How Detailed Should Games Be Graphically?

Post by **lordofduct** » Tue Nov 07, 2006 12:35 am

and in five years time we will be saying the same thing about the games out right now.

Thats the problem. 2D wasn't trying to look 'real', it was trying to look good. 3D tries to look 'real' and will always fail. People will always oooh and ahhh about how much closer the new game is to real then the old game... but when another new game comes out that looks even realer it is even more ooohs and ahhhs and that last game is crap.

Post by **Indy_aka_Rex** » Tue Nov 07, 2006 12:58 am

Okami looks real? Shadow of the Colossus looks real?

Post by **Saraph** » Tue Nov 07, 2006 3:04 pm

Everyone here deserves the right to discuss, express their own opinion, and yes, even argue their point. But if your point cannot be argued without insulting someone else, then please take it outside the forums. I'm not trying to preserve a utopian society for racketboy, but I'd like to keep an inviting atmosphere to current and new users alike.

On topic, it's nice to have realistic graphics in games that need it, such as sport's titles and some first person shooters, but if you're riding an airship shooting at fire breathing dragon's while casting an ice spell, I think we would all like the visuals to be a bit more exotic. How realistic can games be? Well, it depends on the genre. One day I'd like to watch my brother playing Madden 2022 and try to change the channel, thinking FOX or ESPN was on. On the other hand, I like the idea of playing a game that actually reminds me of one of Amano's paintings, instead of the visual limitations we have right now.

Also, one day, I would like developers to stop using shortcuts with all these damn lighting and reflective techniques. Please, not everything needs to glow. I think after Fable, which had the first glowing chicken ever in gaming, we all could use a rest. Tone it down guys, just.. tone it down.

Oh, and... IT WAS ME!!!! Now we're back on topic.

Post by **racketboy** » Tue Nov 07, 2006 5:56 pm

Yes, lets try to keep this civilized.
I'll lock the thread up if not.

Post by **metaleggman** » Tue Nov 07, 2006 10:19 pm

lordofduct wrote:and in five years time we will be saying the same thing about the games out right now.

Thats the problem. 2D wasn't trying to look 'real', it was trying to look good. 3D tries to look 'real' and will always fail. People will always oooh and ahhh about how much closer the new game is to real then the old game... but when another new game comes out that looks even realer it is even more ooohs and ahhhs and that last game is crap.

I dono about that. I mean, yes, it kindof makes sense, but I don't think i'll ever think that. I mean the reason I don't like Saturn or PSX 3D too much is just the basic and crude models which they use, along with the low resolution textures. The amount dot crawl, as you know, pisses me off...Goes for the N64 for the most part as well. Even under those conditions, we could see the trend you describe though, but if we remind ourselves what Saturn and PSX looks like, then we won't necesarrily fall into that trap...

racketboy wrote:Yes, lets try to keep this civilized.
I'll lock the thread up if not.

oh thank you! Plz, save us from all zee monies

Post by **neohx_7** » Fri Nov 10, 2006 8:40 am

Saraph wrote:...

Also, one day, I would like developers to stop using shortcuts with all these damn lighting and reflective techniques. Please, not everything needs to glow. I think after Fable, which had the first glowing chicken ever in gaming, we all could use a rest. Tone it down guys, just.. tone it down.

Oh, and... IT WAS ME!!!! Now we're back on topic.

That's Epics fault. Remember the disco lighting in Unreal? Some of those maps were hilarious!

Post by **metaleggman** » Fri Nov 10, 2006 6:42 pm

Saraph wrote:Also, one day, I would like developers to stop using shortcuts with all these damn lighting and reflective techniques. Please, not everything needs to glow. I think after Fable, which had the first glowing chicken ever in gaming, we all could use a rest. Tone it down guys, just.. tone it down.

I get this now. I totally agree with you on this. I think HDR lighting was created by programmers from hell. I actually like Gears of wars graphics a bit more than most 360 games as they don't do the over done lighting like in most games. I remember always discussing with people how all the xbox games look like they used lighting to just put it through some sort of softener filter to make it look better.

Fortunately there seem to be less and less PC and 360 games that go crazy with the lighting.

Post by **Saraph** » Sat Nov 11, 2006 12:50 pm

metaleggman wrote:
Saraph wrote:Also, one day, I would like developers to stop using shortcuts with all these damn lighting and reflective techniques. Please, not everything needs to glow. I think after Fable, which had the first glowing chicken ever in gaming, we all could use a rest. Tone it down guys, just.. tone it down.
I get this now. I totally agree with you on this. I think HDR lighting was created by programmers from hell. I actually like Gears of wars graphics a bit more than most 360 games as they don't do the over done lighting like in most games. I remember always discussing with people how all the xbox games look like they used lighting to just put it through some sort of softener filter to make it look better.
Fortunately there seem to be less and less PC and 360 games that go crazy with the lighting.

I think developers are starting to get the gist. I was playing Marvel: Ultimate Alliance on 360 though, and yet again, Wolverine had a nice, hazy aura to him. Some developers just use it because it's there, which makes it look nifty if utilized correctly, but is hardly the next gen look I was hoping for.

neohx_7 wrote:
Saraph wrote:...

Also, one day, I would like developers to stop using shortcuts with all these damn lighting and reflective techniques. Please, not everything needs to glow. I think after Fable, which had the first glowing chicken ever in gaming, we all could use a rest. Tone it down guys, just.. tone it down.

Oh, and... IT WAS ME!!!! Now we're back on topic.
That's Epics fault. Remember the disco lighting in Unreal? Some of those maps were hilarious!

I loved those maps, trippy and totally unnecessary. I am so glad that Epic created the Unreal 3 engine, now that's next gen looking! Speaking of which, for those of you who have played through single player on Gears of War, what did you think of it? Was the detail and game play something you would expect out of a next gen title, or was it just a rehash of the same old FPS we've been playing for over a decade?