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The Evolution of MMO Graphics
AngelCutums
Member Posts: 7
As MMORPGs have evolved over the years, graphics has become more and more of a defining characteristic. From the text-based MUDs to simple 2D graphics to modern day, graphical options have expanded greatly. I personally look at graphics the same way I would as any technology. Let’s take cameras for example. At first the technology will be crude, barely prominent. Later, there will be the era of innovation (polarized cameras, digital cameras, video cameras). Likewise, in MMO’s graphics expanded into 2.5D graphics, seamless maps, 3D graphics, and sidescrollers. Eventually there will be a point where designers can only improve the current design (i.e. have better quality footage, more memory in the camera, more megapixels). Customers wait for a breakthrough, something to inspire them. I think MMO graphics have reached that point as well, as select developers push the limitations of current graphics, however nothing innovative enough to be considered new.
On the other hand, there is an anomaly between normal technology and MMO graphics. While some new games strive to impress the gamers with realistic graphics and beautifully rendered environments, most games stick with simple character models and anime style graphics. I asked myself why on earth would anyone move “backwards” in technology? Is it just that some developers don’t have the resources or talent to compete with others? Is it that many MMOs are originally developed in Asian nations, where anime style graphics are highly popular? Or is just that we, as gamers, strive for something simpler than real life? Some look for immersion in a game, or just something different that our dreary lives. Why on earth would we want to look exactly as we do in real life; wouldn’t we rather have a super perfect unrealistic body? Personally, I believe the answer is that anime graphics in MMOs will die out eventually, but not anytime soon.
So what do you guys think? Do you believe that MMO’s, over the years, will transition to a new era of realistic, high-definition gaming? Or will the cutesy, anime style persist onwards?
-Archana
Comments
There's more and more issues those super realistic games are running into, something called "Uncanny Valley". The more realistic something becomes the more creepy it starts to look if there are still mistakes. People like realism up to a point, after that they become disgusted with it, the same is happening with robots, which is why most companies make robots "cute" instead of realistic.
NBA 2K11 has many of those issues (I hate basketball and basketball games, it's just most noticeable in those games right now.)
Good example of creepy realism:
Besides the uncanny valley idea in mmos there is also the problem of having hundreds of players on screen at once without wanting to cause performance loss. Look at Aion, it's a beautiful game and in general runs great, but no matter how good of a machine you have you have to either turn down/off some of the graphics during fort sieges or you have performance loss. AoC runs into this same problem as well. One solution devs have used for this is instancing zones. I think most of us can agree we would like less instancing in our mmos. Therefore, I for one am willing to take a hit in the graphics department in order to have less instancing and more players interacting on screen at one time without performance problems.
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I actually thought that was a picture taken from a game for a minute... shit.
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Two things:
First: Smart MMO companies will always make their MMOs behind the top technology at the time (unless they make it for consoles since then they have set standards to work in) the reason being that the majority of PC users will never have the top end machines. Since you want the most money, you need to allow the widest user base possible to play your game.
Second: There is a major issue with using truly realistic graphics instead of a particular art style. The realistic graphics don't last as long. If you make your own art style, no matter what it is, your game still looks like your game even as technology advances. If you strive for realism, as soon as newer more realistic graphics come out your game looks old. This is why most MMOs don't try to mimic reality but instead try to come up with their own art style. Realism works for FPS games because those games are designed to be replaced by new FPS games in a year or less. So they don't have to worry about technology making them look old.
Would you buy a diamond with only two sides?
For some reason homoginization seems to be creeping into all aspects of life when in reality, all sorts of people like all sorts of different things.
I think both styles of graphics will remain prevelant. Because people like different styles of art. I'm not a fan of games like Maple Story, but it has its own style and lots of people like that game, and I'm ok with that. I prefer games like Age of Conan that look more realistic to me.
I just don't think it is really an either or sort of situation. Both will remain as long as people like them.
The Stranger: It's what people know about themselves inside that makes 'em afraid.
You also have to add to it that some games are in production for quite a bit of time. Coding and making all the different textures and shapes and whatnot takes a great deal of time. The more complex you try to make it the more time it will take and then more time that passes there is the chance of even more of a jump in the graphical department. I think most companies try their best when it comes to the graphical department that they can within their means. Its like when you take the time to make or build something yourself. Yes you get gratification in making it but if it still looks like crap you will always be disappointed :<
I agree that there is never only two sides to a situation. In my original post, I was not trying to imply that there has to be an either or situation with realistic vs non realistic graphics. I've just noticed that several modern day technologies have streamlined into one specific type or look. Hopefully, as music and art still have many diverse forms today, MMO graphics of all types will remain popular as well. But who knows, one type might prevail over the other so much that we won't even notice the change beneath our eyes. With the exception of side scrollers, 2D games have been less popular over the years. Within 5-10 years, 2D games might even become obsolete. All I'm asking is do you think the same thing could/will happen to non-realistic graphics?
-Archana
Technological limitations seem to be a big problem. Vanguard tried hard to make pretty graphics, models, environment, etc.. And all it did was it crashed the systems, lag was horrible, engine/coding problems everywhere. Took them a year and half plus redoing the models just to fit visible helmets on player characters.
You got to remember, in a MMO, game developers are expected to deliver a smooth running game where you can have upwards of 100's of people in the same zone without crashing the server. They are expected to have 2-3k players on each server. MMO's are a whole different beast, it's not like a single player game, nor like some other multiplayer games.
I do think developers have been sticking with a more non-realistic design because they've seen how some games have failed because people could barely run the games. They look at Vanguard, they look at Warhammer Online. Remember WAR wanted to be 1 up on WoW's graphics by making things a bit more detailed, a bit more pixelated? The game ends up running poorly, it was laggy, there were chunking issues when zoning, the servers kept on crashing whenever there were large RvR raids, your casts took 5-7 seconds to register when you're in large RvR raids, etc.. I think all gamers can agree playability > graphics. Graphics mean nothing if you can't play.
Technology aside, games have to follow the lore somewhat. When you play WoW, you know you're in the warcraft universe. It looks and feels like a warcraft world. Same with many other games that took popular IP's, or games like Everquest have made its name popular by being a fatansy MMORPG. Fantasy does not mean realistic, people do want to be in a fantasy world, they don't want to be reminded of RL when playing games.
EQ1-AC1-DAOC-FFXI-L2-EQ2-WoW-DDO-GW-LoTR-VG-WAR-GW2-ESO
Could happens yes. I certainly hope it does not though.
The Stranger: It's what people know about themselves inside that makes 'em afraid.
Damn, that brunette with the lakers jersey has some nice...
OH SHIT.
I think SWG struck a nice balance with realism, and they had the open worlds that I like. I think those graphics are good enough, and with todays technology maybe we could make something like that but better in terms of performance.
There is no need for Ultra-Realisitc-Graphic in a MMORPG.
Good colours, textures, good lighting and good chars with much options to build and smooth animations is all it needs.
More only leads to good looking but low content slow update games bcs of trouble with the far to complex engine, the broad range of computers used to play that game etc...
Graphic is very fine, next big thing is implementaion of physics.
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I have to agree with the physics angle. One of the reasons I am slightly interested in DC universe online is due to the implementation of good physics(yet to be seen) along with the level of interaction with your environment. The interaction with the environment has been done before but I am hoping if the physics in DCUO is as good as they say it is it will take it to bit of a higher level than it has been in previous games.