One of the reasons I didn't play WoW was the cartoony drawn-by-a-3yr-old-with-a-crayon graphics. I want it to look more realistic. And Ashes is doing a fab job with it, so far. And they're not even finished with it. I'm drooling...
Not gonna lie, WoW cartoony graphic style was one of my major turn offs for the game aswell.
Q: What MMO world do you want? A: I want a world where it rains a lot. Storms on oceans. Occasional thunderstorms.
And a peaceful giant walking arround, looking what players do.
Am wanting to avoid anything in the realm of "too-magical" or "overly-magical". NWO is a good example; that game-setting is WAY too magical - to the point that going to a trainer puts you in-and-out a bubble-dimension with no apparent trouble at all.
Swapping dimensions, magical flying ships, magically-powered machines, etc should be rare and far-and-few between. It presently feels AoC is on-track for this level. If a server has two Scientific Metropolis Nodes, we'll get to see them connected by a flying machine - but that's about the rarity I'd hope for.
AoC has a chance to be the next EQ for a lot of us older players, but we don't need open world pvp we don't need to be taxed like this is real life we don't need players being mayors of nodes having power over others on what gets built and what doesn't.
Except it's gonna be the next L2 and AA and we do need all of those things
3
Options
bloodprophetMember, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
AoC has a chance to be the next EQ for a lot of us older players, but we don't need open world pvp we don't need to be taxed like this is real life we don't need players being mayors of nodes having power over others on what gets built and what doesn't.
Except it's going to be the next L2 and AA and we do need all of those things
No, we don't and it's going to be the next, not gonna but that's OK.
Ashes of Creation has taken inspiration from various other MMORPG titles.[10]
In terms of what came before, we're trying to figure out who did what best and take inspiration from that: Move the genre forward; keep things updated and bring it into the 21st century.[10] – Jeffrey Bard
Eve Online with its regionalized economy and risk vs reward in transportation.[10]
ArcheAge with its building systems, transportation and naval combat.[10]
Star Wars Galaxies with its crafting systems.[10]
Lineage II with its risk vs reward, castle sieges, flagging, open world PvP and guild progression.[11][12][13][10]
Most people never listen. They are just waiting on you to quit making noise so they can.
AoC has a chance to be the next EQ for a lot of us older players, but we don't need open world pvp we don't need to be taxed like this is real life we don't need players being mayors of nodes having power over others on what gets built and what doesn't.
Except it's going to be the next L2 and AA and we do need all of those things
No, we don't and it's going to be the next, not gonna but that's OK.
Ashes of Creation has taken inspiration from various other MMORPG titles.[10]
In terms of what came before, we're trying to figure out who did what best and take inspiration from that: Move the genre forward; keep things updated and bring it into the 21st century.[10] – Jeffrey Bard
Eve Online with its regionalized economy and risk vs reward in transportation.[10]
ArcheAge with its building systems, transportation and naval combat.[10]
Star Wars Galaxies with its crafting systems.[10]
Lineage II with its risk vs reward, castle sieges, flagging, open world PvP and guild progression.[11][12][13][10]
This game is taking inspiration from EQ, L2, AA
you literally quoted Jeffrey bard (aka EQ) but he left the company and we dont know how much impact he had with IS core design. But learning about L2 - seems both game were very alike, so we are good overall.
I feel icky - defending that dude... then again im laughing he mentioned EQ and complaining about being taxed in-game with timesinks and whatnot when he played EQ... during PoP nonetheless which killed EQ
{UPK} United Player Killer - All your loot belongs to us.
I really like the Art style that it has now. The video demonstrating some of the melee combat where they're fighting the rock monsters, I loved the colors and how everything looked.
It's also probably way too far along to start changing Art directions at this point. I don't see why you'd want anything different anyways. It takes a lot of time for the artist to create all those assets.
If WOW was made today, it probably wouldn't have the same style it does currently. Very stylized graphics can definitely stand the test of time though, and that's probably one of the reasons why they went that direction. Graphics then weren't exactly the best, so it was a good choice when that game was made.
WoW was a nice break from the more serious games at the time, with all its RL pop-culture references and such. It was definitely part of the reason it became so popular. I hope Ashes stays away from RL pop-culture, but still incorporates some humor.
2
Options
HinotoriMember, Leader of Men, Kickstarter, Alpha One
I personally enjoy interacting with a world that can be both serious and whimsical. I also enjoy a story with interesting lore characters. I believe Ashes of Creation will feature all of this! I could see it being both player-driven and game-driven
Minecraft, Fortnite, WoW, etc are some of the most popular games in their respective genres. These games are aesthetically similar in the sense they are colourful, light, fun, cheerful. The characters in WoW for example are so memorable and loveable. FF14 has this too. For Ashes to be successful does it need to have this essence too?
I know it's early, but it doesn't seem Ashes will go in a similar direction. Games like GW2, New World and most other MMOs/RPGs suffer from having boring characters and a lifeless boring world. Do you guys want Ashes to have characters that are funny or silly. Do you want it to be full of humour? Or do you want it to be toned down?
I know Ashes will look great with UE5 and all, but I'm kinda worried I won't enjoy the world or the NPCs in it. I've played many MMOs and the only worlds I truly loved were from WoW and Runescape. Intrepid might create an amazing game with top notch mechanics and gameplay, but will the world just be a generic one with generic characters, lore and environments.
What kind of MMO worlds do you guys love? What do you want in Ashes in terms of NPCs and environments?
I myself disliked the cartoony nature of WoW.
I could have really got into that game but the graphics style was a constant irritant. I distinctly remember being annoyed at the rivets/bolts on the air ships. Ridiculous size.
I have a vivid imagination but that art style prevented any kind of willing suspension of disbelief.
I recall some NPC parody characters. Meh. I guess i'm not in the 'for the lulz' crowd.
Minecraft, Fortnite, WoW, etc are some of the most popular games in their respective genres. These games are aesthetically similar in the sense they are colourful, light, fun, cheerful. The characters in WoW for example are so memorable and loveable. FF14 has this too. For Ashes to be successful does it need to have this essence too?
I know it's early, but it doesn't seem Ashes will go in a similar direction. Games like GW2, New World and most other MMOs/RPGs suffer from having boring characters and a lifeless boring world. Do you guys want Ashes to have characters that are funny or silly. Do you want it to be full of humour? Or do you want it to be toned down?
I know Ashes will look great with UE5 and all, but I'm kinda worried I won't enjoy the world or the NPCs in it. I've played many MMOs and the only worlds I truly loved were from WoW and Runescape. Intrepid might create an amazing game with top notch mechanics and gameplay, but will the world just be a generic one with generic characters, lore and environments.
What kind of MMO worlds do you guys love? What do you want in Ashes in terms of NPCs and environments?
I don't think Ashes of Creation is going for mass market appeal. It's going to be challenging, time consuming, require familiarity with continually changing server conditions, and demand various forms of co-operation... by it's very design it's already more "serious" than many competitors. I think it's tone should reflect it's game design.
So I'd personally want something more serious, or at least "neutral" rather than leaning towards cartoony/casual. I feel like so many properties are trying to copy the post-Guardian's Marvel-esque style of always being ironic, meta, and self-deprecating. It has it's place, but I'm pretty tired of always seeing it. Seems like audiences are assumed to be incapable of processing a serious scene without a joke to lighten the mood, or that our attention span is so short that character building has become a waste of time. A character cannot do something heroic without making them or the situation into a punchline in the very next scene. Same with game design... so many developers prioritize quick dopamine hits over meaningful progression, rarely achieving a sense of accomplishment that lasts longer than a W in quick match with players you'll never see or hear from again. Ultimately I just hope there's balance, because I've found it's the agony of losing that heightens the thrill of winning.
I want depth, detail, realism, and relatability--not to superficial attributes or arbitrary immutable characteristics, but to universal human experiences with characters and real-world dynamics with game design. Scarcity and abundance, supply and demand, inclusion and exclusion, strategic planning/patience, unnegotiable trade-offs... all should apply not only to a server's economy, but to a server's social marketplace/playerbase as well.
Ashes of Creation has taken inspiration from ArcheAge, Star Wars Galaxies, and Eve Online. I don't really see the direction of character art, aesthetics, and animations going in a different direction. Also... the community who grew up with WOW and Fornite is a little more mature now. You can have silly character arcs and a fun narrative without sacrificing your aesthetic lore.
Comments
Not gonna lie, WoW cartoony graphic style was one of my major turn offs for the game aswell.
Aren't we all sinners?
Until one day the giants name turns red.....
Swapping dimensions, magical flying ships, magically-powered machines, etc should be rare and far-and-few between. It presently feels AoC is on-track for this level. If a server has two Scientific Metropolis Nodes, we'll get to see them connected by a flying machine - but that's about the rarity I'd hope for.
You sure?
https://ashesofcreation.wiki/Design_pillars
Inspiration
Ashes of Creation has taken inspiration from various other MMORPG titles.[10]
In terms of what came before, we're trying to figure out who did what best and take inspiration from that: Move the genre forward; keep things updated and bring it into the 21st century.[10] – Jeffrey Bard
Eve Online with its regionalized economy and risk vs reward in transportation.[10]
ArcheAge with its building systems, transportation and naval combat.[10]
Star Wars Galaxies with its crafting systems.[10]
Lineage II with its risk vs reward, castle sieges, flagging, open world PvP and guild progression.[11][12][13][10]
This game is taking inspiration from EQ, L2, AA
you literally quoted Jeffrey bard (aka EQ) but he left the company and we dont know how much impact he had with IS core design. But learning about L2 - seems both game were very alike, so we are good overall.
I feel icky - defending that dude... then again im laughing he mentioned EQ and complaining about being taxed in-game with timesinks and whatnot when he played EQ... during PoP nonetheless which killed EQ
It's also probably way too far along to start changing Art directions at this point. I don't see why you'd want anything different anyways. It takes a lot of time for the artist to create all those assets.
If WOW was made today, it probably wouldn't have the same style it does currently. Very stylized graphics can definitely stand the test of time though, and that's probably one of the reasons why they went that direction. Graphics then weren't exactly the best, so it was a good choice when that game was made.
Anyone riding the majestic stufferton will be unassailable.
At least the death throes will be cushioned by the stuffing fluff.
I personally enjoy interacting with a world that can be both serious and whimsical. I also enjoy a story with interesting lore characters. I believe Ashes of Creation will feature all of this! I could see it being both player-driven and game-driven
I am going to make an alt named Sid and make him look like the kid from toy story just so I can hunt people riding that mount.
I myself disliked the cartoony nature of WoW.
I could have really got into that game but the graphics style was a constant irritant. I distinctly remember being annoyed at the rivets/bolts on the air ships. Ridiculous size.
I have a vivid imagination but that art style prevented any kind of willing suspension of disbelief.
I recall some NPC parody characters. Meh. I guess i'm not in the 'for the lulz' crowd.
I don't think Ashes of Creation is going for mass market appeal. It's going to be challenging, time consuming, require familiarity with continually changing server conditions, and demand various forms of co-operation... by it's very design it's already more "serious" than many competitors. I think it's tone should reflect it's game design.
So I'd personally want something more serious, or at least "neutral" rather than leaning towards cartoony/casual. I feel like so many properties are trying to copy the post-Guardian's Marvel-esque style of always being ironic, meta, and self-deprecating. It has it's place, but I'm pretty tired of always seeing it. Seems like audiences are assumed to be incapable of processing a serious scene without a joke to lighten the mood, or that our attention span is so short that character building has become a waste of time. A character cannot do something heroic without making them or the situation into a punchline in the very next scene. Same with game design... so many developers prioritize quick dopamine hits over meaningful progression, rarely achieving a sense of accomplishment that lasts longer than a W in quick match with players you'll never see or hear from again. Ultimately I just hope there's balance, because I've found it's the agony of losing that heightens the thrill of winning.
I want depth, detail, realism, and relatability--not to superficial attributes or arbitrary immutable characteristics, but to universal human experiences with characters and real-world dynamics with game design. Scarcity and abundance, supply and demand, inclusion and exclusion, strategic planning/patience, unnegotiable trade-offs... all should apply not only to a server's economy, but to a server's social marketplace/playerbase as well.