Kittik said:Jeremiahcp said:You'd be happy with ASCII graphics in an MMO?
Yes, if the gameplay was great. Which is why they still exist. There are several MUDs that still have thousands of players.
Everquest progression servers, Wow classic, Wow hardcore, runescape, etc. etc. Why are these old games still doing so well even with iffy implementation and poor graphics? Graphics are NOT important to some of us, and they can actually take away a lot of context, like reading a book instead of watching a movie.
My son, (who wasn't born yet when I backed this project) plays minecraft and roblox instead of modern games, why?
If I had a finite amount of development hours, 90% would be applied toward gameplay. I would prefer to have mid/decent graphics and good animations, but the gameplay is what is going to make or break the game long term.
Sweety said:I watched some of that stream also. Interestingly the night time graphics didn't make me want to vomit. It wasn't good, but I kept my food down. However, the day time graphics, holy terrible batman! It's worse then I thought, lol.
Yep, a campfire in the dark at night time doesn't look too bad. And during the day, they added heavy fog everywhere.
At this point its really anything to hide how bad the game world looks.
The graphics don't need to be cutting edge by any means. Just not cartoony and aimed at a childish audience.
Also, screenshots and video streams actually look a little better then in-person, in-game (imo).
When Alpha pledgers get in we will know for sure how many people do or don't care about how the game looks.
I am totally onboard with a forever night MMO to placate the night looks better people :D A win win in my book. The more night mechanics we have the better :D
A orange dwarf with the light level of a bright full moon provides some light during the "day" but you slowly rotate into full spooky darkness every night. Magic is used to replace light for crops giving a safe haven for civilization. The creatures existing on the planet are clearly adapting to the endless night.
OCastitatisLilium said:Jeremiahcp said:Here are the graphics from one of my all time favor RPGs, that I have spent countless hours playing for many many years. Also, this game is currently being sold on Steam for like 15 bucks I think, while Pantheon still doesn't even exist.
I think this may matter more to you, but I don't think everyone sees it like you do. Personally, I am not that concerned with the graphic, and I have never minded cartoonish graphics at all. So, it is great you have your own views, but that doesn't mean everyone else feels the same way.
Can I ask what game this is? I am very curious as I haven't seen a text-based game in a LONG time be available lol
The original and best one of these is called Moria. I was playing it in the mid 80s. You can find it online.
I get both sides of the debate. It's hard to beat monkey island, leisure suit larry aand space quest for fun gameplay; and indeed the 8 bit graphics add some flexibility to contribute to the humour. But this is now post 2000 and it's not unfair to expect that graphics are up to the standard of the day; and for me, better graphics improve my immersion, for MMOs. I don't expect the standards set by the all new best ray tracing demos from nvidia, but I was extremely disappointed with the art update. Surely the easiest low processing overhead bar has risen higher than wow classic, in the last 15 years; and I'm struggling to convince myself that this art update is better than wow classic.
Sweety said: Anyway, obviously some people like it. However, its more then clear most people hate that new art style.
I would advise caution when making assumptions about the quiet majority. Normally the squeaky wheels are the ones with the minority opinion. The people who don't raise hell are generally fine with the way things are. Personally, I think graphics matter, but gameplay matters more. I still love playing the original XCOM: UFO Defense, and its graphics are garbage by today's standards. I don't love the new art style for Pantheon, but it's not a deal breaker for me.
chenzeme said: The main reason I tried other mmos after EQ was primarily for the graphics. Also, I did a question on this subject on this site and those that replied showed it was split pretty equally between like, hate and dont care enough either way. So, from that data, there probably is not a vast majority any way. For me, it matters. Give me the graphics of Light No Fire with the depth and lore of eq and I would play for the remainder of my life.
This is my point. If you have the same game, one is boxy pixel graphics and one is high fidelity graphics, you're going to choose the second. To say other wise is just a lie.
I have to admit that I'm actually allergic to ASCII or even Atari 2600 style graphics. With that said, if a minimum level of graphics and gameplay mechanics are reached, I do value gameplay and story over the graphics. Not gonna lie though, I don't even consider playing 99.9% of indie games with 1970s-1980s graphics before even checking the gameplay or story involved..
Kittik said:Jeremiahcp said:You'd be happy with ASCII graphics in an MMO?
HELL YES! Ever played Duris? That had a nice overworld map. Or Basternae. Both old text-based MUDs with ASCII maps.
Tile-based games in general are awesome as well, a slight step-up from ASCII. Like Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup and Tales of Maj'Eyal. Which both have ASCII options iirc. Or Dwarf Fortress of course.
Kotter said:i think The Sims with swords is a great idea.
Kind of like the forthcoming The Bustling World: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2724650/The_Bustling_World/
Any level of graphical fidelity is fine if the gameplay is good. A lot can be done to make a world charming and enjoyable with low-res assets; just look at Heroes of Might and Magic 2 and 3; gorgeous games. But certain art styles are more well-suited to certain types of games and settings.
Kittik said: I just had to vent a little about something that's been bugging me for a while now: the notion that "graphics don't matter" in games. I keep hearing this from various people, and it's time to set the record straight. Graphics do matter, and they matter a lot! It's frustrating to hear some argue that graphics are inconsequential when it's clear that they play a pivotal role in conveying the feel and atmosphere of a game.
I'll disagree.
IMPORTANT, definitely.
Pivotal, no. The Game mechanics are the most pivotal element.
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