Player Features and Ideas Discussion

The time has come to think about ditching the dying, bloated DirectX and switching to OpenGL.

* OpenGL is a faster, more advanced, more compact system than DirectX

* OpenGL works on Windows XP, DirectX 10+ does not

* OpenGL works on every major operating including Windows, DirectX works on only one operating system

* OpenGL source code is all publicly available, DirectX's source code and internals are secret and proprietary

* OpenGL has a number of features, like tesselation, which are not currently available in DirectX

* OpenGL allows video card vendors to expose special advanced capabilities (lookup "UltraShadow"), DirectX does not

* OpenGL reliably releases an update every year, DirectX has not released an update for XP in 5 years

* OpenGL has two major, well-supported Python bindings (PyOpenGL and Pyglet), DirectX has no well-supported Python binding

There is a larger issue here, which is Windows is dying, and DirectX dysfunctionality is just a symptom of that larger disease. Every year OpenGL moves faster and becomes more advanced while the DirectX PR spokesdrones make excuses.

The time has come to switch to OpenGL.

* Eve on steambox, yes and yes.

That said a switch like this is a massive undertaking, I don't expect any games to do this until steambox really gains traction.

Mantle, why would you lock into a vendor specific api?

DirectX dying, heard of Xbox one?

Although yes please to OpenGL only reason I have windows 8 is eve.

As a Linux user I agree that a OpenGL version would be much appreciated. But, please, stop bringing up Windows XP support as a reason for supporting things, it has about 7 months of support left and should not be used on any machine connected to a public network beyond April 8th 2014.

Agreed, XP came out 12 years ago, Microsoft ended mainstream support for it 4 years ago. If you are still running XP, you should expect to not have access to the latest and greatest.

OP also states that Windows is dying, which is far from true. He talks about DirectX being dysfunctional, but only uses the typical vague statements people use when they want to complain about software they don't like.

I am all for open standards and I would like to see OpenGL replace DirectX in Eve and other games. If the post stopped there I would fully support it. He lost me when we went on his sensationally based anti-Microsoft rant.

As far as Windows dying... In 2008 Windows had a 95% market share. Now it has a 80% market share. You do the math.

Speaking as a programmer, I can tell you that Windows, from a development standpoint, is getting less relevant every year. Cross platform is standard now. That means Java, QT, Android, etc. The corporate types still using .NET have a bunker mentality. Five years ago if you suggested doing a project in Linux people would look at you like you were crazy. Now, they are like "What are the pros and cons?" Maybe you can't see it as a consumer, but I can tell you from a technology standpoint it's not just DirectX that is stagnant, it is the whole MS system. The whole Steam thing is just the tip of the iceberg.

As for vagueness, the only person being vague is YOU. I cited over a dozen SPECIFIC facts and reasons that indicate why moving to OpenGL starting now is a correct decision.

CCP has their own priorities and development path, but if they want to stay on the cutting edge of 3D rendering technology the choice is clear: migrate to OpenGL. CCP has always, from the very beginning, had as their #1 selling point advanced 3D rendering of space and spaceships. If they want to keep the title as the MMO graphics superstars, they will need to move to OpenGL. The alternative is to slide into stagnation and watch other games bypass them.