Perhaps more importantly, the designers have already announced that they're intending for ToR to be fairly accessible in terms of the hardware needed to play the game. FFXIV and Guild Wars 2 will both look incredible on a few machines, absolutely. But your average gamer may no longer be willing to shell out $1500+ to pull together a rid capable of handling the one or two games they may ever bother to play on it at their highest settings; those players will instead be forced to wait for a console release, settle for some combination of sluggish gameplay and/or muted graphics, or just not play. If the game's to be made accessible to the potential masses that might make a voluntary exodus from WoW (whose hardware requirements are functionally nil) in preference of any number of the potentially awesome MMOs going live in the next six or eight months, it'll need to be playable despite the hardware limitations likely inherent to your average casual+ player.
Graphics, honestly, just aren't as important as gameplay. World of Warcraft has always managed to look damned good within the context of its cartoonish style, despite maintaining a fairly low hardware bar. They likely owe as much of their success to this ease of hardware access as they have the Blizzard-Warcraft franchise being tagged on.
Final Fantasy graphics may be good, but if you seen the game play then it is not that appealing. Yea, I just got off the phone and pre ordered my FF14 collectors edition, but.... don't plan to play this game when TOR or GW2 comes out. This will be my temporary fix. Anyone trying to compare SWTOR to wow graphics, that is just laughable. SWTOR is 10 steps above the stylized graphics of wow, if anyone has ever seen or played tor they would know what I am talking about.
Perhaps more importantly, the designers have already announced that they're intending for ToR to be fairly accessible in terms of the hardware needed to play the game. FFXIV and Guild Wars 2 will both look incredible on a few machines, absolutely. But your average gamer may no longer be willing to shell out $1500+ to pull together a rid capable of handling the one or two games they may ever bother to play on it at their highest settings; those players will instead be forced to wait for a console release, settle for some combination of sluggish gameplay and/or muted graphics, or just not play. If the game's to be made accessible to the potential masses that might make a voluntary exodus from WoW (whose hardware requirements are functionally nil) in preference of any number of the potentially awesome MMOs going live in the next six or eight months, it'll need to be playable despite the hardware limitations likely inherent to your average casual+ player.
Graphics, honestly, just aren't as important as gameplay. World of Warcraft has always managed to look damned good within the context of its cartoonish style, despite maintaining a fairly low hardware bar. They likely owe as much of their success to this ease of hardware access as they have the Blizzard-Warcraft franchise being tagged on.
^QFT
There is a reason most new games with high end graphics do not get large number of subs. It is how the game functions on the average rig. If you want subs in the millions, you have to have WoW type graphics. If WoW had high end graphics, it would never have had the numbers it did.
And yes, gameplay is more important. LOTRO looks much better than WoW, but the combat and animations of LOTRO are just slow and boring. So the game never had more than 300K subs and is now going F2P. Fun > graphics unless you go from 3d to 2d,
How many people long for that "past, simpler, and better world," I wonder, without ever recognizing the truth that perhaps it was they who were simpler and better, and not the world about them? R.A.Salvatore
Simple answer to the question, no, it doesn't look cheap. Also, to the people saying that all the funds were going to voice-acting... Please, just stop embarassing yourself, you have no way of knowing any of that due to the fact that it's not complete yet and you haven't even gotten to play any of it.
Originally posted by Elikal Originally posted by Baikal You know....
I remember at release fans of EQ2 said that the more realistic graphics would be the death of a stylized graphics game like World of Warcraft. A few millions subscribers later, think they feel the same way? Games like Vanguard, Age of Conan, and others can all tout how they look, and maybe that'll suck some people in, but if the quality of the game is crap, nobody is staying. WoW is probably the pinnacle of the "making stylized graphics work", so I dont think they are the best example. In addition, think about how the "pretty" games have aged, what was great looking then shows it's age as compared to today's games. A game like WoW, which was stylized then, is still stylized today, and doesnt show near as much wear. Bottom line, 150 million dollars and we get stylized graphics and a kick ass game underneath the hood, I think the vast majority of people are satisfied (I'm sure not all). Dont underestimate the benefit of having a game that a wider audience can experience either. It's all a matter of taste, if it really offends you, then choose what you enjoy.
Thats pretty much what Bioware says, and maybe it is so, that the mass taste prefer recognizable "iconic" style. I can't say what others like, but I sure would like it a bit more "beautiful". It doesnt need to be photo realism. But the LOTRO landscapes really set a measure I would not like to fall back behind. Just talking about my preferrences here, sure, but it still feels odd to have this super duper $150 million bucks MMO and then this Allods level graphics.
Well, I'd disagree about the Allods level graphics, but that isnt the point. Look at it this way, WoW is still one of the most played MMO's out there, with numbers that dwarf most other MMO's. I dont think it's because of how it looks, I think a bigger part is how it plays and how accessible it is.
Bioware would be doing a disservice to that 150 million dollars if they focused on graphics and left the game as secondary. They are a business, so for them the best return on investment isnt going be catering to an audience that prefers graphics to to gameplay.
We can debate ad nausem about what we like, and how the graphics stand today, but at release, we'll know how SWTOR will be judged.
Now lets see in real life aplications of these graphics comparison.
In GW2 10% of players will run the game at max settings, 50% will run it at low settings, 40% will not even install it because it cannot run it.
In SWTOR 80% will run it at max settings, 19% will run it at low settings, and 1% will not run it..
Now wich game has the best graphics?
Throwing out random numbers and making them sound like facts does not help your argument much. In fact it makes you sound like a fan-boi doing anything he can to protect his game.
You claim that 40% cannot play GW2. Now I assume you mean 40% within the MMO community, because quite frankly, if you aren't into MMO's, you probably don't care that you can run GW2 or not. So what you are saying is that... of all the MMO gamers and all the gamers looking foward to playing GW2... only about half of them will be able to play, because the other half somehow "cannot" run the game.
I dont think SWTOR looks cheap, yes it doesnt look as visually impressive as the other games mentioned, but people with much older systems will be able to play SWTOR while games like FFXIV will never run.
if i started judging every MMO on the basis of graphics there are some really good games i would have missed playing. Moreover SWTOR does not look cheap from any angle. A game hich is atleast a year away from release looks quit good to me. Moreover graphics can be upgraded and improved over time.
Also people forget the main reason behind WOW's success. It was the ease at which it ran on range of systems.
90% of haters are begging for love. 10% just want a little attention -- Paulo Coelho
Now lets see in real life aplications of these graphics comparison.
In GW2 10% of players will run the game at max settings, 50% will run it at low settings, 40% will not even install it because it cannot run it.
In SWTOR 80% will run it at max settings, 19% will run it at low settings, and 1% will not run it..
Now wich game has the best graphics?
Clearly GW2 then :-)
What good is a game almost nobody can play because only 10% can use those graphics?
The majority of players will never ever use GW settings at max, so the graphics will look really crappy at lower settings compared to swtor running at max settings in the moajority of players computers...in the end swtor, wow etc have the best graphics because all players can run it....
Heavy graphics like aoc, GW2, are useless, almost nobody can run it, if they can run it its at lower, and even at low setting imense lag from having only 10 players on screen...
Now lets see in real life aplications of these graphics comparison.
In GW2 10% of players will run the game at max settings, 50% will run it at low settings, 40% will not even install it because it cannot run it.
In SWTOR 80% will run it at max settings, 19% will run it at low settings, and 1% will not run it..
Now wich game has the best graphics?
Throwing out random numbers and making them sound like facts does not help your argument much. In fact it makes you sound like a fan-boi doing anything he can to protect his game.
You claim that 40% cannot play GW2. Now I assume you mean 40% within the MMO community, because quite frankly, if you aren't into MMO's, you probably don't care that you can run GW2 or not. So what you are saying is that... of all the MMO gamers and all the gamers looking foward to playing GW2... only about half of them will be able to play, because the other half somehow "cannot" run the game.
cmon man use ur brain a bit..those numbers i said are 100% innacurate only used to make a point that is a fact, almost all computers on earth will run swtor, about GW2 most people will cry all over in the forums because GW2 is to heavy and they must run it at low settings and looks crappy at low settings, excessive lag blah blah the same thing it happens all the time with those imba graphics games...
I agree with what others have said about art style. In video games you could have an incredibly capable engine let down by bad design or bad use of textures or any number of factors. If you've ever had a go at making a level in unreal ed you know that the difference between a jawdroppingly awesome environment and a piece of crap is all in the clever use of textures normal maps baked lighting etc etc. So far from what Ive seen TOR looks pretty well designed, the ship interiors look convincing etc, but it does look a little bit lacking in some screenshots aswell, only time will tell. I have faith in bioware to at least deliver some convincing graphics even if they are diluted by the requirements of an MMO that runs on every computer system imaginable.
I like the artstyle. I even like the artstyle of the SW Clone Wars series nowadays. Found it strange looking at first, but I guess its an acquired taste for me
Not cheap. accessible. It would be cool if ppl quit drawing conclusions from Screenshots or vids and start judging when the game comes out.
Compared to the fanboys that raises this game to the sky before it has been realesed?
Nope,
Compared to haters dooming the game 1 year before it's release. Like yourself.
want to know something funny we are not haters we are just much more real about the game.
i will tell the truth i am an swg vet i played from launch untill the nge. and yes i am of the mindset that $OE stole what was one of the best mmorpgs around from we the players in order to make wow with lightsabers. and look around you have maybe about 90% of mmo players screaming for a pre-cu game. go onto any game and ask in global and you'll get tons of people talking about how great pre-cu swg was.
bioware isn't giving we the players that. what we are getting is a watered down wow in space.
Comments
Final Fantasy graphics may be good, but if you seen the game play then it is not that appealing. Yea, I just got off the phone and pre ordered my FF14 collectors edition, but.... don't plan to play this game when TOR or GW2 comes out. This will be my temporary fix. Anyone trying to compare SWTOR to wow graphics, that is just laughable. SWTOR is 10 steps above the stylized graphics of wow, if anyone has ever seen or played tor they would know what I am talking about.
^QFT
There is a reason most new games with high end graphics do not get large number of subs. It is how the game functions on the average rig. If you want subs in the millions, you have to have WoW type graphics. If WoW had high end graphics, it would never have had the numbers it did.
And yes, gameplay is more important. LOTRO looks much better than WoW, but the combat and animations of LOTRO are just slow and boring. So the game never had more than 300K subs and is now going F2P. Fun > graphics unless you go from 3d to 2d,
How many people long for that "past, simpler, and better world," I wonder, without ever recognizing the truth that perhaps it was they who were simpler and better, and not the world about them?
R.A.Salvatore
Simple answer to the question, no, it doesn't look cheap. Also, to the people saying that all the funds were going to voice-acting... Please, just stop embarassing yourself, you have no way of knowing any of that due to the fact that it's not complete yet and you haven't even gotten to play any of it.
Well, I'd disagree about the Allods level graphics, but that isnt the point. Look at it this way, WoW is still one of the most played MMO's out there, with numbers that dwarf most other MMO's. I dont think it's because of how it looks, I think a bigger part is how it plays and how accessible it is.
Bioware would be doing a disservice to that 150 million dollars if they focused on graphics and left the game as secondary. They are a business, so for them the best return on investment isnt going be catering to an audience that prefers graphics to to gameplay.
We can debate ad nausem about what we like, and how the graphics stand today, but at release, we'll know how SWTOR will be judged.
Not cheap. accessible. It would be cool if ppl quit drawing conclusions from Screenshots or vids and start judging when the game comes out.
World of Warcraft is the original creation of God. Real Life is in fact a WoW clone.
Compared to the fanboys that raises this game to the sky before it has been realesed?
Now lets see in real life aplications of these graphics comparison.
In GW2 10% of players will run the game at max settings, 50% will run it at low settings, 40% will not even install it because it cannot run it.
In SWTOR 80% will run it at max settings, 19% will run it at low settings, and 1% will not run it..
Now wich game has the best graphics?
Throwing out random numbers and making them sound like facts does not help your argument much. In fact it makes you sound like a fan-boi doing anything he can to protect his game.
You claim that 40% cannot play GW2. Now I assume you mean 40% within the MMO community, because quite frankly, if you aren't into MMO's, you probably don't care that you can run GW2 or not. So what you are saying is that... of all the MMO gamers and all the gamers looking foward to playing GW2... only about half of them will be able to play, because the other half somehow "cannot" run the game.
I dont think SWTOR looks cheap, yes it doesnt look as visually impressive as the other games mentioned, but people with much older systems will be able to play SWTOR while games like FFXIV will never run.
if i started judging every MMO on the basis of graphics there are some really good games i would have missed playing. Moreover SWTOR does not look cheap from any angle. A game hich is atleast a year away from release looks quit good to me. Moreover graphics can be upgraded and improved over time.
Also people forget the main reason behind WOW's success. It was the ease at which it ran on range of systems.
90% of haters are begging for love. 10% just want a little attention -- Paulo Coelho
A recent shot:
http://img818.imageshack.us/f/tormiraluka.jpg/
The game has continually been improving its graphics, there's still 9 more months to go at least, it looks fine and has it's own style.
Which is more important than having the best textures on screen imo.
Feel free to use my referral link for SW:TOR if you want to test out the game. You'll get some special unlocks!
Clearly GW2 then :-)
What good is a game almost nobody can play because only 10% can use those graphics?
The majority of players will never ever use GW settings at max, so the graphics will look really crappy at lower settings compared to swtor running at max settings in the moajority of players computers...in the end swtor, wow etc have the best graphics because all players can run it....
Heavy graphics like aoc, GW2, are useless, almost nobody can run it, if they can run it its at lower, and even at low setting imense lag from having only 10 players on screen...
cmon man use ur brain a bit..those numbers i said are 100% innacurate only used to make a point that is a fact, almost all computers on earth will run swtor, about GW2 most people will cry all over in the forums because GW2 is to heavy and they must run it at low settings and looks crappy at low settings, excessive lag blah blah the same thing it happens all the time with those imba graphics games...
I think they went for the computer friendly model, but the game looks fine for what it is...I think I am one of the dew who likes the art style.
March on! - Lets Invade Pekopon
No, it looks good.
I agree with what others have said about art style. In video games you could have an incredibly capable engine let down by bad design or bad use of textures or any number of factors. If you've ever had a go at making a level in unreal ed you know that the difference between a jawdroppingly awesome environment and a piece of crap is all in the clever use of textures normal maps baked lighting etc etc. So far from what Ive seen TOR looks pretty well designed, the ship interiors look convincing etc, but it does look a little bit lacking in some screenshots aswell, only time will tell. I have faith in bioware to at least deliver some convincing graphics even if they are diluted by the requirements of an MMO that runs on every computer system imaginable.
Well I like it
I think its cute and the places shown in the videos look really nice!
I like the artstyle. I even like the artstyle of the SW Clone Wars series nowadays. Found it strange looking at first, but I guess its an acquired taste for me
Nope,
Compared to haters dooming the game 1 year before it's release. Like yourself.
want to know something funny we are not haters we are just much more real about the game.
i will tell the truth i am an swg vet i played from launch untill the nge. and yes i am of the mindset that $OE stole what was one of the best mmorpgs around from we the players in order to make wow with lightsabers. and look around you have maybe about 90% of mmo players screaming for a pre-cu game. go onto any game and ask in global and you'll get tons of people talking about how great pre-cu swg was.
bioware isn't giving we the players that. what we are getting is a watered down wow in space.