Exagerate moves when our character cast.

Ok we all already know that the casting animations right know are't finished and what we see is not the final result. But anyways I just want to do this thread to debate what are the animations we want to see when we already can play and want to cast a spell.

Here for a example we have the cleric cast spells

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AHwGp-t27M

Castigation- I think is ok
Benediction- really good
Hallowed ground- I hate it, just because I think exagerate levitate spells are well that... exagerate.
Divine Censure- It's ok is just I would like the spear to be gold like a holy light spear
Resurrectios- Awesome
Damnation- Cool
Devotion- Great
Exorcism- this is even worse
Judgement- Great again

I repeat I know this is not the finish work, but I think probably devs want to know about our opinion in this.

Conclution, so for me less is more, exagerate animations like doing a lot of moviments (Like the first fire ball mage animation) or levitation just doesn't looks cool or epic.

Want to know your opinion.

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Comments

Conrad

Dragons Dogma does quite a few spell casting animations pretty darn well. They could serve as a great inspiration for spell casting:

https://youtu.be/7SrIFyfHTpU

As for spell incantations, a few CRPG games use latin for incantations like Baldurs Gate for example:

https://youtu.be/RzS0exgr2kI

Some ppl in comments even "decoding" the incantations to figure out their meaning and often sound awesome ngl. Hell, Latin is awesome so who's surprised lol

Orym

I agree with your opinion on most abilities. Spells that makes you levitate, spinn around weirdly or takes to long is not very appealing and satisfying. Devotion is a great example of what a quick casted heal should be imo, the sound and the fact that you "throw" an effect is excellent. Longer casted abilites should focus more on the spell effect and sound to make up for the animation. No need to spin around and doing something silly, will just get annoying after awhile.

Vhaeyne

Anytime a character is trying to do some "Epic" levitation as part of a simple spell cast it annoys me.

Our characters are professionals at what they do. They should have controlled and focused movements that are to the point. Not this interpretative dance non-sense I see sometimes.

At least that is how I feel about it.

Dygz

Animations are going to be exaggerated because players need to be able to recognize what is being used and have time to react to it - enemies as well as allies.
Different people will have different design choices - can't please all of the people all of the time.
So, it's another case where Steven's vision holds the keys - and we know it's not going to please everyone.

Sholer

Dygz wrote: »

Animations are going to be exaggerated because players need to be able to recognize what is being used and have time to react to it - enemies as well as allies.
Different people will have different design choices - can't please all of the people all of the time.
So, it's another case where Steven's vision holds the keys - and we know it's not going to please everyone.

I don't think we essentially need exaggerated animations to recognize some spells. Look at Exorcism and Hallowed ground in the video, they can do the same animation but the character standing on the ground with not necesary levitate two meters on the air.

Tacualeon

Dygz wrote: »

Animations are going to be exaggerated because players need to be able to recognize what is being used and have time to react to it - enemies as well as allies.

This.
Animations need to be extra.

They went for something artistic.
My hypothesis is that the lead animator was busy animating other stuff and Steven learnt how to make animations with levitation and got super excited about it.

I bet that fireball animation was Steven who made it

Vhaeyne

To be specific I don't want my "characters movements" to be exaggerated.

The "spell" part of the animation can be exaggerated while maintaining non-exaggerated movements.
This is a extreme example of what I think works really well in a very old game:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0slXJwGgZxo

Again this is just my preference. I think games have gone too far down the rabbit hole of trying to make animations look epic. With these over exaggerated animations. There is no where to go. When you need a epic looking animation it just blends in because there are so many other epic animations. Nothing is epic if everything is epic.

Specifically "Hallowed ground" and "exorcism" are just too exaggerated for me. Everything else is alright.

Dygz

It literally is just about preference.
But, that has got to be about the worst animation I have ever seen.

raylegh

I have to fully agree with the statement. I think animations should be simple and "fast". Magical classes are not like Rogue's, there is no point in doing fancy movements rather than practical ones. Even more so if those spells are just normal.

Dygz

There is a point to fancy movements in a setting that has somatic components as part of casting magic...especially in a setting with ritual magic.

Vhaeyne

Dygz wrote: »

There is a point to fancy movements in a setting that has somatic components as part of casting magic...especially in a setting with ritual magic.

Somatic movements don't have to be so exaggerated. If you are doing a functional skill at a high level there is no reason to exaggerate you movements unless you are showing off. Showing off is something you would never do in a life or death fight.

If you want to look at D&D as an example. Every character has six seconds on their turn to both move and attack. They move an average of 30ft then aim and cast their spells. There is no room for goofing around with exaggerated somatic movements.

Dygz

Somatic moves don't have to be exaggerated, but they can be. Especially in a setting with several different schools of magic. Functional skill at a high level is likely to be complex rather than simple - like complex physics computations.
Somatic components being required to cast a spell is not showing off.

In table-top D&D, 6 seconds to cast a spell is fine because it can take several minutes for a player to decide which spell to use. Everyone knows what spell the player is using because the player calls it out... and all the players in the group have several minutes to then decide which abilities they which to use in response.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkuJfD6TCjU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIGPCts2tLs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MJv-M1B-WE

On the flip side, some settings could just have you just point a wand and shout a word - like in Harry Potter.
Which is why it ultimately comes down to the preference of the creator(s) of the setting.

Yuyukoyay

I've had the opposite issue in every MMO I ever played. So I'm kinda happy each spell has a unique animation. It really depends on the scope of the spell. Also how the spell does damage. Fireball makes sense that you jump if the damage is done by an explosion as opposed to a target.

Most games do absolutely nothing. They use a generic casting animation that often look stupid. The animations might be substituting for casting time. Which might also mean that some spells might not allow you to cancel them once they start. Which is a gameplay reliant system. Since this is unique in that it makes it harder for some ranged classes to constantly kite all day I can't exactly say that it should be changed.

I'm willing to wait and see how it works first. I don't even know if this is the only way to cast every spell. There could be an overcharging system to cast a spell for double it's effect that take longer for all I know. It would make sense to show those off if it is a thing even if the audience doesn't know about such a system yet.

I don't necessarily think it has to be the same as every old game just because it's never been done before. Depends on if they add additional particle effects and if I can turn those off or not. Also on how it plays in the long run. If it has gameplay repercussions for being that way then I'm fine with it staying that way.

Vhaeyne

@dygz

I hate everything about everything you just linked. I can't change the way I feel on that.

This is the kind of stuff that is going to push people away from the game. A large amount of people are already missing out on FFXIV because it is too anime for them.

These Naruto hand gestures you linked would cost the game subs for sure. I think they would scare away more people than they could ever hope to attract. For every one weeb that signs up you scare away two people that just like traditional fantasy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1nRZ6OeNgs

Gandalf just points his hands or staff in the direction he wants the spell to go in. To me this is better in every way.

Yuyukoyay

The anime argument is kind of weak when a lot of people who play MMO's like it. They themselves overlook things they may not like about the game. If people want to play the class that jerks their hand off then they are free to do so. I just don't support ignorant arguments. Pick a better reason to not like it. XD

Dygz

Vhaeyne wrote: »

I hate everything about everything you just linked. I can't change the way I feel on that.

It's OK if you hate it.
Can't please all of the people all of the time. Different people will have different deal-breakers.
But, it really does come down to the preferences of the creators crafting the setting.

Vhaeyne

Yuyukoyay wrote: »

The anime argument is kind of weak when a lot of people who play MMO's like it. They themselves overlook things they may not like about the game. If people want to play the class that jerks their hand off then they are free to do so. I just don't support ignorant arguments. Pick a better reason to not like it. XD

It is not an ignorant argument. Those anime animations do scare away subscribers. I would bet at a rate that is higher than it attracts.

You are talking to a guy who likes anime to some degree. I have even been a Touhou fan since IN if that appeals directly to you, and your Cirno avatar (Marisa is the best BTW).

We have a oversaturation of mediocre anime inspired games with over the top animations, and normal people don't tend to want things to be that over the top. That is why this anime MMORPGs do so badly. FFXIV is the only "remotely" anime inspired MMO in the top ten right now by population. Every other one lives a life of less than 200-500k subs in a F2P dying state.

Vhaeyne

Dygz wrote: »

It's OK if you hate it.
Can't please all of the people all of the time. Different people will have different deal-breakers.
But, it really does come down to the preferences of the creators crafting the setting.

That I can agree with 100%.

Since this is a thread where we are stating our opinions and not deciding the fate of the game.
I plan to speak up on behalf of everyone who doesn't want exaggerated animations.

BobzUrUncle

Gandalf will win every PVP fight he gets in! When his opponents get no possible way to figure out what he is doing and counter it, he will always win.
We understand that in 'fantasy reality' people would hide movements to protect themselves, but we are playing a game here. We need animations to react to.

Dygz

Vhaeyne wrote: »

Since this is a thread where we are stating our opinions and not deciding the fate of the game.
I plan to speak up on behalf of everyone who doesn't want exaggerated animations.

Yep. Different perspectives are fun!

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