Nature, Published online: 05 February 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-024-08447-0Using zirconium metalorganic frameworks as the host template for directed nucleation and precise growth of metal-halide sublattices, multi-dimensional single-crystalline porous superlattices can be achieved through a one-pot synthesis.

A French astrophotographer has captured a stunning photo of Venus and the moon shining above the Eiffel Tower in Paris, thanks to a rare "parade of planets."

You finished Undertale so many times you find it too easy for your superior reflexes? Or maybe you havent exercised in a while? Then you need to check out Core Trials, a motion-based bullet hell you play in real life using a webcam.Ohilo_GamesIts as excruciating as Undertale but worse because you need to actually move your whole body to protect your core from pixels flying from everywhere. Youll have to jump, duck, and dash, feeling like a true protagonist of a sadistic but fun game. Call it a pixelated Soulslike if you wish.They called me a madman for making this game. They said it was outdated, old. But I did it. I had to. I dont need to prove them wrong, I just need to make sure those who didnt know they needed this get to enjoy it, the creator Ohilo_Games shared on Reddit.Ohilo_GamesCore Trials blends retro charm with modern challenge and requires you to learn and adapt. Youll likely leave sweaty, but it will be worth it when you beat every new challenge.The game is available on Steam. Grab it to mix nostalgia with unusual gameplay and join our80 Level Talent platformand ournew Discord server, follow us onInstagram,Twitter,LinkedIn,Telegram,TikTok, andThreads,where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.Source link The post Play Undertale in Real Life in This Indie Bullet Hell appeared first on CG SHARES.

While Unreal Engine 5 is often praised for its stunning graphics, theres another thing many associate with it: stutter. If youre wondering why this happens and how its being tackled, Kenzo ter Elst, Daniele Vettorel, Allan Bentham, and Mihnea Balta, the engineers who worked on Unreal Engines PSO precaching system, have shared the details in a new blog post, outlining their efforts to reduce it.Shader compilation stuttering happens when a game engine needs to compile a new shader just before using it, causing a delay while the driver finishes the process. Shaders are programs that run on the GPU to render 3D images and are written in high-level languages like HLSL. Unlike CPUs, which have a few common instruction sets, GPUs have many different ones, so shaders are compiled into a universal bytecode that can be translated into specific machine code by the driver at runtime.This process was fine when shaders were simpler, but as games became more complex, the time spent compiling shaders during gameplay became noticeable, leading to stuttering. To fix this, modern APIs like Direct3D 12 and Vulkan introduced Pipeline State Objects (PSOs), which help avoid runtime shader compilation and reduce stuttering.APIs now require developers to bundle all the shaders and settings for a draw request into a Pipeline State Object, which is set as a single unit. The key advantage of PSOs is that they can be created at any time, allowing engines to prepare everything in advance (such as during loading) and ensuring shader compilation completes before rendering begins.Before Unreal Engine 5.2, the recommended approach was using a Bundled PSO Cache, where commonly used PSOs were cached at game startup or when loading a save/level. However, this method is resource-intensive and needs frequent updates in games with dynamic content. To support large, dynamic game worlds and user-generated content, Unreal Engine 5.2 introduced PSO precaching to address the issues of resource-heavy bundled caches. However, this system isnt flawless too: global shaders (used in effects like motion blur) cant be fully precached in the same way. While compute shaders can be precached, graphics shaders cant.GPU drivers store compiled PSOs on your SSD or hard drive for faster reuse or in system memory. However, the PSO cache can become quite large, so this should only be done on machines with sufficient RAM. Solutions to reduce memory impact and automatically decide when precached PSOs should be retained are already in development.In short, Epic Games recognizes that shader compilation stuttering is an issue in Unreal Engine 5 games and is working on fixes. It also advises developers to use the latest engine version, profile PSO hitches regularly, clear the driver cache before playtests, and look out for other types of traversal stuttering.For more on this topic, you can join Epic Games on the Inside Unreal stream this Thursday, February 6th, onTwitchorYouTubeat 2 PM ET.Read the full blog post here and dont forget to join our80 Level Talent platformand ournew Discord server, follow us onInstagram,Twitter,LinkedIn,Telegram,TikTok, andThreads, where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.Source link The post Epic Games Devs On Solutions To Unreal Engine 5 Shader Stuttering Issues appeared first on CG SHARES.

Civilization 7 is a game made up of decisions. From deciding where to send your units to picking a new civic to research, you're constantly making decisions at every turn. One of the earliest choices you have to make at the start of every new age in Civilization VII is picking between one of the four Legacies. This is done through choosing a specific advisor.Legacies are essentially ways for you to track how you're performing in every age. The four Legacies are: Militaristic, Cultural, economic, and Scientific. Every Legacy carries with it different attributes and objectives per age and you can advance them by building specific structures and performing actions throughout the entirety of Civilization 7. However, when you start a new age, it can be a little daunting to pick a new Legacy, as you don't know what lies in front of you.Fortunately, we've played enough Civ 7 to know what Legacies work best for all three ages. Below, you can see our advice for what Legacy to pick for the Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern Ages. Best Legacy for the Antiquity Age The Legacy you start with in Civ 7 is arguably the most important, as it can determine how your playthrough pans out across all three ages. While you can, of course, choose a Legacy to start and then go on a different path after that, sticking with the main Legacy you pick will offer the most cohesive process. In the Antiquity Age, our Legacy recommendation is to focus on the Scientific Legacy. Picking the Science Advisor and opting to build structures focused around this Legacy will get your civilization off to the best start possible. You'll be able to hone in on specific Technologies and Civics that allow your empire to become more advanced than others around you. The Science Legacy offers the Greay Library to start in the Antiquity Age, which allows you to place more Codexes that uplift your civilization in the next ages. One other major factor in choosing the Science Legacy is a higher Science number in your civilization allows you to produce units much quicker. In cities, the turns it takes to produce units is mostly dependent on its Science, so having a higher number cuts down on the number of turns dramatically. This makes it so your cities can get off the ground much faster, which is highly important in the early going during the Antiquity Age. Best Legacy for the Exploration AgeNext up we have the Exploration Age, which is all about setting sail into the open ocean and exploring the other continents of the world. You can start to construct naval units, meet new leaders from distant lands, and start to experience other cultural elements, such as religion.While there are two solid Legacies to choose from during the Exploration Age, we're picking the Economic Legacy. There's a case to be made for the Military Legacy, as you want to dominate other settlements on distant lands so you can take some control. However, the Economic Legacy allows you to set up your civilization for the third and final age. Using the Economic Advisor's recommendations, you can start bringing in more gold than you ever have before. This is done primarily through constructing specific buildings and establishing trade routes to settlements all across the map.The Economic Legacy will also allow you to expand and build more settlements without engaging in war with other leaders, which you may or may not be ready for. Basically, since the Exploration Age is about exploring the map, you want to ensure your civilization can sustain itself and expand before trying to dominate every tile. Best Legacy for the Modern Age And finally, we arrive at the Modern Age in Civilization VII. This age will likely start with the map mostly uncovered and feature more civilization names that you recognize. You'll presumably have met all possible leaders in your playthrough, have set relationships with them, and are looking at an empire that features close to or over 10-15 settlements. Through the course of two ages, you should have a fairly large military complete with Army Commanders and units as well plenty of naval units to navigate the seas with. All that said, the best Legacy for the Modern Age is the Military Legacy. The Modern Age is your last gasp before the end of the playthrough, so you want to make it count. Trying to take over the entire map is a realistic goal if you have the forces and defenses for it, so going with the Military Advisor's recommendations will help make that happen. There's also no real point in keeping friendly relationships with more than one or two other leaders, so you might as well invade their lands to take as many settlements as you can. In the Modern Age, your military units are the strongest they've ever been, your towns and cities are well-fortified, and you have a flowing supply of gold, Influence, and other resources to rely on. There's nothing else to do besides trying to totally dominate the map and establish as many footholds as possible. The Military Advisor will also lead you on the path to flight, which opens up entirely new doors in combat. Lastly, the Military Legacy offers some of the best endings possible in Civ 7. From researching the Manhattan Project to producing a Nuclear Weapon, there are plenty of fun and explosive ways to end the game if you follow the Military Legacy.There's so much to learn and discover when you're exploring the massive world of Civ 7. Be sure to use our Civilization 7 guides hub to find all of our guides on the game in one spot.

Some say religion is the opium of the masses, but at the very least it's a mechanic you need to master in Sid Meier's Civilization 7. Your decision during the Antiquity Age is crucial, and your actions during the Exploration Age help determine how you proceed in the campaign. Here's our guide that discusses the best Pantheon and religious beliefs in Civilization 7.What are the best religious beliefs and Pantheons in Civilization 7 - Religion guideIf you've played Civilization games in the past, then you'll soon realize that the Civilization 7 religion system isn't as intricate as before. That said, it's still an integral part of each run, specifically during the Antiquity Age and Exploration Age:Antiquity Age - You can choose your Pantheon, a bonus that remains in effect throughout the campaign.Exploration Age - You can pick your Reliquary Belief, Founder Belief, and Enhancer Belief. These are important, especially if you plan to engage with the Cultural Legacy path/milestone. Best PantheonYou can unlock a Pantheon in Civilization 7 during the Antiquity Age. To do this, you must first study the Mysticism civic. This can take you well over a dozen turns, which is why luck plays a huge role. If you can find goody huts that reward culture, then you should have a decent shot at grabbing the Pantheon that you want.In any case, the best Pantheon in Civilization 7 is good ol' Fertility Rites, which grants +10% growth rate in cities with an Altar. Everything else, when compared to it, feels extremely situational. How to found and spread your own religionLater during the Exploration Age, you can found your own religion. This is done by studying the Piety civic and then building a Temple in your settlements. When you found your own religion, you may also select one Reliquary Belief and one Founder Belief.Likewise, take note that you can train a Missionary in any settlement that has a Temple. Missionary units have "Spread Religion" charges. All you need to do is move them to another settlement to convert that place to your religion.Note 1: You may also recruit Missionaries from settlements without any religion or those that another civ converted to their religion. The only important thing is that the settlement has a temple. For example, you can forward-settle a town close to another civ, buy a Temple using gold, and then buy Missionaries so they can start converting your opponent's territories.Note 2: Converting a settlement's population depends on the tile where you used the "Spread Religion" action. A good example is how large cities have separate urban and rural population. If you want to fully convert a city to your cause, then you need to use the action on (a) an urbanized district, and (b) a rural district, such as a mine or a farm. Best Reliquary BeliefThe Reliquary Belief you choose is very important, since it determines how you obtain holy relics whenever your Missionaries convert settlements. Similar to the Pantheon decision, we feel that there's only one viable option here: Icons.The Icons Reliquary Belief grants +2 relics whenever you convert a city-state for the first time. Depending on the map size, you're likely to discover half a dozen or so city-states across multiple continents. All that's left is to send out your Missionaries so you can have as many relics as you need. Best Founder BeliefsAmong the Founder Beliefs in Civilization 7, we suggest the following options:Interfaith Dialogue: +4 science for every foreign settlement following your religion.Tithe: +4 gold for every foreign settlement following your religion.Other choices are more terrain-based, and we feel that they're extremely situational or unnecessary. That said, two options provide powerful boons, but they're dependent on how the other civs have progressed:Stewardship: +8 culture, gold, and science for every tile that has a natural wonder in other civs' settlements following your religion.Shrines of the Kami: +4 culture, gold, and science for every wonder in other civs' settlements following your religion.Generally speaking, if an opposing civ has built several wonders, or if they have natural wonders in their realm, then they already have a huge advantage. However, Stewardship and Shrines of the Kami might help you catch up due to their bonuses. Best Enhancer BeliefsTo unlock Enhancer Beliefs, you need to study the Theology civic. You'll then be able to select from several available options. Here are our recommendations:Stella Maris: +2 movement to Missionaries when embarked; all naval units and embarked units gain +1 movement. This is great for exploring the rest of the world and conquering new lands.Conversion: Newly-founded towns in distant lands (i.e. other continents) start with this religion in place.Defender of the Faith: +5 combat strength in friendly settlements that follow your religion. This is a decent choice if you need to defend your realm.Dawah: Establishing a trade route to a settlement automatically converts it to your religion. This is a viable pick if you're creating multiple trade routes, since you won't need to send your Missionaries to those locations.That does it for our guide on the best religious beliefs and Pantheons in Civilization 7. Once the Exploration Age is over, you won't be engaging with this system anymore, assuming you're still going for a Cultural Victory. That's because you need to excavate artifacts using Explorers in the next era.Explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate your way to victory with the help of our Sid Meier's Civilization 7 guides hub.

For some horror fans, a slasher franchise is only as good as its most shocking kills. For others, there has to be a balance between character development and a truly unsettling villain. I'm more invested in well-drawn characters than blood and gore, but my love of slasher movie tropes keeps me watching this horror subgenre. I appreciate the Scream franchise because it plays with tropes and has also introduced clever, realistic characters like final girl Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell).

A Pokemon Scarlet and Violet player posted a screenshot of their Torchic and noted how the fiery critter had a dark spot next to their stubbed tail. Although the player asked if it was a mistake, other Pokemon Scarlet and Violet fans chimed in and stated that the dot was a form of sexual dimorphism that is exclusive to male Torchic.

Several Destiny 2 characters in the new Heresy update, the final part of Destiny 2s The Final Shape expansion and storyline, are silent. Destiny 2 developer Bungie said this is due to the ongoing Screen Actors Guild American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) strike; You may notice certain voice lines being silent in-game, the community team wrote in a blog. Its one of several companies thats seen its games impacted by the ongoing strike, which began in July. More than 2,500 video game performers (voice and motion capture actors) are on strike until a new contract with artificial intelligence protections is ratified. Though the strike began in July, the actors have been in negotiation with video game companies for more than two years.Not all video game companies are impacted by the strike, however; companies can sign an interim agreement that gives actors the protections theyre looking for while continuing production. Studio Wildcard, which makes the Ark games, is one studio thats signed such an agreement. SAG-AFTRA said in October that 49 companies have signed on to these agreements, spanning more than 120 games. The companies impacted by the strike are Activision Blizzard, Disney Character Voices, Electronic Arts, Epic Games, Blindlight, Insomniac Games, Take 2 Productions, VoiceWorks Productions, and WB Games.Bungie isnt on this list, but Destiny 2 is likely impacted due to the company using an external production company for its voice acting.Artificial intelligence reportedly remains the big sticking point in negotiation. Generally speaking, SAG-AFTRA is looking for protections for its voice actors from being exploited by generative AI. Performers want protections that prevent companies from making digital replicas without consent, compensation and transparency, per a union document outlining demands. Kyle McCarley, who voiced 9S in NieR: Automata, said on BlueSky on Wednesday that SAG-AFTRAs proposals are being rejected, down to the definition of a performer. (SAG-AFTRA said in its documentation that the companies consider movement performance as data and not performance, meaning that the proposed digital replica rules wouldnt apply even if they were agreed to.)Audrey Cooling, a representative for the group of companies negotiating with SAG-AFTRA, told Polygon that negotiations are ongoing; the companies have submitted a proposal and are awaiting a counter. We have proposed a deal that includes wage increases of over 15% for SAG-AFTRA represented performers in video games, as well as enhanced health and safety protections, industry-leading terms of use for AI digital replicas in-game and additional compensation for the use of an actors performance in other games, Cooling wrote on behalf of the companies. We have made meaningful progress and are eager to return to the bargaining table to reach a deal.McCarley also said in his posts that the group of companies is looking to exclude work recorded before the contract is ratified from digital replica protections, meaning that a company would be able to create a digital replica of a person from previously recorded work. Compensation and consent to the replica would only come into play in objectively identifiable roles for specific projects. (The use of the phrase objectively identifiable seems to apply to digital replicas that are identifiable as a specific actor in some way, but not, perhaps, in instances where a voice is obscured or just body movements are used.) Actors are also looking to companies to report usage of digital replicas, so that actors can ensure companies are following the rules and using their likenesses appropriately.Polygon has reached out to SAG-AFTRA for more details and will update this story when the union responds.

The next Marvel Rivals patch, set to go live later today, isnt as substantial as players had hoped. It will add new skins to buy for Captain America and Luna Snow, and fix a list of minor bugs, but it wont make any changes that affect the games balance.While there were no reasons to believe the patch would be as big as the one that went out with the launch of season 1, many players are disappointed to see certain things unaddressed, like Moon Knights misleading ultimate ability and the rampant performance issues.Developer NetEase hasnt provided a roadmap for when to expect the next major balance patch, and because this is the first season, theres no precedent to work off of, either. The only thing its said is to expect new heroes every six weeks. The Fantastic Fours Mr. Fantastic and Invisible Woman joined the roster on Jan. 10, which suggests the Thing and Human Torch will arrive around Feb. 21, the halfway point of the three-month season.Given how much Marvel Rivals has in common with Overwatch 2, its possible that the mid-season patch will bring the balance changes that players are waiting for. Blizzard typically waits until the middle of a season to give players time to adjust to the new meta, and NetEase might be doing the same thing. Step Into the Future: Two Iconic Looks Await! Captain America's Avengers: Infinity War outfit and Luna Snow's Mirae 2099 costume are here! Don the costume inspired by Marvel Studios' Avengers: Infinity War or embrace the high-tech elegance of Seoul 2099 as Luna takes the pic.twitter.com/2A0Cylwdqc Marvel Rivals (@MarvelRivals) February 4, 2025In an interview with Metro in January, game director Guangyun Chen said the team will look at hero pick rates and win rates to determine what balance changes need to be made. Once we have some more detailed analysis and through thoughtful consideration, well definitely make necessary balances and adjustments, he said.The biggest question in the community right now is how NetEase will handle the grip support heroes have on the game. Healers like Luna Snow and Mantis have powerful ultimates that negate almost anything you throw at them, sparking numerous debates over whether they should be nerfed. And at high skill levels, Storm continues to have the highest win rate out of the entire cast.For now, the only new toys to play with are a futuristic pink and purple skin for Luna Snow and a scruffy Steve Rogers from Avengers: Infinity War.