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17243_1556103691

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Posts posted by 17243_1556103691

    Are NWN2 Reviews getting Worse?

    in Computer and Console

    Posted

    Are people starting to find out that NWN2 is more a disaster than it is a success?

     

    New scores and ratings have been cropping up all over, including the RewiredMind one found here:

     

    http://www.rewiredmind.com/review/neverwinternights2

     

     

    The Metacritic User rating (now an abysmal 4.8 of 10) found here:

     

    http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/...erwinternights2http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/...erwinternights2" target="_blank">

    http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/...erwinternights2

     

    And the Amazon DVD reviews here

     

    http://www.amazon.com/Atari-26503-Neverwin...M/dp/B000E0XX9Q

     

    Do these new lower scores coming on the heels of the 1up.com rating http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3155234suggest a decline in player favor for the Neverwinter sequel?

     

    Or perhaps just more extensive exploration of the game revealed new faults that were initially assumed to not exist?

    50 reasons why.. part two

    in Computer and Console

    Posted

    No, the lack of metrics was the culprit.  Given no framework within which we could responsibly work (on changing technology, no less), the responsible course of action was to err on the side of simplicity.  Justin's effects were tweaked on an individual basis after (primarily) Joe Bulock stress-tested them in the smash-hit module Qara Hates Bear (and others).  Since Justin's optimizations, the renderer itself has been optimized a great deal.

     

    I'm sure that "people" (whether developers or endusers) could experiment with visual effects in the visual effects editor until they found something more personally satisfactory if they wanted.  Some people might go overboard and what one person considers "acceptable performance" might not fly with others but sure, you can do it.

     

    Yeah, that was a definate plus to include in the toolset btw. Hopefully some of poorly designed spells can be changed by a CEP type team where including the changes is more global than just one server for online play.

    50 reasons why.. part two

    in Computer and Console

    Posted

    Raging against the spell effects in the game will save the industry?  Other than the fact that it's downright pretentious to assume that what I find aesthetically pleasing somehow makes me inferior to you, soul, do you really suggest that the spell effects bubbles are a make or break issue.  Is that the one item that made you throw up your hands and deride NWN2?  If that's the case, then I don't see much hope in finding any common ground.

     

    I know.  I know.  You're a graphic artist and work in the industry and we should probably all concede that your word is both final and authoritative, but I won't make any such concession.  I like NWN2's graphics.  The tilesets for NWN were horrible.  I mean, really bad.  Even then, I didn't agree much with folks who ragged on the graphics, which some people did when NWN hit the shelves.  I'm interested in the game.  I want good graphics.  I think they're important.  ...But spell effect bubbles?  That's pretty damned nit picky.

     

    I never said such a thing. I merely mentioned I work in design. So I have naturally scrutinizing eye. I never said I'm the authority.

     

    But for you to lump one side topic about Spell VFX into "I like NWN2's graphics", isn't relevant to what I was discussing. Rift pointed to a thread of people disappointed with some specific spell VFX, not all of them, and not the graphics in general (which I do have some issue with *chiefly the backgrounds looking so good and the characters themelves looking so opaque at times and too bright at other times).

     

    We get that you don't care about spell vfx. Thank you for your apathy and willingness to receive whatever is spoonfed to you. I'm simply referring to the thread link that Rift pointed to and interjecting my own opionion about certain buffing effects.

     

    :deadhorse:"

    50 reasons why.. part two

    in Computer and Console

    Posted

    Number of spells effects on screen are among the things we have the least amount of control over.  We can budget placeable polygons and set limitations on how our artists flesh out areas, but nothing really prevents players from dumping dozens of spells on the screen at once.

     

    I honestly don't know how much of a difference it made, performance-wise, but I believe we were erring on the side of frugality.

     

    You were a graphic artist right? I'm an Art Director for a local communications design firm. Certainly you can appreciate the importance of design aesthtic. Sure form follows function, but with no form, function fails to engage. In video games, that's a big deal. IGN PC's less than colorful review of the graphics certainly took into account all of the details that were missing.

    50 reasons why.. part two

    in Computer and Console

    Posted · Edited by Guest

    Well considering that J.E., I'd just assume see no vfx at all for those lower end ones that stack so many giant glowing circles on you you cant see anything else. Cut thoese out and maybe have room to redo Wail, Implosion, and Issacs Greater Missles Storms.

    50 reasons why.. part two

    in Computer and Console

    Posted · Edited by Guest

    This fully buffed human wizard fluff is ridiculous.  Sawyer is perfectly right to mock it.  If he isn't mocking it, he should be.

     

    What the hell?  NWN's graphics weren't all that great when the game hit the shelves and they certainly aren't better than NWN2.  Seriously, I can see some point to a few of these arguments, but the spell buff effect rant is just ridiculous.

     

    That's the deal breaker for you?  :Cant's shaking his head with a bemused smile icon:

     

    It's that kind of apathy about game details that starts to erode the standard of video games today.

     

    While you may see it as ridiculous, others with a discerning eye do not. These "details" combine to make a game more immersive in the end. Rift is right in that details "Add up".

    50 reasons why.. part two

    in Computer and Console

    Posted · Edited by Guest

    Part of the problem that you are descibing with the lack of 3d feel is because of the positioning of the circle. It doesn't actually reach the ground, it cuts off at about the ankles of the character so you can't get the circle around the ground.

     

    Shadow Shield After Visage: Yes, I just cast everything starting with the level one spells and worked my way up, because the lower level spells had the longer duration. ;) I could try again in reverse. If I use extend spell I should be able to get them all in before the first ones run out. There are a good 30 spells active on that character...

     

    NWN2 spell effects: The problem isn't the effects themselves from what I see, it's that so many of them have the same sphere pattern. At least half of the spells on that character have a sphere going around the character, but when you have that many it makes it hard to differentiate between the effect from one spell and the next. A little more variety (IE, fewer spheres around the character) would likely clear that up somewhat.

     

    They really aren't 3D - seriously. Ask any of the developers, or circle the caster yourself with a camera. Now Compare that to like Spell Resistance from NWN1. See the obvious dimensional difference? You may not mind or care, but it just simply looks cooler. These features "add up" as Riftworm put it. And 5 years later you should be able to make that happen.

     

    But you're absolutely right about too many spells apearing as spheres (albeit 1 dimensional spheres). in NWN2. It's too hard to differentiate between spells.

    50 reasons why.. part two

    in Computer and Console

    Posted · Edited by Guest

    Actually both of them do have Shadow Shield on. :) But you are right, I did forget spell resistance. I just quickly leveled two sorcerors to level 20 and used the spells that I had from there.

     

    Not really fair to compare epic spells as NWN2 doesn't have those. ;)

     

    Well shadow shield cast AFTER the visage spell rather in NWN1. Also missed elemental shield. But you notice how when you circle around the caster in NWN2 , you have no indication they are encompassing the caster in an enclosed 3dimensions? The look ok enough (sans the grandma quilt pattern) but notice how they arent 3D? Just circles slapped on there.

    50 reasons why.. part two

    in Computer and Console

    Posted

    Just for comparison purposes I did up two fully buffed sorcerors for your use here.

     

    nwn1fullbuffnp5.jpgnwn2fullbuffph9.jpg

     

     

    Well those arent "fully buffed" as you're missing spell resitance which was a pretty cool looking spell in NWN1, and shadow shield and of course the post 20 epic spells which were amazing.

     

    But working with these two pics - notice that the NWN2 has just 2 circle slapped on there. BNoth of those aren't 3 dimensnional, they're not even 2 dimensional. There is no indication that they encompass the casters body as they did in NWN1. You could circle around the caster with a camera in NWN1 and see that the spells encompassed the caster in 3 dimensions. The photos don;t show that here as they are 2D, but those spells ont he right from NWN2 arent "encompassing" the caster. The one that looks liek a quilt pattern and the other just appear as flat circles.

    50 reasons why.. part two

    in Computer and Console

    Posted

    This quote taken from Bioware forums sums up my feelings on spells

     

     

    Posted 11/25/06 20:59 (GMT) by SPK WidoWMakeR

    Put someone fully buffed with spells from NWN1 next to someone fully buffed from spells in NWN2 and look at who looks way cooler. NWN1's character just looks way cooler.

    NWN2 wins out on many things graphically, but buffing spells aren't one of them.

     

     

    It's true. Take a comparison pic and run a poll.

    NWN2: Discussion

    in Computer and Console

    Posted

    I can't seem to get into the game anymore. I now have three characters that I've started and have gotten each one up to the weeping willow inn, but I just can't seem to bring myself to get any farther than that before I lose interest. Maybe it's time to take a break from NWN2 for a little while... :aiee:

     

    I know what youre saying. Yet NWN1 I played for a year straight .. but ya I was like that after the first week with this game, even after the 1.03 beta it just doesn't look good enough visually for me to get into. Not with some of the other games out now at least.

    50 Reasons Why NWN1 is better than NWN2

    in Computer and Console

    Posted

    This is a campaign limitation, and it was stated before the game was released that the NWN2 OC was being designed for singleplayer.

     

    If it was designed for single player, wouldnt it actually have been more non linear?

     

    I miss NWN's vertex weighted tunics and armors, and hope that a future patch will add this functionality to NWN2. However I don't think it'll happen so long as armor is simply painted onto a model as a skin texture. NWN2 took a shortcut in this regard.

     

    The character models and animations in NWN2 are simply terrible. Hopefully they can still overhaul it, but I fear that its already too late. Crap animations, the lack of vertex weighing and downright hideous (both in terms of aesthetics and graphics) player models is just something that we will have to live with.

     

    I don't miss this in the outdoor areas. It never made sense that I could stand on a hill and not be able to see clearly the entire forest below me. I'm all for indoor or subterranean fog of war, but not outdoor.

     

    I like the fact that there is no fog of war. The only thing bad about it is that it largely invalidates IE style scouting in stealth mode.

     

    That's typical PR for you. They'll never admit that someone (or a group of people) dislike their product. It's not good for sales. However, they certainly aren't ignorant of "sour grapes." I'll be happy as long as they continue to support their product, which they are presently doing.

     

    I find it disgusting that he is trying to sweep the sentiments of so many disappointed players under the carpet with his blatant, absurd lie.

     

    Yeah but what is he going to say "The community is ready to burn us at the stake"..He's trying to keep food on his table. So of course he's in denial of th backlash against NWN2.

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