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Bad Graphics.
beautyisin
Member Posts: 405
I think the game looks too cartoony and it's putting me off a bit.
Simple question are the graphics too cartoony? will it affect the fanbase? i think yes and no, wow is very cartoon orientated and it has a huge playerbase but a large extent of it's playerbase is composed of kids so is undesireable for people that like good communitie's, so conclusion i would draw from that is it is a conscious decision on mythic's part as they think that style of graphics will pull the most people in. Have they sold warhammer short or do the graphics represent warhammer well?
Comments
The graphics look amazingly close to the table top miniatures and book art. I'm extremely happy with it. Also remember who influenced warcrafts cartoony look.
The pencil/paper RPG was much more dark and gritty, but I don't think that captures the game well. Take a look at the older and now abandoned warhammer online game by climax. It was darker and gritty, but didn't look appealing to me at all.
Yes the graphics will likely attract a bunch of WOW kiddies, but I doubt the immatue ones will stay long. The play style in general seems to lean to a more mature crowd and hopefully the OMG PWN U NUB group will go back to WOW.
I also thought the graphics where to cartoony in the start. But now after E3. After seing ingame videos and new screenshots I can't stop thinking about this game
Specially these screens bought my heart:
yes and no. the graphics is definitly good. And is warhammerish, following the tabletop game. It has little to do with the art of the Roleplaying game, but then they either did one or the other and between the two, the tabletop game is definitly the major thing while the roleplaying game, while a good one, is more of a spinoff (is not even done by GW directly, but by third parties).
Anyhow, there was one person comparing side by side the graphics of WoW and WAR. WAR is definitly more detailed. the models have more polygons and looks more "real" (as much real as a 7 feet tall green humanoid can look). Is it good? is it bad? I like WoW graphics and I also like WAR graphics, so i think it is good in the end
"If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day, if you teach him how to fish, you feed him for a lifetime"
I think they represent (what I've read) of the Warhammer worlld perfectly. I'm not disappointed at all.
You know that the game is not out until Q4 2007?
Why don't you just wait and see?
I think these graphics very much capture the look that GW has had for a long time, even if you don't like them you shouldn't be suprised by them. Plus, realistic is often a sneaky way of saying 'boring', like some Vanguard screenshots I saw recently - way too much washed out grey and brown. these are certainly miles ahead of DAOC's graphics, and not just technology-wise; the animations are not super-stiff, and I think DAOC's armor graphics look very half-assed, they make me think of them being colored in a coloring book for some reason.
Also, where are you getting your demographic information on WOW players - do you actually have a source that says the ages of people playing WOW, or is it just more "WOW=kids, man WOW suxors" silliness?
I suppose it is just a given that people are going to complain about the graphics in every single game that goes into development. I for one am not a fan of the plastic barbie doll look of characters in some games, so that said the characters in WAR so far are just fine by me! I am guessing people want their version of "realistic" to be on the screen but tbh how are orcs and goblins in any way realistic? It's a fantasy world and I can accept that fully. Also, I don't give a pants how pretty the trees are. Give me compelling/fun/engrossing game play with decent combat and I will be a happy bunny.
I quite like WOW, i'm not a huge fan but like some of it's features nonetheless, i will admit that i don't like the graphics too much which is why i have reservations about Warhammer. As for the kiddie statement i don't know the real numbers i guess it's floating around somewhere, but i base my opinion on my personal experience. I think these kind of graphics are just the easy route, i guess i thought Warhammer was going to be more of an extension of DAoC using the Warhammer universe, fantasy doesn't mean camp and i have to say i am sick and tired of this sort of childish realisation of fantasy, these sort of visuals are not what i associate with fantasy.
Use some imagination for christ sake, realism = boring? well i have to say i fundamentally disagree with that little statement, i guess i just have a more adult view of how fantasy should be represented... enough with the cartoon pulp.
Spending a few minutes to research at the GW site will reveal how much they are trying to stick to the spirit of Warhammer.
The only comments I have about graphics at this point are how much of a variety of terrain they will have.
I would like a place like muspelheim in daoc (lava flows, red skyline), a snowy area, a dark forest (I mean dark), muddy bogs, etc.
Oh and I can't wait til they release screenshots of more races.
I quite like WOW, i'm not a huge fan but like some of it's features nonetheless, i will admit that i don't like the graphics too much which is why i have reservations about Warhammer. As for the kiddie statement i don't know the real numbers i guess it's floating around somewhere, but i base my opinion on my personal experience. I think these kind of graphics are just the easy route, i guess i thought Warhammer was going to be more of an extension of DAoC using the Warhammer universe, fantasy doesn't mean camp and i have to say i am sick and tired of this sort of childish realisation of fantasy, these sort of visuals are not what i associate with fantasy.
Use some imagination for christ sake, realism = boring? well i have to say i fundamentally disagree with that little statement, i guess i just have a more adult view of how fantasy should be represented... enough with the cartoon pulp.
I wouldn't say cartoonish graphic = Easy way.
Anyway, Warhammer IS cartoonish. Look at all the drawings, gives a great feel. But even though it's cartoony, it's dark and gritty-cartoony. Which i hope Mythic will deliver.. I need to beatiful beaches, i need rotten corpses and burning houses, smoldering ashes, and plaguerats walking around everywhere.
The grpahics are based on the latest edition of wfb minis.
What the original poster, and seemingly alot of other people, don't understand is the word "Stylistic".
I've had to explain this a million times so why not one more. When you're talking about graphics, there's a sorta line. At one end of the line is Realistic graphics. This is when the graphics look more like the real world and a lot of games go this way to try and make the most realistic environments and such. For example, Far Cry, or Everquest 2. The problem with this of course is that graphics can only be as real as the technology can make them, so they'll never look quite that real. They may come pretty close, but you'll also have to have an expensive system.
On the other end of that line is Stylistic graphics. This is when graphics instead of trying to look like the real world, they try to conform to specific style. World of Warcraft did this, in that they made the game look like the Warcraft artwork, and it did really well.
WAR is going with Stylistic graphics in order to look like the artwork and miniatures from the Warhammer games. Check out the link PeaCee gave (www.games-workshop.com) and compare the screenshots from WAR to the pics of artwork and miniatures. You'll soon realize that the graphics look very close to the already established style and indeed the graphics are quite good for WAR.
One of the major bonuses of going Stylistic is that it really lets the artists shine and show you their talent. It really brings you into a fantasy world that's not our own.
"Because it's easier to nitpick something than to be constructive." -roach5000
To start off you come across as very condescending albeit with no reason to be, i did not say that i wanted real world graphics i said that i am not very entranced by these cartoony/unimaginative game worlds, When you're talking about graphics, there's a sorta line. At one end of the line is Realistic graphics. This is when the graphics look more like the real world. But i must thank you, as i did not know the difference between stylistic and realistic it was a real revelation... this "stylistic" approach you speak of is stunting the developement of more progressive mmo's and is also not in keeping with my ideology of fantasy.
As for a fantasy world that's not our own, this is at present looks to be poorly realised fantasy or children's fantasy, that may change i will give it time, but it is looking very much like a WOW clone in it's current state.
Also, keep in mind that this is all alpha stuff you're seeing. The graphics will be flushed out a lot after they get all the races/homelands done. Tons of detail will be added ontop of all the detail their already.
I feel like the graphics are done well and stay true to Warhammer.
From a game engine point of view... I know people are gonna whine because it doesn't look like <insert whatever game name here>, but keep in mind they had a look for it from the beginning in mind.
They also wanted this game to run on a wide base of computer setups. So there's no bump mapping and other high end crap like that. Lower poly models with high res textures. If done right looks just as good and any other game.
The devs have said that (I can find the exact quote if it's required) the geometry of the game is a bit higher than WoW but lower than say EQ2.
One reason for this other than trying allow the game to run on tons of different computer setups? Lag. This is Warhammer, not Warnapkin or patty-cakes. There are going to be massive battles (Especially the homecity raids) and you just can NOT have EQ2 or Vaguard type graphics and have it not lag to hell and back even for the best computer.
Mythic and GW want you to be able to raid without having to turn down the graphics so the game looks 10 years old. They want you to enjoy all the graphics and still run with 200 people to raid a homecity.
Besides, and this is just me, every screenshot of Vanguard and while I played EQ2 has looked plasticy. This is bump mapping with lousy lighting/reflection.
I think I'd rather look like a cartoon that look like a PVC figure in an MMO.
/agreed
very well said!
Yes, they're really cloning that WOW imagery by making a game that looks the way their miniatures have looked for longer than Blizzard has existed.
I may have come off condescending but I simply wanted to inform.
First of all I'd like to say I find it ironic that your name is 'beautyisin' as in 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder', considering this thread is about whether or not the graphics are good.
As Pantastic said above me, people too quickly label the game as a WoW clone in order to dismiss it. Warhammer was launched almost 25 years ago (1983), so it's been around since before Blizzard was created (1989 I believe).
WAR is a perfect example of the stylistic vs. realistic approach. The game originally was going for a very realistic look much like EQ2, and it's a good comparison if you can find some of the old screenshots from before Mythic took over.
That being said, if you have any doubts about the graphics at all, you really owe it to yourself to go to the games workshop site and look up some of the different art and models. As far as getting WAR to look like the Warhammer tabletop game, they're pretty much dead on I'd say.
The Warhammer game is far from kiddy, though I understand your concerns. Perhaps I can link some images to help assuage your doubts.
Skaven Army
Tomb King Horde
A Vampire of some sort I believe
Wood Elf Dryads
Ogre Warband
Dark Elf Witches
Dark Elf "Cold One" Knight
Hope that helps.
Edit: oh, one more for anyone who's seen the trailer
A Dwarf Trollslayer (Gotrek)
"Because it's easier to nitpick something than to be constructive." -roach5000
The meaning of my screen name is pure assumption on your part
Maybe this becomes less of an issue of about how Warhammer is being represented with more emphasis on the possability that i just don't like the base material, if mythic are doing such a good job with their translation.
I am going to give the game a try, i will reserve judgement for after i have actually tried the game.