Imagine these graphics in Celestia...

[ArneB]

I know, it is not perfectly realistic, but it's really, really good anyway, and it looks like a realtime version of Terragen... mixed with Celestia...
The atmosperic effects are the best I've ever seen

http://www.fl-tw.com/Infinity/infinity_media.php

I think this engine has been brought to attention a long time ago on the Celestia forum. But it has changed ALOT since then.

[NoXion]

I think merging a real-time version of terragen with Celestia would be fantastic, but my graphics card wept simply looking at those images.

[PlutonianEmpire]

Yeah, but in that game, you have to pay a fee of sorts if you want to name a planet you discover. Thankfully celestia doesn't make you do that.

So, Celestia pwns Infinity for me.

[ElChristou]

This project seems pretty nice for gamers...
indeed the first shots are promising... I'm wondering if it's an openGL engine...

[avpruler]

this looks awesome ill have to buy it when it comes out......but i was thinking bout getting starwars galaxies.....
infinity it is

[eburacum45]

That looks like Deep Space nine - can they do that?
http://www.fl-tw.com/Infinity/Media/Scr ... ull_36.jpg

DS9 for comparison
http://mario.lapam.mo.it/ds9/gifs/ds9-3.jpg

[selden]

They may have gotten permission from Paramount. Otherwise, I suspect they'll be getting a cease-and-desist order from Paramount's lawyers.

These days Paramount seems to be willing to let people create fannish models based on Star Trek concepts, but commercial use of them is another matter entirely. (See http://www.scifi-meshes.com for some examples.)

[NoXion]

The DS9 model is just a placeholder to show off the renderer's modelling capabilities - I don't think they are actually going to release it with the game.

And I was under the impression this was going to be a freeware program?

[selden]

Infinity will not be freeware, although the author hasn't decided on the business model yet. See the FAQ at
http://www.fl-tw.com/Infinity/infinity_faq.php#q18

He does say the DS9 model is just a placeholder, but that especially means it needs to be replaced ASAP before Paramount complains.

[avpruler]

actually he can do that i had been on the forum(buying game once out) and in the corner of the screenshot its says: DS9 station is a free model being used to stress-test the game engine or somthing along thse lines. so yes he can do that.

[selden]

Use of that particular model may be OK with its creator, but use of the DS9 design by a commercial entity requires permission from Paramount.

[NoXion]

Fair Use? Suing someone for using a DS9 model in a rendering test picture is kind of like suing someone for having a picture of DS9 on their website.

[selden]

Deliberate commercial use of a trademarked object is not fair use.

[Insquall]

The atmospheres in this game look quite similar to this program:
http://sponeil.org/index.htm
I wonder whether the developers used this source code or not

Although the atmospheres are impressive, the screenshots exhibit several annoying scale inaccuracies which games always seem to do. Such as:
>Atmosheres being too thick
>Planets too close together
>So far celestia is the only realtime program/game i have noticed where the moon is the correct size in the sky
>In some screenshots, the starfields are overly saturated with colour and nebulae, I hate it when games do this.

Luckily we can rely on celestia as it is driven by realism.

[ArneB]

The two are friends, I think that O'Neill guy has come with some input, but it is not excatly the same.

Although the atmosphere may be too tick, I still find it much more realistic looking than Celestia's. Reality is also visual.

[NoXion]

Deliberate commercial use of a trademarked object is not fair use.

I don't remember having to pay money to view the picture, and the model won't be released with the final product. I don't see the problem

[selden]

The picture of DS9 is being used as advertising.
Paramount could get upset about that.