Glorious Alpha Two Testers!
Phase I of Alpha Two testing will occur on weekends. Each weekend is scheduled to start on Fridays at 10 AM PT and end on Sundays at 10 PM PT. Find out more here.
Check out Alpha Two Announcements here to see the latest Alpha Two news and update notes.
Our quickest Alpha Two updates are in Discord. Testers with Alpha Two access can chat in Alpha Two channels by connecting your Discord and Intrepid accounts here.
Phase I of Alpha Two testing will occur on weekends. Each weekend is scheduled to start on Fridays at 10 AM PT and end on Sundays at 10 PM PT. Find out more here.
Check out Alpha Two Announcements here to see the latest Alpha Two news and update notes.
Our quickest Alpha Two updates are in Discord. Testers with Alpha Two access can chat in Alpha Two channels by connecting your Discord and Intrepid accounts here.
Reusing the same mob skin: Always fighting the same enemy!
Ten plus years ago there was a really nice info graphic about just how over used the rat model was in Everquest. It showed how no matter what level you are you will always be fighting the same model of rat you did when you started with only slight variation.
This is a major problem that has plagued all MMO's so this is my plea to Intrepid to look at what models they are using when developing NPC enemies for the game across the board. The cut and paste option is obviously much simpler especially if the only modification you do is "increase size %" or "R1>R3" (color) and "rename doug.1".
I would really like to see variation in NPC mobs over the course of leveling a character, so how can this be done with a small team where the alternative (cut/paste) is going to be more economical and easier? THB I don't have a good idea to help out but I do have a basic if not awful one.. lol.
When you create an NPC enemy give it a leveling life cycle, lets use our rat above for reference and mix in a goblin then break it down by level you would encounter it:
This really struck home for me last night as I was playing EQ on the new Agnarr server and in Plane of Hate we were fighting the same skinned rat mob (increased 25% in size) at level 50 as you did when you first loaded up the game outside of Freeport as a level 1.
This is a major problem that has plagued all MMO's so this is my plea to Intrepid to look at what models they are using when developing NPC enemies for the game across the board. The cut and paste option is obviously much simpler especially if the only modification you do is "increase size %" or "R1>R3" (color) and "rename doug.1".
I would really like to see variation in NPC mobs over the course of leveling a character, so how can this be done with a small team where the alternative (cut/paste) is going to be more economical and easier? THB I don't have a good idea to help out but I do have a basic if not awful one.. lol.
When you create an NPC enemy give it a leveling life cycle, lets use our rat above for reference and mix in a goblin then break it down by level you would encounter it:
- Level 1-8: Sewer rat; low level mob with grey fur and red eyes that moves slowly.
- Level 10-15; Field rat; low level mob with brown fur that has increased speed.
- Level 15-20; Goblin forager; beginning level mob with green skin.
- Level 20-30; Plague rat; beginning-mid level mob with a zombie motif.
- Level 25-35; Goblin plague seeker; mid level mob with greyish skin and armor.
- Level 30-40; Goblin Captian; Mid-high level mob with emerald skin,amror, & will run away.
This really struck home for me last night as I was playing EQ on the new Agnarr server and in Plane of Hate we were fighting the same skinned rat mob (increased 25% in size) at level 50 as you did when you first loaded up the game outside of Freeport as a level 1.
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Comments
Seriously though I totally agree it's rather annoying but I understand why a lot of companies take that route. So if in the end unique models for each and every creature becomes to expensive or time consuming then I'd be fine with some reskins here and there.
@Isende
I'm not sure to tell you the truth as long as it doesn't suppress their ability to make the game quality I'd say go for it whole hog. I'm more on the list of really unique and horrifying monster models just because they look cool. You can been if I was in graphical design I'd never sleep. XD
Be that idiot at the office at 5am still working from a standard day because I missed the "it's time to go home" bell!
Those were so damn awesome and unique and that's not even including the boss class monsters they showed as well.