Model Detail

So, now that depth of field and texture detail are fairly important settings have been established – but what else is there to look at?

Well, the next obvious candidate is the model detail setting, which funnily enough controls the detail of in-game models. This refers people in the game, whether they be friend or foe.

The best way to increase the detail of a model is just to add more polygons to the model, or to use some form of normal mapping, either rounding out the edges or adding extra bits and bobs to the model. This setting can potentially turn a man in a camo shirt into a bandoliered superman if the designers want to do it that way.

How did the Infinity Ward designers decide to do it? Let’s see. Model detail in Call of Duty 4 comes in two settings; low and normal. We’ve got screenshots of both below, but take a really close look at them before you skip on to the next paragraph. There's something I want to know...


Spot the difference on this Marine? Us neither. The models look pretty much the same in terms of detail and shape. The game could possibly be using some fancy gee-whiz method to disguise the lower polygon count – it doesn’t really matter. The point is that the models looks just as good on either setting. Take your pick.

Shadows

A simple setting to finish with; the shadows setting. It comes in two flavours – on and off, and is surprisingly important in the game. There are several points where the game will allow shadows to play a fairly important part in a battle – letting you spot targets early or giving you clues about where to go to for cover.


Getting a screenshot for the shadows is pretty hard. In these screenshots you can see the difference by looking at the altered ground texture, but you may not think that it’s going to be really important to the game. However, the places where shadows are going to be really important are places that are pretty difficult to screenshot reliably – creeping through bushes at night or storming huts lit by lamplight.

So, in the end you’re just going to have to take my word for it. The shadows option does make a subtle difference to how you play through certain battles and turning the setting on will make the game more immersive and enjoyable on the whole.