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I'm trying to understand the appeal of this game

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  • ElRenmazuoElRenmazuo Member RarePosts: 5,361
    I know lots of adults who love spyro the dragon and ratchet and clank games...I dont think its graphics are going to hurt the game at all.  Just because a game has cartoon type graphics doesnt make it only for kids...look at Bioshock Infinite.  mmos that try to go for photo-realism gets dated faster and are harder to improve to stay looking up to date with new games.  WoW didnt look as good as it does now when it came out, they improved the textures a lot.
  • NikopolNikopol Member UncommonPosts: 626
    Originally posted by tkreep
    I know lots of adults who love spyro the dragon and ratchet and clank games...I dont think its graphics are going to hurt the game at all.  Just because a game has cartoon type graphics doesnt make it only for kids....

    Yeah, in my experience older people actually prefer stylized (or even cartoony) visuals over realistic ones.

  • reeereeereeereee Member UncommonPosts: 1,636
    I gave this game a second look because it's not in a tradition fantasy setting and has sandbox elements.
  • Eir_SEir_S Member UncommonPosts: 4,440
    I never saw GW2's graphics as particularly cartoony.  As opposed to what?  TSW?  That game looks awkward to me.  Wildstar's are definitely cartoony, but I'm not sure why it bothers people so much.  How many of the world's most iconic franchises have been "cartoony"?  Answer:  A whole lot.
  • AldersAlders Member RarePosts: 2,207
    Originally posted by Nikopol
    Originally posted by tkreep
    I know lots of adults who love spyro the dragon and ratchet and clank games...I dont think its graphics are going to hurt the game at all.  Just because a game has cartoon type graphics doesnt make it only for kids....

    Yeah, in my experience older people actually prefer stylized (or even cartoony) visuals over realistic ones.

    I have the exact opposite experience, myself included.

  • ElRenmazuoElRenmazuo Member RarePosts: 5,361
    I tried to get back into vanguard and eq2 both of which came out after WoW and i couldnt stand how bad the graphics looked but i know i loved them when they first released...but when i went back to playing WoW again i didnt have that same feeling about the visuals cuz it still looks good but better with higher res textures but vanguard and eq2 still has mid 2000s graphics. 
  • ElRenmazuoElRenmazuo Member RarePosts: 5,361
    Originally posted by Alders
    Originally posted by Nikopol
    Originally posted by tkreep
    I know lots of adults who love spyro the dragon and ratchet and clank games...I dont think its graphics are going to hurt the game at all.  Just because a game has cartoon type graphics doesnt make it only for kids....

    Yeah, in my experience older people actually prefer stylized (or even cartoony) visuals over realistic ones.

    I have the exact opposite experience, myself included.

    When it comes to single player games I agree with you but mmos i can like stylized graphics although i do prefer mass effect graphics but i can understand why they go with stylized graphics as long it doesnt look like hello kittie...

  • AIMonsterAIMonster Member UncommonPosts: 2,059

    I'll bite, differences from WoW:

     

    • Action oriented combat with more similarities to GW2 than WoW.  WoW is pretty much in the "combat simulator" genre.  I could go on and detail even individual difference here if you want.
    • Flexibility of builds
    • Housing as a primary feature
    • Sci-fi themed
    • Leveling content caters to your style of play with the path system
    • Warplots allowing for a sort of Guild vs. Guild gameplay
    • Exploration more encouraged, things like jumping puzzles are in the game
    • 40 man raiding (yes, it was in vanilla WoW, but not anymore)
    • Double jump and gravity changes
    • Bosses can be CC'd so these skills are still useful in raids/groups
    • Has dynamic events
    • Sandbox elements, especially with the settler path
    • More open world bosses
    • You can capture raid bosses and use them against your enemies in Warplots
    • Crafting is completely unique and likely way more flexible than WoW's
    • No harvesting skill, you harvest by smashing things
    • Harder leveling curve (supposedly)
    • An AA system seems to be in place
    • AND your path levels seperately
    • No Whack-A-Mole healing
    • You can AoE loot (called vacuuming)
    • Loot splatters from monsters and you pick it up that way, rather than loot corpses
    That's just some of the known differences from WoW right now.  I'm sure there are a lot more.  The game has a lot in common with GW2 too, which isn't a bad thing either.
  • keithiankeithian Member UncommonPosts: 3,191
    Originally posted by Grohmm

    Well, i'v read the topic so I'll try to respond with facts!

    First of all, yes, the game looks cartoony. But not the same cartoony look as WoW. The characters are really Art-stylized, with special body constitution and not realistical body like WoW humans or undead, or elves. In WS, even the human seems to come from a Ratchet and clank game or a Pixar movie.

    The graphisms fit with the global humor of the game. The atmosphere is really unique, and the art contributes to the immersion.

    In my point of view, I see the graphisms like an expression of the skills of the artists. The art is clean, the graphic engine is really powerfull with really nice textures who do not age. It's not like a 2005 game. We don't see the polygons everywhere and the crapy textures we see in WoW.

    If you look closer into the graphic mechanisms, you can see that the faces of NPC/ player characters are totally animated, and it feels really nice. The whole bodies are well-animated, from the feet to the fingers who are independants, not like WoW for example. The esquives, sprint, swin, jump/double-jump animations are completely fluid. So you absolutely enjoy the game when you play it :)

    The gear is fully textured with the relief and animations of different parts. I don't know of they use the tessellation process, but it's not like a "printed texture" on the character body like WoW.

    When we look at the world, we can see that he is living!!! The fauna and flora follows their lives, the scavengers eat the corpses, the plants interact with close npc/pc. The wind affects plants, trees, flags, sheets etc... And the water is amazing :o

    For me, it's way more realistic than games like GW or Rift, because the sensation of a real world around is just perfect. Look at how characters of GW run :/ They have a stick in their a** :o

    And we are only talking about the graphisms and the art! The features are simply bluffing, in my opinion, WS is just THE mmo I was waiting for since many years!! The MMORPG of my dreams :P

    So I'm 25 years old, I do a lot of sport, I like fashion, movies, music, cars, trip and I'm handsome (+ i'm not English, so i hope you can understand all my answer). So i'm not the stereotype you can imagine, and I hope this answer will help changing your opinion about this game, and cartoony games in general :) Because It would be really silly if you missed a great game only for his graphisms!

    First off, thank you for the mature response. It actually convinced me to read the whole post lol. Second, you made me laugh at the handsome part, that was funny hehe. Anyway, your post is fair enough. I will most likely try this MMO regardless of my initial impressions because I like to actually play something to form a final opinion, but when I meant living, I was referring more to the NPCs, Day Night Cycles, swimming, all of that stuff where it doesn't feel like everything is glued into place. Guild Wars 2 did a good job of this in their major cities, not to mention the Human City was the nicest looking one I had ever seen in an MMO.

    There Is Always Hope!

  • keithiankeithian Member UncommonPosts: 3,191
    Originally posted by AIMonster

    I'll bite, differences from WoW:

     

    • Action oriented combat with more similarities to GW2 than WoW.  WoW is pretty much in the "combat simulator" genre.  I could go on and detail even individual difference here if you want.
    • Flexibility of builds
    • Housing as a primary feature
    • Sci-fi themed
    • Leveling content caters to your style of play with the path system
    • Warplots allowing for a sort of Guild vs. Guild gameplay
    • Exploration more encouraged, things like jumping puzzles are in the game
    • 40 man raiding (yes, it was in vanilla WoW, but not anymore)
    • Double jump and gravity changes
    • Bosses can be CC'd so these skills are still useful in raids/groups
    • Has dynamic events
    • Sandbox elements, especially with the settler path
    • More open world bosses
    • You can capture raid bosses and use them against your enemies in Warplots
    • Crafting is completely unique and likely way more flexible than WoW's
    • No harvesting skill, you harvest by smashing things
    • Harder leveling curve (supposedly)
    • An AA system seems to be in place
    • AND your path levels seperately
    • No Whack-A-Mole healing
    • You can AoE loot (called vacuuming)
    • Loot splatters from monsters and you pick it up that way, rather than loot corpses
    That's just some of the known differences from WoW right now.  I'm sure there are a lot more.  The game has a lot in common with GW2 too, which isn't a bad thing either.

    Thank you. Can you explain a few things to me. A couple of points were interesting that you wrote:

    1) What do you mean that housing is a primary feature? Is it different from housing in other MMOs?

    2) I haven't seen examples of Dynamic Events. Can you show me some examples? Ill try googling this further. GW2 dynamic events though not bad weren't what was originally advertised.

    3) What did you mean by Sandbox elements?

     

    There Is Always Hope!

  • MargulisMargulis Member CommonPosts: 1,614
    Originally posted by AIMonster

    I'll bite, differences from WoW:

     

    • Action oriented combat with more similarities to GW2 than WoW.  WoW is pretty much in the "combat simulator" genre.  I could go on and detail even individual difference here if you want.
    • Flexibility of builds
    • Housing as a primary feature
    • Sci-fi themed
    • Leveling content caters to your style of play with the path system
    • Warplots allowing for a sort of Guild vs. Guild gameplay
    • Exploration more encouraged, things like jumping puzzles are in the game
    • 40 man raiding (yes, it was in vanilla WoW, but not anymore)
    • Double jump and gravity changes
    • Bosses can be CC'd so these skills are still useful in raids/groups
    • Has dynamic events
    • Sandbox elements, especially with the settler path
    • More open world bosses
    • You can capture raid bosses and use them against your enemies in Warplots
    • Crafting is completely unique and likely way more flexible than WoW's
    • No harvesting skill, you harvest by smashing things
    • Harder leveling curve (supposedly)
    • An AA system seems to be in place
    • AND your path levels seperately
    • No Whack-A-Mole healing
    • You can AoE loot (called vacuuming)
    • Loot splatters from monsters and you pick it up that way, rather than loot corpses
    That's just some of the known differences from WoW right now.  I'm sure there are a lot more.  The game has a lot in common with GW2 too, which isn't a bad thing either.

    Where did you hear that there is an AA system?  That interests me.

  • kizan0601kizan0601 Member UncommonPosts: 61
    Originally posted by tkreep
    I tried to get back into vanguard and eq2 both of which came out after WoW and i couldnt stand how bad the graphics looked but i know i loved them when they first released...but when i went back to playing WoW again i didnt have that same feeling about the visuals cuz it still looks good but better with higher res textures but vanguard and eq2 still has mid 2000s graphics. 

    Eq2 was released before WoW

  • kizan0601kizan0601 Member UncommonPosts: 61
    Originally posted by Caldrin
    Originally posted by Smikis
    new game, new content, focuses on pve, its hard to believe but they dont make pve mmorpgs anymore, even if most succesfull mmorpgs are all pve based,

    really?

    Most MMORPGS released are geared towards PVE and have some PVP tagged on..

    I can only really think of two main steam MMOs that are or where PVE only on release or after.. EQ2 and vanguard. tho i have probally forgot a few..  but anyway there are very few dedicated PVP mmorpgs..

    Any MMORPG that has been really sucesfull has had both PVE and PVP but mainly PVE..

     

     

    When it comes to wildstar i agree with the OP..

    Both Eq2 and Vanguard had PvP servers at release

  • PanzerbasePanzerbase Member Posts: 423
    They're betting on old school WOW design with a revamped and obviously new setting. You don't have to like it but many people enjoyed the original WOW and considered it better than what WOW evolved into.  It's their gamble, time will tell if they will succeed. For my part I shall give it a try and hope they nail it. 
  • daltaniousdaltanious Member UncommonPosts: 2,381
    Originally posted by keithian

    I watched a few videos and the Total Biscuits play and after watching I'm trying to understand why anyone playing current available MMOs anyone would jump into this.

    ...

    Over 50 here and barely can wait to put my hands on this game because it looks very FUN. That is only thing that matter for me. Said this I never (not anymore) pvp, I never play (not anymore) games that can not move avatars with pressing both buttons, never play 1st person, ...

  • IsawaIsawa Member UncommonPosts: 1,051
    Originally posted by keithian
    Originally posted by AIMonster

    I'll bite, differences from WoW:

     

    • Action oriented combat with more similarities to GW2 than WoW.  WoW is pretty much in the "combat simulator" genre.  I could go on and detail even individual difference here if you want.
    • Flexibility of builds
    • Housing as a primary feature
    • Sci-fi themed
    • Leveling content caters to your style of play with the path system
    • Warplots allowing for a sort of Guild vs. Guild gameplay
    • Exploration more encouraged, things like jumping puzzles are in the game
    • 40 man raiding (yes, it was in vanilla WoW, but not anymore)
    • Double jump and gravity changes
    • Bosses can be CC'd so these skills are still useful in raids/groups
    • Has dynamic events
    • Sandbox elements, especially with the settler path
    • More open world bosses
    • You can capture raid bosses and use them against your enemies in Warplots
    • Crafting is completely unique and likely way more flexible than WoW's
    • No harvesting skill, you harvest by smashing things
    • Harder leveling curve (supposedly)
    • An AA system seems to be in place
    • AND your path levels seperately
    • No Whack-A-Mole healing
    • You can AoE loot (called vacuuming)
    • Loot splatters from monsters and you pick it up that way, rather than loot corpses
    That's just some of the known differences from WoW right now.  I'm sure there are a lot more.  The game has a lot in common with GW2 too, which isn't a bad thing either.

    Thank you. Can you explain a few things to me. A couple of points were interesting that you wrote:

    1) What do you mean that housing is a primary feature? Is it different from housing in other MMOs?

    2) I haven't seen examples of Dynamic Events. Can you show me some examples? Ill try googling this further. GW2 dynamic events though not bad weren't what was originally advertised.

    3) What did you mean by Sandbox elements?

     

    1) Official housing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlP8ShpFZII and extended info on housing Press Demo - Pax East - 46 Minutes

    2) They haven't focused on anything long enough in any demo to show this off. They also haven't shown how events scale based on party size or player presence.

    3) Little information is revealed on the Settler and Scientist. The settler is suppose to be able to build up towns, and establish new settlements (not sure on requirements here). The settler can also set up camp fires (and turrets revealed in released patch notes) as additional features out in the open world. Some form of terraforming is also in the game, how much the players can use this is unknown.

    Edited link to the offical housing via WildStar's channel, and this game is going to have some great exploring - too bad if you can't get over the look image

  • JinxysJinxys Member UncommonPosts: 488
    The player housing system really stands out to me. I love the video I saw on that. Of course that is not the only reason I will try it ^_^
  • statrickstatrick Member UncommonPosts: 13
    Originally posted by AIMonster

    I'll bite, differences from WoW:

     

    • Action oriented combat with more similarities to GW2 than WoW.  WoW is pretty much in the "combat simulator" genre.  I could go on and detail even individual difference here if you want.
    • Flexibility of builds
    • Housing as a primary feature
    • Sci-fi themed
    • Leveling content caters to your style of play with the path system
    • Warplots allowing for a sort of Guild vs. Guild gameplay
    • Exploration more encouraged, things like jumping puzzles are in the game
    • 40 man raiding (yes, it was in vanilla WoW, but not anymore)
    • Double jump and gravity changes
    • Bosses can be CC'd so these skills are still useful in raids/groups
    • Has dynamic events
    • Sandbox elements, especially with the settler path
    • More open world bosses
    • You can capture raid bosses and use them against your enemies in Warplots
    • Crafting is completely unique and likely way more flexible than WoW's
    • No harvesting skill, you harvest by smashing things
    • Harder leveling curve (supposedly)
    • An AA system seems to be in place
    • AND your path levels seperately
    • No Whack-A-Mole healing
    • You can AoE loot (called vacuuming)
    • Loot splatters from monsters and you pick it up that way, rather than loot corpses
    That's just some of the known differences from WoW right now.  I'm sure there are a lot more.  The game has a lot in common with GW2 too, which isn't a bad thing either.

    You can add full dye system to that list.

  • KatillaKatilla Member UncommonPosts: 829
    Originally posted by statrick
    Originally posted by AIMonster

    I'll bite, differences from WoW:

     

    • Action oriented combat with more similarities to GW2 than WoW.  WoW is pretty much in the "combat simulator" genre.  I could go on and detail even individual difference here if you want.
    • Flexibility of builds
    • Housing as a primary feature
    • Sci-fi themed
    • Leveling content caters to your style of play with the path system
    • Warplots allowing for a sort of Guild vs. Guild gameplay
    • Exploration more encouraged, things like jumping puzzles are in the game
    • 40 man raiding (yes, it was in vanilla WoW, but not anymore)
    • Double jump and gravity changes
    • Bosses can be CC'd so these skills are still useful in raids/groups
    • Has dynamic events
    • Sandbox elements, especially with the settler path
    • More open world bosses
    • You can capture raid bosses and use them against your enemies in Warplots
    • Crafting is completely unique and likely way more flexible than WoW's
    • No harvesting skill, you harvest by smashing things
    • Harder leveling curve (supposedly)
    • An AA system seems to be in place
    • AND your path levels seperately
    • No Whack-A-Mole healing
    • You can AoE loot (called vacuuming)
    • Loot splatters from monsters and you pick it up that way, rather than loot corpses
    That's just some of the known differences from WoW right now.  I'm sure there are a lot more.  The game has a lot in common with GW2 too, which isn't a bad thing either.

    You can add full dye system to that list.

    exactly.... i'm actually really happy about the housing system and can see myself losing lots of hours just on my housing plot :)

  • AIMonsterAIMonster Member UncommonPosts: 2,059
    Originally posted by keithian

    Thank you. Can you explain a few things to me. A couple of points were interesting that you wrote:

    1) What do you mean that housing is a primary feature? Is it different from housing in other MMOs?

    2) I haven't seen examples of Dynamic Events. Can you show me some examples? Ill try googling this further. GW2 dynamic events though not bad weren't what was originally advertised.

    3) What did you mean by Sandbox elements?

     

    1)  Wildstar was built from the start to have housing as a feature.  There are plenty of videos on the housing feature (linked from other responses), but housing will contain both pure cosmetic stuff and practical things like raid portals, harvesting nodes, and more.

    2)  Some paths, in particular the soldier "holdouts" trigger dynamic events in the world.  Anyone who happens along while a soldier is doing a holdout can participate and get rewarded, and they scale like other games with dynamic events.

    3)  Settlers in particular have many sandbox elements.  They can setup various structures out in the world from simple campfires that provide buffs to those who use it to entire hubs complete with various vendors and bankers.

  • ShakyMoShakyMo Member CommonPosts: 7,207
    1 so why is it instanced off and not integrated with the game? I mean if you tack a feature on later it usually ends up instanced - e.g. wow pvp.
    2 gw2, tabular rasa, war, rift etc..
    3 buffs and player run stalls aren't sandbox. Lots of themeparks have them e.g. EQ, daoc, eq2, aion.
  • AIMonsterAIMonster Member UncommonPosts: 2,059
    Originally posted by Margulis

    Where did you hear that there is an AA system?  That interests me.

    I remember reading about it on the Q&A on Wildstar Central forums regarding the leaked patch notes, let me see if I can dig it up.

    Found it Post #168 (Page 9) on the Wildstar Central thread "Official M30 Patch Note Q&A thread":

    Will there be Racial Skills? like in WoW because it could affect raids like in WoW everyone went to Horde over Alliance due to stats
    We have a very clever solution to this that unfortunately isn't in the patch notes :(" />

    Actually I mentioned this in public but never saw it picked up: The costs of things in the Elder Advancement system (to be revealed later) is influenced by your race choice. So stuff you'd think would be natural to the Granok is much cheaper, requiring less elder advancement, while stuff you'd associate with, well, smarter races is more expensive.

    This way you can't permanently gimp yourself by a choice you made when you had the lowest information you'll ever have in the game (creating your first character) - but you can set yourself up with a little more work required for PvP or elder PvE optimality.
  • WizardryWizardry Member LegendaryPosts: 19,332

    The housing as many mention is a really good idea,however it is also a reason you want better graphics,not cartoony ones.

    When people work on their homes they like them to look cool or nice ,whatever term you prefer.Having all your items look like a cartoon does not meet the definition of a nice looking home.Sort of think of it like this,could you see your mom hanging up some tazmanian devil drapes in the living room?The homes will have that Fred Flinstone sort of look,you know you can't really call that impressive looking,just a cartoony look.

    IMO the game is really good,it is the graphics that  do irk me as being a bad decision for a quiality game.I feel it was an early decision based on cost,both design cost and implementation cost.This is sadly going to happen with most games becuase there is no guarantee of huge success anymore,the market is too saturated.

    We have seen cartoony graphics before,always of course personal opinion but i feel Wildstar's look borderline on the cheap side.

    Never forget 3 mile Island and never trust a government official or company spokesman.

  • silvermembersilvermember Member UncommonPosts: 526
    Originally posted by Wizardry

    The housing as many mention is a really good idea,however it is also a reason you want better graphics,not cartoony ones.

    When people work on their homes they like them to look cool or nice ,whatever term you prefer.Having all your items look like a cartoon does not meet the definition of a nice looking home.Sort of think of it like this,could you see your mom hanging up some tazmanian devil drapes in the living room?The homes wil lahve that Fred Flinstone sort of look,you know you can't reallyu call that impressive looking,just a cartoony look.

    IMO the game is really good,it is the graphics that  do irk me as being a bad decision for a quiality game.I feel it was an early decision based on cost,both design cost and implementation cost.This is sadly gfoing to happen with msot games becuase there is no guarantee of huge success anymore,the market is too saturated.

    You should really learn to speak for yourself. Cool looking is in the eye of the bolder, it's not that hard of a concept but I guess on this forum it is to some people like you.

    Now, unless you have actually played the game you can't say it is a really good game, that is how people on this silly forum set themselves up for failure and then spend the next 3 years of their lives dogging on a game they don't enjoy because they hype up the game to 100.

     

    OP,

    I am interested in the game for 2 reasons.

    1. The pixar like charm.

    2. The bunny woman. Nobody hates bunny woman right?

    3. supposedly it is a sandpark game. I always wanted to play a sandbox like game. This isn't an important reason anyways, as long as the first 2 are met and it is not a sub based game, b2p, we all are good. Also it cant be clunky.

  • AIMonsterAIMonster Member UncommonPosts: 2,059
    Originally posted by ShakyMo
    1 so why is it instanced off and not integrated with the game? I mean if you tack a feature on later it usually ends up instanced - e.g. wow pvp.
    2 gw2, tabular rasa, war, rift etc..
    3 buffs and player run stalls aren't sandbox. Lots of themeparks have them e.g. EQ, daoc, eq2, aion.

    1.  How is an instanced feature not integrated into the game?  I don't get why it has to be outside an instance to count as a feature.  EQ2 had housing as a feature since release too and it was instanced.  Instancing the feature out means the quality of the feature can be vastly superior because there are problems that arise from allowing it in the open world which is why I personally found EQ2's housing to be better than Vanguard's, but that's a matter of opinion.

    2.  Not World of Warcraft though, which was the point.

    3.  This is more than "buffs and player run stalls" you are adding to the world in a way of your choosing.  Also I don't recall EQ and Aion having these features, yes EQ had a bazaar added during the Luclin expansion, but it was a seperate zone it didn't add to the "world" as it ran off your character so it wasn't a sandbox element.  Just because a game is themepark doesn't mean it can't have sandbox elements either, in fact I can't think of a single MMO that doesn't have sandbox elements.  In Wildstar you can build an entire "hub" with the Settler class, complete with everything you'd typically find in a quest hub.  Much more elaborate.  Also again, these features don't exist in World of Warcraft which was the point I was trying to make.  The list was differences from World of Warcraft, not completely unique features that aren't present in other games.

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