Graphics again

[Roswitha]

I've been thinking about what Lelldorianx said in the graphics thread I started.

Originally Posted by Lelldorianx

While taking notes for my Din's Curse review, the first thing that I noticed - as would any end-user - was the appearance of the game.... I think after we (GN Staff) got passed the character creation, we saw Din's Curse for what it is: a brilliant take on a dated genre.

The graphics may be a bit dated (I wouldn't really know) but they serve their function extremely well. I think the real problem is that the end-users' first glimpse of the graphics is of the splash-screen and character creation, where things are zoomed in so close that you can see every wart and polygon. Once you get past that, and the characters are at the size they were designed for, you can see Din's Curse for what it is.

I think Lelldorianx's suggestion for a new splash screen is a good idea. It might also be good to provide a backdrop for the character creation screen; e.g. a cemetery for necromancer, a forest for the rogue, etc., so the end-user isn't quite so focused on the character when it's bigger than it's designed to be.

My two cents.

[Shadow]

Anyone else think our first few screens are a big part of the graphics issue?

[Lyranaar]

In my experience the first impression counts much for quite some people. If the first look is nice, basically everything behind it has a huge bonus. If the first look doesn't look good they will leave or be very critical about everything.

I personally think the first screen is funny and like it, but I'm biased.

A very good example for an eye catcher is Eschalon Book I (don't know II). Starts out beautifully, the ingame gfx afterwards isn't bad, but seems nicer after setting the mood.
I don't think a game like Din need's such a long intro though.

So for a expansion a "nice" starting screen could be a very good idea, even a nice picture would be helpful I think. The demo could be then updated with the picture of course so everyone can revel in it's beauty.

Just my thoughts.

[spacehog]

The graphics in the opening screens do not offend me in the slightest.

[Lelldorianx]

Lyranaar makes a great point. I have a lot of friends who visit me while I happen to be playing games, and as onlookers who have no control over the game, the only thing they have to go off of is graphics. In the publishing industry we call these 'impressions', similar to advertisements: it is the chance that a passerby or friend of the owner may act on impulse and buy something. These same friends will often be (as Lyranaar said) very critical of a game if the initial impression is not awe. It is easy to be overly analytical of a game if the user feels like the sound, graphics, or gameplay is awkward and out of place. If initial impressions are good, they will be more open-minded about the game down the road.

You want the gamer to feel like he is getting more than he paid for in those opening moments. Soldak has a very dedicated, very hardcore audience, so it is understandable that veterans of the Soldak franchise are less interested in effects and graphics; however, obtaining new followers may be easier with some slight tweaks in the right places. That said, having extremely fancy graphics in the opening and average graphics afterward only makes them feel ripped off. It's a tough balance: be careful not to over- or under-do it Just my thoughts as an experienced and analytical gamer...

[Lelldorianx]

I felt particularly inspired by this post and mentioned Din's Curse in my latest gaming industry article... the topic is similar to the one we are discussing now (graphics and unique games like Din's Curse being overshadowed by mediocre giants). If anyone is interested, it's here.

[PixelLord]

Originally Posted by Lelldorianx

I felt particularly inspired by this post and mentioned Din's Curse in my latest gaming industry article... the topic is similar to the one we are discussing now (graphics and unique games like Din's Curse being overshadowed by mediocre giants). If anyone is interested, it's here.

I read your excellent, insightful article. I guess I'm one of the people who will take some heat about some of the graphics in DC. I've worked on over 20 shipped titles, many of which had a large team of artists working for as long as 2 years on a single project.

I believe that Soldak's aim has been to concentrate on fun, addictive gameplay while not putting extremely high emphasis on "state of the art" graphics. Is this a mistake? I'm not sure. The idea was to make the game play well on almost any PC. Also lots of items and effects were created to give the game long playing depth and variety. This may have led to some quantity over quality issues considering the development time. Keeping the graphics package down to a reasonable size for quicker downloads was also high on Soldak's list.

Soldak's artists, for the most part, have full time jobs and do work for Soldak in their spare time (late evenings). Although I am the exception (I soley contract from home nowdays), I am still only one of a small team of artists. In addition, it is sometimes more difficult to put together a cohesive art style when people are not working in the same location. Can we do better in the future? It is my hope that feedback like the above comments will help the games reach a higher level artistically.

I am not defending but, rather, explaining. I agree with the criticisms I've read about the art, and hope it can lead to making a more beautiful game in the future.

[PixelLord]

Oh, and it was funny to see Din's Curse come up followed by Duke Nukem on GN's site as I was the lead artist for Duke 3D many years ago. I never expected to see those 2 games in the same sentence. Now I guess I've been dated as well!

[Chex Warrior]

Personally I don't see anything wrong with Din's graphics... It is heavily inspired by roguelikes and therefore it focuses more on great gameplay which I think is the right idea. Graphics don't mean a thing, especially nowadays when every game, good or not, has pretty decent graphics.

[Baki]

I never bought or liked a game for its good graphics. Graphics are completly secondary imo.