Watching the latest steam, the new models and textures look amazing, but one thing that stood out to me was a comment about how the fighting might be slow, but they will introduce even more spell effects to keep players involved with something to look at.
Please no! The gameplay is just fine, and there are already way too many spell effects going off constantly thoughout the fights.
The warrior had a bubble around him half the time for gods sake. And there were banners all over the place (eventually 4 per warrior?!). Fireworks going off constantly, seemingly Every time someone hit or got hit.
Please don't go this direction. Your players do not need anime light shows going off all over the screen to stay focused and interested.
My 2¢
I'll agree that it was kind of a light show at times. I think this has to due with over-all lighting. As I'm seeing in other games in development, spell effects look too bright (over the top) when the lighting isn't right. Seemed normal to me for a game pre-alpha.
I agree. I don't want to see a sea of badass over the top spell effects everywhere until max level maybe. Otherwise, they lose their significance similar to the abundance of gear argument. I also don't want the spell effects to be so dull I don't feel the *magic* of the game. With that said, based on the last stream I have no complaints I didn't think it was obnoxious or anything like that. So far it appears they have found a pretty good balance for my personal taste.
Slightly off topic:
I like spell effects getting more advanced and stunning the higher level one gets.
Similar to EQ's HP buff. At first, the spell effect was just green, then it was green with some yellow and orange in it, then the highest version around level 46? was green, yellow, orange and blue. I thought that was great!
Less is more when it comes to spell effects/particle effects in general. It's annoying not being able to see what's really happening on screen when there are so many flashy things happening at once. I don't mind more subtle spell effects, particularly if they're accurately giving me information about what the spell is doing (e.g. Enchanter mezz ball floating in front of a mezz'd enemy or a Druid's root looking like vines coming out of the ground to wrap around a target's feet). That's information that's useful in combat.
I also don't mind special abilities getting better and more impressive effects as someone learns better versions of that spell/ability or gets max level or whatever, but again, it should be very limited and informative rather than special effects just for the sake of special effects. By themselves, those look neat, but once you add another 5 playeres or more things get distracting.
They might be in a grey area right now where they need to show off the game for potential investors and toned down spell effects and particles might not showcase that well.
A slow combat game with barely any "pop" might not look all that appealing to those who haven't played older MMO's.
Grimseethe said:I hate when you cant tell team spell effects from enemie spell effects.
Spell effects should be realistic and not super flashy.
So like Vegas style card tricks? Joking.
I would prefer 3 categories for On/Off. Self, NPC, Everyone else. This allows me to choose between an streamlined easy to see exprience of a very Michael Bay theatrical experience.
Halnir is shown to be very dark with large areas of little to no light sources. More spot lighting and less difuse global lighting. The result is that spell effects quickly overwhelm everything else. But look at other streams where they are outdoors in sunlight and those same effects are very subdued if not quite invisible. I'm doubtful there can be different levels of brightness for spell effects such that in darker zones/nighttime they aren't so bright but not washed out during the day.
I was also a bit disappointed when I heard that. I think there are too many spell/special effects in MMO's these days.
I would disagree that spell effects "keep things interesting" because after you see them once or twice the novelty wears off.
I am much more interested in spell effects that give you a visual cue of what the spell is doing, rather than just some random burst of light and colors. For example, an armor or AC buff shows a shield or armor flash on the character. A snare spell shows their feet entangled. A DOT shows poison dripping on them. Those are simple effects that describe exactly what the spells are doing and are the only necessary "flashes of light" IMO.
bigdogchris said:I was also a bit disappointed when I heard that. I think there are too many spell/special effects in MMO's these days.
I would disagree that spell effects "keep things interesting" because after you see them once or twice the novelty wears off.
I am much more interested in spell effects that give you a visual cue of what the spell is doing, rather than just some random burst of light and colors. For example, an armor or AC buff shows a shield or armor flash on the character. A snare spell shows their feet entangled. A DOT shows poison dripping on them. Those are simple effects that describe exactly what the spells are doing and are the only necessary "flashes of light" IMO.
Definitely my feeling, sometimes less is more. Make them magically simple as they get stronger maybe a bit more intricate with lvl, I dont want to see a lvl1 nuke look like a nuclear bomb.
As long as I can turn them down/off I don't care. I really disliked when EQ started putting in more and more effects to the point it was a sparkle show. I turned it all off because it was just a bunch of garbage flashing across the screen.
Yes, please at least give players to tone down or turn off the spell effects. I recall one game I played where a certain weapon created a aoe 'glow' effect on everyone's computer screens making it near impossible to see your target. And no matter how low you set the effects setting to, it was still there. It reached the point where the community would either blacklist anyone using that weapon or deliberately go out of the way to grief the guy by any means necessary.
Seems the consensus here is that people are not liking the spell effects or that there is too much of it. You all realize that with the atmosphere system it will bring you an entire screen filled with effects constantly right? Gloom, lightning storms, fog, Squalls of wind, snow storms, etc. I think most of you saw a video of 1 area and were like "whoa too much!" The stream was set in a dark dungeon with close quarters. Also, as you can here Brad, Chris, and Ben say in the stream they are happy with the way the visuals are coming along. I absolultey loved it. I want my plumes of light to shine in dark caves for sure.
Its like Vandraad said, " look at other streams where they are outdoors in sunlight and those same effects are very subdued if not quite invisible."
I agree. Im sure they will have a spell effect adjustment in the settings for everyone who wants to not see the fire on the ground they are standing in.
Also, this is PA, but i doubt they take a quarter of their vibrant spell brisances away.
Valorous1 said:Seems the consensus here is that people are not liking the spell effects or that there is too much of it. You all realize that with the atmosphere system it will bring you an entire screen filled with effects constantly right? Gloom, lightning storms, fog, Squalls of wind, snow storms, etc. I think most of you saw a video of 1 area and were like "whoa too much!" The stream was set in a dark dungeon with close quarters. Also, as you can here Brad, Chris, and Ben say in the stream they are happy with the way the visuals are coming along. I absolultey loved it. I want my plumes of light to shine in dark caves for sure.
Its like Vandraad said, " look at other streams where they are outdoors in sunlight and those same effects are very subdued if not quite invisible."
I agree. Im sure they will have a spell effect adjustment in the settings for everyone who wants to not see the fire on the ground they are standing in.
Also, this is PA, but i doubt they take a quarter of their vibrant spell brisances away.
number one reason why people die in raids is because they can't see that they are standing in fire or a red circle of death. that's why more is better. to make sure you know that a circle of death is coming.
lotuss79 said:Watching the latest steam, the new models and textures look amazing, but one thing that stood out to me was a comment about how the fighting might be slow, but they will introduce even more spell effects to keep players involved with something to look at.
Please no! The gameplay is just fine, and there are already way too many spell effects going off constantly thoughout the fights.
The warrior had a bubble around him half the time for gods sake. And there were banners all over the place (eventually 4 per warrior?!). Fireworks going off constantly, seemingly Every time someone hit or got hit.
Please don't go this direction. Your players do not need anime light shows going off all over the screen to stay focused and interested.
My 2¢
I disagree wholeheartedly. I would hope for as many different spells/skills to have unique spell effects. That way I can identify what is being cast as it happens. I might agree with you that certain spells could be toned down or perhaps for the ones that have long durations for those spell effects to fade gradually over that duration. I also do agree that something should be worked out with the Warrior banners. Too many at a time, too big, too hard to see around/through... I think some work could be done to make these not so intrusive. Just my two coppers...