Gamer's Rant About Graphics In Modern Games.

[RoboJoe32]

Most PC games (And some Console)and such today try and crank out as many polys, texture effects, and slather bump mapping and texture effects all over everything....I think this is HURTING games graphically, and hurting PC users who can't afford to buy every piece of hardware as it's released...


Far too many games today (un-released and released) try to make bad character designs and bad designs in general look good by upping the poly rate to perverse levels and throwing in texture effects... Doom 3 has a few bad designs and models, but try and make up for it with polys and effects.... S.T.A.L.K.E.R looks damned awesome because of the kickass designs, models, and feel.

Everquest 2 has HORRIBLE character, monster, and weapon models artistically, a POOR grasp on how armor and cloth should look, and stances and actions are so unrealistic it's laughable... Like the old saying goes, you can't polish a turd...I think Guild Wars looks more beautiful than it, just because it's better artistically. And better design wise.

What i'm saying is, you don't have to bloat out a game with polys and bump mapping and texture blending to make them look good, Some good designing, Creative and slick model work, along with expert texture work (TOO MANY GAMES use bump mapping and overdone texture effects and bloated models instead of just good textureing.....And I HATE BUMP MAPPING! It makes everything look like stiff shiny plastic, which is far from appealing visually unless it's APPLIED to plastic.... Everquest 2 is a good example of bump mapping abuse.)


Effects like farcrys water are laughable and utterly un-needed (Water does not= Jello) It's not realistic in the least, And it sucks all of your power out of your PC and ruins your enjoyment of the game, If it had water like morrowind that would have looked far nicer. And have been more PC friendly.

A good example of a game that doesn't use too many effects or gimmicks to achieve it's look... Painkiller.... It looked great without ODing on gimmicks and bloated models.

I'm not saying all graphical effects, texture effects, and "gimmicky" features are bad.... But I'm saying they are often overused and used in place of just plain good design, modeling, and textureing....


I'm not expecting people to agree, But I just felt the need to rant.

Peace.

 

[kknd_cf]

tbh I thought the water in farcry looked amazingly realistic.

 

[Mosch]

I'm not expecting people to agree, But I just felt the need to rant.

I agree with you anyway. Graphic does not make a game.

 

[diablo2]

thats why i like console gaming
but still agreeing that eq2 looks like crap
painkiller looks insainly good

but i think farcry is better than you make it out to be
i think it looks great

 

[DemonStar55]

I hate when games do that

 

[Swiss_Cheesespam]

If you don't like the artistic style they've chosen, then either put up or shut up or just turn the damn effect off.

 

[RoboJoe32]

Swiss, Did you not listen at all?

Most games will not allow you to turn any of these minor annoyances off eventually as graphics and PC hardware rises in power, (I doubt EQ2 will let us turn off bump mapping when it's so heavily integrated into the graphics engine)

I have nothing against the effects themselves if used properly (Star wars: Rogue leader for gamecube is a good example of good bump mapping use, Not overdone or plasticy on things that have it.) I'm saying they are generally used where they don't belong.

And no, I don't buy games based on graphics alone (I'd pay for a text based adventure if it was done well.) I just get upset when they focus more on the graphics than the game itself, only to ruin the graphics by overbloating it with effects or makeing the style look bad.

If you apply a few nice even coats of paint to a bench, it looks nice right? Try slathering on over 30 thick sloppy coats... not so nice now is it?

Now an artist tries painting a picture with a few fine details, brushstrokes, and accents here and there........Nice isn't it? Now another person uses metallic and flourescent paints, far too much paint, And uses every gimmick he knows....Not exactly the work of a skilled artist or much to look at is it?

That's how I few where most games are going, Instead of people trying HARDER on graphics, they're falling back on cut and paste effects, graphics gimmicks, and upping polys instead of modeling better and more effeciently and textureing better.


And as far as "put up or shut up" goes, You and I both can't make an entire movie, but we can still criticize it correct? We don't ever have hope to be president, but we can give our opinion on politics correct?

So I think instead of being so damn rude, you should ignore posts you don't like, Or try and be constructive. It's not that difficult.

 

[Josquius]

Graphics make more of a game then some people like to admit.
Games are getting better and it is just your perspective of them that means people say older games are better.

I don't see anything wrong with graphical effects, it doesn't matter how they get to the end result if the result is good.

 

[Huxley]

What i'm saying is, you don't have to bloat out a game with polys and bump mapping and texture blending to make them look good, Some good designing, Creative and slick model work, along with expert texture work (TOO MANY GAMES use bump mapping and overdone texture effects and bloated models instead of just good textureing.....And I HATE BUMP MAPPING! It makes everything look like stiff shiny plastic, which is far from appealing visually unless it's APPLIED to plastic.... Everquest 2 is a good example of bump mapping abuse.)

Exactly. I may get some abuse for this, but I thought Halo was visually disappointing. The designs of the aliens and the technology were generic rubbish, and bump mapping was horribly overused. It may have been technically superior to the likes of Jet Set Radio Future, but that doesn't mean that it looked nicer.

On the other hand, if you combine great designs with great technology, the results can be truly stunning. Just look at Resident Evil 4 for a game that has a coherant, beautiful design scheme coupled with some great use of technology. IMHO this is visually better than anything on Xbox or the new wave of PC games despite being on inferior hardware.

 

[RoboJoe32]

Exactly!

If the technologies are paired together skillfully and make a good style and feel for the game, Then they've done a good job. BUT! If they're slopped about in every area the game devs can put them (SOE....Cloth does NOT look like bumpy plastic...) it isn't good.

Using technologies effeciently with skill is sort of like the last mentioned painter metaphor, If a skilled painter uses the gimmicks to highlight and accent instead of just be the whole piece, and uses the other paints where they belong. It will look very nice.

 

[Axeman]

I just enjoy the games - If they look nice as well as playing well, it's a bonus

 

[El_Diablo]

maybe i've missed the point, but i agree with robojoe, i'm of the generation that can look at a 2D game and have my jaw hit the floor at just how solid the graphics are, coupled with gameplay that really makes you feel in command (ie. Ikaruga B) )...thats it, solid graphics, nobody wants a game with rubbish graphics but when the talent of the artists outways that of the level designers or games conceivers then the game industry will suffer....

...ps dont deny it makes the geek in you angry when the first comment someone makes about a game opens with some reference to the graphics

 

[sebastian_insua]

I just enjoy the games - If they look nice as well as playing well, it's a bonus

Same here no graphics (aka nethack) or loadsa graphics its all the same for me and I don't think you can complain about eye candy...

 

[Esn]

I think that games like Grim Fandango had the right idea; a game can look good by making the best use of the available technology, making the art fit around it.

Personally, I like good art direction. You know, where the art actually has some STYLE.

On the other hand, some games (like many from The Adventure Company; you know, those Egypt & Atlantis adventure games that all look the same) try to make pretty graphics without any real art direction at all.