Now, I have to say, I might be being picky when I bring up this subject, but it was someting that bothered me when I played my Necromancer and my son his Sorc. The animations for staffs with the casters, seemed to have a more baseball bat animation to them than a "Casters' weapon. I bring this up because I know the time would be to bring it up during the early stages of development. I would put examples of other games that have casting animations with casters but not sure if I am allowed, just to show an example.
I'll mention some of these games I have played and thought the animations for the casters being cool, here it goes.
I have to say, WOW for some odd reason went the baseball bat handling of the caster staff as well (Eventhough I play this still), it just bothers me and I remember it being brought up several times in Vanuguard. I agree with the developers in the video, making a game fun and foremost is the most important thing (focus on content and such), but don't forget the eye candy that will bring in those that are looking for those epic casts.
Again, I thought about putting up a host of videos that I have on my old hard drive to bring my point home, but I didn't want to get off track by going into great detail with a narrative on how a caster should be holding a staff "I'm certain all you guys seen Gandolf, casting and walking with his staff, (I didn't see him wearing it across his back in any of the movies :P )".
Errm.... hmmmm.....
1. All video of PTF so far has used 'placeholder art'.
This is not to say you will get a Gandalf 'none shall pass' animation for your wizzy, but it does mean the animations shown in all the live streams on pTF were merely placeholder art to allow them to text combat timing, balance skills, balance aggro, basic client-server comms, determine combat 'pace', test aggro models, perform primary QA on the zone and basic 'fun' testing.
Errr... and to have something to show the public.
2. It is very likely, therefore, that the finished animations will be much more polished and 'shiny'.
Note that by 'animations', I of course refer to the multitude of animations that will cover the many, many different types of player character animations. I.e. 'base animations' (idle, walking, standing, sitting), 'jumping' and more extrteme movements (climbing or swimming for eg) and then the 'casting' or 'combat' animations.
3. Link between casting time and animation time.
Mebbe they will ..... and mebbe they wont!
Of course, i hope that my eventual summoner animations are 'truly awesome (TM)'. I want to have a fantastic animation for summoning my Uber pet (more OP than Aradune's flaming sword and Kilsin's Backstab combined) with so many sparklies that the entire raid is snow-blind for 20 minutes!
Evoras, Summoner of the lethal sparklies
Evoras said:Errm.... hmmmm.....
1. All video of PTF so far has used 'placeholder art'.
This is not to say you will get a Gandalf 'none shall pass' animation for your wizzy, but it does mean the animations shown in all the live streams on pTF were merely placeholder art to allow them to text combat timing, balance skills, balance aggro, basic client-server comms, determine combat 'pace', test aggro models, perform primary QA on the zone and basic 'fun' testing.
Errr... and to have something to show the public.
2. It is very likely, therefore, that the finished animations will be much more polished and 'shiny'.
Note that by 'animations', I of course refer to the multitude of animations that will cover the many, many different types of player character animations. I.e. 'base animations' (idle, walking, standing, sitting), 'jumping' and more extrteme movements (climbing or swimming for eg) and then the 'casting' or 'combat' animations.
3. Link between casting time and animation time.
Mebbe they will ..... and mebbe they wont!
Of course, i hope that my eventual summoner animations are 'truly awesome (TM)'. I want to have a fantastic animation for summoning my Uber pet (more OP than Aradune's flaming sword and Kilsin's Backstab combined) with so many sparklies that the entire raid is snow-blind for 20 minutes!
Evoras, Summoner of the lethal sparklies
Yeah this is still very early. VR has been very clear on placeholders and the design they are going for. Not smacking the OP down but his observation is valid when put up against latest flash bang games. I kind look at is as culture shock. They are using the Unity Engine so it has the capability to do some amazing things with animation and graphics.
I patience and using an open mind is a must at this state of the game.
Ox
Are you seriously critiquing the animations of a game in pre pre alpha? First off i could careless if this game does have those same graphics at launch as the pre alpha so many games try to just focus on pleasing graphics junkies and not focus on making a good game. Graphics are find but give me a great core game before you even think about dolling it up. Nobody plays throwback servers of EQ because of the graphics we go back for the social aspect and the game play that is still unmatched today.
Well, to the OP's point, (and going off of current MMO classification of staffs) the staff is technically a 1 hand or 2 hand blunt weapon.
For 1HB, yes I can see a mace- like maneuver or......perhaps how Gandalf used his staff as a one-hander (sword in off-hand) in the movie "Return of the King" when he protected Pippin when the orcs were raiding Minas Tirith.
and perhaps the 2-hander could be more defensive and reactionary in an almost kendo-style (the style in the first star wars when Obie-wan fights Darth Vader) with Martial arts staff-fighting roots.( more "poking" than striking if I express it correctly)