LithTech

Kicking off with a bang

After the pre-E3 lull, the working grind is back with a vengeance. Our day started with a 9AM appointment with Monolith/LithTech. They were kind enough to invite us in for the first showing of their new LithTech 3.0/3.1 engine.

The focus of the demo was the technology itself, not the games using the engine. However, a very nice-looking Aliens vs. Predator 2 was often used to highlight the vastly improved graphics rendering. The game lacks the slightly cartoony look associated with most LithTech games. AvP2 was richly detailed and had a gritty, realistic touch.

Other games in development using LT3.0/3.1 are No One Lives Forever 2, Torn, Atlantis and Global Ops. In addition to improved rendering, the engine can now handle full bump mapping and skeletal animation for extra realism and smoothness. Maya seems to be the preferred renderer for the developers.

Anything on SHOGO 2?

LithTech spent a fair amount of time explaining the improved tools that come with the new versions of the engine. There is plenty of new functionality for developers. Special effects not unlike Q3A's shader system have been implemented with an interface that gives level designers a great deal of control over how the textures and shaders interact. The level editor has been updated to show considerably more detail than the old version, allowing designers to get a better feel over what they are building. Objects and characters will now exist in the level as well, albeit in a non-textured, still form.

LithTech seems quite serious in its intent to become the premier licensed engine. The tools are simple and are meant to be easily expandable, as is the basic engine code. Releases are coming at a steady rate - the next updates should be coming around late summer, and then the year after that.

Sadly, there was nothing about SHOGO 2. When asked, the LithTech representative sighed a bit, and then explained that there is no SHOGO announcement coming any time soon, and if there is one at all, it's a long way away since there are so many other projects being done by Monolith.