evolved, one of the original Xbox* launch titles.

While many of the optimizations also enhanced the game for high-end systems with discrete graphics cards, this white paper will explore the teamвЂ™s efforts for Intel integrated graphics and multicore processing functions. When top UK-based studio Creative Assembly* began their ambitious work on Halo Wars* 2, they wanted the game to run on a variety of settings supported by DirectX* 12, and to be playable up and down the hardware ladder-including advanced desktop PC configurations and laptops.