I used to think I had fairly low standards when it came to game graphics

Smashix · May 2015

But I was amazed by what I saw when I installed LOTRO. I can't believe this game released 3 years AFTER WoW and EQ 2. It looks like something that should have run on Windows 3. I'm really trying not to be a jerk when rating games and judging a book by it's cover, but the graphics were so bad that I instantly lost the will to play this game. Sorry, I guess I am more superficial than I thought.

My standards are at least EQ 2 quality graphics, they don't have to be more than that even, but they have to be at least that of games that are now 10 years old.

Smashix · May 2015

I also wasn't thrilled with the installer. HappyCloud started by installing on an external backup drive, without asking me first. I was wondering what was taking so long and then I heard the backup drive going and figured it out. It had no simple way of changing the cache files location (the solution was to move the already downloaded files and edit the Windows Registry in a few dozen places). It also didn't clean up after itself properly after uninstalling.

Panther2103 · May 2015

Originally posted by Smashix
But I was amazed by what I saw when I installed LOTRO. I can't believe this game released 3 years AFTER WoW and EQ 2. It looks like something that should have run on Windows 3. I'm really trying not to be a jerk when rating games and judging a book by it's cover, but the graphics were so bad that I instantly lost the will to play this game. Sorry, I guess I am more superficial than I thought.

My standards are at least EQ 2 quality graphics, they don't have to be more than that even, but they have to be at least that of games that are now 10 years old.

LOTRO doesn't have amazing graphics by any means, but maybe your settings are messed up? Because last time I played it didn't look bad whatsoever. It actually looked quite nice. I mean the starting armors and things like that look a bit bad, but look at players from later on in the game the armor textures end up looking a bit better. I mean EQ2 ran like absolute crap on almost every computer when it came out due to really bad optimization and there are a lot of games back then that looked worse that came out around the same time. The only reason wow still holds up is because of the frequent texture updates that they have released over time. Go play a vanilla server and you will see graphics close to LOTRO.

Sovrath · May 2015

Originally posted by Smashix
But I was amazed by what I saw when I installed LOTRO. I can't believe this game released 3 years AFTER WoW and EQ 2. It looks like something that should have run on Windows 3. I'm really trying not to be a jerk when rating games and judging a book by it's cover, but the graphics were so bad that I instantly lost the will to play this game. Sorry, I guess I am more superficial than I thought.

My standards are at least EQ 2 quality graphics, they don't have to be more than that even, but they have to be at least that of games that are now 10 years old.

I don't really think that's true at all. These were taken years ago and I think they are better than you suggest. And I don't remember what "direct x" these were.

Sovrath · May 2015

lol, oh, and this is a comic I made years ago when the Lineage 2 servers were shut down because of hackers and I found myself playing in EQ2 ... Apparently I didn't think EQ2 was very special

Braindome · May 2015

Tweak the graphics and turn on DX11...which it has in the options and it looks alot better.

You also need to take into consideration that WoW has upgraded its graphics quite a bit over the years, actually WoW looks alot better than it did years ago, alot has been added, but honestly I still prefer the graphic style of LOTRO and think it looks better, especially with DX11 turned on and maxed out.

Something about those pastel textures in WoW I just can't stomach...

Sovrath · May 2015

Originally posted by KaitarBesh
The models are kinda awful (not as bad as EQ2,but still definitely not good) but the scenery is pretty great in LOTRO.

EQ2, while a great game, is just butt-ugly all around and has -no- redeeming artistic qualities whatsoever. And I say that as someone who really thinks it's one of the best themepark MMOs out there.

I agree, there was always a disparity between the avatars and the world. They never seemed to fit.

EQ2 can have some beautiful effects especially when graphics are turned up but I agree, it is a rather ugly art design.

Uproar · May 2015

Two problems with LOTRO -- Graphics for UI. And combat animations / moves in general. First was horrid at launch. Second remains the reason I do not play.

strawhat0981 · May 2015

LotR graphics > any thing from the same time period. IMO. Animations are low quality though.

Gestankfaust · May 2015

Windows 3?

Smashix · May 2015

Originally posted by Uproar
Two problems with LOTRO -- Graphics for UI. And combat animations / moves in general. First was horrid at launch. Second remains the reason I do not play.

Yeah, it was the overall feel, UI, etc. of the game, not specifically the character models, that I meant.

Smashix · May 2015

Originally posted by Braindome
Tweak the graphics and turn on DX11...which it has in the options and it looks alot better.

You also need to take into consideration that WoW has upgraded its graphics quite a bit over the years, actually WoW looks alot better than it did years ago, alot has been added, but honestly I still prefer the graphic style of LOTRO and think it looks better, especially with DX11 turned on and maxed out.

Something about those pastel textures in WoW I just can't stomach...

Maybe my settings were messed up, but with most games, and I have played many, it at least looks halfway decent when first run. Even if I have to typically increase the resolution to 1920*1200 and teak a few minor settings, most games don't loo like complete crap by default. I did increase the res and took a quick glance at the graphics settings and most were set to high or so.

Looks are subjective and personal preferences certainly apply. I prefer the WoW-type of look and feel over the EQ 2-type (I played both for years), but neither looked this dated.

greenbow54 · May 2015

LOTRO on Ultra is still quite visually impressive. Running through the Shire is quite a spectacular experience. You must have settings out of whack.

ReaperUk · May 2015

Are you sure you downloaded the hi res version? The game looked better than WoW even at launch and they've added DX11 support since then.

Baitness · May 2015

The character models and animations are very poor, but before you knock it too hard LoTRO has some beautiful landscapes, and the way you can watch the wind make waves in the grass is mesmerizing.

Aglaranna · May 2015

Really? I play the hi-res on Ultra and I think the game is breathtaking. The landscape is gorgeous. Now the character models, yeah, that's a different story. They were never good and never will be.

movros99 · May 2015

Hmmm,

When I played years ago some of the best screenshots I ever took were in LOTRO. I would post them but I lost data after a tornado destroyed my PC back then. Gotta be something up with OP's graphics settings.

Regards,

Mo

Po_gg · May 2015

wow and eq2? Seriously? https://www.lotro.com/forums/showthread.php?561221-A-Scenic-Middle-Earth/page13

Maybe the specs of your Win3 would be interesting if shared, the lowest gear I've seen LotRO on was a budget notebook without an onboard vga, so used the built-in HD (had a low-profile i3 cpu) and even that could run LotRO on low-med settings...

As Aglaranna wrote above, the high-res client, maxxed out, the game looks really great.

Volenibblets · May 2015

Yep...and it's still a far superior game with a better F2P model that most of the graphically better games out there. The problem with most of the newer releases in the last few years is that there's far too much focus on superficial aspects of the game like graphics and far too little on mechanics, depth and longievity. I for one am glad that companies like turbine still support games like LOTRO...even if they did bow to the mass superficial pressure recently with the class tree revamp shite.

fivoroth · May 2015

Last time I played LOTRO it looked good. Especially the zones in the later expansions.

LOTRO is certainly not uglier than EQ2. EQ2 is an abomination

Po_gg · May 2015

Quick test, in pointy-eared land http://s23.postimg.org/yw8krr361/quicktest.jpg

That's the default High settings, I used to use it on concerts because on max there used to be some stutters when dozens of people in their fancy suits dancing around - and I don't like when the music stutter.

There are 2 more notches above that in the graphics setting, and this default one is easily running on any gear with a dedicated vga card. I honestly don't know from where you get the eq2 idea

even Landmark (which is not eq anymore luckily) is only better with the character, but not with the landscape...

edit: but if you prefer an even "sharper" look, you can use SweetFX too - I like the original better, but there are plenty of folks into the sweet-ened look https://www.lotro.com/forums/showthread.php?537729-LOTRO-SweetFX-and-you-A-tale-of-pretty-sunsets-and-lush-foliage/page11

and to put it in a (somewhat) fun contrast, a thread from the same day as the OP https://www.lotro.com/forums/showthread.php?569257-To-the-Graphic-Design-Devs-Thank-you!

YashaX · May 2015

I tried to give it a shot last year and pretty much thought the same thing as the OP, although some of the screen shots in this thread make me think I got the wrong impression. I was kind of confused when I tried it out because I had heard the graphics were pretty good, but it just looked bad to me and the animations seemed really strange/stiff.

Earlier in the thread someone posted a comic strip they made with what looked like an elf with dark skin (very cool looking) and the EQ2 equivalent- is that cool looking toon from LOTRO? I didn't see that model when I tried it out.

Daemonweaver · May 2015

I bought LOTR as well as 1st 2 expansions. The only thing I thought was good about the game was the graphics. On Ultra settings I found the world pretty damn cool.

I didn't play the game for long (about a week) cos I found it a total yawn fest. However the graphics were good and definitely way better than WOW.

flizzer · May 2015

I'm thinking most of this is subjective. I love the way LOTRO looks and couldn't deal with EQ2 which to me looked abysmal. Even today on ultra I find LOTRO looks terrific, although the models, I would agree, are not as good as the environments.

kitarad · May 2015

I think the download is the low resolution for space you need to pick high resolution from what I recall years ago reinstalling this game then it always by default left the high resolution files out. Check whether you have the high resolution files.

Wanderv · May 2015

I would like to see OP's screenshots with such bad graphics, worser than EQ2 or WoW. May be OP confused the game. I don't believe that it was just plain fat trolling.

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I used to think I had fairly low standards when it came to game graphics

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