Why primitive, older graphics are better than modern graphics.

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Dryk

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I think the OPs opinions are misguided, but I feel that pulling graphics and therefore budgets back a few notches would probably help us out of this rut we're digging into.
 

woodaba

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Blood Brain Barrier said:
Is this just too far over people's heads? Maybe I should post a "why Obsidian is better than Bioware thread" or "why JRPGs suck"
Wow. Way to make yourself out to be a pretentious prick.
 

Xangba

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I would have gone with something along the lines of "lower graphics use less money and space, which allows for more gameplay elements and length" or something like that. Not...whatever it was you just said. Seriously, that is a pretty poor argument. My counter-argument would be: Go play tabletop. Good graphics can help get us immersed in the world better, let us know what someone is really supposed to look like, and be used for story just as much when used right. The problem comes from the damned effort to just make it look pretty instead of using it to improve storytelling.
Schaaka said:
Dont confuse 'Moved away' with 'lack of creativity'. Now'a'days everyone is a badass. Every Movie, Game and TableTop Rp
You're only a badass if you choose to be in tabletop :p I have been known to create a bumbling idiot to give my friends carefully made characters a whole new level of difficulty. This may or may not include speaking with the DM ahead of time to ensure levers that should never be pulled and dangerous traps that are very obvious are aplenty.
 

DigitalAtlas

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If games were meant to be an imaginative experience, we'd just have never upgraded from Zork or "Choose your own adventure" books.

I thought this was going to be an intelligent thread on old games cherishing aesthetic more so than today's games, but I was wrong. Then again, I also was prepped to come in here and say "Are you high? I can't even play the original Deus Ex without mods because it looks like such a giant piece of garbage!"

lacktheknack said:
Blood Brain Barrier said:
Is this just too far over people's heads? Maybe I should post a "why Obsidian is better than Bioware thread" or "why JRPGs suck"
No, your point just sucks.

I simply prefer better graphics (because they're better), and I never play "myself" in a game. Why play myself when I could be somebody else? That's why I play games.

Also, any RPG worth its salt has character customization, so that point is moot. If you want to play yourself in a story-driven third-person game, I think you misunderstand what "story-driven" entails.

Also, where do you get off proclaiming that old graphics are inherently better than new ones, give us ONE (flawed) POINT to your argument, then accuse US of being shallow?
I was about to agree entirely with you, but.... ummmm....

>Any RPG worth its salt has character customization

Brb, throwing out all my Persona, Final Fantasy, Tales, Chrono, Lunar and Xeno games
 

Gabanuka

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This seems relevant and I dont really feel like starting a new thread for it:
Does Vampire the masquerade: Bloodlines hold up both graphicly and gameplay wise? I'm thinking about buyying it since I cant to go around being a vampire and what not.
 

boag

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Hazy992 said:
So are you saying older graphics are better because they make you use your imagination more? Well then why even bother with a video game? Use a pen and paper.
A FREAKING MEN!

hell why even use pen and paper?

just make the stuff up in your head.
 

thom_cat_

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This is silly and pointless.
As a game designer I resent the idea that graphics makes a game.
If you are in the magic circle you let anything work if it's flowing.
If depends what you want from the game. If you're playing an FPS you want to be able to actually aim at stuff that doesn't look like a pixel.
It totally depends on what you want to do. Sure, you could replace everything with pong-sized dots, but what's the point?
Abstraction -whilst it favours imagination-based characterisation of people and objects- is not reliable for everything. And a blanket statement such as yours is silly.
 

Xangba

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Gabanuka said:
This seems relevant and I dont really feel like starting a new thread for it:
Does Vampire the masquerade: Bloodlines hold up both graphicly and gameplay wise? I'm thinking about buyying it since I cant to go around being a vampire and what not.
VtMB is a good game. If graphics are your concern they aren't bad. Gameplay wise you may hear some people tell you guns feel clunky, but I never had that problem due to being a proper vampire and tearing things apart with my hands (or just making one of them kill the others then drop dead, or make them think I disappear then assassinate them). There are still some bugs, and if you run the widescreen patch it creates a few visual bugs, but the experience is still great. Also it has a mission fairly early on that even without being a horror game is better at it than games that are actually supposed to be horror.

I would definitely suggest getting the community patches, but I would also suggest holding off on mods for at least one play-through so you know how it was intended to play. Camarilla's mod may sound great, but it's a fairly different experience than the vanilla game.
accipitre said:
Yes! Remember kids, losing is fun! Haha but seriously, it can be intimidating to try and get the hang of, but Dwarf Fortress is certainly the kind of thing half the people in this thread seem to want.
 

jklinders

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Agree that there are advantages to earlier graphics. But for completely different reasons. A players imagination can fill any gap, including those left by newer games and graphics. What the player refuses to do without kicking and screaming right now is pay extra for more content in a game after the money was eaten up in massive pools for graphics design, voice acting, multiple outcomes et al.

Games tended to be larger in scope 12 years ago for less money, far less money. the industry is not better for some of the changes. I would like to see more Fallouts (Not Fallout 3) and fewer mindless FPSs with perfect graphics and physics. You just get more bang for your buck both as a developer and a player.

But really using more primitive graphics is only a benefit to RPGs. These games tend to be the most expensive and complicated. other genres can be the complete package for less money. But RPGs are expensive, complicated, filled with narrative stuff and to top it all off have a very demanding user base. They need to stop focusing on graphics now and get back to what they are good at.
 

lord canti

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Well unless we are only talking about anything before snes then yes you could use your imagination. However outside of NPC in games a majority of characters had several defining characteristics that made them distinct.
 

Xangba

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Gabanuka said:
Xangba said:
Is taking a charisma route viable then? Also where can I find these patches?
I actually have a persuader/seducer character (among others of course), and it works well. Doesn't even have much combat training due to being able to make everyone think I'm gone, then slitting their throat from behind. Boss battles are kind of a ***** that way though, so plan ahead. You can't talk your way out of everything.
 

Blaster395

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Quaidis said:
If I hand a kid today a game from forever ago, they get confused, can't think themselves into the game, and put it down for something more shiney and pretty.
Correction, they will just find it bad because they are not looking at it through nostalgia goggles.
 

Vegosiux

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Dr. McD said:
Lugbzurg said:
Games are becoming shorter and LESS expansive, mostly due to more attention to the graphics. (This has been brought up in cases involving certain games like Deus Ex: Human Revolution..
Don't you mean MORE expensive.
Well, HR was not nearly as expansive as the first one, now was it.
 

BodomBeachChild

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Nov 12, 2009
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No? I mean sometimes I think the art style of older games was better at times. I'm playing Vectorman 2 right now, and I can get just as immersed in it as well as let's say... Oblivion. Two seperate games, genres, and generations. There is no right answer in my opinion.

I still play games from when I was a kid and can still use my imagination just as well. I had no idea when we turned the graphic options to "ultra high" that immediatly turns your imagination to "off." I always try to put myself in the shoes of the hero and fill in the fine detail with my imagaination whether it's 8bit or not.