Are graphics features set?

[Malignacious]

I was hoping for a more realistic lighting and advanced particle effects to counter the classic isometric perspective.

 

Are people really satisfied with the current level of visuals?

Edited August 5, 2014 by Malignacious

[Sarex]

For a 4 million dollars budget I was expecting equal graphics to that of IWD2 with larger resolution support. So yeah I'm pretty satisfied with what they showed.

[Malignacious]

For a 4 million dollars budget I was expecting equal graphics to that of IWD2 with larger resolution support. So yeah I'm pretty satisfied with what they showed.

What does that have to do with exploiting the features of an existing engine?

[PrimeJunta]

It's looking bloody marvelous from where I'm at, especially the lighting. Didn't think it'd be possible to get dynamic lights like that in a 2D scene, although it's obvious after they explained it.

[Sarex]

What does that have to do with exploiting the features of an existing engine?

 

Read their updates and you will find out.

[Jon of the Wired]

Honestly, it looks way better than I thought it would. I'm very happy.

[Karkarov]

Yeah not getting the complaint.  It has a 4 mil budget, it is not going to look like The Witcher 2.  The graphics as they have been shown look more than serviceable and frankly are some of the best, if not the best, I have seen from any Kickstarter game.

Edited August 5, 2014 by Karkarov

[Sensuki]

I thought I saw a point lighting option in graphics during the Dealspwn preview

[redneckdevil]

Im extremely happy with the game graphics. Was much better than i expected to see.

[Stun]

Are people really satisfied with the current level of visuals?

What little we've seen has stunned me to giddiness.

 

In an isometric, top-down 2d game like this, the art style is going to dictate the quality of the visuals. Not graphics stuff like particle effects or dynamic lighting. As it stands, the level of detail is quite good...for a game of any budget. When you can sit there and be awed by the friggin tile designs on a dungeon floor, or if you can see every hand-drawn blade of grass on a field then you know the Devs have taken the visual development seriously.

[Lephys]

Hear hear! *fist raise of cheer*

[Zansatsu]

Look very good. I love top down RPG's and honestly you don't need that much to make them look great.

[ashtonw]

It looks great.

[Lord Gorchnik]

I think we could perhaps get a better understanding of your....dissatisfaction for the current look if you were perhaps to elaborate on what exactly you were expecting perchance?

[Malignacious]

I think we could perhaps get a better understanding of your....dissatisfaction for the current look if you were perhaps to elaborate on what exactly you were expecting perchance?

 

I want various abilities and spells to dazzle me with how awesome, intricate and natural-appearing they are.

Usually, to achieve that, you have to have advanced particle effects.

Edited August 6, 2014 by Malignacious

[IndiraLightfoot]

 

What little we've seen has stunned me to giddiness.

 

I agree, and I see what you did there!

[Malignacious]

It's too bad they always only show the dullest class possible, the barbarian(which has no visual pizzazz whatsoever), in every visit to any gaming outlet.

 

I was hoping to see the real graphical variety with classes like wizard or cypher.

 

This makes me very suspicious.

Edited August 6, 2014 by Malignacious

[Amentep]

Pretty sure they said publicly that they picked the Barbarian and Fighter in the demos because they were still finalizing the effects for the other classes.

[Foksuh]

Graphics are an interesting problem in game development. We got this incredible need to push for some sort of realism and latest tech. AAA titles are always competing on that and it's a huge resource hog and I'm sure it's an issue always when you're working with big publishers.

Game can still be beautiful even if it's not pushing for the ultra detail and realistic effects. It's a nice touch of course.. but if the style in itself works, then that's all that matters.
The big picture, the whole style, matters more than all the latest effects/detail and such.. and if the game is entertaining, graphics matter even less.
I'm happy that we're starting to open up to that idea again, that it's the actual content that counts more than what the game looks like.

Look at something like TF2. It's got a style that works. It's not the prettiest game out there but the style, the gameplay, it all works together.
Look at a lot of indie games, same thing. Style counts more than graphical glory if the rest of the game is solid.

I'm sure some people will be disappointed with the way PoE ends up looking like. It'd always be nicer to look at a more beautiful game, but I'm there for other stuff.. it's a crpg after all. Storytelling, writing, characters, replayability, that's the important stuff.

[Archaven]

For a 4 million dollars budget I was expecting equal graphics to that of IWD2 with larger resolution support. So yeah I'm pretty satisfied with what they showed.

 

The game was pledged for 1M if not mistaken but they funded for 4M. Divinity Original Sins looks far more beautiful to me which they were funded only 1M.

[Sarex]

The game was pledged for 1M if not mistaken but they funded for 4M. Divinity Original Sins looks far more beautiful to me which they were funded only 1M.

 

To me it looks like a wow ripoff, also the extra money went in to extra features. The graphic of this game don't depend so much on the tech as they do on the skills of the artists.

Edited August 6, 2014 by Sarex

[Keyrock]

I'm certainly not opposed to any further graphical upgrades/added effects, but, to me, the game looks better than what I imagined when I made my pledge.

[Lephys]

The game was pledged for 1M if not mistaken but they funded for 4M. Divinity Original Sins looks far more beautiful to me which they were funded only 1M.

I'm fairly certain the Kickstarter campaign for Original Sin was supplementary to funds and work they'd already put into the game. I think overall, the budget for that game surpasses 4 mil.

[nipsen]

Always impressed by what people think "good graphics" is. For example - I played Lair on the ps3. The way they use the reduction algorithms to determine the detail of the models, dragons, etc., makes what you see in any screen in that game more or less science fiction in the PC world. Same with large structures with the same technique: instead of being skyboxes or very detailed textures from one particular angle, it's actually the object, and you can fly around it - in smooth curves with velvet wingflaps. Again, science fiction. First time I played it, I was grinning in the way I don't normally do when entertained by non-living things.

 

First review I read knocked it for bad graphics and bad animation. Same magazine with Gears of War - a corridor-shooter, broken up by on-rails elements and boss-fights that are at best homage to fmv games from the 90s. 10/10. Incredible graphics, etc. My god, look at the shiny pixels. Would you look at that shiny pixel!

 

So in PoE, they've essentially made a monster-resolution version of Icewind Dale, with 3d models for characters to get around the dynamic effect limitation with 2d. While still retaining enough detail to make it blend with the impossibly smooth and detailed backgrounds. Essentially succeeding at avoiding the "3d" pixelated look, while still exploiting the advantages of having 3d elements. So it's Baldur's Gate "remastered" - except it's in actual HD, with dynamic lighting effects, 3d animation and shadow treatment.

 

And the graphics are apparently "bad".

 

*shrug* ...what to say? Just please don't come back after the beta with some sort of cloud of dust and pebbles stalking the characters whenever they move around.. Or some unclean pile of green stink hovering over the battlefield after the first spell fires off.

[nzmccorm]

 

The game was pledged for 1M if not mistaken but they funded for 4M. Divinity Original Sins looks far more beautiful to me which they were funded only 1M.

I'm fairly certain the Kickstarter campaign for Original Sin was supplementary to funds and work they'd already put into the game. I think overall, the budget for that game surpasses 4 mil.

 

They haven't released hard numbers, at least, not that I know of. But this is right on. They had near-final game art assets from the start of the kickstarter because they had other sources of funding. It's a meaningless comparison.