The impact thing is a western overall problem imo. So far, only asian originated MMOs seem to get the impact right. Maybe it's because they are a bit over the top, both with the sound and the flashing graphics part.
For example, meleeing with a stick gives a thud sound, which is what you'd expect if you hit something IRL with a stick. Comparing that to Aion though (for example) and the same stick feels like you're bringing a house down onto somebody. Same thing with sticking a knife into something. IRL you don't hear any over the top sound when ripping through some meat flesh. In Aion though it feels as if you're hitting somebody with a hammergun (the gun that shoots nails).
Underwater Rift has to be seen to be believed. Utter rubbish
lol look at the date the video was posted. Whats that beta 2? under water fighting looks and SOUNDS nothing like that now. im running on ultra and these graphics look like crap.
Originally posted by Xasapis
Originally posted by RogueTroopa
Even in ultra its pants. Can u honestly say the water effects are good???? erm no
Erm, yes. I'm actually playing the game on ultra instead of trying to desypher an opinion over some youtube video of unknown quality.
The underwater distortion effect is hands down the most believable thing I've seen in an MMO as far as water is concerned. It actually looks like water, as opposed to other MMOs that looks like you're swimming through thick glass. Above water surface is decent (among the better ones), but I've seen better ones in DX10+ able games.
The ease with which predictions are made on these forums: Fratman: "I'm saying Spring 2012 at the earliest [for TOR release]. Anyone still clinging to 2011 is deluding themself at this point."
You guys can't forget thatd due to the nature of the game, Rift's graphics can't be much better than this.
Otherwise when you have 100 players on your screen your system won't take it.
So it's not fair to compare graphics just by the looks, you need to think about functionality as well.
Peace and happy gaming.
Just want to make sure people read this.
What's going on in the game will limit how good the graphics can be. Which is why most single player RPG/FPS games have really good graphics compared to MMO and RTS games that can have tons more going on at a time.
? I'm sorry, but I don't see why MMORPG's that use zones should be excluded when talking about graphics and graphical quality. Why, because it supposedly makes Rift look bad?
It sounds as wrong as when somebody would pose the argument 'Rift graphics can only look so good, because its world is super tiny compared to other MMO's so it doesn't need zoning. Therefore the graphics of MMO's with bigger worlds win from Rift graphics'
The talk was I think about graphics, not about how MMORPG's manage to handle them within their design.
Besides, FFXIV and LotrO have seamless worlds, I'd consider their environment graphics on par and even better than Rift's environment graphics. Mind you, that doesn't mean Rift graphics look bad, they're fine, just saying that comparing should and can be done regardless whether an MMO uses zoning, smaller worlds or other game design tricks to bring them forth.
The ease with which predictions are made on these forums: Fratman: "I'm saying Spring 2012 at the earliest [for TOR release]. Anyone still clinging to 2011 is deluding themself at this point."
LOL Ya know I've been reading alot of post about RIFT. And the one that I love seeing more than any is " IT LOOKS LIKE WOW". Well all I can say is that goodness it's is'nt because if it was WoW I would'nt play it. I played WoW for a month and really did'nt enjoy my time in Azaroth or whatever that world is. It has too be in the same area as the smurfs live in because that was what I expected too see everytime I logged on. I'm glad LotRo came out or I would'nt been playing anything.
It is'nt all about WoW. IT does have a few UI things that remind me of WoW but it also reminds me of LotRo with the craft system and quest. But I guess that was an original WoW thing was'nt it ? WoW has a huge fan base I know. So haters stay in the smurf village..I'm going to play RIFT.
Jymm Byuu Playing : Blood Bowl. Waiting for 2. Holding breath for Archeage and EQN.
I am soo glad I didnt spend any money on this game.
Sorry but I havent yet seen or heard anything about this game that I find intresting, not a single item.
Knowing the types of mmos you enjoy, you more than likely saved yourself from wasting the money. I highly doubt you'd find anything interesting in Rift. To be frank, I think you've simply outgrown this type of game. I know I have.
"Mr. Rothstein, your people never will understand... the way it works out here. You're all just our guests. But you act like you're at home. Let me tell you something, partner. You ain't home. But that's where we're gonna send you if it harelips the governor." - Pat Webb
I am soo glad I didnt spend any money on this game.
Sorry but I havent yet seen or heard anything about this game that I find intresting, not a single item.
I do have to admit though I am disapointed that the industry thinks that a 'sandbox' mmo must have full loot pvp.
If you took the games I like (darkfall, fallen earth, and Xyson) and completely removed all pvp mechanics they would still have amazingly more intresting things to do than themeparks.
anyway, I am getting off my soapbox now
Please do not respond to me, even if I ask you a question, its rhetorical.
? I'm sorry, but I don't see why MMORPG's that use zones should be excluded when talking about graphics and graphical quality. Why, because it supposedly makes Rift look bad?
It sounds as wrong as when somebody would pose the argument 'Rift graphics can only look so good, because its world is super tiny compared to other MMO's so it doesn't need zoning. Therefore the graphics of MMO's with bigger worlds win from Rift graphics'
The talk was I think about graphics, not about how MMORPG's manage to handle them within their design.
Besides, FFXIV and LotrO have seamless worlds, I'd consider their environment graphics on par and even better than Rift's environment graphics. Mind you, that doesn't mean Rift graphics look bad, they're fine, just saying that comparing should and can be done regardless whether an MMO uses zoning, smaller worlds or other game design tricks to bring them forth.
Cause as i said before zoning allows you to keep high poly count since you don't have to worry about 100 characters in same area. For example Funcom loweredplayer cap for its AoC zones (Tortaga) since the engine couldn't handle it. Even Lotro uses zones for houses,cities and indoor buildings.
For me, good graphics are not based on having 20 million polygons, it's how you use those polygons (it's not size etc).
I can remember in wow riding up to the dwarven capital for the first time, and 'wow' - that was impressive stuff.
LoTRO took that to new levels - so many disparate locations, that all looked amazing. I did not stop to count the polygons, I was too busy drooling!
With Rift, the architecture is ok - but I've seen the majestic scenery of lotro, I've seen the amazingly detailed world of Conan, you can't impress me!!! ... and then I rode out of the entrance to Meridian on a sunny day... and a death rift formed in the distance ahead of me - "wow". Damn that was unexpected and surprisingly epic.
Another time I was wandering through the guardian start area as a rift formed in a clearing ahead - beautiful stuff...
If I had to explain rift's graphics it would be as "dynamically impressive".
Not sure why everyone is so negative on Rift's graphics? I have "ooohed" and "ahhed" more over them than any game I have played. Some things are similiar to WOW but the details are far sharper and the graphics much closer to Vanguard than WOW except unlike Vanguard, Rift isn't a laggy stop motion show nor does it have long brown landscapes of no interest. Generally something like a Volcano, outpost, landmark, or something of interest is right over the rise or around the corner.
Comparing it to GW2 to me seems stupid. GW2 isn't out. You can't play it right now, Chances are good you won't be able to play it this year so obviously a 2012 game should have better graphics than RIFT?
Look carefully though at WOW and then at Rift and although their are similiarities, Textures of things like the "crablegs" in the water rift, the shine of the armor, the textures of the mountains, sky, butterflies, bugs and falling leaves and even the muscles and features of the characters are definitely head and shoulders above WOW. I imagine if your playing beta on a machine with 1gig of ram or a 2002 video card that some of that might be missed? Not putting the budget crowd down but that's the only way I could see somone saying WOW and RIFT appear the same aside from the obvious swords, elves and other fantasy dressings?
? I'm sorry, but I don't see why MMORPG's that use zones should be excluded when talking about graphics and graphical quality. Why, because it supposedly makes Rift look bad?
It sounds as wrong as when somebody would pose the argument 'Rift graphics can only look so good, because its world is super tiny compared to other MMO's so it doesn't need zoning. Therefore the graphics of MMO's with bigger worlds win from Rift graphics'
they should not be excluded your correct. I agree with you. I do think there is a difference to them and that can be brought up though. If you zone you can up the graphics far more than if you have an open world.
True, it can be brought up. But the end result, the graphical quality is what it's about.
I mean, if other factors will be included, one could as well mention, 'yes, but WoW has a far larger seamless world than Rift, so that's why the graphics are worse' or 'Rift can only manage this kind of graphic quality by having a very small world compared to other MMO's', and so on.
I mean, GW2 might use zoning here and there (city area), does that make its graphics any less? Or the fact that LotrO can produce its environment graphics on DX11 in a seamless world many times larger than Rift, does that make Rift's graphics any less?
Me, I don't think so.
Originally posted by Darkheart00
Cause as i said before zoning allows you to keep high poly count since you don't have to worry about 100 characters in same area. For example Funcom loweredplayer cap for its AoC zones (Tortaga) since the engine couldn't handle it. Even Lotro uses zones for houses,cities and indoor buildings.
So what? FFXIV has a higher poly count than Rift and is still seamless, because they use another game design trick. TERA is seamless and has a higher poly count. LotrO has a vastly larger seamless world with far bigger cities - you can walk from the Shire to Bree to Weathertop to Rivendell without ever encountering one loading screen - than Rift while still producing astonishing high quality vistas.
To me personally, the ways how designers implemented their graphics are of minor importance when discussing graphical quality of the various MMORPG's, the end result is what counts.
The ease with which predictions are made on these forums: Fratman: "I'm saying Spring 2012 at the earliest [for TOR release]. Anyone still clinging to 2011 is deluding themself at this point."
Comparing it to GW2 to me seems stupid. GW2 isn't out. You can't play it right now, Chances are good you won't be able to play it this year so obviously a 2012 game should have better graphics than RIFT?
That's not a good argument, for one, GW2 can come out this year, so why not compare? Even then, a year is nothing regarding MMO graphics. Second, the game has been played in a limited form, graphics as they are now for both games can be compared.
Also: if you can't compare GW2 and Rift, then you certainly can't compare WoW and Rift because that has 6 times as many years between them as between GW2 and Rift. Heck, why compare at all if you can only compare games with less than a year between their launch?
The ease with which predictions are made on these forums: Fratman: "I'm saying Spring 2012 at the earliest [for TOR release]. Anyone still clinging to 2011 is deluding themself at this point."
As an artist, I thnk Wow's graphics are far superior to Rift. I am going to use the terms 'art style' and 'graphics' seperately, however.
Also, the WoW screenshot you used is from classic and it's obvious. I think a comparison of something new from Cataclysm would be more appropriate.
Yes, RIFT's graphics engine or whatever is vastly superior to World of Warcraft's, it should be it's brand spanking new.
My problem with RIFT is it has no art style whatsoever. It's going for generic realism in a high fantasy setting, which gives the illusion of having an srt style, imo. Any jo-shmo can take a photo and slap it on to a tree or a character's face. The silhouettes off the character models are uninteresting and bland. When I first played the beta I was using my old compuer and had not received y laptop yet, so in orer to run the game I had teh settings turned down all the way. At those settings the textures are so muddy and flat that you can see the model itself better, which I spent time to look at. The boots of some of the characters resemble the fake felt 'boots' that are prevalent in children's Halloween costumes, for example.
Their animations too, aren't the greatest. Not the worst, but not the greatest.
That being said, RIFT can look gorgeous. The lighting and all of the technical graphic ends of things are really well done. They just . . . don't have a defining look or style. It kind of does, with that female Defiant moscot lady, but it has so much more potential. Which is funny because that was my problem with the game, it has so much going for it, and it has so much potential but it can be a tad underwhelming. Maybe I'm just jaded haha.
Anyway, I also wanted to point out that stylization =/= cartoony. While SOME of WoW can look cartoony, not all of it is. But then again, I guess if you have vibrant colors and use the 12 Principles of Animation any leyman would associate those things with cartoons and Disney and whatnot. Which is a travesty.
Anyway, I'm aware that I'm being nitpicky and ranting, but I'm done.
---
TLDR: In a technical aspect, Rift 'looks' better than WoW. In an art aspect, WoW looks better than RIFT. IMO.
Ugh, it's people like you that make me wish my friends would actually RP in MMORPGs. I love to RP and play DnD, but I'm not going to just leave my friends to do such a thing =/. The game is still fun without me RPing, but I would enjoy it much more if I did >_<.
Originally posted by dumbo11 Great thread! For me, good graphics are not based on having 20 million polygons, it's how you use those polygons (it's not size etc). I can remember in wow riding up to the dwarven capital for the first time, and 'wow' - that was impressive stuff. LoTRO took that to new levels - so many disparate locations, that all looked amazing. I did not stop to count the polygons, I was too busy drooling! With Rift, the architecture is ok - but I've seen the majestic scenery of lotro, I've seen the amazingly detailed world of Conan, you can't impress me!!! ... and then I rode out of the entrance to Meridian on a sunny day... and a death rift formed in the distance ahead of me - "wow". Damn that was unexpected and surprisingly epic. Another time I was wandering through the guardian start area as a rift formed in a clearing ahead - beautiful stuff... If I had to explain rift's graphics it would be as "dynamically impressive".
Comments
There is a soft queue system for skills.
The impact thing is a western overall problem imo. So far, only asian originated MMOs seem to get the impact right. Maybe it's because they are a bit over the top, both with the sound and the flashing graphics part.
For example, meleeing with a stick gives a thud sound, which is what you'd expect if you hit something IRL with a stick. Comparing that to Aion though (for example) and the same stick feels like you're bringing a house down onto somebody. Same thing with sticking a knife into something. IRL you don't hear any over the top sound when ripping through some meat flesh. In Aion though it feels as if you're hitting somebody with a hammergun (the gun that shoots nails).
looks pretty normal to me. nothing to shout about.
Which FF Character Are You?
You guys can't forget thatd due to the nature of the game, Rift's graphics can't be much better than this.
Otherwise when you have 100 players on your screen your system won't take it.
So it's not fair to compare graphics just by the looks, you need to think about functionality as well.
Peace and happy gaming.
yuck
Other people already responded that that video isn't representative - early beta footage or lowest graphics settings - for how it really is ingame:
There you go
The ACTUAL size of MMORPG worlds: a comparison list between MMO's
The ease with which predictions are made on these forums:
Fratman: "I'm saying Spring 2012 at the earliest [for TOR release]. Anyone still clinging to 2011 is deluding themself at this point."
Xasapis, very nice screen on your Steam Cloud! I
http://cloud.steampowered.com/ugc/576664115060106724/A78A41D76B4D925DD39002F8D4581B3CCD4B6736/
Just want to make sure people read this.
What's going on in the game will limit how good the graphics can be. Which is why most single player RPG/FPS games have really good graphics compared to MMO and RTS games that can have tons more going on at a time.
거북이는 목을 내밀 때 안 움직입니다
I am soo glad I didnt spend any money on this game.
Sorry but I havent yet seen or heard anything about this game that I find intresting, not a single item.
Please do not respond to me, even if I ask you a question, its rhetorical.
Please do not respond to me
거북이는 목을 내밀 때 안 움직입니다
LOL.
Someone who's a Sandbox Full loot PvP whore commenting on a Theme Park game?
I don't know why you'd think you'd see anything here you'd enjoy. :P
? I'm sorry, but I don't see why MMORPG's that use zones should be excluded when talking about graphics and graphical quality. Why, because it supposedly makes Rift look bad?
It sounds as wrong as when somebody would pose the argument 'Rift graphics can only look so good, because its world is super tiny compared to other MMO's so it doesn't need zoning. Therefore the graphics of MMO's with bigger worlds win from Rift graphics'
The talk was I think about graphics, not about how MMORPG's manage to handle them within their design.
Besides, FFXIV and LotrO have seamless worlds, I'd consider their environment graphics on par and even better than Rift's environment graphics. Mind you, that doesn't mean Rift graphics look bad, they're fine, just saying that comparing should and can be done regardless whether an MMO uses zoning, smaller worlds or other game design tricks to bring them forth.
The ACTUAL size of MMORPG worlds: a comparison list between MMO's
The ease with which predictions are made on these forums:
Fratman: "I'm saying Spring 2012 at the earliest [for TOR release]. Anyone still clinging to 2011 is deluding themself at this point."
LOL Ya know I've been reading alot of post about RIFT. And the one that I love seeing more than any is " IT LOOKS LIKE WOW". Well all I can say is that goodness it's is'nt because if it was WoW I would'nt play it. I played WoW for a month and really did'nt enjoy my time in Azaroth or whatever that world is. It has too be in the same area as the smurfs live in because that was what I expected too see everytime I logged on. I'm glad LotRo came out or I would'nt been playing anything.
It is'nt all about WoW. IT does have a few UI things that remind me of WoW but it also reminds me of LotRo with the craft system and quest. But I guess that was an original WoW thing was'nt it ? WoW has a huge fan base I know. So haters stay in the smurf village..I'm going to play RIFT.
Jymm Byuu
Playing : Blood Bowl. Waiting for 2. Holding breath for Archeage and EQN.
Knowing the types of mmos you enjoy, you more than likely saved yourself from wasting the money. I highly doubt you'd find anything interesting in Rift. To be frank, I think you've simply outgrown this type of game. I know I have.
"Mr. Rothstein, your people never will understand... the way it works out here. You're all just our guests. But you act like you're at home. Let me tell you something, partner. You ain't home. But that's where we're gonna send you if it harelips the governor." - Pat Webb
거북이는 목을 내밀 때 안 움직입니다
I do have to admit though I am disapointed that the industry thinks that a 'sandbox' mmo must have full loot pvp.
If you took the games I like (darkfall, fallen earth, and Xyson) and completely removed all pvp mechanics they would still have amazingly more intresting things to do than themeparks.
anyway, I am getting off my soapbox now
Please do not respond to me, even if I ask you a question, its rhetorical.
Please do not respond to me
Cause as i said before zoning allows you to keep high poly count since you don't have to worry about 100 characters in same area. For example Funcom loweredplayer cap for its AoC zones (Tortaga) since the engine couldn't handle it. Even Lotro uses zones for houses,cities and indoor buildings.
Great thread!
For me, good graphics are not based on having 20 million polygons, it's how you use those polygons (it's not size etc).
I can remember in wow riding up to the dwarven capital for the first time, and 'wow' - that was impressive stuff.
LoTRO took that to new levels - so many disparate locations, that all looked amazing. I did not stop to count the polygons, I was too busy drooling!
With Rift, the architecture is ok - but I've seen the majestic scenery of lotro, I've seen the amazingly detailed world of Conan, you can't impress me!!! ... and then I rode out of the entrance to Meridian on a sunny day... and a death rift formed in the distance ahead of me - "wow". Damn that was unexpected and surprisingly epic.
Another time I was wandering through the guardian start area as a rift formed in a clearing ahead - beautiful stuff...
If I had to explain rift's graphics it would be as "dynamically impressive".
You take bad screenshots...
Rift Online
{Mod edit - images resized. Please keep 600px or less wide)
Playing: Tera, BF3, ME3
Waiting on: Guild Wars 2
If you want to see how good Rift can look check here http://www.badcartridge.com/index.php?/topic/5626-a-pictorial-journey-across-the-world/
Playing: Tera, BF3, ME3
Waiting on: Guild Wars 2
Not sure why everyone is so negative on Rift's graphics? I have "ooohed" and "ahhed" more over them than any game I have played. Some things are similiar to WOW but the details are far sharper and the graphics much closer to Vanguard than WOW except unlike Vanguard, Rift isn't a laggy stop motion show nor does it have long brown landscapes of no interest. Generally something like a Volcano, outpost, landmark, or something of interest is right over the rise or around the corner.
Comparing it to GW2 to me seems stupid. GW2 isn't out. You can't play it right now, Chances are good you won't be able to play it this year so obviously a 2012 game should have better graphics than RIFT?
Look carefully though at WOW and then at Rift and although their are similiarities, Textures of things like the "crablegs" in the water rift, the shine of the armor, the textures of the mountains, sky, butterflies, bugs and falling leaves and even the muscles and features of the characters are definitely head and shoulders above WOW. I imagine if your playing beta on a machine with 1gig of ram or a 2002 video card that some of that might be missed? Not putting the budget crowd down but that's the only way I could see somone saying WOW and RIFT appear the same aside from the obvious swords, elves and other fantasy dressings?
True, it can be brought up. But the end result, the graphical quality is what it's about.
I mean, if other factors will be included, one could as well mention, 'yes, but WoW has a far larger seamless world than Rift, so that's why the graphics are worse' or 'Rift can only manage this kind of graphic quality by having a very small world compared to other MMO's', and so on.
I mean, GW2 might use zoning here and there (city area), does that make its graphics any less? Or the fact that LotrO can produce its environment graphics on DX11 in a seamless world many times larger than Rift, does that make Rift's graphics any less?
Me, I don't think so.
So what? FFXIV has a higher poly count than Rift and is still seamless, because they use another game design trick. TERA is seamless and has a higher poly count. LotrO has a vastly larger seamless world with far bigger cities - you can walk from the Shire to Bree to Weathertop to Rivendell without ever encountering one loading screen - than Rift while still producing astonishing high quality vistas.
To me personally, the ways how designers implemented their graphics are of minor importance when discussing graphical quality of the various MMORPG's, the end result is what counts.
The ACTUAL size of MMORPG worlds: a comparison list between MMO's
The ease with which predictions are made on these forums:
Fratman: "I'm saying Spring 2012 at the earliest [for TOR release]. Anyone still clinging to 2011 is deluding themself at this point."
Wow. That term is full of awesome
Great pictures, mate!
That's not a good argument, for one, GW2 can come out this year, so why not compare? Even then, a year is nothing regarding MMO graphics. Second, the game has been played in a limited form, graphics as they are now for both games can be compared.
Also: if you can't compare GW2 and Rift, then you certainly can't compare WoW and Rift because that has 6 times as many years between them as between GW2 and Rift. Heck, why compare at all if you can only compare games with less than a year between their launch?
The ACTUAL size of MMORPG worlds: a comparison list between MMO's
The ease with which predictions are made on these forums:
Fratman: "I'm saying Spring 2012 at the earliest [for TOR release]. Anyone still clinging to 2011 is deluding themself at this point."
As an artist, I thnk Wow's graphics are far superior to Rift. I am going to use the terms 'art style' and 'graphics' seperately, however.
Also, the WoW screenshot you used is from classic and it's obvious. I think a comparison of something new from Cataclysm would be more appropriate.
Yes, RIFT's graphics engine or whatever is vastly superior to World of Warcraft's, it should be it's brand spanking new.
My problem with RIFT is it has no art style whatsoever. It's going for generic realism in a high fantasy setting, which gives the illusion of having an srt style, imo. Any jo-shmo can take a photo and slap it on to a tree or a character's face. The silhouettes off the character models are uninteresting and bland. When I first played the beta I was using my old compuer and had not received y laptop yet, so in orer to run the game I had teh settings turned down all the way. At those settings the textures are so muddy and flat that you can see the model itself better, which I spent time to look at. The boots of some of the characters resemble the fake felt 'boots' that are prevalent in children's Halloween costumes, for example.
Their animations too, aren't the greatest. Not the worst, but not the greatest.
That being said, RIFT can look gorgeous. The lighting and all of the technical graphic ends of things are really well done. They just . . . don't have a defining look or style. It kind of does, with that female Defiant moscot lady, but it has so much more potential. Which is funny because that was my problem with the game, it has so much going for it, and it has so much potential but it can be a tad underwhelming. Maybe I'm just jaded haha.
Anyway, I also wanted to point out that stylization =/= cartoony. While SOME of WoW can look cartoony, not all of it is. But then again, I guess if you have vibrant colors and use the 12 Principles of Animation any leyman would associate those things with cartoons and Disney and whatnot. Which is a travesty.
Anyway, I'm aware that I'm being nitpicky and ranting, but I'm done.
---
TLDR: In a technical aspect, Rift 'looks' better than WoW. In an art aspect, WoW looks better than RIFT. IMO.
Ugh, it's people like you that make me wish my friends would actually RP in MMORPGs. I love to RP and play DnD, but I'm not going to just leave my friends to do such a thing =/. The game is still fun without me RPing, but I would enjoy it much more if I did >_<.
QFT