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While I have zero interest in building myself, what some fans are putting together is pretty impressive with the ever improving tools. I know myself and many others would rather see races/classes/skills/mobs and the EQ layer coming to life, but at least the world isn't going to look terrible (subjective of course). Long way to go, but hopefully it actually pays off.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oFnKhQMIVw
"The awesome things players are making in the contests are the first iteration of the assets we're using to build EQN. For example, the Qeynos contest that's going on right now is actually building the real city of Qeynos that will be in EQN (although we'll iterate on those buildings to refine them and make them fit into the specific needs as we move forward)."
- Josh Augustine
Comments
While it is of course subjective, what fans are making looks as "good" if not better than games that have come before, considering the limitations they are working with and not being paid artists/designers.
Not sure if you read what I typed, but I'm assuming the whole "worn" look or all the extra layers of mood, atmosphere, "life" or whatever you want to call it can and will be added ("although we'll iterate on those buildings to refine them and make them fit").
Probably isn't too difficult to take a flawless or base structure and add a bit of grit to it or polish or whatever is needed. Really cuts down on the devs work load.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdgPuEl5Nuk Considering the age of this footage, I'm assuming it isn't too difficult to add dirt/moss or whatever layers to make the world come to life.
I too do not want a disney perfection world to run around in, so hopefully they are hard at work in the studio.
Whatever they end up with, the fan created stuff has come a long way since the start and what is being produced looks very good (relatively speaking) to me. Considering how Voxels and the tools started out, the level of detail is really getting to the point of much of what is created could "fit" within a dev created world without sticking out like a sore thumb as an obvious fan created build.
Qeynos is a new build city that should look pristine. its mentioned several times during the workshop shows, if you would watch them you would know. There will be grity, dirty buildings, but not in qeynos
I have nothing against the Landmark folk they are very creative,it's beautiful art. What you showed though is not Qeynos not the way I remember it anyway.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReZI6Yn4R70
That above has more soul than that video you showed.
Justified or not, the pristine look makes it look too much like a child's plastic toy.
Not much you can do about the look. That is just the art style they have choosen for EQN. Sure it does not fit a EQ style game. But so do all the other features they revealed.
Take EQN for what it is. A possible fun game that has nothing in common with EQ but the name. It is a pure marketing thing to call it EQ. That does not make it a bad game (if it ever happens that is), but you should not compare it to EQ as it clearly can not be compared.
I kind of think about EQN like apples and oranges. Just because a company calls something an "improved apple" does not make it an apple if it looks, smells and tastes like an orange. It could very well be the best orange in the world! But it still is an orange and no apple.
Don't fall for marketing stuff that is this damn obvious.
MMOs finally replaced social interaction, forced grouping and standing in a line while talking to eachother.
Now we have forced soloing, forced questing and everyone is the hero, without ever having to talk to anyone else. The evolution of multiplayer is here! We won,... right?
For someone who claims to know so much about the game lol. Qeynos is a new city only 20 years old by the lore. Other builds have shown ware and moss. This city was build like this because of the lore. You knock every workshop show I post saying how bad it is but this fact about the age of the city is brought up in every Qeynos workshop. Shows how much you really are watching.
Thats because that was builds not them put together as a city. The devs will be taking the winners and the dev creations and making the city of Qeynos later. As I posted above its a new city and EQN is its own lore, not the same from EQ1 and EQ2.
Qeynos is so deep in EQ lore I am not sure it could be removed. Just think of how many items and quest and stories would need to be changed in EQ1 and EQ2? I think its a nice homage to where they came from.
Art like most things is very subjective. Show that video to the average modern gamer and they'd probably think it looks like garbage. Same goes for older movies, cartoons, shows, music, media in general. Don't get me started on people that don't like The Goonies!
Yet I find many modern XYZ things to be garbage because of my preferences and what I grew up on.
We can either adapt or be left behind, pretty much how I see it. Or play the same thing rehashed without making much forward progression.
Once they toss in all the actual "EQ" layers, I'm assuming/hoping it will feel more like part of the franchise, but no matter what, if we approach it expecting the same old thing, we will be left with a tear running down.
From the start they've been saying EQN =/= EQ. They share similar races, classes, items, skills, mobs, world/land, versions of lore/history, etc but EQN is meant to stand alone. We have seen very little "EQverse" within the EQN reveals, but it is there.
Don't believe they've called it "improved" or a sequel or any other such connection. Different game with shared assets.
For me, the features I listed are a big part of what EQ was. Along with the open world and less hand holding approach, which EQN should have in its own way. All the "old school" mechanics are part of the equation, but I don't long for corpse runs and what not as must haves to make a game feel like it belongs in the franchise.
I think it looks amazing. The point people are missing is if your avg gamer can make stuff like that with the tools they have what can the real artist make ? I think people should be excited for not only EQ Next but other games they have planned because all of them will be using the same engine and have the same creation tools Landmark has they're giving the creative powers to the players and if you can get the players to create content for you at no cost why not do it ? Its a smart move.
How many of you would of loved to create raids in your favorite MMO ? or a zone ? or a dungeon ? This is the future Daybreak wants they want us creating the content and while some of you see that as a negative some of us see that as a positive. Look at all the single player PC games with awesome mods ? Imagine that kind of modding in your favorite MMO.
I use to create raids and dungeons all the time. Perhaps that is the difference between your generation and mine. We don't play a game to build & design homes. We have our own, to work on. SO we play games for the challenge, not to sell our creativity.
Nobody cares about Landmark, or what type of home someone has. I own 2 homes in ArcheAge it is not a big deal and not worth stalling a game's development for 6 months while you work the art out... lol. It is somewhat insane to think Rosie can't do her job, and instead she has become a teacher for SOE, instead of a developer.
You placed your own expectations on the game without regard for reality and when the game did not meet the expectations you imagined you were disappointed.
But, then, that is most likely a moot point because crushing disappointment was the ultimate goal after all.
If it wasnt the graphics then it would have just been something else. The character designs, the gameplay, the setting or whatever. It doesnt matter what it was just so long as disappointment was achieved right?
Its ok he can hate the graphics =-) I will be the first to say they are not the best out there. The video itself is not a good picture of what the city will look like other they its style for the buildings. Each building is on a plot and in no ways shows what a city will look like in EQN. That being said, graphics are low on the list of what makes a good game. The Lego games still rank as some of the best games I have played =-) Also I have played many games that shoot for the moon for graphics like BD is and come PvP war, most people cant play it because it kills systems. If thats the game they want, there is BD just for that but like WoW, 4-10 years later, it still looks relevant. Here is hoping EQN game play is top notch. So far in Landmark the EQN systems feels very Alpha =-) lol
You are absolutely right. Had they called it by any other name, I would have been vaguely interested. But it's a game sequel. Sequels are designed to elicit expectations. If not for the expectation value imposed on the viewer (player) why even make the sequel and call it by the same name. That being said, though i understand that graphics alone do not make a game, I absolutely refuse to play an MMORPG with graphics that do no appeal to me. Why you might ask? well, because I am big on "immersion" when it comes to MMORPG's (emphasis RPG), and cartoony graphics just do not translate well when it comes to immersion for me. But hey, I am just one person expressing a personal preference. We all tend to have one, so no need to take it to heart.
For this reason and SoEMote (if it makes it, it better) I look forward to the style.
The video isn't something that really impresses me, but I suppose I could get used to the look. All the buildings seem to be too tall for their floor plan, though. The color palette doesn't seem really appropriate for architectural features, especially the teal blue roofing.
Like has been pointed out earlier in this thread, there is no sign of aging. Buildings weather rapidly. Just about any building that was built within the last 20 years (the supposed age of Qeynos) is far from pristine. Water stains, broken tiles, smudged windows. The structures in the video have no signs that they are real buildings somewhere in a remote location. Some variation would be much more 'immersive', even with the odd color scheme.
This isn't the stunning vision of Qeynos I had hoped for, and I can't help thinking that this is a byproduct of the decision to use voxels. Voxels were touted to provide a fully destructible environment, but they simply aren't as aesthetically pleasing the offerings being turned out in other competitive games. I wonder just how much effort is going into making Qeynos (and other locations) immune from destruction? It seems like they're trying to promise one thing, and deliver another.
Logic, my dear, merely enables one to be wrong with great authority.
Immune from player destruction probably (depending on the scenario) but from a lore/storyline aspect the voxels may just earn their keep. Just like templates can be made in Landmark they can use templates to create "states" of structures and add weathering or destruction over time of they want. One can make structures look weathered but I imagine that would happen by DGC post submission when they are arranging the pieces.