Will the current Eberron-based game benefit from the new graphics etc. from MOTU ?

[Alrik_Fassbauer]

Hello, veryone,

this is rather a question towards the developrs : The graphics I've seen in the screenshots & in the few videos look very, very good, especially the landscape (my personal favourite).

However, while looking at them, this question arises in my head : Will the current, Eberron-based setting benefit from these graphics, too ?

Will we get - for example - better trees/tree models ? Better physics ... But wait, we already have that ! ;)

I think/fear that the contrast between the new, seemingly lush looking graphics and the "older" grapics from starmreach might be a bit ... strong, heavy, intense ... I hope you get what I want to express.

Especially the NPC models would benefit from an upgrade at one point, imho. They still look somewhat good, but what I rather miss is more variation in them.

And the sewers could benefit from some variation, too. But that's another story.

So, I'd be glad to hear if there was something in the current game benefitting from the expansion's graphics.

Alrik

[Gkar]

Prepurchase now to find out :D


But seriously, based on past experiences, most changes won't flow through.

If you look at the existing quests, you can see that they were designed in different eras with different quality. For example, compare the low level harbor quests that were done in 2006 with GH and you see an improvement. Compare again to the Vale and its like a different game.

Some things however do improve as a shared graphic effect is used in multiple places and they just update that effect, but its kind of like TV, moving to an HD TV doesn't make those old grainy 1940s black and white clips any cleaner, you would have to go back and remaster them to add colour and clean up the grain. That's a lot of time and effort for a HUGE number of quests.

[Alrik_Fassbauer]

Okay, I do see your point. But, I get the expression as if this shift towards better quality had been taking place only in high-level quests. (Due to demand by high-level players ?) And I currently don't own any of them, (too low level).

So I can't say.

[sigtrent]

They already did.

The physics and graphics engines on live were upgraded a short time ago. You may not notice but there are a number of things that are sharper and prettier than they were.

I already find that some areas in DDO are gorgeous. Some of them people don't get out to much or may not appreciate due to familiarity but many of the old quest areas are already quite amazing looking, better I think than many of the FR shots I've seen.

I agree with an above poster that NPC models are an area that could do better, especially hands are kind of clunky and animations stilted making the NPCs the least attractive part of the game from a purely aesthetic standpoint.

[Alrik_Fassbauer]

Yes, and I especially meant NPCs in the Market Place, for example.

[Hambo]

Okay, I do see your point. But, I get the expression as if this shift towards better quality had been taking place only in high-level quests. (Due to demand by high-level players ?) And I currently don't own any of them, (too low level).

So I can't say.

The reason the higher level quests look better is because they didn't exist before the first Graphics Engine update. For a long time the level cap was set at 10, with cap level subsiquent updates to 12, 14, 16 and then 20.

Anything added since 2008 (I think) would look good, such as Korthos Island.

[KyrzaBladedancer]

Also I think the FR stuff has a "higher" low resolution, if you to the Harbor or Market or House P ect. with your graphics turn all the way up there are some pretty cool details, it is just incredibly hard to play like that most of the time.