Surrealism vs Realism vs Fantasy.

[runlvlzero]

EQ is a mix of realism and fantasy, making it surreal IMO. I may be butchering the definition of the word, but it's a realistic simulation at it's core and beginnings, by level 60 it's full on surreal. It's probably one of the reasons I love this game so much.

It seems to be a lost art in game making. Studios are trying to go for the next best exaggeration on reality, and further departing realism. There are some games that still respect realism. Minecraft, some of the zombie survival games. Yet alone this does not make a good game.

But games like WoW alienate me mainly because they are so comic and unrealistic. Characters are out of proportion. Your power vs the rest of the "verse" is disproportionate. Magic doesn't follow any rules etc...

Of course everything has a level of realism even the most abstract artistic expression still has at it's core bleed over through the 4th wall of reality into this "verse".

I post this here because I want to share with you all this thought on realism.

I wish there was more. I support realism in my games/simulations. I don't need an extreme simulation. But an Everquest level of realism or a bit more is ideal.

I notice most games on steam are completely out of touch with this aesthetic.

Yet there are artsy surreal games that have much realism, such as "The Void", which are not based in reality, yet some how pay a deep homage to it. They respect realism in their architecture and design.

Games that are flamboyant and flaunt in the face of realism aren't as pleasing or interesting to me, they lack immersion.

I guess in some ways I play games more to explore reality than to escape it.

How do you feel, perceive realism in games?

[Swish]

As a short answer... much fun is had in GTA. Borders realism and the surreal really well ;)

[Lune]

http://i.imgur.com/2bmx6im.jpg

[Barkingturtle]

http://www.wired.com/design/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/lion_eat_HQ.gif

[myriverse]

If it were surreal, it wouldn't have any realism at all. Even fantasy is grounded in realism. Surreal has no ground.

[theaetatus]

If it were surreal, it wouldn't have any realism at all. Even fantasy is grounded in realism. Surreal has no ground.

You misunderstand surrealism entirely. Surrealism is about presenting the real through an imaginary perspective, bridging the gap between reality and dreams. Reality is an important part of surrealism.

[Swish]

http://i.imgur.com/2bmx6im.jpg

would bang despite her rep...

[justin2090]

http://i.imgur.com/2bmx6im.jpg

lmao

[runlvlzero]

As a short answer... much fun is had in GTA. Borders realism and the surreal really well ;)

Yeah, and you got me here cause, I actually prefer saints row 1-3 over GTA 4+

However, the original GTA seemed to strike a good balance.

http://www.wired.com/design/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/lion_eat_HQ.gif

lolz

http://i.imgur.com/2bmx6im.jpg

calling me a bastard :mad:?

lol, game of thrones is a good example of realism working in a fantasy universe IMO, I enjoyed the way they handled that series quite well.

[myriverse]

You misunderstand surrealism entirely. Surrealism is about presenting the real through an imaginary perspective, bridging the gap between reality and dreams. Reality is an important part of surrealism.
No. Surreal is about representing reality in a completely illogical, irrational, fantastical way, like vacuum cleaners made of vaginas and dicks and shit. Even fantasy is deeply grounded in a very logical reality. Surrealism is not.

[theaetatus]

As you said, "Surreal is about representing reality...". It's through an unreal perspective but based on reality.

[Barkingturtle]

No. Surreal is about representing reality in a completely illogical, irrational, fantastical way, like vacuum cleaners made of vaginas and dicks and shit. Even fantasy is deeply grounded in a very logical reality. Surrealism is not.

Complete illogicality, irrationality and fantasticity would be called abstract -- not surreal. There are no vacuums, dicks, nor vaginas without logical, rational, non-fantastic reality. Without some semblance of reality, you're looking at triangles and colors which represent the concept of a vacuum, a dick, a cunt, etc. Ain't nobody got time for that.

[runlvlzero]

Complete illogicality, irrationality and fantasticity would be called abstract -- not surreal. There are no vacuums, dicks, nor vaginas without logical, rational, non-fantastic reality. Without some semblance of reality, you're looking at triangles and colors which represent the concept of a vacuum, a dick, a cunt, etc. Ain't nobody got time for that.

[Ahldagor]

if it's good to play on mushrooms then it's a good game.

[planeofdreams]

Complete illogicality, irrationality and fantasticity would be called abstract -- not surreal. There are no vacuums, dicks, nor vaginas without logical, rational, non-fantastic reality. Without some semblance of reality, you're looking at triangles and colors which represent the concept of a vacuum, a dick, a cunt, etc. Ain't nobody got time for that.

(Basing these sentiments on 2d media.)
Abstraction isn't irrationality either. Even if you're just talking about automatism, where people try to draw, etc. according to unconscious impulses, etc.; the movements of paint through brush work or the scratching of pencil on paper are all items in a Feature List that can be used to analyze the complex object we call a picture. That even the most gestural of surrealist works are systematized, where the random accidental features are subsumed by the work (Frottage pictures, of Max Ernst come to mind.) , proves at least to me that there is little illogical in the works of an real artist.

As you said, "Surreal is about representing reality...". It's through an unreal perspective but based on reality.

Some of my favorite Surrealist paintings recombine mundane items in a dreamlike setting, or set up a context where the Real objects taken together become Surreal objects by the nature of their being together unexpectedly or being seemingly in contradiction. See: Rene Magritte. "Ceci est une pipe. Ceci n'est pas une pipe."

[planeofdreams]

p.s. why did you post this in RnF. Too good a topic for this sub-forum.