Dynamic contrasts rts crack

This show was the most enjoyable show, for me, in more than three decades. That includes the CES shows I worked with a small speaker company back in the late 70's, and all the publicly attended shows I have been to since. Listening to the demo music that each exhibitor had brought was enjoyable, but listening to music that I listen to regularly, really gave me a better idea of what each system could do. I was blown away by the Dynamic Contrasts room!

As far as I know there was only one tube, no stats, and no active subs. The imaging, separation, naturalness, and uncompressed dynamics just drew me in. I kept coming back to listen again. I certainly do not mean to cast aspersions toward anyone, but I think the comments above miss the whole point. They may just be looking down "the wrong end of the telescope".

There were other equipment stands at the show, one from Italy as I recall, that were at the same or higher price point. I contend that it could very well be this rack. If it doesn't float your boat then don't buy it. But don't think of it as an equipment rack. Think of it as an integral part of your system, a component. The best race car cannot perform well with crappy tires. And tires that give , miles wear won't stop a car in the shortest distance, because the compound is not soft and grippy enough.

The tires are a part of the whole, as is the rack. It is not just a pretty piece of furniture to display equipment on. It is very likely, once you hear your system on this rack, you may not want to change any other components.

And if your system is priced in the stratosphere, put it on this rack, and find out what it can really do,. Search form Search. Show Newport Michael Lavorgna Jun 5, Dynamic Contrasts manufactures the RTS Racking System, an equipment-support system that squeezes the bad vibes out of your gear. It's difficult to see in this picture you can see part of an empty rack on the right side in front of the speaker , but this rack is very unconventional and instead of having support shelves, it has support arms that clamp your gear in place.

So in effect, your gear is not "sitting," it's being gripped in place. Sort of like a medieval kind of rack. Log in or register to post comments. Submitted by returnstackerror on June 5, - pm. Confusing Submitted by mr big on June 5, - pm. Thoughts Submitted by spinsLPs on June 5, - pm. Is more freeform terrain manipulation like Zero-K or Earth better, or going too far?

Great stuff. But I do think, like so many things in RTS games, that systems are interconnected and need to be added or removed based on the pace of the game.

Similarly an SC2-like RTS would struggle with a destructible map due to the design decision, good or bad, to have a focus on the top players and a competitive scene. Top players notoriously hate maps that deviate from the norm and a map that plays out differently each time you play it, especially against different matchups, would be a nightmare.

I do really enjoy a fluid map, I think it makes for a more cinematic game, both in single player and multiplayer. I think it helps prevent staleness and can force players to adjust to the map as it changes but I do think that it has to be worked in as part of the initial design rather than something tacked on later.

Also on your final note, that you feel the map should be living and not a stale board, I kind of agree but it does depend on the game. Some RTS games specifically aim for having their maps be a simple board that players study and use and they know it in and out and that it is static, or mostly static. But that is a design decision. My hope is that at some point, however unlikely, a big developer will create a new RTS engine that provides whole new ways to accomplish what you talk about here.

Many of the big RTS of the past decade have used already designed engines and while that has worked out even the most powerful engines can struggle to work for RTS games if not designed for it looking at you Generals 2. Like Liked by 1 person. Maps in cold-weather conditions would see a gradual growth of ice over waterways, first as thin ice that could support infantry and light vehicles, and then as thick ice that would support larger vehicles.

Like Like. It also had hard coded, so only at certain points destructible cliffs, deformable terrain, and even a fire system whereby you could catch entire forests on fire and do damage to units that passed through them. Hey, not really a criticism of the article, just a possibly minor correction.

I recall watching a few seasons back of ASL where they had a map that had two assimilators with a space in the middle where units can pass through. But if you blow up one of the assimilators, the vespene geyser left over blocks out the space, preventing units from getting through.

Also in general, I get the impression you have a gap in starcraft knowledge. Skip to content Search for: Search Close. Close Menu. Thank you to my Patrons for supporting this article One thing I always love to see in an RTS is when its game maps, or at least portions of them, are able to evolve over time in reaction to the actions players take. A screenshot from the Steam version of Z which shows what cliffs look like. The blue tank at the top of the image is shooting cliffs to destroy them so that it can pass through.

Large units, like the Carnifex, are able to crush map elements by walking through them While not seen ranked multiplayer any more, Company of Heroes 2 also launched with weather effects on the game map, where at irregular intervals blizzards would occur, freezing water, creating snow drifts which would slow down infantry, and creating hostile environments where infantry would die without access to a heat source.

Tanks breaking through the ice in Company of Heroes 2 is one of my favorite examples of dynamic map interactions Supreme Commander has a slightly different take on this: In SupCom, when units die, they leave behind a wreck that can be salvaged for resources, seeding the sites of battles with valuable income for whomever reclaims it.

There are literally hundreds of pages worth of community content available for Age of Empires II. Sifting through some of the more popular mods, I was surprised at some of the things modders have come up with. Just to take a break from the normal appearance of nitty-gritty war.

That means some skins have been replaced while others will still show the original game skins, giving the world a strange feel to it. Just another fun mod to play around with if you have the time. Moving on to some of the more serious entries, I picked up a lot going through some of the user-made content for the game. With different islands and regions to discover you get to sail through the seas, hire the best sailors, and make improvements to your ship along the way.

Along with the new storyline to playthrough, this scenario includes custom sounds and graphics to make your experience all the more immersive. Yet another sea-based scenario for AoE II, except this time you get to play as pirates. Though the genre has been mostly dominated by shooters, this modder known as Mr. N introduces his take on the idea for Age of Empires II. With no resources, you are set in the middle of the map alongside everyone else and tasked with finding each of your villages.

May the odds be ever in your favor! Doom Episodes are actually three playable single-player scenarios bringing the one and only Doomguy into the world of AoE.

The Martian Civilization, Union Aerospace Corporation, and Phobos Teleportation Gate are the first three servings in the series, while modder Hellknight61 has mentioned that he has two more on the way.

With updated game mechanics and sounds from some of the original Doom games, open the gates to hell and fight off the demons with this impressive mod. As historical accuracy was always a strong suit for AoE II, there is tons of additional content online that adds playable scenarios based on significant events from the past.

During the time of la Reconquista, Christians aim to reclaim territory that has been overrun by Muslims. This one is packed with an updated diplomacy system, an exciting new map, as well as an updated economic system. There are 8 playable factions, each with their own backstories and win conditions.

Play as different generals and lead your armies to victory either by defeating rebels, capturing the capital, or collecting relics. Bassi has become one of the better known AoE II modders for his captivating recreations of historic events.

The first of two that I found to be the most interesting focuses on Mayan history in the form of the Itza. According to ancient Mayan history, the Itza return to their abandoned capital Chichen Itza. Informed by their priests that the only way to survive is to appease the God of Resurrection known as Kukulkan.

Another one from Bassi, but this time it places you at the helm of the Totonacs. These are an indigenous Mexican tribe led by Cacique of Cempoala. At war with neighboring Mexican tribes Zapotecs and Tepanecs, defend your homeland and lead your people to victory.