Massively http://massively.joystiq.com Massively http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://massively.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Do you want realism or awesome?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/07/the-daily-grind-do-you-want-realism-or-awesome/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/07/the-daily-grind-do-you-want-realism-or-awesome/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/07/the-daily-grind-do-you-want-realism-or-awesome/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Tribes Ascend
I realize that any discussion of realism in MMOs can quickly devolve into absurdity, but bear with me. I was recently involved in a discussion between some guildies of mine who were extolling the virtues of Tribes: Ascend over more realistic FPS games. "It's the jetpacks," they told me. In a realism-driven FPS, there's an emphasis on physics and gravity, but in Tribes, it's all about the jetpacks and learning how to fight effectively while using one. The fun of a game like that is in how awesome it is to break realism, not in how true-to-life it might be.

Pure MMOs are no different. Many games make compromises along the spectrum of reality, especially when it comes to travel: In some games, we're grounded, forced to use a horse or our own two feet to make our way across the world; in others, we teleport via magical contraptions or leap tall buildings in a single bound. So riddle me this: When it boils down to it, what do you prefer to be the guiding principle of your MMOs -- realism or awesome?

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Do you want realism or awesome? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 07 Apr 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>awesomebrianna-royce-tdgdaily-grindfpsjetpacksmmofpsopinionrealismsuper-jumptdgthe-daily-grindtraveltribestribes-ascendSat, 07 Apr 2012 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Global Chat: September 19-25, 2011]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/25/global-chat-september-19-25-2011/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/25/global-chat-september-19-25-2011/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/25/global-chat-september-19-25-2011/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

City of Heroes
Welcome to this week's Global Chat! We love hearing what you have to say at Massively, and we love it even more when we can share the best comments with all of our readers. Massively staffers will be contributing some of their favorite comments every week, so keep an eye out every Sunday for more Global Chat!

This week we had a lot of discussion of reality in our MMOs -- yes, it's a real consideration, even in a world where we're slinging fireballs from our hands and swinging 12-foot axes with ease! There was also some discussion on the financial side of things, always a popular topic. Follow along after the jump for some of the best of what our readers had to say this week!

Continue reading Global Chat: September 19-25, 2011

MassivelyGlobal Chat: September 19-25, 2011 originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 25 Sep 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>commenterscommentscommunitygame-time-cardsglobal-chatopinionrealismreality-in-mmossuspension-of-disbeliefSun, 25 Sep 2011 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Does realism have any place in MMOs?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/17/the-daily-grind-does-realism-have-any-place-in-mmos/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/17/the-daily-grind-does-realism-have-any-place-in-mmos/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/17/the-daily-grind-does-realism-have-any-place-in-mmos/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

We may roleplay a lot of different things in our MMOs, but realistic living is usually not one of them. After all, we can fly, sustain massive amounts of damage without a visible scratch, never have to go to the bathroom, expect chainmail bikinis to protect us, slaughter thousands without remorse, keep horses in our back pockets, defy every law of nature there is, and encounter dozens of animals that are all missing essential organs needed for a quest objective.

So as much as we've gotten used to the fantastical elements that pave the way to fun gameplay, I have to wonder: Does this mean that there is no place for realism in MMOs at all? If you look at older pen-and-paper RPGs, realistic elements such as pack weight, the need to eat, and persistent injuries all helped contribute to a relatable experience.

What do you think? Should devs reconsider realistic elements in MMOs? Are we getting so far away from a believable experience that we've lost something crucial to RPGs? Or are you just hunky-dory with things as they are?

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Does realism have any place in MMOs? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 17 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bathroomchainmail-bikiniopinionpen-and-paperrealismrealisticrpgsexy-armorskimpy-armortdgthe-daily-grindtoiletSun, 17 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Would you try an MMO with "realistic" combat?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/19/the-daily-grind-would-you-try-an-mmo-with-realistic-combat/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/19/the-daily-grind-would-you-try-an-mmo-with-realistic-combat/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/19/the-daily-grind-would-you-try-an-mmo-with-realistic-combat/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Combat has become the bread and butter of MMORPGs. Whether we're talking about the latest AAA themepark implementation, a newfangled (and purportedly) skill-based approach, or the various flavors of indie sandbox, combat is generally all that the majority of MMO devs and players really care about.

It's strange, then, that even with such a laser focus on one particular aspect of gaming, the lion's share of the implementations are largely the same. Sure, there's variation in terms of skill naming and other superficial details, but at the end of the day, MMO combat boils down to long, drawn-out slug-fests to see whose numbers are the best. This bears no resemblance to real combat, which, due to various factors, often happens in the blink of an eye (and often results in victors with "inferior" skills or equipment). In MMO terms, one shots -- or even mildly quick victories -- are often labeled "overpowered," "unbalanced," and "unfair."

I've often wondered why that is, and why a genre that obsesses over efficiency and violence as much as ours does neglects to try a more realistic approach. Fast, one- or two-hit combat is not without precedent in gaming. Bushido Blade springs to mind as just one example, and every time I roll an MMO assassin that is unable to actually assassinate anyone, I'm reminded of the shortcomings of massively multiplayer combat. What about you, dear reader? Would you play an MMO with quasi-realistic combat, or are you married to the current paradigm?

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Would you try an MMO with "realistic" combat? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 19 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>assassins-that-cant-assassinatebushido-bladebut-its-not-funcombatfungame-discussiongame-mechanicsgamer-discussionineffectualmechanicsmmo-discussionmmo-hot-topicsmmo-issuesmmo-topicsmmorpg-discussionmmorpg-hot-topicsmmorpg-topicsopinionrealismrealistic-combattdgthe-daily-grindultraviolenceviolenceSat, 19 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Wasteland Diaries: Hardcore mode]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/14/wasteland-diaries-hardcore-mode/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/14/wasteland-diaries-hardcore-mode/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/01/14/wasteland-diaries-hardcore-mode/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

So during your wait for Sector 4, have you conquered it all in Fallen Earth? You've overcome every obstacle and achieved every achievement? You've amassed wealth beyond dreams and have become a king among men in the wastes? Maybe not, but let's assume you have. What do you do now? Well, I've got some terrific news for you. Fallen Earth has a hardcore mode. It's a realism mod of sorts. But the catch is: Nothing is changed on the server side. All modifications will be made client-side (and they will be made legally).

This mode will take a large amount of self-discipline. It will be very easy to cheat. Many of the rules that will be imposed on you will also be enforced by you. In order for it to be considered truly hardcore, apocalyptic-realism, you can't cheat. Even Fallout: New Vegas has a hardcore mode. Of course, I played it in hardcore mode and still found it too easy. I had to impose rules on myself to keep it challenging (like no V.A.T.S. allowed). I also found that the ability to save right before a big decision or fight also alleviates some of the difficulty. Of course, I could impose further restrictions on myself to make the game more difficult. With that in mind, after the cut, I'll show you how to do just that with Fallen Earth.

Continue reading Wasteland Diaries: Hardcore mode

MassivelyWasteland Diaries: Hardcore mode originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>difficultydifficulty-levelfallen-earthfallen-earth-llcfefeaturedhardcorehardcore-modeicarusicarus-studiosrealismsatirewastelandwasteland-diarieswastelandsFri, 14 Jan 2011 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Want realism with that?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/22/the-daily-grind-want-realism-with-that/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/22/the-daily-grind-want-realism-with-that/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/22/the-daily-grind-want-realism-with-that/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Recently, a buddy and I were discussing the merits of MMORPG realism while waiting in the ironically named fast food drive-thru line. I'm all about the "realistic" social and economic possibilities inherent in old-school Ultima Online, while he digs the accessibility and pick-up-and-play nature of more recent titles such as World of Warcraft and, presumably, The Old Republic. About the only thing we could agree on is that there's room for both in the massive genre.

Realism is highly subjective. For example, a fantasy title full of wizard fire, dragons, and goblins (Ultima Online) is, in my mind, more realistic than a non-combat sandbox based on "real life" like A Tale in the Desert.

What say you, Massively readers? Would you like some realism with your MMORPGs, and if so, what exactly do you mean by that?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Want realism with that? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Jul 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>a-tale-in-the-desertatitdopinionrealismstar-wars-the-old-republicswtortdgthe-daily-grindtorultimaUltima-OnlineUOWorld-of-WarcraftwowThu, 22 Jul 2010 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Balancing realistic physics with fun in Black Prophecy]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/31/balancing-realistic-physics-with-fun-in-black-prophecy/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/31/balancing-realistic-physics-with-fun-in-black-prophecy/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/31/balancing-realistic-physics-with-fun-in-black-prophecy/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


The latest info about the sci-fi MMO Black Prophecy, currently in development at Reakktor Media, comes in the form of a series of dev blogs from the game's Technical Director, Cyrus Preuss. As with his two previous blogs, Cyrus gets down into the nuts and bolts of how the game's physics work, which may be of interest to those who'd like to know more about the underlying systems that will govern Black Prophecy's space combat.

His rather technical dev blog is all about interaction with the physics engine. It especially deals with balancing the realism that some players want with the need to throw aspects of that realism to the wind, in favor of game mechanics that are simply more fun. He also discusses how the physics engine will relate to space stations, capital ships, and weapon physics. Black Prophecy fans interested in this kind of a look at the game can read all about it in "Interaction with the Physics Engine" on the game's official site.

MassivelyBalancing realistic physics with fun in Black Prophecy originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 31 Jan 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>black-prophecycyrus-preussdev-blogGame-Mechanicsnew-titlesphysicsphysics-enginereakktorreakktor-mediarealismsci-fitechnical-directorSun, 31 Jan 2010 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: How realistic do you like your games?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/21/the-daily-grind-how-realistic-do-you-like-your-games/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/21/the-daily-grind-how-realistic-do-you-like-your-games/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/21/the-daily-grind-how-realistic-do-you-like-your-games/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


In real life, if you've not noticed, we don't have hit points. Getting stabbed by a sword once is pretty much crippling if not outright fatal. Fall too far and you don't suffer some uniform amount of damage across your whole body -- you frequently wind up breaking your legs or your spine, and it can be a slow and painful recovery process if you ever recover. We can't wander through the world without ever bothering to eat, drink, or sleep, and when you get shot to death, there will not be a fresh clone waiting to get you back into the action. In the interests of being polite, we'll not even mention the usual lack of other important facilities.

We accept that there's going to be some degree of unreal mechanics in a video game, of course, but that doesn't mean that some of us don't want the game to stick fairly close to the real world. By the same token, though, some of us take the Mystery Science Theater 3000 mantra to heart -- it's just a game, and it's not all that important if it makes real-world sense in sticky parts. Where do you fall on the scale? Do you like your games fairly realistic, fairly unrealistic, or do you not care so long as the game itself is still fun?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: How realistic do you like your games? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 21 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>damagefallen-earthfefoodgame-mechanicshealthhit-pointshpinjuriesinjuryrealismrealism-in-gamesreality-in-gamessimulationsleeptdgthe-daily-grindwaterMon, 21 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Anti-Aliased: Who decided brown was such an awesome color? pt. 2]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/20/anti-aliased-who-decided-brown-was-such-an-awesome-color-pt-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/20/anti-aliased-who-decided-brown-was-such-an-awesome-color-pt-2/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/20/anti-aliased-who-decided-brown-was-such-an-awesome-color-pt-2/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


BrownQuest 2 ended up proving that too much of something was bad -- horribly, horribly bad. BrownQuest 2 could barely run on most systems because no one could handle the "extremely, super cool, melt your face" graphics and ended up sitting on the shelves that holiday season. The new rationale about the game was that it had future-proofed itself, lying in wait for computers to exist to run it at its graphical peak.

That peak came, and no one rushed to buy the game. People came in and people left, and the game didn't turn out to be the huge blockbuster it was anticipated to be. And now, 4 years later, I turn on my computer and run BrownQuest 2 at maximum graphics easily, and I'm just not fully impressed. Are they good graphics? Sure they are. Are they so amazing that they make me run around my room screaming so loud that I can drown out Lewis Black? (NSFW) No, not really.

So, with all of that in mind, let's turn to something more relevant. Let's turn to World of Warcraft. Say what you will about the game, but I think we can all agree that the game design of WoW is solid. It's not the holy grail, but it's certainly good enough to make 11 million people play it. Now ask yourself the question: "Would WoW be as popular and as good if it sported the extreme graphics EverQuest 2 did?"

If you're hijacking my brainwaves, you know the answer already. Of course WoW wouldn't be popular if the graphic requirements were through the roof. Even if it was an amazing game, no one would be playing it because no one would be able to run it. In these times, we can't afford to go running off and upgrading our video cards just because we want to play that one game, *cough*Crysis*cough*.

And is World of Warcraft a beautiful game? Of course it is! The vistas, the sunsets, the snow, the shattered landscapes. And for being so "cartoony" it can still pull off some really imposing places, like Blackrock Mountain, Hellfire Peninsula, Netherstorm, Icecrown Glacier, and many others. Certainly, the graphics have improved in the latest expansion, but the other areas of the game just don't scream "I'm dated" as loudly as "realistic" games can.

Say what you want about graphics that don't push the edge of technology, use bright colors, and attempt to engage us in veritable water-colored landscapes. The truth is these things make sure that the game still looks good and appealing to us years down the line, they let the tone and aristry of the game shine through in ways that realistic graphics cannot, and they make sure that you can still play with your friends without spending wads of cash to upgrade your rig.

Because, in the end, isn't that what a massively multiplayer game is about? Playing and enjoying the world with other people at your side?
Colin Brennan is the weekly writer of Anti-Aliased who believes games need to grasp the imagination, not your video card. When he's not writing here for Massively, he's over running Epic Loot For All! with his insane roommates. If you want to message him, send him an e-mail at colin.brennan AT weblogsinc DOT com.

MassivelyAnti-Aliased: Who decided brown was such an awesome color? pt. 2 originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 20 Dec 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anti-aliasedboringbrowncartooncartoonyeq2everquest-2everquest2graphicsgrassrealismrealisticsoesony-online-entertainmentstylizedworld-of-warcraftwowSat, 20 Dec 2008 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Anti-Aliased: Who decided brown was such an awesome color?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/20/anti-aliased-who-decided-brown-was-such-an-awesome-color/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/20/anti-aliased-who-decided-brown-was-such-an-awesome-color/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/12/20/anti-aliased-who-decided-brown-was-such-an-awesome-color/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Pet peeve time, ladies and gentlemen. I despise the realism movement in video games. Sure, I love seeing more accurate graphics and more realistic environments -- that's the nice part. I get to use my nice computer to explore amazing landscapes and take part in some beautiful interactions.

But, whoever wrote the equation "Brown + Grass + Bland Colors = Realism" needs to have their head checked. With all of this amazing technology, we've seemed to have forgotten the magic of what games stand for. But what really gets me is the culture that's springing around this phenomenon. Apparently "toony" games aren't welcome here anymore. So I need to ask the question: "Who decided brown was an awesome color?"

Continue reading Anti-Aliased: Who decided brown was such an awesome color?

MassivelyAnti-Aliased: Who decided brown was such an awesome color? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 20 Dec 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anti-aliasedblizzardboringbrownbrown-grasscartooncartoonyeq2everquest-2everquest2featuredgraphicsjoystiqfeaturesrealismrealisticsoestylizedworld-of-warcraftwowSat, 20 Dec 2008 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Stylized or realistic graphics?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/08/the-daily-grind-stylized-or-realistic-graphics/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/08/the-daily-grind-stylized-or-realistic-graphics/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/08/08/the-daily-grind-stylized-or-realistic-graphics/#commentsFiled under:


World of Warcraft is probably the best known example of a game whose graphics don't strive for realism, but instead have a cartoony, colorful look. It is sometimes criticized for being unrealistic (or even 'childish'), but this arguably misses the point. A cartoonish style allows boundaries to be stretched, making for stylised, expressive landscapes, buildings and creatures, as well as armor and weapon designs that would otherwise be merely absurd. Fantasy doesn't have to be realistic. WAR also seems to be going down this path.

On the other side, we have games that strive for a realistic look, rather than a cartoonish one: the highly detailed drifts of garbage that litter the City of Villains, the gleaming interstellar behemoths of Eve, and in the fantasy genre, the gushing gore and rippling thews of Age of Conan. Attempting a realistic look can be more immersive, but it can also be harder to engage the player emotionally, not to mention being costly on graphics resources.

Which do you prefer? Do you want your MMOs to look like games, without trying to appear realistic? Or do you disdain the more cartoony styles in favor of realism and detail?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Stylized or realistic graphics? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 08 Aug 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cartoonygraphicsrealismrealisticstylisedthe-daily-grindFri, 08 Aug 2008 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Realism in MMOs ... good or bad?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/13/the-daily-grind-realism-in-mmos-good-or-bad/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/13/the-daily-grind-realism-in-mmos-good-or-bad/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/13/the-daily-grind-realism-in-mmos-good-or-bad/#commentsFiled under: , ,


When you hear the word "realistic" as it's applied to graphics and/or gameplay, do you cheer or wince? World of Warcraft, Mabinogi, Hello Kitty Online -- these are all titles that make a fantastical graphics aesthetic work well for them. At the same time, Age of Conan, Guild Wars, Tabula Rasa -- these games make a good showing of a more "realistic" style, and people seem to like it.

Then again, there's "realistic" taken to an extreme; we're thinking of the way The Sims makes you exercise, eat, sleep, excrete, etc. Now, while The Sims is of course not an MMO, do we want that sort of thing in our fantasy worlds? Does realism attract more people than surrealism? Could you take currently realistic/cartoony games and switch the aesthetic around and make it all better?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Realism in MMOs ... good or bad? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 13 Jun 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>age-of-conancartoonyguild-warshello-kitty-onlinemabinogirealismrealistictabula-rasatdgthe-daily-grindthe-simsworld-of-warcraftFri, 13 Jun 2008 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Gaming Iconoclast: Whither Shortcomings?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/23/the-gaming-iconoclast-whither-shortcomings/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/23/the-gaming-iconoclast-whither-shortcomings/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/23/the-gaming-iconoclast-whither-shortcomings/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

That was *some* cake...Many MMO aficionados cut their roleplaying teeth on one of the many pencil-and-paper titles that formed the early generation of multi-player gaming. In addition to rolling (and rolling, and rolling, and rolling) some dice to come up with their basic stats and traits, character generation involved a lot of "wet work" when it came time to acquire skills. Often, players would bargain with their Game Master to get special dispensation for pushing the envelope.

Player: I want to run this adventure as a zombie elf with three arms.
GM: Okay, but if you do that, none of the other characters will trust you. Also, you will spend 50% more on shirts and body armor. Still want to do it?

Thus, the mechanic of trading character flaws for enhanced abilities was born. One of the hallmarks of tabletop gaming is this trade-off -- saddling yourself or your character with a shortcoming in order to obtain an advantage elsewhere, either as a skill, or a talent, or just another way to go about Min/Maxing. The huge number of available options in some games (Vampire: The Masquerade, for instance) ensures that any player, with only a few minutes' consideration, will have an almost absolutely unique character, fully their own creation.

And yet, almost without exception, the online iterations we all enjoy seem to have omitted this altogether. We are an immense legion of perfectly-formed, mentally-stable, socially-adept übermensch. Even the so-called "ugly" races -- World of Warcraft's Forsaken or Tabula Rasa'sHybrids -- don't explore the depth and breadth of this concept too deeply. Racial traits and differentiation are the merest tip of this particular iceberg.

Why does this rich milieu, this fecund ground of roleplay fodder and character diversity, languish? (And who left this thesaurus on my desk?)

Continue reading The Gaming Iconoclast: Whither Shortcomings?

MassivelyThe Gaming Iconoclast: Whither Shortcomings? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 23 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>avatarsblizzardcharacter-creationcharactersfeaturedflawsgame-developmentgame-mechanicsgaming-mechanicslinden-labmin-maxingncsoftracial-traitsrealismsecond-lifetabula-rasathe-gaming-iconoclastvampire-the-masqueradewhite-wolfworld-of-warcraftwowWed, 23 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Behind the Curtain: Less realism, please]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/28/behind-the-curtain-less-realism-please/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/28/behind-the-curtain-less-realism-please/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/28/behind-the-curtain-less-realism-please/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

One cry I hear a lot during my travels is that we need more realism in MMOs. Greater realism, I have heard it argued, will give a greater sense of immersion, a sense of belonging somewhere, and would make it easier for people who are traditionally non-gamers to join in with us, the enlightened ones - a 'realistic' MMO, I've been told, would be the MMO for people who normally avoid MMOs.

I wonder if people use 'realism' where they really mean 'detail'. I don't want too much realism in my MMOs - imagine Orgrimmar with a 'realistic' downtown area that your character refused to enter after dark? If Shattrath was made more realistic, the Lower City would be rife with dysentery - just how many toilets have you counted down there?

Continue reading Behind the Curtain: Less realism, please

MassivelyBehind the Curtain: Less realism, please originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 28 Mar 2008 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>behind-the-curtaindetaileve-onlinefeaturedrealismworld-of-warcraftwowFri, 28 Mar 2008 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Cartoony or Photorealistic?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/21/the-daily-grind-cartoony-or-photorealistic/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/21/the-daily-grind-cartoony-or-photorealistic/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/03/21/the-daily-grind-cartoony-or-photorealistic/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


As far as artistic game development goes, there appear to be 2 schools of thought: Expressionistic aesthetics allow the designers to better portray emotional states, or heighten the absurdity/drama of a moment; photorealism lets players immerse themselves more readily into a world that might be unfamiliar to them, and generates a stronger feeling of verisimilitude. Of course, your mileage may vary, but in general, these modes of thought hold.

When it comes to MMOs, where an overarching story frequently takes a backseat to game mechanics, which style provides a better experience? Would WoW benefit from an overhaul of its graphics, making things more realistic-looking? Would EVE Online become a completely different game if everything were cel-shaded and anime-like?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Cartoony or Photorealistic? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 21 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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To follow our earlier post about the Age of Conan press event, here is a Gallery full of artwork given to us by the AoC artists themselves. We're talking screenshots, renders, and concept art, all of which look outstanding. It's clear that one of the mandates for the art direction was to go for a core of realism in all things, from building design to creature physiognomy. Certainly the fantastical elements are in force, but they're tempered by a solid aesthetic that really appeals to those who aren't into the cartoony, oversaturated palette of World of Warcraft and the like.

And, in fact, I'd be willing to bet that the artists took some inspiration directly from the pulp novels themselves. There's an almost indefinable quality here that hearkens back to those great old covers. This is a well-executed strategy that will keep players fully immersed in the world, and it's all absolutely gorgeous. Without further ado, have at it!

Gallery: Age of Conan Artwork

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MassivelyAge of Conan artwork for your drooling pleasure originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 14 Dec 2007 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aestheticage-of-conanartworkcartoonyfeaturedgallerymassivelyrealismrobert-e-howardscreenshotwallpaperworld-of-warcraftFri, 14 Dec 2007 12:15:00 EST