16 Apr 15, 05:40PM
Well, after looking at those GTA screenshots once more...
In fact, that 'default' model isn't even lit. It has just one unifom light value applied all over. You would get better results with this particular model on AC when vertex lighting is enabled (per-model configuration). The belly portion is really the only part of the model, that is visibly enhanced by the normal map. And this kind of detail is really what normal maps are there for, to fake some 3D depth into a flat surface. In this case the breast portion and arms would look just the same even without normal mapping.
This doesn't mean, it wasn't a beneficial feature worth considering. Just trying to point out, that the real normal map effect is rather small in this example.
In fact, that 'default' model isn't even lit. It has just one unifom light value applied all over. You would get better results with this particular model on AC when vertex lighting is enabled (per-model configuration). The belly portion is really the only part of the model, that is visibly enhanced by the normal map. And this kind of detail is really what normal maps are there for, to fake some 3D depth into a flat surface. In this case the breast portion and arms would look just the same even without normal mapping.
This doesn't mean, it wasn't a beneficial feature worth considering. Just trying to point out, that the real normal map effect is rather small in this example.