Lord of the Rings Online: Is LotRO Art?

Stradden

MMORPG.com Lord of the Rings Online Correspondent Andrei Hamagea writes this article looking at the video game as an art form.

In a recent mainstream gaming magazine, I came across an article trying to prove why games, in general, are not art. During my time with both the gaming world and art school, I have seen the two overlap numerous times yet to this day modern art in general can stir up some pretty heated conversations and disagreements. In one of my previous articles, A Look at the Looks of LOTRO, I gave a summary of why I think this MMO stands out, however I never touched upon its reflection of some artistic vision. As a result, I wanted to follow up and provide some arguments surrounding the intent, procedure and outcome these artists and developers consider before hitting the public with a massive MMO production. These people not only work years making the pieces that shape up a MMO, but have to predict interactions and user generated content that might come of it, much like an exhibition in a gallery. It is in a way a study, fueled by us the players, in which the artist conceives his work based on what he thinks is interesting and appealing to the world. As formal art such as painting or sculpture this work has to be commercially feasible, it must make a profit.

Read Is LotRO Art?

Interitus

Not in the slightest. One thing I found about LoTRO is that much of it is actually very plain.  You only find more screenshots because the areas that do look nice causes people to actually sttop and take a screenshot.   And for shots out in the open, that's nothing, I have screenshots of "wilderness" from lots of games, it's just being somewhere at just the right moment.

Not to mention it has the unfair advantage of  the books and movies behind it. Especially with the books. The books go over in-depth describing what a place looks like which simply translates to taking that and creating it in game.

 

I'd say it's no more or no less art then any other game. Actually I think there's a few game's I'd consider more artistic.

openedge1

Art requires a visual quality to all aspects of the canvas.

You have a beautiful canvas of landscapes in LOTRO, yet, the main subjects : i.e: the models are some of the worst in any MMO.

As well, if we look upon the UI, it also is horrendous if we wish to include that aspect.

LOTRO is not high art, but I will agree makes a good comic book I guess.

Brialyn

The scenery in LOTRO is lovely art...the character models are not the greatest quality of art imho

 

 

teuchy

To some extent, the question about whether video games are art or not, is a waste of time.  It detracts from what video games are and should be - partly because it sometimes draws people into the argument that see themselves as appreciators of art but have no clue about (or interest in) video games.

The questions I'm more interested in when I play are game are (a) will it move/engage me; and (b) do the graphics add to the game experience in a positive manner?  The latter does not need complex graphics to achieve btw (consider World Of Goo, where the graphics were simple but, IMHO, very well done and an important part of the game's mood).

For (a), LOTRO certainly has some good storylines but there are certainly other games out there that do a better job of crafting a moving/engaging story.  For (b), LOTRO's graphics look good on a high-end system and are in keeping with how I think a LOTRO game should look. LOTRO does have some very pretty views in some areas (to the extent that my wife, who is avidly game-averse, has asked me to stop and look at a particular view - beyond the times I stop and do this myself).  Some of the views are less scenic but that is usually in keeping with the feel of the game.

ericbelser

Of course it is, in the same sense that any purely visual presentation is art. Ever MMO contains art and can be seen "as art" in the same way a collection of paintings or a themed show is "art". "Art" has a very low threshold - this website is covered with "art" in a myriad of banner ads, column and topic headers etc, even the overall design and layout could be said to be "art".

As for what is good, great or horrible; it is all a matter of perceptions and taste - just go and tour any major "art" musuem to prove that one. You'll see everything from the sublime to utter crap - and your opinion probably won't mesh 100% with anyone elses.

erandur

Originally posted by openedge1


Art requires a visual quality to all aspects of the canvas.
You have a beautiful canvas of landscapes in LOTRO, yet, the main subjects : i.e: the models are some of the worst in any MMO.
As well, if we look upon the UI, it also is horrendous if we wish to include that aspect.
LOTRO is not high art, but I will agree makes a good comic book I guess.

 

You are aware you can change the UI, right?

Lotro is no match for GW's art. GW has won awards for its art, and it has been called art, lotro may have won some 'best graphics for an MMO' awards. Compare those 2 kinds of awards, and you'll see how 'impressive' lotro really is.

Karahandras

I also have to disagree with this premise

LOTRO is certainly a pretty game(although has a far too cartoony a style for the ip I feel)

but it lacks a sense of life which is important in artist representation,  in comparison to other titles in the genres it can be compared against( MMO's, computer games, computer art, comic book art,  lotr fan art and middle earth representations) it falls short

i'm guessing this is just a case of fanboism as lotro isn't the best looking of mmo's and certainly isn't the market leader and any of these would have made for a better case and none are referenced here

but then some people consider a canvas painted blue or a tent with the names of people you've slept with sown on art, for me however art needs to display some artist or creative talent that makes it come alive and stand out from what everyone else can do and here i feel lotro fails

 

erandur

http://www.spectrumfantasticart.com/full_content.php?article_id=914&full=yes&pbr=1

It's not a real screenshot or anything, but the game isn't even out, and already it's won awards for its art. And not 1, but 2 awards. Both the gold and the silver award go to GW2.

Lotro has its nice points though, in the beginning I was very impressed by the graphics. And monuments like that huge statue of elendil in evendim keeps getting my attention when I happen to pass by.

todeswulf

Nope and thanks to the idiots at Turbine a fine game has been turned into another Gear gated grindfest...all to draw in the all important WoW kiddies.

CujoSWAoA

My favorite quote about Lord of the Rings Online.

"LOTRO has all the excitement of a Bob Ross painting."

How ironically applicable in this thread!

dreamscaper

LotRO would be much closer to art if they would upate the character models. The world is beautiful, but the character designs are horrible. Half the hairstyles were ripped dirrectly from DD, and for any given race/gender combination there is a very limited selection of faces to choose from. It's near impossible to discern the differences between most of the faces (especially elves), and though there is a tad more variety in terms of hair, the hair textures are a horribly glaring low-resolution mess when compared to the world textures.

That is the second thing that keeps the game from being art - consistency. Unless it changes on ultra high (which I doubt, given how consistent the low quality is across the other settings), the textures in the game run the full gamut from ultra sharp building textures (the floor in Thorin's Hall ) to the mediocre (are those trees....rotating!?...as I run past?) to the downright ugly (is that armor or body paint? It's too fuzzy to tell, and utterly lacking in texture).

I really enjoy the game, but the above drives me nuts.

kamikkaze

<p>hope u guys dont expect to run a Fallout 3 graphics in a MMORPG today or next month....so far, LOTRO has the most decent graphics, a rich AND large enviroment, and yes, i like the character models which fits within the story that LotR has. Of course, we can only see it in Very High settings, but its a price if u also  want beauty in games. </p>
<p>And the most important...all this whitout lag...</p>

OnyxBMW

As with art drawn onto a canvas, the art of a game is subjective at best.  What one person considers to be a work of art, such as The Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh, someone, somewhere in the world will consider it trash.

Arguing if a video game is art is exactly as this, since some people would look at the aforementioned GW and say it has some of the best art direction they've ever seen in a game, but, again, someone else will consider it trash.

LOTRO has a certain art to it, whether you wish to admit it or not.  It may not be high quality, but it definitely is above average, and it does bring art into the plain text that is The Lord of the Rings.  Well, plain insofar as the pictures found in the book....this is going to get to another subject that is completely irrelevant, I digress.

This game is art, it combines multiple different elements to make an artistic vision.  You'll either enjoy it, or you won't, but it is a piece of art.  And, with all other pieces of art, its worth is in the eye of the beholder.

grandpagamer

LOTRO and all video games are art imatating life (some type of life anyway), some just do it better than others. So yes, LOTRO is art.

erandur

Originally posted by dreamscaper


LotRO would be much closer to art if they would upate the character models. The world is beautiful, but the character designs are horrible. Half the hairstyles were ripped dirrectly from DD, and for any given race/gender combination there is a very limited selection of faces to choose from. It's near impossible to discern the differences between most of the faces (especially elves), and though there is a tad more variety in terms of hair, the hair textures are a horribly glaring low-resolution mess when compared to the world textures.
That is the second thing that keeps the game from being art - consistency. Unless it changes on ultra high (which I doubt, given how consistent the low quality is across the other settings), the textures in the game run the full gamut from ultra sharp building textures (the floor in Thorin's Hall ) to the mediocre (are those trees....rotating!?...as I run past?) to the downright ugly (is that armor or body paint? It's too fuzzy to tell, and utterly lacking in texture).
I really enjoy the game, but the above drives me nuts.

The further you can in-game, the better the armours get. Even to the point of actually being nice armours! And I've alweys liked my cosmetic armour sets, I haven't looked at my normal armour since the release of cosmetic armours. The character models aren't too bad, neither are the textures. What is seriously annoying though, are the animations. Lotro doesn't have a lot of skills  and it has even less attack animations. Which could be fine, if they polished it. But they're combat system doesn't really work with their animations. You see a quick stab (burglar ), but you don't seem to hit untill 0.5s-1s later... Imagine that animations coming back 4 times.

LynxJSA

We just had this thread two weeks ago but I wasn't able to find it.  

 

Anyway, art is the imagery or presentation vreated by the artists. There is great art in a game. A game is not art.

LynxJSA

Originally posted by OnyxBMW


As with art drawn onto a canvas, the art of a game is subjective at best.  What one person considers to be a work of art, such as The Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh, someone, somewhere in the world will consider it trash.
Arguing if a video game is art is exactly as this, since some people would look at the aforementioned GW and say it has some of the best art direction they've ever seen in a game, but, again, someone else will consider it trash.
LOTRO has a certain art to it, whether you wish to admit it or not.  It may not be high quality, but it definitely is above average, and it does bring art into the plain text that is The Lord of the Rings.  Well, plain insofar as the pictures found in the book....this is going to get to another subject that is completely irrelevant, I digress.
This game is art,

 

False conclusion. You are talking about the art within the game and then conclude the game itself is art because of the pictures within. There's art on the wall of most McDonald's but that doesn't make the fast food restaurant itself art.

 

 

Hairystef

Originally posted by LynxJSA
Anyway, art is the imagery or presentation vreated by the artists. There is great art in a game. A game is not art.

 

If this game was actual art, people would stop and look around a lot more.  Who buys a ticket to a museum and rushes through it?  IMHO, LotRO has a great artistic team... that has it's talent choked by the gaming industry reality.  Games are for gamers, not art lovers.  What makes a game prosper is it's playability and performance.  Some museums also fall victim to this : profit over artistic value... but that's another subject.

The one thing I'll give LotRO is that they do try to keep a balance between pleasing gamers and staying true to one piece of art : Tolkien's books.  Until now, with few failings maybe, I think they're doing a relatively good job at being a game that presents art to the masses.

Now, I could only find more players willing to do instances in quest mode so I can have the pleasure of appreciating the artistic content of the game...