Φ Graphics Discussion (New art style proposal to Blizzard)

[XanderV]

Man, if I knew just gameplay affected a game, I'd still be playing text-based MUDs!

Can't some people grasp the fact that graphics AFFECT gameplay, and vice versa?! Graphics create IMMERSION, which determines the kind of actions you are performing as a character. For example, in Starcraft, lots of bloom and explosions negatively affects the gameplay, because it is much more important to know where your units than to see fancy effects!

But Diablo is an RPG, with basically one set perspective, a linear plot, and one character. Therefore the graphics are MUCH more important, ESPECIALLY with a loot system. From time to time, you want to zoom in on your character fighting demons and stuff. And because RPGs are often about immersion, the gameplay should INCLUDE alot of graphical effects to hammer the point that you are in epic battle fighting monstes and such.

Graphics and gameplay aren't these separable things. They are very much connected.

The only reason we usually talk about "gameplay" first is that it is much harder challenge to get good gameplay and than it is good graphics. BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THEY AREN'T EQUALLY IMPORTANT.

[tenaciousg]

Originally Posted by nasser

So because Age of Conan has little content and bugs - the graphics are at fault???
Did you not read my post??

I didnt say COPY AoC and call it D3.
I said use the "G-R-A-P-H-I-C-S FROM AOC", leave the content from blizzard.
What is so hard to understand??

i'm sorry, do you know what company we are talking about?

blizzard entertainment. that name alone should tell you they cater to a very large amount of gamers world wide not 1. and yes graphics are at fault with age of conan, they went for beauty instead of gameplay and any good source mapper knows Gameplay>Looks.

[Equinox]

Originally Posted by Paladin88

Space for what? They can have the game in production for 10 more years if that's what it takes to make Diablo 3.
Again space... space like DVD space. Memory? More expensive to produce?

Creation space. Aka time. They need time to make graphics, time to make the game.

Originally Posted by Paladin88

They can take as much time as they need to make Diablo 3 as it should be.

Not after they announced it, they can't.

Originally Posted by Paladin88

Think about it- their point is to make money, yes? Which will bring them more money?
1) a good game? 100 million sold units
or
2)a great game? 200 million sold units(which with current developments isn't going to be)

Diablo II only sold for 5 million, including LoD. StarCraft sold for 9. WoW for 13. Bestselling game is 50 million... Sims. I don't think greatness and selling have anything in common.

Originally Posted by tenaciousg

blizzard entertainment. that name alone should tell you they cater to a very large amount of gamers world wide not 1.

Blizzard Entertainment never had a high-quality 3D game made. WoW is not what I would call "Really good graphics".

[Waterwalk]

Agree complete, plz no kiddy graphic

[tenaciousg]

Originally Posted by Paladin88

Think about it- their point is to make money, yes? Which will bring them more money?
1) a good game? 100 million sold units
or
2)a great game? 200 million sold units(which with current developments isn't going to be)

wrong, their goal is to launch a successful title and get more people into gaming and having fun and enjoying themselves when they are playing the game. <that should be the goal for any gaming company.

[Mazarrin]

Originally Posted by Paladin88

Space for what? They can have the game in production for 10 more years if that's what it takes to make Diablo 3.
Again space... space like DVD space. Memory? More expensive to produce?

The gameplay seems fine. Without it it's not Diablo. Game lenght has always been both Blizzard and Diablo's strong side. So?
They can take as much time as they need to make Diablo 3 as it should be. A certain visual masterpiece- one of the elements that WERE there a bit, but lacked on a different level. Eye-candy wise. Again the same mistake and even more so defined by curent standards, now along with the complete removal of atmosphere. If they could have ruined it it would look as it does now.

Think about it- their point is to make money, yes? Which will bring them more money?
1) a good game? 100 million sold units
or
2)a great game? 200 million sold units(which with current developments isn't going to be)

Gameplay and Game Lenght have been blizzards strong side because they used dated software. It lets them sacrifice graphics for gameplay. This is where it gets rough, the more a game in demanding the more space it takes on a dvd, and you can only have so many dvd's before your game is not profitable anymore. Beleave me when I say that graphics are like a vampire on disk space, they jump on that dvd and suck the space right out of it.

Even so, there is no way I will stand by and let blizzard get away with a replica of WoW. This does not mean making better graphics, it means changing the textures. The revamped images on the first page, you can chnage those textures, ALL OF THEM, within a week time... a full game textures can be changed in a month or 2.

[Equinox]

Originally Posted by XanderV

BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THEY AREN'T EQUALLY IMPORTANT.

You suggest that graphics are just as important as gameplay? I strongly disagree.

[Mazarrin]

Originally Posted by tenaciousg

wrong, their goal is to launch a successful title and get more people into gaming and having fun and enjoying themselves when they are playing the game. <that should be the goal for any gaming company.

Wrong, the goal of any gaming company is money... what where you thinking...

[Ultramegazord]

Originally Posted by Equinox

You suggest that graphics are just as important as gameplay? I strongly disagree.

They're close to the importance of the gameplay, i've been reading opinions like "who cares about the graphics, i want to slay monsters", do you agree? What would you think if the walls were made with MS Paint in vibrant pinks and strong greens?

Graphics are a big part of a game, especially when that game has a characteristic mood and rich lore like Diablo.

[voiceofreason]

Having played both diablos and titan quest, I can say its the isometric nature of diablo that truly gives it its feel. Titan quest is a great game, but it simply failed to capture what diablo has done. Diablo 3 reminds me of titan quest in its look and feel, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. The overall feel of the graphics is more or less a by-product of being fully rendered in 3D at a high resolution.

However, the argument against the "large shoulder pads" and a call for "realistic armor" is kinda dumb if you take a second to look at the armor in diablo 2. The fact is diablo 2 has very stylized armor.



oh shit! necro shoulder pads!


having said that, I did sign the petition.