Poll: For the love of gaming I hate OpenGL

[j0z]

I am all for free products, like OpenGL, but when a large percentage of graphics cards don't even support the thing, then maybe it should be changed so that cards WILL work with it, or else it needs to go away.
I personally didn't know that KOTOR was OpenGL, I always thought it was DX since it was on the Xbox, which uses DirectX (hence the "X")

Large percentages of cards DO support Open GL though. Nvidia cards all do i know for sure and so do ATI cards, if they have an issue with it it's just a technical fault which could happen similarly to DX or just some random fault thats preventing it.
Also all cards support Dx and Open GL like 99% of the time, in my all my time i haven't met a card made in the last 5 years that didnt support DX soley or both.

Oh, I thought it was a widespread problem with ATI cards (I have always had nVidia). If it is only a small problem with a very small percentage of cars, then that is a different matter.
Also, if KOTOR is OpenGL, then why does it say it requires DirectX 9.0b?

 

[Lenderian]

Last i checked i believe the PS3 uses open gl also

 

[axia777]

Last i checked i believe the PS3 uses open gl also

Yes it does, but it is a highly modified and stripped down version of OpenGL. It is called OpenGL ES.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenGL_ES

 

[velcthulhu]

Yes, I hate OpenGL. For games, anyway. The only reason anyone even uses it in games is because Apple is too damn lazy to make a competitor to DirectX, so anyone who wants to put a game on Mac has to deal with OpenGL or write their own version at high expense.

 

[Katana314]

I can guarantee that most people in this topic have never actually coded using either. I'll be glad to hear of exceptions, but still, here's what I hear:

DirectX has been considered much easier to use, something that sounds accurate to me considering most GPL code I see, no matter how efficient, is written by geeks for geeks. I would never offer a Linux graphics API if I wanted to teach beginner programmers how to make a GUI. Microsoft actually knows how to thoroughly document everything and provide a mammoth library of tutorials and expert advice.

OpenGL is not owned by anyone. It can be used on any device free of costs. That alone is pretty valuable. Also, many developers are more used to it, probably including the devs of KOTOR.

Personally, I would consider this (OP) more of ATI's fault for providing shitty support for a highly-used Graphics API.

 

[Starnerf]

I can guarantee that most people in this topic have never actually coded using either. I'll be glad to hear of exceptions, but still, here's what I hear:

DirectX has been considered much easier to use, something that sounds accurate to me considering most GPL code I see, no matter how efficient, is written by geeks for geeks. I would never offer a Linux graphics API if I wanted to teach beginner programmers how to make a GUI. Microsoft actually knows how to thoroughly document everything and provide a mammoth library of tutorials and expert advice.

OpenGL is not owned by anyone. It can be used on any device free of costs. That alone is pretty valuable. Also, many developers are more used to it, probably including the devs of KOTOR.

Personally, I would consider this (OP) more of ATI's fault for providing shitty support for a highly-used Graphics API.

Actually OpenGL is a lot more intuitive and easier to use if you're coding on your own. The main advantage of Direct3D is that because it's Microsoft's standard you can be sure that it will work on the widest number (though not most diverse) of available platforms. But anything you can do in Direct3D you can do in OpenGL and it will be easier to port if your engine uses OpenGL. OpenGL is controlled by the Kronos Group and updates to the core specification are made by consent of a number of different companies including nVidia, ATi, and IBM.

All of id's games since Quake have used OpenGL, along with any games based off the id tech engines like Call of Duty and Half-Life (1, not 2). Rage is rendered using OpenGL and I guarantee that will work fine on you new ATi card.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_OpenGL_programs

 

[cobra_ky]

and i can't play diablo II because NVIDIA failed to make their cards backwards compatible.

these things happen. blame the video card, not the standard.

 

[cleverlymadeup]

Older ATI cards and drivers work with it, not any of the new cards or drivers.

ati cards and drivers suck, they always have had issues, this is why i never buy ati. nvidia works perfectly fine with opengl

I personally didn't know that KOTOR was OpenGL, I always thought it was DX since it was on the Xbox, which uses DirectX (hence the "X")

ummm no they called it the Xbox in order to be cool and sound edgy it had nothing to do with DirectX

Actually OpenGL is a lot more intuitive and easier to use if you're coding on your own. The main advantage of Direct3D is that because it's Microsoft's standard you can be sure that it will work on the widest number (though not most diverse) of available platforms.

ummmm Direct3D works on one platform and only one platform and that is the Windows one, since there is only the WinNT one alive and well, tho there was the 9X and NT line before. it's nice the m$ claims that Windows Vista, XP, Server are all different platforms, they aren't

OpenGL however is fully multiplatform and the most diverse one out there, it works on Windows, Linux, Unix, SGI, Solaris

 

[tsb247]

Ummm... Hooray for Nvidia???? *Waves Nvidia flag*

I have never had a problem with OpenGL.

 

[Starnerf]

Actually OpenGL is a lot more intuitive and easier to use if you're coding on your own. The main advantage of Direct3D is that because it's Microsoft's standard you can be sure that it will work on the widest number (though not most diverse) of available platforms.

ummmm Direct3D works on one platform and only one platform and that is the Windows one, since there is only the WinNT one alive and well, tho there was the 9X and NT line before. it's nice the m$ claims that Windows Vista, XP, Server are all different platforms, they aren't

OpenGL however is fully multiplatform and the most diverse one out there, it works on Windows, Linux, Unix, SGI, Solaris

I tried to point that out. I guess I should have stated it explicitly. I'm pretty sure there are more machines out there running windows than any other OSes. Hence the highest number of available platforms. Perhaps widest was not the best word to use in that sentence.

 

[SimuLord]

OpenGL is an example of the open-source community dropping the ball. In terms of practical usability for people who aren't computer nerds, it's like the anti-OpenOffice. DirectX has so much of the share among developers because it's just plain better, more compatible, and in most cases more functional than what the open-sourcers have put out there.

 

[Fists]

and i can't play diablo II because NVIDIA failed to make their cards backwards compatible.

these things happen. blame the video card, not the standard.

I've been playing D2 on a 9800 GT, buy a better card.

 

[cobra_ky]

and i can't play diablo II because NVIDIA failed to make their cards backwards compatible.

these things happen. blame the video card, not the standard.

I've been playing D2 on a 9800 GT, buy a better card.

i may as well just buy a better laptop.

 

[Fists]

and i can't play diablo II because NVIDIA failed to make their cards backwards compatible.

these things happen. blame the video card, not the standard.

I've been playing D2 on a 9800 GT, buy a better card.

i may as well just buy a better laptop.

Actually in hind-sight that sounds really stupid "buy a better video card to play a 10 year old game" have you installed the patches?

 

[Nutcase]

I can guarantee that most people in this topic have never actually coded using either. I'll be glad to hear of exceptions, but still, here's what I hear:

DirectX has been considered much easier to use, something that sounds accurate to me considering most GPL code I see, no matter how efficient, is written by geeks for geeks.

By skilled programmers for skilled programmers? Doesn't exactly sound bad.

As a counterpoint, most Microsoft languages/libraries/interfaces/formats are written by skilled programmers for code monkeys. They want coders to be able to produce lots of barely-acceptable code effortlessly with very limited understanding. The results can be seen in every other online shop, etc. This might make business sense, but it doesn't mean I have to like it either as user or developer. And the quality drops further because they like their platform lock-in so much they reinvent the wheel everywhere and are fanatical with backwards compatibility. Last I actually coded MS-proprietary stuff was about 10 years ago, but from what I hear (from their developers' and ex-developers' blogs, etc.) not much in the attitude has changed. And yes, MSDN is nice, but generally so are other resources.

DirectX is an exception where they did a good job, or so my game developer friends tell me. That said, OpenGL is good and clean from the coder POV. Its only real disadvantage has been that being an open committee-driven standard has made it somewhat slow to integrate new features the chip makers come up with.

As a gamer, I'd most certainly like to see OpenGL everywhere even if it meant that the cutting edge of graphics hardware came half a step "late" compared to now. It wouldn't even have to mean a decrease in graphical quality, because having all platforms and developers on one page would increase the effort they are able to aim at that one front. The mobility of people inside the industry would increase, the chip makers' driver-writing resources would be more focused etc.

Personally, I would consider this (OP) more of ATI's fault for providing shitty support for a highly-used Graphics API.

This. Although another poster said it's working fine for him?

 

[Valiance]

Because it's 100x better than Direct X in every way.

And UT '99 looks way better, runs smoother, with crisper, more beautiful shadows and lighting effects with OpenGL.

^^;

Sorry...

 

[Ushario]

You, sir, are not a very intellegent individual.

I think you just summed up this person and his thread.

I can't even think of anything to say, OpenGL is good, I'm a games programmer. Thats it really...

Nutcase went a little more in-depth than I'm going to bother with. DirectX and OpenGL both have their strong points, the best with OpenGL is that more OS's can make use of it.

 

[More Fun To Compute]

You should hate ATI for their drivers.