Gameplay Aesthetics and Eyecandy - Debate
DrunkenPuppy
Join Date: 2010-02-21 Member: 70670Members
Join Date: 2010-02-21 Member: 70670Members
<div class="IPBDescription">A debate on the importance of aesthetics and eyecandy this early on</div>I have come across several interesting posts and arguments revolving around gameplay aesthetics and eye candy and wish to pose a question to the community on this topic.
How important are these topics this early on in the game?
Should the developers be concentrating more or less on aesthetics then they currently are?
It is something interesting to think about when you see the Overgrowth team (however difficult to compare the two game styles and audiences) putting a lot more effort into these areas.
This also creates a tradeoff between attempting to attract the more "common" gamer to the development process and the gamer who is more impressed with the countless lines of code written to make the game run correctly.
Overall I rate the importance of the gameplay aesthetics and eye candy very high. However, I am personally on the fence about how early these topics should be concentrated on and I would like to get a good discussion going on this topic.
How important are these topics this early on in the game?
Should the developers be concentrating more or less on aesthetics then they currently are?
It is something interesting to think about when you see the Overgrowth team (however difficult to compare the two game styles and audiences) putting a lot more effort into these areas.
This also creates a tradeoff between attempting to attract the more "common" gamer to the development process and the gamer who is more impressed with the countless lines of code written to make the game run correctly.
Overall I rate the importance of the gameplay aesthetics and eye candy very high. However, I am personally on the fence about how early these topics should be concentrated on and I would like to get a good discussion going on this topic.
Comments
Graphics features need to be tested too, so it's not like they'd be more efficient adding them all in at the end.
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-2wa1vMbk8" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-2wa1vMbk8</a>
Agreed. I mean it's just the way game development goes.
<!--sizeo:1--><span style="font-size:8pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo-->OoT: I don't play the game too much now because I know (usually) that one of them is bound to be not working with each patch.
If it lacks features, it's not interesting. If it lags, it's hard to play. If it's unbalanced, it's not fun. Talk about hard to please with a beta, really.
But it's still the best $35 I've spent; the game at the moment is just a very, very awesome pre-order. And once it gets 1.0, oh momma.<!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec-->
Aesthetics and atmosphere is "static content" that will be consumed in time, like watching a movie or playing a single-player game, but great gameplay can last forever. Great looks is probably a mandatory element for a successful game today but making amendments for aesthetics with the expense of gameplay is not how the best multiplayer games were made. Multiplayer games have to have a very good gameplay to stay interesting for long.
I don't think anyone would advocate sacrificing gameplay for aesthetics, but as you say great graphics are not a luxury if you want to be commercially successful. Not to say "hardcore" fans aren't important but us still playing the game 9 years from now won't make UWE more money, no matter how good the gameplay (or graphics for that matter) not many people will still want to buy it by then.
In response to the OP, I'm not sure I see how Overgrowth is that much better graphically. From the video's I've seen I'm much more impressed with NS2's look, although maybe Overgrowth is in some way more technically accomplished?
it should look polished...
The Gorge curently has some funny eye-twitch ^^ it annoys me death even tho i NEVER see it (exceot i crouch up to an afk gorge)
it should look noble no matter what angle you look at the characters/ anims.. even in slowmo
so..
Smooth Animation Transition (EDIT : lol kinda got fixed.. or at least UWE startet to fix it.)
Physics overridden Deathanimations / Physics and animation blending (EDIT : this maybe too...)
to the ground aligned feet
first person body / feet
and, you wouldnt expect that from me.. , NO turn animations
because standing still while turning around Z-axis looks still better than some crazy foot movement that doesnt match the turning speed. .... well, unless you do it REALLY good.
Physics overridden Deathanimations / Physics and animation blending
to the ground aligned feet
first person body / feet
and, you wouldnt expect that from me.. , NO turn animations
because standing still while turning around Z-axis looks still better than some crazy foot movement that doesnt match the turning speed. .... well, unless you do it REALLY good.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
this is the only area aesthetically that i care about. its jarring. watch the skulk from 3rd person camera, this is almost the same quality as hl1 engine, which was a modded Quake1.5 engine. current games like the crysis franchise pulled this off beautifully, but according to the ceo of crytek it wasnt worth their developer time as the majority of gamers didnt notice it. (i sure as hell did) so until 3rd party animation systems are affordable by indie dev teams (such as euphoria and EA's Fifa animation software etc) we will not see this done by anybody. second time today ive mentioned this dev team, but, Wolfire so far at least shows some resemblance of this fluid animation transitioning and body/posture alignment to floor etc. (but this is after some 4 years or something of engine making with combat in mind.)
on a more related note to the topic:
more importantly is the thing that kept NS alive publicly and competitively, that fluid skill based movement; its not being reflected in the marine's lack of movement control. it feels wonky, especially with sprinting. not asking for Bhoppin but its too rigid for gameplay reaons. (reminds me of a Onos animations thread that happened about a year ago in the now empty get satisfaction)
Sure, but are you going to buy the game 20 times to make up the sales?