Complaining about the graphics being bland in LOTRO is like saying the sun isn't bright enough
I find the character models to be on par or better than other MMOs launched two years ago. The world graphics are unparalleled.
I will say that the basic character animations feel a little wooden and could use some improvement but they are not nearly bad enough to repulse me from the game.
As for ugly armor...that's what the costume system is for. If you don't like the looks of a particular gear set but like the stats, use a costume for your look and keep the stats. Problem solved.
Edit; This is strange. I cant seem to post pictures or text atm...oh well I will try to retype what I just wrote.
Alot of good looking pictures you guys have posted. To bad that for every wonderfull view there is 10 of these (everything on max, HD textures, dx10@1920x1200);
If anyone thinks the graphics are 'bad' (subjective, I know) in LotRO, then may I suggest you take a free trial account of WoW for a spin for a week (if you can last that long, I can only manage an hour or two before the 'cutesyness' factor makes me barf) and then come back and comment.
Once you've played WoW's cartoon like game for a while, LotRO will seem like 'Real life v2.0'
[ Please note: (Before I get lynched by WoW players) I have no problems with Wow, it's a great game. I just don't like playing it because of the cartoon graphics, THAT'S ALL FOLKS! ]
I find the LotRO graphics to be perfectly fine for the job and that overall the world graphics are quite good and provide the right level of atmosphere to enjoy the game and the storyline. I think they reached a reasonable compromise between the stylized WoW type graphics that don't put a huge demand on a system and the highly detailed Vanguard style graphics that require more graphics power. I find LotRO playable on a lot of systems and that is good as it is a fun game.
HOWEVER, I hate how the hobbits look. Damn you turbine for making them so pudgy!
I find the LotRO graphics to be perfectly fine for the job and that overall the world graphics are quite good and provide the right level of atmosphere to enjoy the game and the storyline. I think they reached a reasonable compromise between the stylized WoW type graphics that don't put a huge demand on a system and the highly detailed Vanguard style graphics that require more graphics power. I find LotRO playable on a lot of systems and that is good as it is a fun game. HOWEVER, I hate how the hobbits look. Damn you turbine for making them so pudgy!
I find the graphics to LOTROL up to par with the other MMO's out these days. Its the animations that are a bit substandard, but then the next update is going to address this. Heck I am going to be happy just to not have to get off my horse everytime I talk to an NPC.
Lord of the rings does landscape graphics exceptionally well . Where it falls down really are the character animations which are a bit stiff compared to some other mmos .
i think the graphics are the stupidiest ever!!! the characters look like they were built in 3DS max by a starter!! though that the game is super...just the graphics dont belong to this game
It is hard to argue with you as this is your opinion and I think especially as far as graphics go it is your own opinion that counts the most (to you anyway) but I have to say if LOTRO has the "stupidiest ever" you haven't played many mmo's.....
but yeah, to call this game Fantastic is like calling Twilight the Godfather of vampire movies....
No one is arguing that the world visuals are anything but stunning. They are, so you are wasting your time throwing up screenshots that are not proving a point. I've played Lotro for a long time, was in beta blah blah etc. I'll be back when the new digital expansion hits, but that doesn't change that fact that the character models compared to the world look like a cat thrown out a window. That is simple fact, look at any screenshot and you can clearly see your model is out of place from the rest of the world. Now this isn't a game breaker for me, but for some it is.
[[ DEAD ]] - Funny - I deleted my account on the site using the cancel account button. Forum user is separate and still exists with no way of deleting it. Delete it admins. Do it, this ends now.
The graphics so far are worse than I remember them to be, and I have them maxed out with DX10 enabled. However, I've been playing high graphic quality games, so it could be that I'm used to something better and remember wrongly. The avatars are complete junk though. Proportions are off, skin is plasticy, hair is not natural, and feet are blocky. In fact, not much is realistic at all on the avatars. It looks amaturish at best. Even DAoC has better avatar graphics and the game is much older.
What I don't get is why it has to be about graphics all the time..
lotro's graphics are overwhelming compared to wow but compare them to age of conan and they are average, still pre-moria lotro (up to 50ish that is) has one of the best pve experiences you can have in an mmo and for pve fans that is all that should count.
What I don't get is why it has to be about graphics all the time..
lotro's graphics are overwhelming compared to wow but compare them to age of conan and they are average, still pre-moria lotro (up to 50ish that is) has one of the best pve experiences you can have in an mmo and for pve fans that is all that should count.
My friend, if that's all that should count, people would play MUD's or early MMO's, because they had a better PvE experience. LoTRO does have a good PvE experience, and their graphics are good. But it doesn't hurt to talk about graphics, because they are important to people. Maybe not important to you, or to some others, but they're important to a great many people, which is why a ton is spent on a graphics during development.
Try to see things from everyones point of view. It's what people call being unbiased and impartial. You can critique the graphics and say negative things without it meaning you don't like the game.
What I don't get is why it has to be about graphics all the time..
lotro's graphics are overwhelming compared to wow but compare them to age of conan and they are average, still pre-moria lotro (up to 50ish that is) has one of the best pve experiences you can have in an mmo and for pve fans that is all that should count.
There is a lot more to LOTRO than graphics. This just happens to be the subject the thread is about.
Regarding AoC...for me I find the 'look' of AoC to be amazing, but the actually 'reality' is inferior. What I mean is...so much that you see in AoC is eyecandy you cannot explore. What you see in the distance...you most likely can't actually go there. What you see closer by...,uch of that you can't actually go to either as the pathing doesn't allow it. (AKA: Guild Wars)
So while AoC 'looks' great, it only does so until I try to really look at it.
I have to agree though, that the character models are about as bad as you can find in a game that has come out in the last five years. Many F2P games are much better. Animations are mixed bag as well, some good, some serviceable and some horrid.
The overall graphics are superb, character models and armor aside. There are a few things that mar the otherwise superb visuals though. Although the long viewing distances are nice, I'd actually prefer a more limited, "fog as boundaries" approach vs. the horribly distracting "pop up 'impostor' trees" method used here. "Impostor objects" aside (basically poorly done 2D sprite impostors for trees and some other objects when viewed at a distance and a horrible transition to the 3D models closer up), I actually find the over all world visuals in LotRO to be better than most games and even better, in general, than Aion.
It's a little sad, because the visuals would get a 10, if it wasn't for huge deductions on character visuals and the pop up 2D/3D tree stuff.
Average PC stats have improved a lot in the last 2.5 years. Video cards in particular run circles around hardware that was out when LotRO launched. I wonder if it would be practical to take advantage of that and offer greatly improved character models, along with less use of 2D pop up terrain elements? Those changes alone, combined with the next major expansion, might just reignite interest in the game. Maybe in a major way.
with my machine and graphics card see specs below and with all graphics setting at max with the exception of I have AA which is set at four in DX10 I get 50FPS plus in Bree/crowded areas, 100+FPS out of town. I don't think there is another game on the market that gives the bang for the buck graphics wise that Lotro does. I do have a issue with some of the townsfolk walking animations but if that is what it takes to get a playable game with these gorgeous textures then so be it.
My only real gripe is the headgear is fugly but that is just my personal taste.
machine specs- E8400 core duo at 3.0 MHz, EVGA 260 GTX, 6.144 gig of DDR2, Win 7 evaluation build
Ok check these screen shots from eq2. These are new shots from the eq2 shader 3.0 graphics update coming in the next update. Eq2 might not be as nice for world graphics as LoTR but I think the character equipment and looks are nicer.
100% agreed, it was disappointing to create a character in LOTRO after EQ2. The lack of choices for individual looks and the poor animation was a real downfall, running always felt silly in LOTRO.
The Landscape is nicer in LOTRO tho, more colorful and more atmospheric.
LOTRO World Graphics (With ryzom seasson and weather features) + EQ2 Characters + Sandbox (Ryzom like) gameplay = my dream of an MMO. Thank God it doesnt exist Gives me time for other things hehe.
Eq2 might not be as nice for world graphics as LoTR but I think the character equipment and looks are nicer.
I agree because I was a huge EQII fan for a couple of years. EQII always had great equipment graphics and probably the best animations of any game I played with maybe the exception of Vanguard. But the FPS was always horrible if I turned any shadows on, the client was unstable at times, the characters looked like plastic action figures and the landscapes were horrid for the most part.
What I am saying here is every game has good and bad points on the graphics. AoC beats the crap out of EQII and LoTRO both on character models and the city areas but the game itself bores me to death. LoTRO is a great looking game all things considered but it's key strength is in the game design and overall look. I can nitpick any game to make it look like it is crap.
I would love to see a Light color armour on EQ2. Black and hide alot and a image in Open area that show the Mountains and trees. Please Note I have not played EQ2.
I would love to see a Light color armour on EQ2. Black and hide alot and a image in Open area that show the Mountains and trees. Please Note I have not played EQ2.
here's one I found on on teh EQII website, I am sure you can Google some more up
EQII's weakest link on graphics is the outdoors areas and textures. BNotice the water looks like blue tin foil and the grass is more like play dough
here is LoTRO showing grass and water as a comparison
Comments
Personally I like the graphic a lot till Eregion. MoM sucks (to dark for a to long time, 8 levels) and Lothlorian isn't that nice either....
Complaining about the graphics being bland in LOTRO is like saying the sun isn't bright enough
I find the character models to be on par or better than other MMOs launched two years ago. The world graphics are unparalleled.
I will say that the basic character animations feel a little wooden and could use some improvement but they are not nearly bad enough to repulse me from the game.
As for ugly armor...that's what the costume system is for. If you don't like the looks of a particular gear set but like the stats, use a costume for your look and keep the stats. Problem solved.
Waldo Inkwell
The LOTRO Chronicles
"Freedom is just another name for nothing left to lose" - Janis Joplin
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Edit; This is strange. I cant seem to post pictures or text atm...oh well I will try to retype what I just wrote.
Alot of good looking pictures you guys have posted. To bad that for every wonderfull view there is 10 of these (everything on max, HD textures, dx10@1920x1200);
I7@4ghz, 5970@ 1 ghz/5ghz, water cooled||Former setups Byggblogg||Byggblogg 2|| Msi Wind u100
If anyone thinks the graphics are 'bad' (subjective, I know) in LotRO, then may I suggest you take a free trial account of WoW for a spin for a week (if you can last that long, I can only manage an hour or two before the 'cutesyness' factor makes me barf) and then come back and comment.
Once you've played WoW's cartoon like game for a while, LotRO will seem like 'Real life v2.0'
[ Please note: (Before I get lynched by WoW players) I have no problems with Wow, it's a great game. I just don't like playing it because of the cartoon graphics, THAT'S ALL FOLKS! ]
Currently playing: Vanguard: SOH
I find the LotRO graphics to be perfectly fine for the job and that overall the world graphics are quite good and provide the right level of atmosphere to enjoy the game and the storyline. I think they reached a reasonable compromise between the stylized WoW type graphics that don't put a huge demand on a system and the highly detailed Vanguard style graphics that require more graphics power. I find LotRO playable on a lot of systems and that is good as it is a fun game.
HOWEVER, I hate how the hobbits look. Damn you turbine for making them so pudgy!
"them's hobbits is snack sized!"
Currently playing: Vanguard: SOH
I find the graphics to LOTROL up to par with the other MMO's out these days. Its the animations that are a bit substandard, but then the next update is going to address this. Heck I am going to be happy just to not have to get off my horse everytime I talk to an NPC.
"Heck I am going to be happy just to not have to get off my horse everytime I talk to an NPC"
It's funny how it's always the simple things in life that make people the happiest. *silly grin*
Currently playing: Vanguard: SOH
Indeed it is.
Lord of the rings does landscape graphics exceptionally well . Where it falls down really are the character animations which are a bit stiff compared to some other mmos .
It is hard to argue with you as this is your opinion and I think especially as far as graphics go it is your own opinion that counts the most (to you anyway) but I have to say if LOTRO has the "stupidiest ever" you haven't played many mmo's.....
but yeah, to call this game Fantastic is like calling Twilight the Godfather of vampire movies....
No one is arguing that the world visuals are anything but stunning. They are, so you are wasting your time throwing up screenshots that are not proving a point. I've played Lotro for a long time, was in beta blah blah etc. I'll be back when the new digital expansion hits, but that doesn't change that fact that the character models compared to the world look like a cat thrown out a window. That is simple fact, look at any screenshot and you can clearly see your model is out of place from the rest of the world. Now this isn't a game breaker for me, but for some it is.
"Freedom is just another name for nothing left to lose" - Janis Joplin
.jpg)
The graphics so far are worse than I remember them to be, and I have them maxed out with DX10 enabled. However, I've been playing high graphic quality games, so it could be that I'm used to something better and remember wrongly. The avatars are complete junk though. Proportions are off, skin is plasticy, hair is not natural, and feet are blocky. In fact, not much is realistic at all on the avatars. It looks amaturish at best. Even DAoC has better avatar graphics and the game is much older.
Luckily, the game makes up for it in other ways.
What I don't get is why it has to be about graphics all the time..
lotro's graphics are overwhelming compared to wow but compare them to age of conan and they are average, still pre-moria lotro (up to 50ish that is) has one of the best pve experiences you can have in an mmo and for pve fans that is all that should count.
My friend, if that's all that should count, people would play MUD's or early MMO's, because they had a better PvE experience. LoTRO does have a good PvE experience, and their graphics are good. But it doesn't hurt to talk about graphics, because they are important to people. Maybe not important to you, or to some others, but they're important to a great many people, which is why a ton is spent on a graphics during development.
Try to see things from everyones point of view. It's what people call being unbiased and impartial. You can critique the graphics and say negative things without it meaning you don't like the game.
There is a lot more to LOTRO than graphics. This just happens to be the subject the thread is about.
Regarding AoC...for me I find the 'look' of AoC to be amazing, but the actually 'reality' is inferior. What I mean is...so much that you see in AoC is eyecandy you cannot explore. What you see in the distance...you most likely can't actually go there. What you see closer by...,uch of that you can't actually go to either as the pathing doesn't allow it. (AKA: Guild Wars)
So while AoC 'looks' great, it only does so until I try to really look at it.
Waldo Inkwell
The LOTRO Chronicles
Great game, nice, open world, lots of content.
I have to agree though, that the character models are about as bad as you can find in a game that has come out in the last five years. Many F2P games are much better. Animations are mixed bag as well, some good, some serviceable and some horrid.
The overall graphics are superb, character models and armor aside. There are a few things that mar the otherwise superb visuals though. Although the long viewing distances are nice, I'd actually prefer a more limited, "fog as boundaries" approach vs. the horribly distracting "pop up 'impostor' trees" method used here. "Impostor objects" aside (basically poorly done 2D sprite impostors for trees and some other objects when viewed at a distance and a horrible transition to the 3D models closer up), I actually find the over all world visuals in LotRO to be better than most games and even better, in general, than Aion.
It's a little sad, because the visuals would get a 10, if it wasn't for huge deductions on character visuals and the pop up 2D/3D tree stuff.
Average PC stats have improved a lot in the last 2.5 years. Video cards in particular run circles around hardware that was out when LotRO launched. I wonder if it would be practical to take advantage of that and offer greatly improved character models, along with less use of 2D pop up terrain elements? Those changes alone, combined with the next major expansion, might just reignite interest in the game. Maybe in a major way.
Want to know more about GW2 and why there is so much buzz? Start here: Guild Wars 2 Mass Info for the Uninitiated
"Freedom is just another name for nothing left to lose" - Janis Joplin
.jpg)
with my machine and graphics card see specs below and with all graphics setting at max with the exception of I have AA which is set at four in DX10 I get 50FPS plus in Bree/crowded areas, 100+FPS out of town. I don't think there is another game on the market that gives the bang for the buck graphics wise that Lotro does. I do have a issue with some of the townsfolk walking animations but if that is what it takes to get a playable game with these gorgeous textures then so be it.
My only real gripe is the headgear is fugly but that is just my personal taste.
machine specs- E8400 core duo at 3.0 MHz, EVGA 260 GTX, 6.144 gig of DDR2, Win 7 evaluation build
I miss DAoC
100% agreed, it was disappointing to create a character in LOTRO after EQ2. The lack of choices for individual looks and the poor animation was a real downfall, running always felt silly in LOTRO.
The Landscape is nicer in LOTRO tho, more colorful and more atmospheric.
LOTRO World Graphics (With ryzom seasson and weather features) + EQ2 Characters + Sandbox (Ryzom like) gameplay = my dream of an MMO. Thank God it doesnt exist
Gives me time for other things hehe.
I agree because I was a huge EQII fan for a couple of years. EQII always had great equipment graphics and probably the best animations of any game I played with maybe the exception of Vanguard. But the FPS was always horrible if I turned any shadows on, the client was unstable at times, the characters looked like plastic action figures and the landscapes were horrid for the most part.
What I am saying here is every game has good and bad points on the graphics. AoC beats the crap out of EQII and LoTRO both on character models and the city areas but the game itself bores me to death. LoTRO is a great looking game all things considered but it's key strength is in the game design and overall look. I can nitpick any game to make it look like it is crap.
I miss DAoC
I would love to see a Light color armour on EQ2. Black and hide alot and a image in Open area that show the Mountains and trees. Please Note I have not played EQ2.
here's one I found on on teh EQII website, I am sure you can Google some more up
EQII's weakest link on graphics is the outdoors areas and textures. BNotice the water looks like blue tin foil and the grass is more like play dough
here is LoTRO showing grass and water as a comparison
I miss DAoC