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POLL: MMO Graphics - Game-breaking but not game-making?

AglarannaAglaranna Member Posts: 204

I could be wrong but I think there are 2 schools of thought on game graphics:

1 - If the player despises the graphics they won't get past the first few hours and will most likely stop playing, regardless of the popularity or reputation of the game.

2 - If the gameplay is weak, the most beautiful graphics in the world isn't enough to keep the gamer playing.

Or is there a larger grey area? What are your thoughts on how important graphics really are to you? Pick the strongest answer.

Comments

  • BrenelaelBrenelael Member UncommonPosts: 3,821

    I prefer to have good graphics and gameplay but if a game is fun and engaging I can overlook graphics. A fun game is a fun game no matter how pretty it looks.

     

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  • SovrathSovrath Member LegendaryPosts: 31,937

    aren't graphics and art design two totally different things?

    Graphics is the technical workings, how light works, textures work etc and art design is the difference between how the individual assests are presented?

    I'll answer the poll assuming you either mean art design.

    Edit: I answered the first choice: "if I can't stand the graphics I won't play".

     

    Just can't do it. This is not to say that the Art Design has to be a certian thing but just that if I don't like it I can't paly.

    for example, DAoC's graphics and Art Design are a little dated but I have no problem with them.

    EVE's art design and grapics are beautiful but I can't get into the game.

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  • stayontargetstayontarget Member RarePosts: 6,519

    Originally posted by Sovrath

    aren't graphics and art design two totally different things?

    Graphics is the technical workings, how light works, textures work etc and art design is the difference between how the individual assests are presented?

    I'll answer the poll assuming you either mean art design.

    That's what I was thinking.  Is the OP referring to Art direction or just over all graphics of a game.

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  • AglarannaAglaranna Member Posts: 204

    Yeah I definitely mean art design:character models, buildings, environment, etc.

  • stayontargetstayontarget Member RarePosts: 6,519

    ~Other~

    I'm fairly lax in my taste in art direction.  What a game needs for me to like it is not really art design or high graphics visuals (but they do help) but the game play itself.   I want to "feel" the action and the world and be part of it, and not feel like I am detached from the game itself and just going through the motions of playing a game.

     

     

    ~sry for the confusing post,  it's hard to put it in words~

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  • ShinamiShinami Member UncommonPosts: 825

    What lies in the genre is the fact that many games "look" very similar.

     

    What gets me to play a game are "Original Graphics."

     

    By original, I mean graphics you can find in one game that its a style that is almost unique to it. Aside from Graphics, the story as well is different and gameplay is different. Sometimes it takes a little to make this happen, other times it takes heavy shaders.

     

    ORIGINAL graphics are a MUST for an MMO to really survive these days. In creating a game that has a 5 year timeline until completion, your graphics are going to be outdated when you are done. Lineage 2 was tested in late 2003, early 2004....and its graphics are based from Unreal Engine 2.0. Its character graphics were great, but its environmental graphics were horrible for that time.

     

    The thing about Guild Wars is that although its graphics are outdated, it doesn't get super old...The reason being its graphics are original. Look at the Dot Hack Games, Phantasy Star Games as well as The Witcher and Dragon Age. They may not be MMORPGs, but its graphics are unique and original that no matter how old the games get, their style is unique to them, so you can enjoy a nice world.

     

  • VGuitarManVGuitarMan Member Posts: 10

    I can easily push the graphics aside, if the game's good. I mean, look at Tibia, obviously anyone who plays it doesn't really care for graphics (or bots :P).

  • SuperXero89SuperXero89 Member UncommonPosts: 2,551

    Originally posted by Sovrath

    aren't graphics and art design two totally different things?

    Graphics is the technical workings, how light works, textures work etc and art design is the difference between how the individual assests are presented?

    I'll answer the poll assuming you either mean art design.

    Edit: I answered the first choice: "if I can't stand the graphics I won't play".

     

    Just can't do it. This is not to say that the Art Design has to be a certian thing but just that if I don't like it I can't paly.

    for example, DAoC's graphics and Art Design are a little dated but I have no problem with them.

    EVE's art design and grapics are beautiful but I can't get into the game.

    Technically they are, but I think arguing about graphics purely from a technical standpoint is rather silly as who cares how many polygons are in a pile of horse crap?

    Games like EQ2 and Vanguard are technically impressive games, but there's a lot of areas in those games that, to me, actually "look worse" than some areas in World of Warcraft simply because the design of the gameworld is lacking in certain ways.

  • ShinamiShinami Member UncommonPosts: 825

    You do. ^_^

     

    If I designed a piece of horsecrap to be circular and round, Its polygon count would be so high that approach it with a decent texture will zap your framerate. However If I simplified it, your framerate won't drop. If a fireball slams my face, I want it to look at least like a fireball...

     

    I don't want to control ugly characters eithers.....I am sure neither do you.

     

    Also, please define "technically superior." Just because a game is large, doesn't mean it is technically superior.

  • Loke666Loke666 Member EpicPosts: 21,441

    There are more important things than graphics but it do matter. While I can stand average graphics I avoid game with bad graphics.

    The most important thing is of course how fun a game is to play but there are several factors that makes me like a game and graphics is one of them.

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