Why did they change the entire game pre release?

Bulveigh

Hey,

 

found this:

http://web.archive.org/web/20021119122959/hz.stratics.com/content/gallery/conceptart/images/character/race-lineup.jpg

 

and asked me: why did they change everything before they released the game? anyone remember?

 

 

All the nice plans... The under water race... angels on a flying island... vampires which get weak in sunlight :P

tasburath

The whole development team was dumped and they started over with a different team if I remember right.

 

I actually saw two animations from the original team.  One of an elf casting and the other of a griffon flying.  They were amazing even back then and would have looked good even by today's standard.  The current models look nothing like what I saw from the original team.  I can't find the animations now (I really wish I could), but here is a link to an article describing some of the original ideas:

http://legacy.the-junkyard.net/previews.php?action=viewpreview&id=1

 

Here is another link to a copy of an article written by the original developer of Horizons.  It's an interesting read:

 

http://webz.us/hz/htm/wrh.htm

 

If anyone has links to the original (not the production) 3d animations, please post them.

 

Nadia

found this googling around

Horizons' history: Birth - Near Death and possible ... - MMORPG.com

tasburath

I remember the original animations and concepts behind the first iteration of the Horizons concept.

I was beyond excited.  Horizons was going to be a game changer.

What they released wasn't even a shell of what it was supposed to be.  Horizons remains, to this day, the biggest MMO disappointment I ever had.

Octagon7711

Exactly why it pays to wait and see what actually comes out after planning.