Monsters & Memories - An Old School Indie MMO

[Zukan]

Originally Posted by Mblake1981 [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I spy a swim animation, if that makes it in game you are already more advanced than New World.

Edit: art reminds me of..
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That sort of asthetic is intentional [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]. A lot of the 2D art like that is ment to tug on those old school heart strings since we're trying to make a game that has an old school vibe.

[Zukan]

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I've started work on spell particles. [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

[Jibartik]

Haha! Nice [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.] I love the quiet cool splash of the heal spell line.

[nilzark]

Always enjoyed the spell particles of classic EQ over the new EQ ones. Moar graphics != better experience IMHO.

[Jibartik]

Yeah the original spell particles are like, magic.

[Danth]

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

Yeah the original spell particles are like, magic.

The distinctive sound effects are every bit as important if not moreso. For example I seldom see my own spell effects, especially defensive spells, owing to using first-person mode. I hear them all, though, and that's an important part of both situation awareness as well as the memory of the game. It occurred to me awhile back that I can't remember any of the spell sound effects from World of Warcraft and very few of them from Vanguard. They weren't memorable.

Something EQ got right that a lot of more modern games screw up is that the fancy particle effects are indeed restricted to magical spells. It makes magic--magic. Ordinary physical melee attacks should not create huge firework displays like they do in so many of the newer games of this type. Magical spells should look and feel dramatically different than swinging an ordinary wood or steel weapon.

New technology will allow a game such as this one (I hesitate to call it "M&M," that's a somwhat unfortunate coincidence of initials) some room to improve things where old games were limited by technology. I was always somewhat under-whelmed by EQ's offensive "nuke" or "bolt" type spell particle effects. I would've liked a wizard who actually could shoot lightning bolts out of his hands or hurl fireballs. Such effects need to be rare because if they're common they become mundane and everyone simply turns them off--but they ought to be there as a special treat. Looking forward to seeing more of the work on this one.

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As for character models, I like seeing the digitigrade models. One serious complaint with Vanguard was how some races looked like (and clearly were) nothing more than a human body with an animal head cut-and-pasted on top. Improved technology leaves room for improvement of other little details as well. My wife has been griping in these games for twenty-plus years that almost none of these games have high-heel shoes for female characters. Maybe you folks could fix that omission? That and wizards need to have some pointy hats. EQ, at least, has a notorious shortage of pointy wizard hats.

Danth

[Mblake1981]

The fireball spells in era were large fireballs. They are small dots-shapes on P99.

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

My wife has been griping in these games for twenty-plus years that almost none of these games have high-heel shoes for female characters.

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[Patrece]

EQ Classic had those bolts working in no time

[Zukan]

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

My wife has been griping in these games for twenty-plus years that almost none of these games have high-heel shoes for female characters. Maybe you folks could fix that omission? That and wizards need to have some pointy hats. EQ, at least, has a notorious shortage of pointy wizard hats.

Danth

I may have to disappoint you here. Unless we put all female characters in high-heels 100% of the time. Its not worth it to build a new rig and new set of animations just for items only some of the characters would wear some of the time. Animation is a lot of work and we're a small team. [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Pointy hats might be a thing though, it's been talked about internally. The wizard concept actually has the gandalf pointy hat.

[Jibartik]

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

The distinctive sound effects are every bit as important if not moreso.

It's true, the combination of that like, silent hum as the watter sprinkles poor out of the woodelfs hands gets me every time.