Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Quick Links
so what's the story with the graphics?
grimland
Member UncommonPosts: 71
in Everquest II
i really don't know what to think. i read every piece of news that there is ON this game, but didn't get a clear answer regarding the graphics. some users claim that the game engine needs to be improved even with the new expansion. some game websites give 80-90 score to the graphics. i tried play the fairy trail version with my old computer and i didn't like the graphics. but my comp had an average graphic video card. i just bought new comp. my video card now is nvidia 8800. top notch. maybe the game will now look differently? i really don't know what to think. so what do you say. how is the graphics in EQ2 now. did the new expansion made it good?
Comments
They are the best in 'Slide-Show' mode.
If you have a set of those 8800GTs in SLI mode, then you will be able to turn em up quite high and they will look the best of any game out to date. And, EQ2 will be quite playable.
If you have any other type of 8800 card, then you are out of luck. Those cards are slow, buggy, and generally poor (Google it if you want more info on 8800 problems). However, 8800GT work well.
Good Luck
I find them beautiful. If you run them in extreme graphics mode, they're breathtaking. Especially this new expansion. Absolutely gorgeous. Best I've ever seen in any game, and I play far too many games on my computer for my own good.
Personally, for an MMO, the graphics are 2nd best to Vanguard overall. But, the only part VG looks better than EQ2 is the terrain, environments, such as trees, grass, etc. But the player models, armor, weapon graphics, spell graphics, etc look dull compared to EQ2.
Now, If EQ2 had VG's beautiful landscape graphics, then I'd give them a ten. Every other MMO out there has crapola graphics or kiddy cartoony graphics. 3 years and running and eq2 still has the best graphics overall compared to any other mmo. And theres rumors that SOE is working on redoing/upgrading the graphics engine to support Dual and Quad core PC's.. So If and when this ever gets done, expect the graphics to improve even more.
And yes, the graphics are significantly better on a 8800 GTS since I just bought that card a couple weeks ago. I had a 7900 GT in before. Also, having a widescreen LCD monitor helps ALOT as well, especially when using higher resolutions. If your using a regular CRT bleh bleh monitor, I'd upgrade to at least a 19 inche 1440/900 monitor. Ask your gf, bf, momma, pappy, grandpappy, your sugar daddy, pimp, whoever for an early Xmas present.
Rallithon Oakthornn
(Retired Heirophant of the 60th season)
Just pray it doesn't have the Asian MMO graphics look. You ever see their graphics and art? It's like they hire the same guy to do all the drawings and colors.
If your a fan of the plastic model type then EQ2 is your game. Considering every form of armor is the same style and similar looks there really isn't anything to give this game a good graphics rating except for the landscapes maybe max settings. Don't run around with a torch cause you might melt the faces off.
Let me first make this clear, I am no graphics *****. I despise most modern games as they are nothing but 3d-marks for 50$, where way to much time has been put into the looks and next to nothing into the game-play. If Fallout were to be released today with it's current graphics, it would still blow my mind more than any next generation blahblah amazing graphics game has.
I loved WoW for it's graphics (please let's not talk about its flaws, way to many thread covering those), they were simple, easy on your system and on the eye. The world felt alive, cozy and fantasy-ish. That being said, other "real" life graphics in older games have been good too, aslong as they have a feel of a living world.
EQ II does not have this. Where people get their idea that the graphics are awsome, well I don't know. The world is stiff, boring, seems rather dead and to be honest, just plain ugly. The only decent effect I've found so far would be the water which is rather nice. The rest is just, well, grey. It's very pixel-ish, way to sharp edges, few colours being used, you never feel at home and there just no real feel to that aspect of the game. The npc/pc skins are very lackluster as well, not to mention the armour looks. Spell animations is just a lot of glow with no real though put into them. If a game cannot succeed to make real life graphics feel, well real, they shouldn't try to do so, and no, this has nothing to do with technology, just about getting a proper feel in.
Oh, as I do go on about "the feel" a lot, this is clearly my oppinion, and I hope you realise this. However I will be called WoW fanboi and "lol if ure liek cartoon go kidnergarden lol" for sure ^^. But anyways that's my 2 cents on EQ II graphics.
Second Oh, I've got a 2,7 Intel Duo Core, 8800, 4gig etc system, so yes, my computer can handle max settings.
Eq2 is truly a great game of this time.I had alot of fun playing it.It was 3 PC's ago when i first played it and i still thought the graphics were great.The game has tons of content.The one problem io had with there aging engine was that mobs would often go underground or into walls.Sometimes the engine would also spit out garbled meshes such as the skeletons in the main outdoor area.I only left to ply FFXi with some friends and would have still been playing eq2 if not .
I wouldn't go back to the game now as the majority of the players are far too ahead and catching up would be a super chore.The game is very much party oriented as you will need a group for sure to do the elite quests.But if your willing to chance it out then the game is really good.Everyone used to use a few add-ons especially the map one with POI,check into it.
I am waiting for SQUARE enix's next gen game as it tuly looks amazing and will blow the socks off any game graphic wise.Square has been held back for years trying to make games compatible for an aging PS2 system ,now there finally ready to rock the xbox360/PS3 and PC's.
Never forget 3 mile Island and never trust a government official or company spokesman.
That's your opinion.
Here's my beautiful opinion:
I love the look of everquest 2 and I find it simply amazing that the graphics stood the test of time for three years now. I wont go into any other detail; its just a beautiful game.
And yes, I find WoW's graphics to be just as beautiful in it's own right.
People who have to create conspiracy and hate threads to further a cause lacks in intellectual comprehension of diversity.
That's your opinion.
Here's my beautiful opinion:
I love the look of everquest 2 and I find it simply amazing that the graphics stood the test of time for three years now. I wont go into any other detail; its just a beautiful game.
And yes, I find WoW's graphics to be just as beautiful in it's own right.
How I love selective qouting ^^, look a bit down and you'll see I did make it clear it was my oppinion, though, I have to agree that part was badly put on my part. I do apologize for this
.
Yup i'd agree the best graphics by far on any MMO
Once you put the game in to Very high quality settings you will see how beautiful EQ2 can be. Back when EQ2 first came out I was playing on a 9800pro and I thought the graphics were horrible. I started playing again when EoF came out and on the 7950 and now 8800 I have the graphics are amazing. Its like a whole new game graphically speaking. I didnt realize how detailed things where. I definitely recommend giving it another shot with your new computer. And if your looking for a lot of people to play with check Antonia Bayle for PvE and Nagafen for PvP.
Warp
I really cannot believe that a lot of people praise the graphics in this game. Sure, the engine may be powerful, but the art direction is completely awful. Characters look like clay, male toons look like they have down syndrome and the devs weren't even able to dish out at least ONE decent female hairstyle. Sure, the environments may look ok, but how can anyone expect you to get into the game if your avatar looks terrible?
This game may have a deep character skill system, cool crafting, great PVE, and a decent end game... but imo, it doesn't make up for the awful character models and item variety, two of the main reasons why I choose to play an mmo.
I think Everquest 2 still has some of the most beautiful graphics i have seen in a while.
But to ones own opinion right?
Playing: Everthing
Played: DAoC,AC2,EvE,SWG,WAR,MXO,CoX,EQ2,L2,LOTRO,SB,UO,WoW.
I have played every MMO that has ever come out.
Just remember, the graphics are only as good as the computer your playing the game on. That being said some people are going to say the graphics are beautiful because they are playing on high quality or better, others will tell you the graphics are shit because they are playing it with high performance or lower settings.
I myself flip flop between balanced and very high quality depending on what im doing. I even leave shadows on as i think it makes the graphics look even better, but it chews up the resources.
So in short the graphics can be amazing or shit depending on ones rig.
I think they have improved on this a lot with the recent expansions. I know commonlands and thundering steppes both feel very much like that. However,both EoF and RoK have introduced more vibrant zones.Improved with the recent expansions? Heh, my initial impression on RoK was that the graphics are absolutely superb, but that suddenly (and VERY soon) changed. Take a loot at lines. Especially rocks, mountain sides and tops, and where stuff meets the ground (rocks, trees, etc).
I've seen huge rocks where the part above ground is made up by 5 straight lines! Did they draw the graphics with a freakin' ruler? Look around you in the new areas, at least in KP and beyond: study the lines and be prepared for the shock! They are not small, not an antialiasing issue, sometimes a single straight line from almost at the top of the mountain down into the sea. You'll see this everywhere.
And collisons: You cannot enter KP (first of the high lvl zones in RoK) without noticing the spiders to the right when leaving the boat. I bet you will see some of them halfway into the ground. This is an issue with almost every type of mobs in the expansion areas, especially the bigger ones. And try to ride your mount down a slope - the back feet will be buried in the ground, sometimes half of the mount is under, while the front feet is in the air!
I really enjoyed EQ2's graphics earlier, I've even posted here about it, but RoK is absolutely horribly done. Nice with foggy glasses, probably, but a quick closer inspecion reveals how bad it is.
You see..the beautiful thing is this:That's your opinion.
Here's my beautiful opinion:
I love the look of everquest 2 and I find it simply amazing that the graphics stood the test of time for three years now. I wont go into any other detail; its just a beautiful game.
And yes, I find WoW's graphics to be just as beautiful in it's own right.
yeah, no ****? whose else opinion would it be?
The story on the graphics is that they tried to pull off some degree of realism (recall the chainmail paladin bikini in the alpha video) but they overshot by miles and no one could run the game. So they bumped down the models, so now you have these horrible awkward looking faces. My computer can play near max settings, and I'm sorry but no amount of technology can cover up BAD ART.
The actual concept art in the game is quite good, it's just that they 3D modeling team they have is one of the worst in the industry. Now when they brought the game over to asia, they hired a team dubbed the SOGA team to make alternate models. The alternate models are more animeish and the asian influence shows. In terms of actual quality, they are much much superior to the older models. Now some people dislike the anime/asian style, and will only play on the older models. It's perfectly fine if you don't like the SOGA models because of the art style, but please don't tell me that you think the old ones are actually well made. That just kills me...
From what I see from most environments, the world just simply looks incredibly fake and strangely out of place. Sure there are some nice technology effects like the water and some of the textures, but for the most part the textures look really weird on most objects, and everything feels slapped on with no regard for aesthetic appeal.
In terms of models for armor and weapons, there isn't much variety. There's only one robe model, and most of the models are recolored and reused. MOST (not all) MMOs are guilty of this, but EQ2 takes it to a new extreme. I recall from a while back, a level 10 wearing a unremarkable robe that was the same model for the epic high level piece for wizards of whatever. With all the new expansions though, hopefully that's been changed..also from what I've seen from player screenshots, the armor is even more colorfully rainbow happy and mismatched than WoW's...the game that they call for kids because of the color scheme...irony
the animations, which are rather quite nice, have no identity or life to them. If you look at WoW's animations, the characters all have several idle animations unique to each race. But they also all have different weapon animations, casting, emotes, etc etc. Also I can't stand how dead and lifeless all the players in EQ2 look, they have no idle animations and all stand in the same stupid pose. All they do is breathe, like dead meat zombies.
In the newer screenshots I've seen, some armor and weapons that are looking much nicer. Also the new dark elf area with the WoW inspired wolf mount guards things! also looks nice too, considering the SOGA team made it. Does the SOGA team handle all the 3D stuff now? I wonder..
I almost laughed when the above poster talked about WoW's animations. And them being more fluid than EQ 2's. Understandbly its his opinon, but its rather amusing. Sadly WoWs animations sum up to 4 basic animations with variations. Nothing UNIQUE about them at all. I'm a huge mmo fan, and loved WoW because it was simple, easy and everyone played it. I still to this day think WoW has success no other company will be able to touch unless they build a proper community for it. That being said, EQ 2 owns WoW in any animation department ten fold. Any free mmo owns WoW in animations ten fold. Ive seen better animations in Archlord then Ive ever seen in WoW. Also to note, lines rendering under rocks, missing textures, and alot of the in between, usually is a rendering issue with your card. One can only say that a game has great graphics if that is whats seen. So if you have a bottom line card, this forum post really isnt for you. And graphics and enviroment variables are two different things. And the OP plainly stated Whats up with the graphics?. I could go on and on with this, but I have to go fluff up another game in another forum. So to sum it up, heres my list of best graphical games.
1. Crysis
2. Need for Speed : Pro Street
3. Half-Life 2
4. Gears of War
5. EverQuest 2
By the way, those are rated on games Ive played recently, regardless if they are an MMO or not.
The main problem I had with EQ2 graphics was the modeling. A lot of them are just bad. Trolls and ogres are horrible. Deer are laughable. They got (or had) tons of money for this game, why not hire quality 3d modelers? I'm sure the people involved did their best. Animations were also disappointing.
Overall the game is good, and the details are there. The overall effect though is a bit off somehow.
MMOs Played: EQ 1&2, DAoC, SWG, Planetside, WoW, GW, CoX, DDO, EVE, Vanguard, TR
Playing: WAR
Awaiting 40k Online and wishing for Battletech Online
what do you mean by 4 basic animations with variations? Also just to reiterate, I think the animations in EQ2 look really nice. Just my beef with them is they use them for every single race, so everyone does everything the same. In WoW, all of the animations were customized for each race and gender combo, as well as idle animations so the characters don't just stand there like dolls.
You didn't laugh as loud as I laughed when I saw you put EQ2's graphics on a top 5 list!
I guess you haven't played many games lately.
EQ2 is a brilliant game, doen't get me wrong there, but I suggest you have a closer look at newer games. Compared to most of them, EQ2 can't compete in any way, graphic wise. And since you compare with WoW: WoW has smooth graphics (though very cartoonish), while EQ2 has sharp cuts and straight lines everywhere.
The animations in EQ2 isn't as brilliant as you give an impression of. Look at your toon in certain situations, like when you're crafting, and you'll see the whole upper body in motion, but the lower is completely frozen. The same when you use your "Call of <home city>" spell or harvesting from a mount. If you have a provisoner in EQ2, try looking from the floor and up to what s/he's holding while crafting - I guarantee you'll laugh at the stupidity in the animations you will see.
WoW: "...unless they BUILD a proper community"? What the heck are you talking about?
"Any free mmo owns WoW in animations ten fold". It's ok to hate WoW, but seriously, drop the lies. You haven't even played all the free ones, no one has.
Btw, if you seriously call the mile long straight lines in EQ2 for "rendering issues with your card", then you have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. They are there no matter if you have an old pc hardly capable to run the game, or a new pc with an 8800 card and the game on max settings. Don't take my words for it, ask other players ingame.
Please feel free to reply, mackdawg19, I could really need another good laugh!
This topic is going nowhere fast
If you like the graphics hey thats cool//if you dont hey thats cool too but to keep going round in circles (or straight lines:)) is getting us nowhere just agree to disagree hey?
Oh no - the forums police...
We ARE discussing graphics/animations. That IS on-topic, and if you don't like it, go somewhere else.
Yeah, it's pretty obvious that mackdawg is a WoW hating fanboy, shouldn't take him too seriously
and the only reason the EQ2 animations look as good as some of them are is because they hired some dude to dance around in a suit that recorded his movements and cost 5 billion dollars per minute. The money they spent on that could have probably have been used to hire 3D modelers and animators that actually have talent and can put effort into the things they make
also did I mention all of the hairs in the game look like playdough? I think I forgot that one
All I have to contribute to this thread is, ever aggro'ed a mob and then ran away from it? The animation is ridiculous, they run after you like they're on speed + crack + LSD + heroin + ecstacy.