Forums » Pantheon Races

Too Late, I Know...

    • 191 posts
    December 29, 2016 1:58 PM PST

    I applaud VR for resurrecting the classic, fantasy MMORPG.  While you haven’t shied away from incorporating modern design concepts, you’ve made very deliberate choices to keep the mechanics and classes recognizable and archetypical.  That’s great!  However, I don't feel like you’ve struck a similar balance with world building.

     

    Of course you want to build a strong brand with a unique universe full of diverse and exciting races, but Pantheon is a game largely funded on the promise of bringing back a classic feel.  So why such an investment in novel races before delivering on the core fantasy racial tropes that people know and love?  Blue Dwarves, Aether “Gnomes,” Merpeople, Crystal Men?  All nifty, sure, but where are my familiar standbys?

     

    What makes Pantheon unique is the promise of reinvigorating the classic experience.  That experience isn’t just mechanics; it comes with certain world building expectations too.  It’s true that other games create settings with races, classes, and mechanics that are unexpected, new, and archetype-defying.  Those games have very different objectives, so it’s the right choice for their product.  Pantheon, on the other hand, promises to deliver on established tropes and archetypes (in a good way) with its mechanics and universe. That thinking should stay consistent in your world building.  I’m a big supporter of this game and I’d hate to see things go awry with “interesting world building” that is largely unsuited for the brand or audience.

     

    I don't mean to to diminish some of the really neat world building ideas out there. There’s obviously some great thinking that’s gone into the universe so far, but if I had to guess, that’s not what makes this product interesting to the majority of us. There are good ideas and there are the right ideas.

     

    Pantheon is the game we’ve been waiting for!  I’d hate to log in on day one and have this reaction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_O1hM-k3aUY


    This post was edited by Shai at December 29, 2016 2:00 PM PST
    • 1618 posts
    December 29, 2016 2:16 PM PST

    Can't agree. Its the feel of the game and the play that matters. The races are flavoring. I applaud them for going a different route with "classic " races.

    • 61 posts
    December 29, 2016 5:39 PM PST

    I could go either way on this one.  I mean... absolutely it's the feel of the game and the gameplay that matters the most.   But I must admit I immediately had a similar reaction when I saw the races and the artwork representing them.  

    The grouping, adventuring and gameplay all sounds like it will fill that longing I have for the old days, but I think the look of the toons will keep me jarred for a bit.

    I know they aren't completed with the models for each race yet and will tweak them for a while until they have them perfect. I kind of hope they soften them up a bit... if that's the right word to describe what I mean.  I sort of prefer my fantasy characters to look a little more cartoony and softer-edged or I feel like it begins to approach that uncanny valley.  I know uncanny valley really means when things look TOO human, but not quite right so it trips people out.   But it's the same impulsive, emotional response for me when fantasy toons are  drawn too sci-fi-ish or too harsh.  I'm not an art major, so I don't have the right words for the styles... I just know it's going to take me a bit to get used to this particular style of artwork for races I feel like I used to know.

    If you haven't watched the 1977 film Wizards yet, go do so.   Fond and frightening memories of that from when I was younger, but that blending of magic and technology warrants a harsher, dark artwork style which worked awesome for the landscape and backdrop. The characters for the most part were still drawn a little softer than my initial impression of the toons from Pantheon.

    But all in all... if the game play is there and the graphics don't make me FEEL like I'm in the 90s still, it doesn't really matter as much how their vision of the  classic races is... I'll learn to love it.


    This post was edited by VR-Mod1 at December 30, 2016 4:05 AM PST
    • 780 posts
    December 30, 2016 4:16 AM PST

    I had similar concerns at first, and that's part of why I was less interested in this game before the last stream; however, once the gameplay in the stream hooked me, I read all of the lore and I feel much better about the races.  They seem to have most of the traditional races covered.  Elves, Dwarves, Halflings, Gnomes, Ogres.  Sure, they have put a different spin on gnomes and halflings, but I think that's what fantasy is about these days.  Everyone is going to have 'elves'...how are your 'elves' different?  No drow, but you have Skar and Dark Myr to possibly fill that hole.  I dunno.  I generally play humans nowadays, so maybe it's easier for me to look past this, but I think it's going to be fine. 

     

    EDIT: Typo


    This post was edited by Shucklighter at December 30, 2016 3:18 PM PST
    • 234 posts
    December 30, 2016 7:11 AM PST

    So your saying you would rather see:

    OR OR Instead of OR OR ? ? ?

     I think I like being closer to the uncanny vally myself.

    Make it as real as possible without compromising gameplay in not ony graphics but in all aspects of the game.

    -Az

     


    This post was edited by azaya at December 30, 2016 7:12 AM PST
    • 61 posts
    December 30, 2016 7:59 AM PST

    Well... it's hard for me to state with any absolute conviction this style is "better" than that style because it is so subjective.  

    My preference for "softer" images {still not the right word, but I can't think of a better one}  I am sure puts me into a very small minority.  

    As long as the images represent the lore of the world (and I believe they do) and style of artwork for the toons matches the style of artwork for the world, it's going to be just fine.   As amazing as the world looks, I am sure VR is going to do right by me and not make it look like someone photoshopped a real person's face onto a cartoon body or have the toons be such a different style of artwork than the landscape that it ends up looking like they were filimed on a green screen.  

    As much as I am going to be struck down by apoplexy just waiting for the release of this game, I am glad VR is taking the time to get it right in all aspects, not just game mechanics or gameplay but in the complete look and feel of the world and characters.  Although I will reserve my right to re-judge during beta. ;-) 

     

    • 169 posts
    December 30, 2016 2:06 PM PST

    Strangely I didn't think much of the races not all being represented, but most of them are there.  For the first time ever in a game I thought the gnome and halfling looked cool instead of cute and the dwarf even looks fairly good.

    • 1618 posts
    December 30, 2016 2:34 PM PST

    I cannot play Final Fantasy due to the art-style. Not my thing, especially the little magical kid looking race.

    I prefer realistic as possible. In art, in general, I would almost always appreciate a picture over a painting, especially if the painting took any liberties. I much prefer a picture of a lighthouse than a painted one.

    EQ2 did a good job for its time.

    Just me.


    This post was edited by Beefcake at December 30, 2016 2:34 PM PST