The graphics look more than decent by today's standards. Add 2-5 years to that though. They need to resist the passing of time and be adaptable to any new technologies presented. Very few MMOs have adaptable game engines (LOTRO and ...).
The style of the graphics in SWTOR I really dont have a problem with, the Biowares' stylised look imo is preferable to the slavish desire for ultra realism. What DOES concern me though in this game and in quite a few MMO's is when crap animation really spoils all the loving attention and care put into the look of a game. I can recall playing Warhammer Online and becoming quickly cheesed off at the movement of my one character who walked and ran with all the grace of a human with a large root vegetable wedged where the sun dont shine. I just dont get why convincing and smooth animation is difficult for some games to implement, where others succeed admirably. Heres hoping the dreaded 'root vegetable' problem does not strike in SWTOR.
Oh and maybe more attention to character models is needed as others have said. Also I hope that the rpg background of Bioware doesnt mean that they will show us wonderful vistas and beautifully crafted areas that I will only be able to look at from a distance, ie Dragonage Origins. Remember Bioware...this is an MMO, ( still shuddering at the crap Space treatment).
Landscape, environment, fairly nice. Better than average. I enjoy the panoramic views.
Avatars border on uninspired at best and simplistically lazy at worst.
I have the opposite view , avatars combat animations are some of the best i ever seen .
Landscape and Envoirement are average for me .
Monsters are the same in a way or another , but its the avatar combat animations that really stands out , cause of motion capture , the avatars appearance , yes they are standard too .
But once you see them in action i love them .
But honestly its all depending on what spec you are using as computer .
ING review on youtube i like it , well the dance wihan showed they were horrible ,(thats cause taken illegally with a hidden camera )
But well i cant argue cause i see them in different light then you .
I'm starting to get pulled in this games hype. I am a huge SWG vet, and was of course one of the first wave of people saying that a completely story driven, linear'ish mmo would be more like a single player than a MMO. Well, I don't take that part back, but I reserve an objective opinion on the fact that this is bioware and I loved KOTOR, mass effect, dragon age, ect.
They can make a ton of great single player type gameplay and that alone, while not my particular style when it comes to 'mmorpg's, would still be worth my sub to play through a few times. What I am concered with mostly is how they will handle end-game, you know, after you've completed the story on every possible character. And I also don't consider 8v8 worthy of being considered a 'Warzone', I think the name warzone is too grand for such a small ammount of people. I really hope they have more PVP options, with possible open world PVP battle zones, and larger scaled warzones.
Anways, consider myself more on the hype/optimistic side, than the cynical side now.
I, for one, enjoy the graphics in TOR. For the visual art style they're going for, they're doing a great job with texture, lighting, and atsmophere. Everything is top knotch, polished and they put a lot attention to detail ... for the art direction.
I think this game is bashed a lot for the graphics because they compare it to games like Age of Conan, graphically, and you can't really do that seeing they go for two totally different styles. Comparing it to WoW, which to me has the same art style (hate to join that band-wagon), theyre doing a great job.
Only thing I don't really like is the ... 'feel', for lack of a better word, of the character models. They don't really portray age that much, everyone looks really really young and spunky.
"This hand of mine glows with an awesome power....."
I like it because everything, from what I see so far, goes well together. I hate game where NPC's, doodads, and the environment each seem to be part of a different game. I also hate games with too much detail, if you know what I mean, you probably don't, but it is hard to describe what I mean.
Look dont get caught in my hype , cause it suits my game play .
Your opnion is valid its still a singleplayer story game . just it has MMO features sprinkled troughout the time, you dont want to play singleplayer anymore . and it has endgame .
End deal is test or try it out for yourself , if it fails it fails , if it succeeds it succeeds .
Its up to you want you want from a game .
If the singleplayer story are not captivating enough , i cannot say if the MMO portion will be good enough .
Yes there will be tons of Cyber , there will be tons of PvP there will be tons of socialising .
Cause thats the way the bioware community is , there will be idiots there will be lot of nice people .
But if the game cannot captivate you from 1 -10 and the MMO part is maybe stinky too cause you meet the wrong people.
IT failed in your eyes , nothing wrong with that , the product simply failed in your eyes .
If it succeeded to bind you , then it succeeded and you pay sub , if it failed it failed .
End of story , i am not here to sell you a game cause i am already biased , it will succeed .
So my hype is worth nothing , cause its my reasons why i am hyped .
Cause SOME PEOPLE JUST HATE STARWARS AND SCI FI ... nothing wrong with that .
If lightsabers a blaster and laser bolts puts you off , this is the wrong genre for them . and struggling alone to learn to love it .
Is totally silly . you will always be reflected back to whats different from a sword and whats different from a fireball .
I went with good enough, a little polish is likely before release but as they stand they are fine. I can imagine playing for hours within the environments and being happy. I quite like the style they've gone for, it's old school and fits fine with the universe they are creating and it looks like a Star Wars game to me, but I'm not wowed by them. The story, characters, combat and animation combined with the graphics look on track to keep me immersed so I'll be checking it out for sure.
The problem was before hand was people were seeing alpha images and bad video as what the game would really look like. Which is certainly understandable, you see an image you assume thats how the game looks, now that we got better images of how the game will look like at release i feel that most people are cool with the graphics. Maybe not the best but certainly not the worst.
Least wise thats how i see it.
Help me Bioware, you're my only hope.
Is ToR going to be good? Dude it's Bioware making a freaking star wars game, all signs point to awesome. -G4tv MMo report.
Look dont get caught in my hype , cause it suits my game play .
Your opnion is valid its still a singleplayer story game . just it has MMO features sprinkled troughout the time, you dont want to play singleplayer anymore . and it has endgame .
End deal is test or try it out for yourself , if it fails it fails , if it succeeds it succeeds .
Its up to you want you want from a game .
If the singleplayer story are not captivating enough , i cannot say if the MMO portion will be good enough .
Yes there will be tons of Cyber , there will be tons of PvP there will be tons of socialising .
Cause thats the way the bioware community is , there will be idiots there will be lot of nice people .
But if the game cannot captivate you from 1 -10 and the MMO part is maybe stinky too cause you meet the wrong people.
IT failed in your eyes , nothing wrong with that , the product simply failed in your eyes .
If it succeeded to bind you , then it succeeded and you pay sub , if it failed it failed .
End of story , i am not here to sell you a game cause i am already biased , it will succeed .
So my hype is worth nothing , cause its my reasons why i am hyped .
Cause SOME PEOPLE JUST HATE STARWARS AND SCI FI ... nothing wrong with that .
If lightsabers a blaster and laser bolts puts you off , this is the wrong genre for them . and struggling alone to learn to love it .
Is totally silly . you will always be reflected back to whats different from a sword and whats different from a fireball .
Well it suits my gameplay more than most MMO's of my old preference anyhow. Recently I quit MMORPG's pretty much for good, in exchange for just playing games that I find fun. SWTOR looks very fun, any layer of social cooperation is good enough for me, but the part I am mostly excited about, for now, is the great single player.
If I get this, it will be in the same mindset as when I bought the KOTOR games. Drueling for an awesome choice driven SW game. Whatever comes after that is just icing for me, I'll be very happy if the more cynical, old school aspects, that I have for the most part discarded, surprises me.
Looks like a poll on environments, so here's a few pics on characters.
Nope, it's on graphics, that's why you also saw character pictures. I know it's late, but look better next time.
Originally posted by whilan
The problem was before hand was people were seeing alpha images and bad video as what the game would really look like. Which is certainly understandable, you see an image you assume thats how the game looks, now that we got better images of how the game will look like at release i feel that most people are cool with the graphics. Maybe not the best but certainly not the worst.
Least wise thats how i see it.
Yep. But as anyone can see who's paying attention to the gradual progression of the graphical detail can attest to and as far as demo reports state (and beta players hint at), the environment and especially character graphics have gotten better and better, more detail and vivid, all around everything looks sharper and crispier.
The ease with which predictions are made on these forums: Fratman: "I'm saying Spring 2012 at the earliest [for TOR release]. Anyone still clinging to 2011 is deluding themself at this point."
Looks like a poll on environments, so here's a few pics on characters.
Again to me these look fine, what's the difference between these shots and those Cyphers posted? His featured plenty of character shots as well? Besides It's not like those of us who are informed around here needed them shown to us in the first place, we've seen them a thousand times over....
For every minute you are angry , you lose 60 seconds of happiness."-Emerson
I would have preferred slightly more realistic looking graphics as far as the characters, but I can live with it and it won't detract from my probable enjoyment of the game. The environment art looks really great. Overall the art/graphics don't look near so cartoony and corny as the WoW graphics and art style, so it is all good to me.
The graphics are fine, better then SWG if that's the stupid comparison people want to make. I think the complaints is the art style itself, and I'm fine with it tbh. Complaining about an art style and expecting it to be changed when you aren't an artist is stupid IMHO. You can do like most buyers of art would do, buy it or pass and let someone else who will appreciate it pick it up. STFU about how you think everyone else should feel the same as you do about it. Just Because you hate it and think it looks like a buncha scribbley lines and paint spatters on canvas, doesn't make it crap to everyone.
Comments
The graphics look more than decent by today's standards. Add 2-5 years to that though. They need to resist the passing of time and be adaptable to any new technologies presented. Very few MMOs have adaptable game engines (LOTRO and ...).
A new pic that should put this to rest.
Looks like they are ready for the red carpet. Just need to throw in about 100 screaming people and the press
Help me Bioware, you're my only hope.
Is ToR going to be good? Dude it's Bioware making a freaking star wars game, all signs point to awesome. -G4tv MMo report.
The style of the graphics in SWTOR I really dont have a problem with, the Biowares' stylised look imo is preferable to the slavish desire for ultra realism. What DOES concern me though in this game and in quite a few MMO's is when crap animation really spoils all the loving attention and care put into the look of a game. I can recall playing Warhammer Online and becoming quickly cheesed off at the movement of my one character who walked and ran with all the grace of a human with a large root vegetable wedged where the sun dont shine. I just dont get why convincing and smooth animation is difficult for some games to implement, where others succeed admirably. Heres hoping the dreaded 'root vegetable' problem does not strike in SWTOR.
Oh and maybe more attention to character models is needed as others have said. Also I hope that the rpg background of Bioware doesnt mean that they will show us wonderful vistas and beautifully crafted areas that I will only be able to look at from a distance, ie Dragonage Origins. Remember Bioware...this is an MMO, ( still shuddering at the crap Space treatment).
As I've said many times, I think they look awesome! I really don't know what people are complaining about.
I admit it is VERY difficult to say. In the end, only being inside the game for a while really shows how good the graphics are.
I do think however, some textures could use a bit more detail.
People don't ask questions to get answers - they ask questions to show how smart they are. - Dogbert
Landscape, environment, fairly nice. Better than average. I enjoy the panoramic views.
Avatars border on uninspired at best and simplistically lazy at worst.
I have the opposite view , avatars combat animations are some of the best i ever seen .
Landscape and Envoirement are average for me .
Monsters are the same in a way or another , but its the avatar combat animations that really stands out , cause of motion capture , the avatars appearance , yes they are standard too .
But once you see them in action i love them .
But honestly its all depending on what spec you are using as computer .
ING review on youtube i like it , well the dance wihan showed they were horrible ,(thats cause taken illegally with a hidden camera )
But well i cant argue cause i see them in different light then you .
I'm starting to get pulled in this games hype. I am a huge SWG vet, and was of course one of the first wave of people saying that a completely story driven, linear'ish mmo would be more like a single player than a MMO. Well, I don't take that part back, but I reserve an objective opinion on the fact that this is bioware and I loved KOTOR, mass effect, dragon age, ect.
They can make a ton of great single player type gameplay and that alone, while not my particular style when it comes to 'mmorpg's, would still be worth my sub to play through a few times. What I am concered with mostly is how they will handle end-game, you know, after you've completed the story on every possible character. And I also don't consider 8v8 worthy of being considered a 'Warzone', I think the name warzone is too grand for such a small ammount of people. I really hope they have more PVP options, with possible open world PVP battle zones, and larger scaled warzones.
Anways, consider myself more on the hype/optimistic side, than the cynical side now.
mmm pizza
I, for one, enjoy the graphics in TOR. For the visual art style they're going for, they're doing a great job with texture, lighting, and atsmophere. Everything is top knotch, polished and they put a lot attention to detail ... for the art direction.
I think this game is bashed a lot for the graphics because they compare it to games like Age of Conan, graphically, and you can't really do that seeing they go for two totally different styles. Comparing it to WoW, which to me has the same art style (hate to join that band-wagon), theyre doing a great job.
Only thing I don't really like is the ... 'feel', for lack of a better word, of the character models. They don't really portray age that much, everyone looks really really young and spunky.
"This hand of mine glows with an awesome power....."
I like it because everything, from what I see so far, goes well together. I hate game where NPC's, doodads, and the environment each seem to be part of a different game. I also hate games with too much detail, if you know what I mean, you probably don't, but it is hard to describe what I mean.
-I want a Platformer MMO
Look dont get caught in my hype , cause it suits my game play .
Your opnion is valid its still a singleplayer story game . just it has MMO features sprinkled troughout the time, you dont want to play singleplayer anymore . and it has endgame .
End deal is test or try it out for yourself , if it fails it fails , if it succeeds it succeeds .
Its up to you want you want from a game .
If the singleplayer story are not captivating enough , i cannot say if the MMO portion will be good enough .
Yes there will be tons of Cyber , there will be tons of PvP there will be tons of socialising .
Cause thats the way the bioware community is , there will be idiots there will be lot of nice people .
But if the game cannot captivate you from 1 -10 and the MMO part is maybe stinky too cause you meet the wrong people.
IT failed in your eyes , nothing wrong with that , the product simply failed in your eyes .
If it succeeded to bind you , then it succeeded and you pay sub , if it failed it failed .
End of story , i am not here to sell you a game cause i am already biased , it will succeed .
So my hype is worth nothing , cause its my reasons why i am hyped .
Cause SOME PEOPLE JUST HATE STARWARS AND SCI FI ... nothing wrong with that .
If lightsabers a blaster and laser bolts puts you off , this is the wrong genre for them . and struggling alone to learn to love it .
Is totally silly . you will always be reflected back to whats different from a sword and whats different from a fireball .
I'm actually rather surprised by the poll results, I figured I'd be in a minority when I voted they look good to me, boy was i wrong.
For every minute you are angry , you lose 60 seconds of happiness."-Emerson
I went with good enough, a little polish is likely before release but as they stand they are fine. I can imagine playing for hours within the environments and being happy. I quite like the style they've gone for, it's old school and fits fine with the universe they are creating and it looks like a Star Wars game to me, but I'm not wowed by them. The story, characters, combat and animation combined with the graphics look on track to keep me immersed so I'll be checking it out for sure.
The problem was before hand was people were seeing alpha images and bad video as what the game would really look like. Which is certainly understandable, you see an image you assume thats how the game looks, now that we got better images of how the game will look like at release i feel that most people are cool with the graphics. Maybe not the best but certainly not the worst.
Least wise thats how i see it.
Help me Bioware, you're my only hope.
Is ToR going to be good? Dude it's Bioware making a freaking star wars game, all signs point to awesome. -G4tv MMo report.
"They're awesome, people will complain about it!"
Well it suits my gameplay more than most MMO's of my old preference anyhow. Recently I quit MMORPG's pretty much for good, in exchange for just playing games that I find fun. SWTOR looks very fun, any layer of social cooperation is good enough for me, but the part I am mostly excited about, for now, is the great single player.
If I get this, it will be in the same mindset as when I bought the KOTOR games. Drueling for an awesome choice driven SW game. Whatever comes after that is just icing for me, I'll be very happy if the more cynical, old school aspects, that I have for the most part discarded, surprises me.
mmm pizza
Nope, it's on graphics, that's why you also saw character pictures. I know it's late, but look better next time.
Yep. But as anyone can see who's paying attention to the gradual progression of the graphical detail can attest to and as far as demo reports state (and beta players hint at), the environment and especially character graphics have gotten better and better, more detail and vivid, all around everything looks sharper and crispier.
The ACTUAL size of MMORPG worlds: a comparison list between MMO's
The ease with which predictions are made on these forums:
Fratman: "I'm saying Spring 2012 at the earliest [for TOR release]. Anyone still clinging to 2011 is deluding themself at this point."
Again to me these look fine, what's the difference between these shots and those Cyphers posted? His featured plenty of character shots as well? Besides It's not like those of us who are informed around here needed them shown to us in the first place, we've seen them a thousand times over....
For every minute you are angry , you lose 60 seconds of happiness."-Emerson
looks fine to me. it seems like they're going for the "make it accessible" approach rather then the "uber graphics nobody can handle."
What ? They should push the envelope like AoC did and have thousands of people complain that the game sucks because their P.C. can't handle it.
I know wtf were they thinking?
For every minute you are angry , you lose 60 seconds of happiness."-Emerson
I would have preferred slightly more realistic looking graphics as far as the characters, but I can live with it and it won't detract from my probable enjoyment of the game. The environment art looks really great. Overall the art/graphics don't look near so cartoony and corny as the WoW graphics and art style, so it is all good to me.
The graphics are fine, better then SWG if that's the stupid comparison people want to make. I think the complaints is the art style itself, and I'm fine with it tbh. Complaining about an art style and expecting it to be changed when you aren't an artist is stupid IMHO. You can do like most buyers of art would do, buy it or pass and let someone else who will appreciate it pick it up. STFU about how you think everyone else should feel the same as you do about it. Just Because you hate it and think it looks like a buncha scribbley lines and paint spatters on canvas, doesn't make it crap to everyone.