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SOE on the art style / realism of EQNext
superconducting
Member UncommonPosts: 871
Since the so-called "reinterpretation" images, I did some digging to find out the most I could regarding the potential art style for EQNext.
-- SOE in Ten Ten Hammer interview in 2011 (http://www.tentonhammer.com/eq/interviews/roundtable-smedley-burgess-vancouvering)
"The game looks unbelievable visually; it has its own style. We’re not trying to be super-realistic with it. We have our own very unique style going with it that we think people are going to like. That’s about all I can say."
-- Smedley at SOE Fan Faire 2011 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Cp3j-7yz3I&t=255)
"That is EverQuest Next. Notice how expressive the face is. One of the biggest things we want to bring to MMOs is emotion. We want you to be able to convey emotion to each other when you're playing. We don't want a blank face on your characters. We want your characters to reflect who you want them to be."
--- Dave "SmokeJumper" Georgeson stating that Concept art shown at SOE Fan Faire 2010 is now completely obsolete (http://www.eqnforum.com/threads/eqnext-screen-shots-and-concept-art-update-obsolete-as-of-2012.11, https://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/index.php?threads/eq2-and-eqnext.529092/page-2#post-5865513)
"Screens you saw from a couple years ago are completely obsolete now and are not pertinent to the current game at all."
I am still not sure what to believe, but my better guess is that they probably went the stylized, cartoony route. The strongest evidence is first quote I mentioned. What do you guys think?
Comments
I think it will meet in the middle rather than totally out of whack or History Channel realistic. I do think that armors and weapons will be slightly embellised like the pre-render but from there the actual look may not be cartoony. Whether intended or not the art that was released recently set some people off and nothing it going to bring them down until the 2nd.
Expecting either extremes of cartoon or realistic doesn't seem, well, realistic.
Cartoony is always stylised, but stylised does not necessarily mean cartoony. Expect something in between realistic and cartoony and probably closer to realistic that cartoony.
Although I would like to see more realism than not, stylized is fine as long as it's NOT to the level of WoW.
I think it'll look something like Planetside 2
which Im perfectly fine with.
That is a pic from Fire fall and I think the art looks great.
Anyone that has time should download fire fall and head into the forest at night and hit X to turn on the flash light.
The graphics in the game are beautiful. I don't like the game fire fall, but the lighting effects and art is great.
Download it and look at the art, and once you see the lighting they used with night and the flash light maybe you will see cartoony isn't always a bad thing.
Great part about cartoony is the world is only limited by the artist mind.
I would love that. I think the pic looks awesome.
Ya I'm expecting high-fantasy and stylized assets (big armor, magical weapons, big explosive combat animations, etc) but with more high-end, semi-realistic textures and detailed assets.
Like another person said. Not cartoony, but not history-channel real.
Legends of Kesmai, UO, EQ, AO, DAoC, AC, SB, RO, SWG, EVE, EQ2, CoH, GW, VG:SOH, WAR, Aion, DF, CO, MO, DN, Tera, SWTOR, RO2, DP, GW2, PS2, BnS, NW, FF:XIV, ESO, EQ:NL
Just about everyone else disagrees.
I just went back and looked at the picture smedley released as a "leak"
since it's black and white on the screen, there is no way to tell if its going to have "real"looking textures or cartoonish textures.
I think a Lot of people immediately think of WoW when they think cartoon.
Fire fall makes WoW look really bad, old and outdated yet has a "cartoonish" look.
Looking at other threads, tweets, FB comments, it looks to be a 50/50 split.
I personally thought it looked good. Then again I'm more of a gameplay > graphics kind of guy, so my opinion on the matter might not matter much. :P
Legends of Kesmai, UO, EQ, AO, DAoC, AC, SB, RO, SWG, EVE, EQ2, CoH, GW, VG:SOH, WAR, Aion, DF, CO, MO, DN, Tera, SWTOR, RO2, DP, GW2, PS2, BnS, NW, FF:XIV, ESO, EQ:NL
I don't care if it is a painted on style or cell shaded. That can look beautiful in a game.
I care if it looks idiotic, with oversized unrealistic armor and weapons, swords that look like they wouldn't cut anything, over the top goofy animations, ugh.
http://eq2wire.com/2013/06/06/smedley-teases-eqnext-design-in-progress-pic/
There are some other pre-rendered items on the other screen too.
https://twitter.com/j_smedley
I also put the link to his direct twitter page. he has other pics like a roller coaster with a big red X showing it won't be a Theme Park etc
ahh ok,its that one lol..
I thought there may have been a new one,sorry.
thanks for posting it guys.
I don't. Not sure why anyone is surprised though? Have you guys even seen the art direction in EQ1 / EQ2 over the past few years? This really isn't a big dynamic change in appearance from the recent armour and weapons in both games.
^ proof? I only see the same vocal minority here talking as they do in every game forum on this site.
I don't know if I would say EVERYONE disagrees. But I'm kind of all over the place a bit and pretty much everywhere I've seen where there is talk about the concept art there is a good slew of negative feedback on it. I would say it's probably 60-70% in the direction of unhappy with the art style. And this is from reading player comments on here, massively, tentonhammer, reddit, eqnextfans, and a couple other random places. I think the only place I've seen more positive then negative comments is on their facebook page.
EQN SOE fanfaire 2011
SWG, Eve, Planetside 2, EQN, Star Citizen
Did you see the latest Art Works released by SoE?
THat's not art by SOE, that's art by Gabor Sziksai. It's a REINTERPRETATION of EQ1 art.
Still, we don't know how representative this'll be.
I love the fact you just totally ignored the EQN screen above your post... which doesn't look cartoony at all, or like this Gabor art (except, perhaps armor design somewhat).
SWG, Eve, Planetside 2, EQN, Star Citizen
This is an actual rendering of EQnext character.
Now look at the Spoulders and particularly the Vambraces.
Now look the Vambraces of Firiona Vie (the ranger) in the Artwork and see if you notice any substancial difference..............
Personally I don't mind it at all.
PS: The image you posted in your previous post is already outdated (2011). SoE said that many times.
I'm under the impression what's outdated was concept art from 2010 ( see OP's link), my screen is from 2011. 2011 could be outdated as well though.
All I see in resemblence with art and rendering is the armor, which I don't have a problem with either.
SWG, Eve, Planetside 2, EQN, Star Citizen
Yeah, but you can't have oversized, cartoonish equipment and realistic character models like the one you posted in the same game.
It is one or the other.
It looks like they are going for the cartoonish style.
Honestly I literally love WoW cartoonish Artstyle, while I hate some others...................it all depends on how it is implemented.
We need to wait until the 2nd of August to see if it works.