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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.
Is it just me, or do I see some downgrade in the latest Ranger devstream?
Artharion
Member, Alpha Two
Greetings!
I'm currently a bit cold regarding what I've seen today in the Ranger #2 devstream. The Ranger, in my opinion, has always been the class that looked the best of all those they have shown. Last year devstream was the peak of quality I expected in the entire game, and a year ago when I saw the first Ranger devstream, I was amazed by everything: The model, the animations, the skill effects, that area skill where he jumped doing an acrobatic move... Everything perfect.
This week when I saw they were announcing a Ranger devstream, I thought it wasn't the highest priority, but I watched it anyway because I was expecting to see new skills. However, when I saw it today, I felt a bit cold. I noticed that many animations and skill effects look simpler than before.
Casting skill.
DevStream from 1 year ago. Minute 14:38:
https://youtu.be/0257a-goFwE?si=tAzoAOX6HejZAaUh
Today's DevStream. Minute 4:55:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sp4H9XdKHao
If you notice, today's stream effects are simpler in terms of particles.
Another skill example. The skill where he jumps with the acrobatics (area)
DevStream from 1 year ago. Minute 15:41:https://youtu.be/0257a-goFwE?si=tAzoAOX6HejZAaUh
Today's DevStream. Minute 18:37:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sp4H9XdKHao
It looks simpler. In fact, I think the developer says they have changed the effect of that skill because it looked laggy. And that's where I want to go: Is it possible that all this is because they were seeing that there was going to be a lot of lag or FPS drops when tens or hundreds of players gathered? In fact, I remember that in the last dev streams (caravans) there were many desync problems, and now the gameplay seems to be more fluid.
Lastly, I would like to add that I also see that the snow environment needs to be worked on compared to Riverlands. The quality standard is below. And also today's character modeling... Even the sound of shooting the arrow before, I liked more...
Anyway, what are your thoughts?
I'm currently a bit cold regarding what I've seen today in the Ranger #2 devstream. The Ranger, in my opinion, has always been the class that looked the best of all those they have shown. Last year devstream was the peak of quality I expected in the entire game, and a year ago when I saw the first Ranger devstream, I was amazed by everything: The model, the animations, the skill effects, that area skill where he jumped doing an acrobatic move... Everything perfect.
This week when I saw they were announcing a Ranger devstream, I thought it wasn't the highest priority, but I watched it anyway because I was expecting to see new skills. However, when I saw it today, I felt a bit cold. I noticed that many animations and skill effects look simpler than before.
Casting skill.
DevStream from 1 year ago. Minute 14:38:
https://youtu.be/0257a-goFwE?si=tAzoAOX6HejZAaUhToday's DevStream. Minute 4:55:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sp4H9XdKHaoIf you notice, today's stream effects are simpler in terms of particles.
Another skill example. The skill where he jumps with the acrobatics (area)
DevStream from 1 year ago. Minute 15:41:
https://youtu.be/0257a-goFwE?si=tAzoAOX6HejZAaUhToday's DevStream. Minute 18:37:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sp4H9XdKHaoIt looks simpler. In fact, I think the developer says they have changed the effect of that skill because it looked laggy. And that's where I want to go: Is it possible that all this is because they were seeing that there was going to be a lot of lag or FPS drops when tens or hundreds of players gathered? In fact, I remember that in the last dev streams (caravans) there were many desync problems, and now the gameplay seems to be more fluid.
Lastly, I would like to add that I also see that the snow environment needs to be worked on compared to Riverlands. The quality standard is below. And also today's character modeling... Even the sound of shooting the arrow before, I liked more...
Anyway, what are your thoughts?
0
Comments
also, the snow was great
I mean, there was some textures that didnt overlap properly. But hey, WIP, ya know.
Great stream. The ranger looked to feel amazing. Really cool class fantasy they managed to put in there, and original too. Love to see it
The devs said they reduced particle effects because of lag concerns (min 18:42).. So not just me, even the devs even admited it.
but that doesnt mean things downgraded...unless you mean something different by that word. lowering particles could make things look better, so it would be a quality upgrade.
99% times in game development when companies downgrade their games is because of optimization issues. Why would you do it then? Less flashy gameplay? I could buy this for mage at the beginning in A1, but 1-year agop ranger showcase looked good and the effects were not overhelming. The community seemed ok with that looking at the feedback provided.
"lowering particles could make things look better, so it would be a quality upgrade."
Less particles = less showy effects. Games 10 years ago had less particle effects, and games 10 years in the future will have more.
well i know what happens when you move the particle slider all the way to the right, and it doesnt look good. and im not even talking about performance, im talking about visuals.
more particles doesnt equal better visuals.
1 year ago many people thought it was great how the ranger was and now that you see simpler effects with fewer particles everyone thinks that's fine. Maybe it's the same as always in developments: Little room for feedback and criticism for not admitting that our favorite game may not be doing everything right?
Remember, there are going to be 500+ player battles in this game, so minimizing opaque/emissive particles might actually be necessary to make that type of engagement even playable without forcing everyone to go into their settings to turn spell effects off.
While there's endless possibility for *more* particle effects, sometimes less really is more. Technology has its limits and - as you touched upon - computers 10 years from now will likely be more up to the task than the ones that are widely available, in the present.
....Unless we're all living as cannibalistic scavengers in a post-war nuclear wasteland, of course.
I thought they specifically weren't doing any real balancing, though?
For me, anything that looks too 'fun to play' is sus because in general, it's really difficult for everyone to be 'having fun' at the same time. Designing too much for 'everyone having fun' tends to not turn out great, but I'm sure the next LiveStream will put that concern to rest.
The elaboration he went into today is that they are NOT going to heavily worry about balancing until the Alpha Two, because that's where they're planning on getting the most-usable information and feedback. He wanted the abilities and combat to be fun 1st, and then they'll use a more-practical, later-on approach for balancing. It makes me very happy that our Alpha Two will be a *real* testing-Alpha, instead of just early access or a sneak-peek.
Yours truly will be re-watching the stream when it's on YouTube tomorrow, since I had to mute it, at parts. Didn't really have a lot of interest in the Ranger personally, but the gameplay looked quite compelling. The Ranger is emphasized as a VERY mobile class, with only a few abilities that require stand-still (like 'Snipe'). At parts, the Ranger is almost an air-bourne class, able to defy a lot of gravity because of the push-back that some of the abilities cause; Some of the extended jumps really defy conventional gravity.
If anyone didn't catch it live today? They went LONG; It's a 2+ hour update video, this month.
The ranger skills are exactly the same no matter the environment, but nice try.
Less flashy animations actually makes more 'character sense'.
The stranger's eyes lifted to the blood red cloud on the horizon.
'We have to move. It's not safe here.'
less flashy animations was asked by the majority of the community, its not a downgrade its making the game better
By that assumption, let's remove all the effect. Totally vanished!
Can you provide the data that supports that statement?
if you have been keeping up with game and viewing different content creators, forums, and chats you will see people complain about effects covering up too much of screen and worried with larger fights about it being even worse.
Effects are great and all but better for single player games where its one person, compared to having like 50-100 people using them.
In this video you can see effects are so strong that its hard to see what is going on. AoC in a war would be 100* worse than this with strong effects everywhere.
Less effects isn't a downgrade, a downgrade would be if the effects looked worse than before (less does not equal worse)
1 person flashy effects
9 people flashy effects (which is no here near large scale btw)
It becomes a mess and all the detail you like is lost do tot he share volume of effects going on and it makes it messy.
Could it be fine-tuning ?
Were former Animations to big ? Was the Ranger jumping to far ? To cornered and stiff ? Were the Shots way more fancy and hence, straining on the Eyes - in a former Presentation ?
Could be that it was simply made more smooth. I admit - i haven't seen any Presentations in the Past that are "older" than the Juni(?) LifeStream around the Freehold which the Developers visited via Bunny/Rabbit Mounts and then butchered a poor Pig inside it for Meat and Leather. 🤣👍
✓ Occasional Roleplayer
✓ Guild is " Balderag's Garde " for now. (German)
I think you are right, it was simpler. However I like that change. I really hope they cut down on all the visual noise you see in games like FFXIV. When a lot of people are around you want to be able to have a visual sense of what everyone is doing.
Strawman argument because you don't have a genuine point, but I would actually be ok with it. I'm more about outcomes over effects.
But saying I want NO effects because I'm ok with LESS effects is weak sauce.
The stranger's eyes lifted to the blood red cloud on the horizon.
'We have to move. It's not safe here.'
So I am highly pleased to see the reduction in flashy effects and that some of these effects will only be visible to the one casting the ability.
Everywhere: here and reddit lmao.
I've just opened a thread to have a discussion. Some disagree with me, some agree. More disagree than agree, which is expected since this discussion is taking place in AoC forums and websites. It's well-known that there might be some bias towards a game/product when you are having the discussion in its forums.
Anyway, what I find amusing is how you delight in thinking that this is about 'shooting down' people. No, it's not, son. It's merely a discussion. People exchange opinions with arguments, some are right some not, but that's all. I understand that in case of someone like you, you might see this as a matter of ego, trying to outdo yourself and belittle others, probably due to immadurity, which makes me feel pity for you. And of course, I won't continue to engage with you. Have a good day
I agree with your point. The gameplay and the combat looks much more fluid and smooth, and of course when you make a game, you need to make it playable, and gameplay > graphics. Maybe last year ranger stream was very flashy but in terms of gameplay was not fluid enough. In that case, I understand the changes and even accept them over the previous build. Anyway, let's see how it goes once A2 launches.