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EQ2 looks fantastic! This may help.

2

Comments

  • eccotoneccoton Member UncommonPosts: 1,340
    Originally posted by cataphracht


    Hey ecco your right, the toons do impress, but look at the ground, the tree's and the buildings it's not so impressive anymore.
    Yeah I'd go so far to describe them as bland sorry :P in the year 2004 maybe they would be considered good but then again doom 3 came out at that time, it blows it away with the graphics.
    See where I'm coming from? I mean theres games in year 2004 that look better then eq2  toons and backgrounds included, now in 2008 where most new games is to a high level of detail of graphics, example fable 2, fallout3, Age of conan .... list goes on, they do make EQ2 environments bland..
    Same goes for any game back in the old days people used to say how can ff7 look bland? how can morrowind look bland? Now they say they look bland it's technology and that's where my opinion come from I think it's outdated.
    Your right about another thing :) it does play better I tried again. Saying that it's still a great game but I think halo 1 could challenge the graphics lol.

    I can name any number of single player or small group games as you have with better graphic then EQ2. You need to compare graphics to other mmos. I do not think I need to explain the reasons single player games usually have better graphic then mmos. Most experienced mmo players understand the differences. You sacrifice some graphics for being in a world with 100s or 1000s of other players. 

    The only mmo you mention is AoC, which I played and it did have better graphic then EQ2, yet much less immersive. However AoC is a sinking ship because of many other reasons. I have never claimed EQ2 has the best graphic in a game. I have always simply said that EQ2 has great graphic and that most people do not really get a chance to see them. That is why I started the thread to help people enjoy the graphics and game more. EQ2 has its own unique look and it creates a consistent believable living world and it does this very well.

     

  • permsterpermster Member UncommonPosts: 102

    I would have to disagree with you on EQ2 graphics being poor.  In the big pool of MMORPG's it's hardly poor.  It's 4 years old and check out these shots.  I couldn't believe it was EQ2 at first.

    www.mmorpg.com/galleries/proja

  • darkraptordarkraptor Member Posts: 178
    Originally posted by permster


    I would have to disagree with you on EQ2 graphics being poor.  In the big pool of MMORPG's it's hardly poor.  It's 4 years old and check out these shots.  I couldn't believe it was EQ2 at first.
    www.mmorpg.com/galleries/proja

     

    I wouldn't go as far as to even remotely call it impressive.

     

    Games get more flashy, but that doesn't mean their better games.

     

    It's not an ugly game, but as far as graphics go it isn't and never has been one of those in the category of "amazing graphics".

    /rant

  • permsterpermster Member UncommonPosts: 102

    I hear ya.  I wouldn't call it amazing either, but for a 4 year old game I think it's pretty good.

  • cataphrachtcataphracht Member Posts: 50

    Yeah coming to think off it you guys got a good point, they are good compared to other mmo's.

    I don't play a lot of mmo's, so all I could compare too was what I did play, which still doesn't mean their graphics are fantastic .......

    Imagine the mmorpg genre didn't evolve as much as it has done and eq2 had graphics on par with halo 1, while it's competition had age of empires 1 graphics, does this make eq2 graphics fantastic to you? With crysis, farcry 2, gears of war games like that sitting on the shelves?

    It's all ones perspective, but for me I compare games with games not mmo's with mmo's and fps with fps if it's good it's good and if it's bland no matter the genre it's bland

    If it's the case of it being a mmo that's why it looks bland then I guess the problem lies with making mmo's look more attractive which isn't impossible as age of conan has shown.

    I'm no graphic junkie but to be calling a game that didn't look fantastic in 2004 (despite the other mmo's out) fantastic in 2008 doesn't make a lot of sense to me

    btw good on you for trying to get this game look more decent for others

    image
  • eccotoneccoton Member UncommonPosts: 1,340

    Here is a screen I just took. A few here say EQ2s graphics are not good or up to current mmo standards. I simply have to disagree. EQ2s graphics even after 4 years stand up to most mmos even released this year and yes I do think they are fantastic for an mmorpg. I guess we are seeing different things.

  • cataphrachtcataphracht Member Posts: 50

    Yeah sorry they're better then what I'm giving them credit for your right, I just took a look at the other games and this one still fares  well :P my bad

    image
  • Squal'ZellSqual'Zell Member Posts: 1,803

    yupyup EQ2 has some of the best graphics of its generation

    (same generation as LOTRO)

    though my computer is getting old and i need to play my games on low or medium... and even then...

     

    im just wondering when are they going to add the Dx10 to EQ2

    that will be crazy.

    image
    image

  • eccotoneccoton Member UncommonPosts: 1,340
    Originally posted by cataphracht


    Yeah sorry they're better then what I'm giving them credit for your right, I just took a look at the other games and this one still fares  well :P my bad



     

    It is refreshing to see someone take another look at EQ2 and change their assessment. With all my posts in defense of EQ2 I have never tried to say it is the best looking game out. I have been trying to get people to take a second looks at it. SOE has had a mixed history with their mmos (NGE SWG, need I say more). They have alienated many possible players. However, they have handled EQ2 very well and it is worth a second look. I have been trying to present this, not for my own satisfaction, since I love and play the game but to get those looking for a new mmo, to give it a try. So many people here keep saying they are looking for a great new mmo and there is none out there. There is EQ2, it will suprise many at how much fun it is. You have to leap a few hurdles to enjoy the game (hence this thread) but if you do, you may find EQ2 the mmo you have been looking for.

    The last few days have been a blast for me. One thing I love is player housing and the addition of guild halls has been great. For the last few days all I have been doing in decorating our massive guild hall. Some may find this boring but for me as an artist it is fantastic. I love to have impact on the game world that others can enjoy. WoW does not offer this at all. The huge scale and beauty of the large guild halls offers me this opportunity to have a small impact on how the game world looks. Here is a shot of my main standing in our guild hall court yard. It is as fun for me to plant trees as go out and kill bosses.

     

  • eccotoneccoton Member UncommonPosts: 1,340
    Originally posted by Squal'Zell


    yupyup EQ2 has some of the best graphics of its generation
    (same generation as LOTRO)
    though my computer is getting old and i need to play my games on low or medium... and even then...
     
    im just wondering when are they going to add the Dx10 to EQ2
    that will be crazy.



     

    Unfortunately we will probably never see a DX10 EQ2 but it sure would be crazy. I also do not think we will see any big graphic updates. After all the game is 4 years old and SOE did not optimize the game for the direction PCs have gone. You will not see any huge changes to the graphics engine. What they have done and we will see is more performance improvements, like the recent dual core support. This will allow them to make the world richer and more detailed since performance will improve.

  • TheocritusTheocritus Member LegendaryPosts: 10,014

             I was never really that thrilled with the graphics in EQ2.....I would try a few tweaks but could never get it to the point where I jsut went "ooooooooooo".......I also did not like most of the character moels and did not like the plastic feel my character had.......Too many of the areas felt "blocky" and pixelated to me...... Overall EQ2 was an OK game but wasnt one I felt like resubbing to after 4-5 months.......There was too much soloing and I also didnt like how almost every guild I was in demanded that we talk in ventrilo.... I started out as a typer in MMOs and that is just my preferred method......I didnt want to listen to some guy and his wife arguing or hear someones baby crying in the background while Im playing...... The game was also too solo friendly and I rarely ever found groups outside of guild (and those were only instances)....... It was hard for me to move from EQ1 to EQ2 and I always felt that EQ1 was just a better game.

  • eccotoneccoton Member UncommonPosts: 1,340
    Originally posted by Theocritus


             I was never really that thrilled with the graphics in EQ2.....I would try a few tweaks but could never get it to the point where I jsut went "ooooooooooo".......I also did not like most of the character moels and did not like the plastic feel my character had.......Too many of the areas felt "blocky" and pixelated to me...... Overall EQ2 was an OK game but wasnt one I felt like resubbing to after 4-5 months.......There was too much soloing and I also didnt like how almost every guild I was in demanded that we talk in ventrilo.... I started out as a typer in MMOs and that is just my preferred method......I didnt want to listen to some guy and his wife arguing or hear someones baby crying in the background while Im playing...... The game was also too solo friendly and I rarely ever found groups outside of guild (and those were only instances)....... It was hard for me to move from EQ1 to EQ2 and I always felt that EQ1 was just a better game.

    Blocky, plastic and pixelated? The point of this thread was to help people with that problem. Now you may not like the graphics in EQ2 but it is hardly blocky or pixelated. I think a lot of people see it that way because they do not have the graphics setup right (Hence this thread) or they do not have a machine EQ2 likes. SOE has taken steps to get the game running better for more people but they still have a lot of work to do. EQ2 being a 4 year old game not sure how much more SOE will do to optimize the game. However if you setup the complex graphic options right the game still after 4 years looks great.

    This thread was to get others to post info on getting EQ2 running and looking better. It was not a review of the game or ventilo, by the way EQ2 has voice chat built into game now so no need to TS or Vent.

     

    Here are a couple game screens I just took. I simply do not see them as blocky, plastic, or pixelated. I guess we see things differently.

  • Spiritof55Spiritof55 Member Posts: 405
    Originally posted by eccoton

    Originally posted by Squal'Zell


    yupyup EQ2 has some of the best graphics of its generation
    (same generation as LOTRO)
    though my computer is getting old and i need to play my games on low or medium... and even then...
     
    im just wondering when are they going to add the Dx10 to EQ2
    that will be crazy.



     

    Unfortunately we will probably never see a DX10 EQ2 but it sure would be crazy. I also do not think we will see any big graphic updates. After all the game is 4 years old and SOE did not optimize the game for the direction PCs have gone. You will not see any huge changes to the graphics engine. What they have done and we will see is more performance improvements, like the recent dual core support. This will allow them to make the world richer and more detailed since performance will improve.

     

    Dual core support?  Seriously?  I'm all for that.  I quit eq2 months ago.  When was dual core support implemented?

    I liked eq2 but the constant hitching was annoying.  It doesn't take advantage of graphics cards like todays games do.  If it did eq2 would perform alot better for everyone.  For now it is processor intensive.  During development Sony believed processors would continue to gain increased hertz, becoming faster with each generation such as, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 gighertz etc, but that hasn't happened.  So the game doesn't utilize graphic cards as it should.

    However, I didn't quit due to eq2s' performance (I'm not an eye candy whore), there were other reasons. 

     

  • eccotoneccoton Member UncommonPosts: 1,340

    Dual core support was added a few months ago. While it was not a huge leap in performance it has help a lot for many people. All the screens I have posted in this thread are game play shots  at 1920 x 1080 with framerates between 45 fps and 80 fps. EQ2 plays very smooth for me with no hitching at all.

  • DeadlyJamesDeadlyJames Member Posts: 64

    I agree with Ecconton, The game looks great even today I got max graphics and I play a Iksar so it shows both the chain armor and the scails in great detail. The maps also looks greats although I will admit that some looks like copy and paste but thats all games other then that it looks great and if you never played get any EQ2 player and ask with a email and we can give you the 14 day trial :D

  • FallowFallow Member Posts: 6

    Eccoton, thanks for all the tips, they are muchly appreciated and I will be putting them to use this weekend

    Good job keeping your cool amidst    posts too

    I was wondering what your current system specs are, could you post or message them to me?

    I have dual core 2.2ghz, 2 megs very fast ram, fast SATA hard drives striped, win xp pro and Nvidia 8800gtx 512megs.

    I'll be putting some tax refund money into upgrading my rig to make EQ2 look better. I was thinking of one of the faster Nvidia cards or two of them in SLI maybe. I saw the 260's on sale for $200 each.

    I just upgraded my monitor to a 20" LCD and raised EQ2's rez up from 1024x768 to 1280x1024 but it looks a bit horizontally squashed. Maybe I should use the monitor's native 1600x1200? Only 60hz though.

    I'd like to run EQ2 in the higher rez you run it at but my eyesight is getting worse though I'm only 43 and I'm squinting more than usual even at 1280x1024.  I did increase the chat text and hotbar icon size.  Maybe I should look into the interface mods or would that reduce FPS?

    Thanks again! 

  • isolorisolor Member Posts: 189

    Hi Fallow,

    Let me see if this will help you.

    My system spec's are:

    AMD x2 5000+

    4 gigs ddr2 mem

    ATI 3850 with 512 meg ram.

    260 HD at 7200rpm.

    Vista 64bit

    I can run the game in high settings with shadows and fauna on and average 50 fps -80fps everywhere with the occasional slow down to 30 fps in crowded areas.

    Now I would suggest that instead of a new video card, that you add more memory. I know that the 8800's had some problems, but think they have been fixed. I went from 2 gigs to 4 gigs and saw a great improvement. You didn't say how you have the game set up right now. But would think that more memory should let you boost graphics up a bit more. Even though windows pro 32 bit will only show you have 3 gigs, you still get the use of all the memory when playing That is what my fiend did on his system and showed a vast improvement.

    For your monitor being that it is an lcd you would be better off running it in native resolution. DOn't worry about the 60hz. It does not work like a crt. Crts needed to refresh the whole page so at 60 hz you would get flickering. LCD's don't refresh the page they refresh pixel lights I think they are called and something you will not notice or be bothered by it. Plus playing the game in the higher resolution will make the details look even better.

    If your squinting now to see the writing, I think it would be a good idea to see an eye doctor. I'm 46 now and lately noticed I was squinting also. So went and got tested and sure enough I need reading glasses now. I'm glad I did it, the game looks so much better now that I can see it with my eyes wide open. :)

    So in my opinion buying a new vidoe card will help a little. more memory will help alot more.

    SO what ever your choice good luck, and have fun.

     

     

  • FallowFallow Member Posts: 6

    Thanks Isolor!

    I was told that win pro 32 didn't use more than 2 gigs so never bothered. (shrugs) Memory is cheap so I'll bump it up to 4gigs AND get a new vidcard.

    I KNOW I need glasses, hehe.  I have this problem with wearing glasses, jewelry, hats, etc.  There's probably an official phobia name for it. 

    It irritates me to wear sunglasses for more than a few minutes even.  Even clothes get irritating at times.  I'd likely be a nudist if I hadn't been raised so puritan

    Tried contacts but it was a 5 minute torture session to put them in and get the right one lined up (stigmatism) which never got any easier for a month so I gave it up.

    24" monitor maybe?

    Lasik?

    I've tweaked the graphic settings in EQ2 so many times I have no idea where it's at now. Shadows are minimal or off and fauna is low. Draw distance is pretty far because popups destroy immersiveness for me. It mostly runs smooth but I get a millisecond hitch every few seconds which my girlfriend can't even notice but drives me nuts.

    I run about 20-40fps on average, up to 60-70 and down to 10-15 in crowded areas which aren't too common as I play on Permafrost server and don't do raids.

    I really just want to set everything to max and enjoy.

    Is that too much to ask?... how much will it cost me right?

  • peteski123peteski123 Member UncommonPosts: 447
    Originally posted by Fallow


    Thanks Isolor!
    I was told that win pro 32 didn't use more than 2 gigs so never bothered. (shrugs) Memory is cheap so I'll bump it up to 4gigs AND get a new vidcard.
    I KNOW I need glasses, hehe.  I have this problem with wearing glasses, jewelry, hats, etc.  There's probably an official phobia name for it. 
    It irritates me to wear sunglasses for more than a few minutes even.  Even clothes get irritating at times.  I'd likely be a nudist if I hadn't been raised so puritan
    Tried contacts but it was a 5 minute torture session to put them in and get the right one lined up (stigmatism) which never got any easier for a month so I gave it up.
    24" monitor maybe?
    Lasik?
    I've tweaked the graphic settings in EQ2 so many times I have no idea where it's at now. Shadows are minimal or off and fauna is low. Draw distance is pretty far because popups destroy immersiveness for me. It mostly runs smooth but I get a millisecond hitch every few seconds which my girlfriend can't even notice but drives me nuts.
    I run about 20-40fps on average, up to 60-70 and down to 10-15 in crowded areas which aren't too common as I play on Permafrost server and don't do raids.
    I really just want to set everything to max and enjoy.
    Is that too much to ask?... how much will it cost me right?



     

    just a note,

    win32 doesnt use all 4 gig of ram and dont forget the Vid card memory uses same allocation and base memory so if system can use say 3.4 mem and you have a say 512 ram vid card then it comes off your base mem.. so yea 4 gig is better than 2 and ram works better in pairs but dont think having 4 gig of ram means its using is all as I said, vid mem uses same allocation

  • eccotoneccoton Member UncommonPosts: 1,340
    Originally posted by Fallow


    Eccoton, thanks for all the tips, they are muchly appreciated and I will be putting them to use this weekend
    Good job keeping your cool amidst    posts too
    I was wondering what your current system specs are, could you post or message them to me?
    I have dual core 2.2ghz, 2 megs very fast ram, fast SATA hard drives striped, win xp pro and Nvidia 8800gtx 512megs.
    I'll be putting some tax refund money into upgrading my rig to make EQ2 look better. I was thinking of one of the faster Nvidia cards or two of them in SLI maybe. I saw the 260's on sale for $200 each.
    I just upgraded my monitor to a 20" LCD and raised EQ2's rez up from 1024x768 to 1280x1024 but it looks a bit horizontally squashed. Maybe I should use the monitor's native 1600x1200? Only 60hz though.
    I'd like to run EQ2 in the higher rez you run it at but my eyesight is getting worse though I'm only 43 and I'm squinting more than usual even at 1280x1024.  I did increase the chat text and hotbar icon size.  Maybe I should look into the interface mods or would that reduce FPS?
    Thanks again! 



     

    Fallow, I never take the assaults on me or my threads to personally. If you work the mmorpg.com forums you learn to expect it.

    Lol, I actually have 4 systems. I am a bit of a techophile I got electronics all over the place. Not married so no one to say no to me. Anyway, my EQ2 box is nothing that special. I use athlon 64x2 6000+ processor, Vista 32 operating system, 3 gigs memory, Nvidea 8800 gt oc, and I use a 38 inch HD sharp aquos as a monitor (I recommend this highly to anyone wanting a large monitor) at 1920 x 1080 rez. Yea, I went to a large monitor my eyes are feeling their 50 years. I do not know how I even could see my old 24 inch. At the time it seemd huge. A 20 inch monitor? For  me that might as well be a cell phone j/k.   I do not use any mods accept eq2map. So I do not know what is available or their impact on performance. I hope you get the performance you need to enjoy EQ2 it is worth the effort.

  • eccotoneccoton Member UncommonPosts: 1,340

    There should be more performance enhancements coming. They have been testing an option to to move shodows from the CPU to the GPU. I have not been on the test server to see the results. I would be interested in knowing how it work if anyone is playing on test server. This option should have a big impact on performance which will allow many to even set base graphic setting higher.

  • levsixlevsix Member UncommonPosts: 363

    THANK YOU. This needs to be on the official forums.

    I am a returning vet, although I have yet to get a character above 26th level. Hahah. It had been over a year 1/2 or so since i played and my computer was performing horribly. I'm on a quadcore, 4 gb ram, gtx 275 and was dismayed by how badly the game was running on anything but high performance blanket settings. Your tweaks helped a lot. Now I can give the game a chance.

    If anyone wants to look me up, I am on Nektulos as Levathar.

    I'm pretty much a newb in the sense I am getting comfortable with the game again but I used to play. I had alt-itis and never got that high. Levels seem to advance much quicker now.

     

    Have a winner and don't go on a game over! Does your avatar make you powerful in real life? Check out the Mystical Enders gaming community. www.mysticalenders.com

  • eccotoneccoton Member UncommonPosts: 1,340
    Originally posted by levsix


    THANK YOU. This needs to be on the official forums.
    I am a returning vet, although I have yet to get a character above 26th level. Hahah. It had been over a year 1/2 or so since i played and my computer was performing horribly. I'm on a quadcore, 4 gb ram, gtx 275 and was dismayed by how badly the game was running on anything but high performance blanket settings. Your tweaks helped a lot. Now I can give the game a chance.
    If anyone wants to look me up, I am on Nektulos as Levathar.
    I'm pretty much a newb in the sense I am getting comfortable with the game again but I used to play. I had alt-itis and never got that high. Levels seem to advance much quicker now.
     



     

    I am glad this helped. I tried to keep it simple but you can experiement even more to tweek the look and performance. SOE made complex graphic settings options with little explination as to what they do and their impact on performance. Rumor is possibly this Tues. the 16th maybe the next GU. I am really looking forward to this. Moving shadows from cpu to gpu should have even more positive results with graphic settings. If SOE had the game running better at launch many more people would be playing.

    I still do not understand why people think EQ2 has poor graphics. After almost 5 years I still love them. There is subtly to the look and colors in EQ2 that I really love. I also like the more cartoony looks of WoW and Free Realms but EQ2's graphics help me feel I am in a living breathing world. WoW feels more like a game. EQ2 feels more like a living persistent world.

  • levsixlevsix Member UncommonPosts: 363

    I appreciate it. I think the game looks just fine considering it didn't come out very recently.

    I was having a hard time because my system is not garbage. I can understand if I can not run high quality but on my previous system, with lesser specs, I could run higher settings. If they do give us the ability to offload some features from CPU to GPU that would be the best.

    I'm running Intel 2 Q6600 @3.2ghz, 4 gb ram, gtx 275. I figured I could run it at least on balanced considering my old system ran it higher, but your tweaks helped. 

     

    Have a winner and don't go on a game over! Does your avatar make you powerful in real life? Check out the Mystical Enders gaming community. www.mysticalenders.com

  • DavitDavit Member Posts: 53

    Latest game update added and option for GPU shadows. This really adds a lot of realism and even a huge performance boost, compared to CPU shadows.

    I recommend updating the original post.

    Also, I find Alternate character models (added to game later, with asian release) more realistic and fitting the animations better.

    Make sure to turn these settings on to see how well can EQ2 compete even with recent games in terms of graphics.

This discussion has been closed.