UA Reforged

16 Oct 2026 · Graphics wave

Shadows, glow, new skies, real building geometry

VisualsGraphics

The integrated build passed every check: Original matches 1998 pixel for pixel, High matches New Look, and HD models now load only for the units a level uses (load 9 s down to 6.3 s). Shadows, glow, a four-sky pilot and rebuilt towers went out as review sheets.

Builds: INT1 (staged)

Same camera over a dusk city. The 1998 game had none. Soft edges, 20% darkness, off in Original, Low and VR.
Shadows: off, low, medium, high. Same camera over a dusk city. The 1998 game had none. Soft edges, 20% darkness, off in Original, Low and VR.
Vehicles finally sit on the ground instead of floating over it.
Shadows on open land. Vehicles finally sit on the ground instead of floating over it.
The sun direction follows each level's own sky.
Shadows under a strange sky. The sun direction follows each level's own sky.
Shadows clip
Shadows clip. Driving through the city, off vs high.
Close look at the soft-edge shadow on a tank.
Tank shadow levels. Close look at the soft-edge shadow on a tank.
Same frame at four glow levels. Only fire, energy and lasers glow; map markers stay crisp. Higher levels will mean more glow.
Glow: explosions, lasers, energy. Same frame at four glow levels. Only fire, energy and lasers glow; map markers stay crisp. Higher levels will mean more glow.
Alien energy reads from far away.
Glow on a Mykonian field. Alien energy reads from far away.
A small daylight lift so glow still shows at noon.
Glow in daylight. A small daylight lift so glow still shows at noon.
Glow combat clip
Glow combat clip. A firefight, off vs medium.
Each pair: the 1998 sky, then a new procedural panorama colour-matched to it. No more stretched, repeating clouds.
Four skies, old and new. Each pair: the 1998 sky, then a new procedural panorama colour-matched to it. No more stretched, repeating clouds.
Sky pan clip
Sky pan clip. Camera pans across four levels, original left, new right.
The x7 dusk sky over L7575.
Dusk sky in a city level. The x7 dusk sky over L7575.
STERNE, the star sky, rebuilt.
Night sky. STERNE, the star sky, rebuilt.
Left: 1998. Right: rebuilt towers with real geometry. Still too clean and flat, so bigger jagged holes and rust scorch are next.
Towers r13b in a real level. Left: 1998. Right: rebuilt towers with real geometry. Still too clean and flat, so bigger jagged holes and rust scorch are next.
Ribbed crown approved ('Yes'), roof clutter 'keep, more'.
META1 tower pilot. Ribbed crown approved ('Yes'), roof clutter 'keep, more'.
Under 2.3k triangles, far read within 10% of the original.
GHTT1 tower pilot. Under 2.3k triangles, far read within 10% of the original.