EverQuest "Next"

[Hollywood]

Originally Posted by Kika Maslyaka [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

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To add to these - 90% of the armor of same type looks almost the same and for all racess. You know how how people like to rant that Luclin took away textured graphics? EQ2 done even worse - there is not even race special looks. The plate "bucket" looks absolutely the same for any race.

Yeah in WoW same specific armor has same texture for the races, but WoW has tons of different textures, even for most basic armors you can get in low levels.
On EQ2 all crafted armor from 1 to 80 uses exactly same texture for all races, minus color tint variations. Some raiding/quested armor has slightly different look, but not better by much. Compared to that Luclin armors are simply gorgeous.

I am not asking for Lineage/Terra slat-house (even thought they do have tons and tons different textures btw), but for fantasy game, the armor should exhibit SOME fantasy qualities. Real medieval armor did look like metal bucket cause it had to be that way for practical purposes. Magical armor doesn't have to be.

While I won't say the above EverQuest 2 armors are great or terrible, I will say that MMORPGs focus too much on armor looks. IF they spent half the time on gameplay as they do on 'gear' aesthetics we'd have a pretty awesome game.

As a natural progression, better gear (and by extension better looking) became part of the carrot.

However it's passe now and we're beyond that.
You look at any genre of video games, and the adage of Gameplay>Graphics is making a return.

Much like the majority of items/armor in the Elder Scrolls series, we should go back to an art style that is very realism and historical based.
Additionally a large portion of items should not have + stats or magical properties, so you don't chase after or seek out new armor as a means of progression.

Clothing is clothing. You wear it just to cover ones self. It offers no protection and certainly cannot be + fire resistant!
Leather is often a deterrent against weather and carries reusable practicality.
Chain and plate is for maximum protection yet is not something you wear all the time.

Whether it's PCs or NPCs(even worse when it's NPCs), seeing characters constantly in full battle gear no matter where they are, really kills immersion.

Some games are starting to use 'town dress' like in Guild Wars 2, however it's optional where as I would expect it to be mandatory (automatic switch when you enter a town, and has multiple random outfits[not too many though]). Ideally your 'equipment' would rarely ever change look, style and the patterns and for the most part they would be often virtually identical - cause let's face it, a pair of leather pantaloons is not going to be that diverse.

If they take the focus away from this aspect then most people will eventually get over it - and good riddance to the socialites who can't get past it, because they're just a waste of server space anyways.
Seems the proof is in the pudding when you ask nine of ten Elder Scroll type players, and they'll say they have no interest in how their armor looks, they just want good damage reduction to weight ratio. Otherwise, it's all about game play.



Really Sony only has to accomplish two things - make an Elder Scrolls style MMORPG* and add in some modern day convenience features that have become mainstream(but with their own Sony style to it) to help accommodate large scale social interaction.

*Unlike Elder Online which will be a lobby type connection game.


Unfortunately in my above suggestion I feel the latter (social features with Sony's style) is going to be their main attraction...like face (webcam) recognition for real time emotes... great technology..but it's still fluff.

[Kika Maslyaka]

Originally Posted by Hollywood [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Much like the majority of items/armor in the Elder Scrolls series, we should go back to an art style that is very realism and historical based.

Well I have to disagree a bit here.
yes but all means Gameplay >>> Graphics, but when it does comes to graphics, it should match the theme.

If you playing Medieval Total War - then yes your armor should be realistic, but If we talking fantasy game, the magical armor should look more than a typical medieval one.