PSO2 graphics impressions good and bad

[Xenobia]

To be clear on that topic,
1. No trash talk, no nonsense (the topic is about PSO2 graphics, nothing else)
2. Criticism allowed, but in a constructive approach (stuff "XY" worse, could be done better by "ZW").
3. Better no contribution when it isnt clear what to say, better to let the topic die... no problem. Comedy content is not required. Better to have 1 mindful post than 100 comedy content.
4. Pictures of PSO2 allowed, pictures from other games only in the matter of 1:1 comparisons. PSO2 need to be included on the same picture, (splittscreen), cant be posted by itself.
5. People should use the best quality possible posting a picture, this topic is about possibility not about raw experience or sightseeing.

Generaly topic can safely be used with not so much comments or views, but probably when someone found something graphically special (good or bad) it can be posted. So in general its the "quality or lack on quality picture topic" to some extend. But always a shot at max quality possible!

Graphics parameters which are of importance:
Tech Count: Easyest to measure, a tech parameter is usualy a polygon, texture, lightning and more.
Art Count: Art can be everything, but in the graphical aspect it means its made with deepness and got good expression.
Vivid count: Means that something is lively, it will look physically or naturally correct, it got the sense of "being truthful and realistic", it doesnt look "artificial".


Common question:
Why to even talk about PSO2 graphics or graphics at all?
Answer:

Some people are getting a Nvidia GPU because of some forced and barely viewable "improved" ambient occlusion, a weak form of shading. Taking into account lower performance, double shaders (can be unnatural), and artifacting. So, indeed some people take quality serious, any form of quality, no matter at what spot.

Obviously, PSO2 fanbase is usualy not biased toward graphics but toward the whole fanservice itself, so it can be hard on judgement because its simply something they exclude on arrival. Fanservice mentality means there is "no need" for certain spots, "no need" for update, "no need" for a non watered down US version and what else. Just accepting everything (as long as it does fit the required shape) because.... well why?

Example: DBonline = 100% fanservice. PSO2 is... some fanservice but its a game which have to stand up against other games and in its class "F2P" its certainly strong doing so.

But what am i? Im a huge RPG gamer and i do consider me as a lover of PSO as a whole. PSO got something no nother game got, a unique touch, even a unique history. But more of all, im a perfectionist. Someone being perfectionistic in nature is not ignoring certain spots just because "hey its PSO it doesnt need to be good at anything". Wrong... PSO have to keep pace with any other game, it have to outrival them, its at competiton and not only made for fans. In that case, yes, the question of its technical aspects is a valid question.


So why do i care about graphics on a F2P game?

My perfectionistic nature is unlimited, and my interests are without bounds. However, most people i meet in my life do have only a very few interest and the others are almost non existent for them. Prehaps they got more interest but lack of possibility in order to gain that interest. That kind of mental approach is good for themself but bad for those with different mentality. So its not any better than when i would say "i want more graphics", because i would cause the same for those who want lesser. But the point is, whats the possibility? Thats a question even a F2P game is facing to some extent. But more of all, its a valid question, there is nothing wrong bringing up such content, even on a game which is made to be graphically meager for the sake of a endless compatibility with even the weakest hardware on the market and of course the development cost is lower.

Besides: My "GFX" is nothing special, its a 7870 which can be gotten for 260$ on Newegg. Almost mainstream price but OCd... so, having good graphics doesnt necessarely need to be a unachievable deluxe matter.

For a game of its class... a FREE TO PLAY, PSO2 is certainly very strong at graphics and stuff, so comparing it with other games of same class, its indeed fine. But that was the whole point of SEGA to turn it into that direction. Because in term it would be another P2P such as PSU or PSO1 it surely will not be able to keep pace with the time anymore, thats a fact.


Quotes from previous topic (i will ask mod to delete because its just 90% OT inside that topic, as the one who brought it up i should be allowed to make that decision, but trying to take over every non OT content posted so far).

I actually partially agree in that the environment art could stand to see some improvement. When it comes to animations, character modeling, and lighting, on the other hand, I could not disagree more.

Cases in point:

Spoiler!

Well, at animation/modeling japanese games are always good, i know few who really lack it, but i agree that PSO2 is not having lack with those stats (not to surprising).

West games generally are weaker at those spots. I dunno why but i guess US devs usualy are more focused on the environment.


Lightning:
The Ligthning is usualy focused on single spots, instead of taking it over to a wide area, especially environment (HDR would help it). You see huge explosion and stuff but it barely does affect the surrounding. Of course, the monsters may glow like crazy and stuff but nowadays thats not truly something special and easely implemented.

Highest issue is that the whole appearance of the game is way to clean, to artificial, so straight lined, to less vivid. The problem with japanese mind is that they want maximum level of cleanage and it looks way to clean, so clean that it does lose its "inner" purity, the purity of truth (to good to be true). Everything is simply perfect... but "inner purity" is in need of some imperfection, something which is perfectly imperfect. So not always to look out for the perfect move but prehaps... looking for a dynamic approach, not a always perfect move, perfect surface... perfectly flat texture and even the edges at the polygons are perfectly disgusting.


Clothes:
Another weak spot at characters, the clothes are to flat and not crinkly. I mean, its a huge focus to sell clothes and stuff but they arnt actually made with the maximum amount of love it seems.

Example of crinkly clothes (no they are different on both sides... now we have a perfect imperfection) Even the axis of the char isnt perfect but still a clean appearance..

(splittscreen picture coming soon)



More Quotes coming soon... (taking over).

[blace]

To be fair, the game is made with older PC's in mind hence the graphical slider and shaders settings.

[gigawuts]

Sheesh PSO2 graphics is really cheap in general. Looks like a game 10 year of age. Luckily i found many better examples, so its kinda unbalanced.

you misspelled pso1, which is an actual game 10 year of age

[gravityvx]

Here, a game 7 year of age... currently on my PC.

I'm sorry but Oblivion looks nowhere near as good pso2, the only thing it could possibly do to even come close is have higher res textures from mods and even then you're pushing it. I don't even wanna mention how terrible the character models in that game are. That is a terrible comparison.

[NoiseHERO]

What you call that clay with dirty textures smudged all over it that has high contrast lighting on it better graphics than PSO2?

Well, either way it all looks like terrible PS2 graphics with some extra shine to me. I say it's not the actual graphics, but using what you HAVE that makes something worth looking at. (an 8-bit game can look a trillion times more artistic than a high res modern game.) And in my opinion... that screen shot looks like vomit. I'd rather look at a PSU character's stretched open armpit with MS paint doodled pubes on it.

...

But yeah that's off-topic... Not that anyone is playing this game properly (Other than the people that caught me at least, because I don't afk in block 20 like 80 hours a week.)

[NoiseHERO]

Excuse me but the stuff worth looking at is the stuff you call "characters" and shiny clothes?!

But for me, textures are equally important, the lightning, the tree and the rappy too. I do not only watch the butt of my character and some male may watch the breasts 50% of the time.

PS2? There isnt a single comparable game.

like I said, they both look terrible to me. How good does a videogame have to look? These elder scrolls games look like some random dudes boring backyard. You may as well go larping in the park if you play that game just for looks. I mean I guess skyrim has this dragon slaying conan the barbarian vibe going on, and that's pretty cool, I dunno.

But graphic wise neither that series or PSO2 is really worth talking about. unless you're one of those "I spend 2000 dollars on my PC and I only play portal and skyrim on it" dudes and even then I don't see anything special.

At least with phantasy star I can bring my rainbow haired hooker space elf friends on an anime fantasy adventure filled with light sabers and wannabe chibi chocobos chicked penguin thingies and that's all that's really important. Two different games, regardless of graphics in my own tastes the other will look like shit to me even if it looked like real life.

If you're gonna derail a thread in a forum for a PS game to randomly rant about it to prove some point! I'll also sit here and derail a thread to defend this game in the thought that I'm thinking your game looks like cat poopy no matter what.





Because I'm Rock Eastwood. and I'm bored.

[NoiseHERO]

Thats fanservice, not a scientificial approach. Anyway, keep continuing with those "i got you".

it is sci-fi, learn to fiction, but I didn't say it was or wasn't fan service, and you could tell how seriously I took it cause I said "rainbow space hooker elf" yet at the end of the day, all of these things are hilarious and fun and that's why I enjoy them.

Notice the irony in everything I'm saying being irrelevant and off-topic to counter whatever you were originally talking about that was irrelevant and off-topic.

I hope you learned your lesson!

[Enforcer MKV]

it is sci-fi, learn to fiction, but I didn't say it was or wasn't fan service, and you could tell how seriously I took it cause I said "rainbow space hooker elf" yet at the end of the day, all of these things are hilarious and fun and that's why I enjoy them.

Notice the irony in everything I'm saying being irrelevant and off-topic to counter whatever you were originally talking about that was irrelevant and off-topic.

I hope you learned your lesson!

Wouldn't it just be easier to ignore him rather than -

Because I'm Rock Eastwood. and I'm bored.

....I guess this invalidates my argument. :s

[[Ayumi]]

I'm sorry but Oblivion looks nowhere near as good pso2, the only thing it could possibly do to even come close is have higher res textures from mods and even then you're pushing it. I don't even wanna mention how terrible the character models in that game are. That is a terrible comparison.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

[[Ayumi]]

I'm sorry but Oblivion looks nowhere near as good pso2, the only thing it could possibly do to even come close is have higher res textures from mods and even then you're pushing it. I don't even wanna mention how terrible the character models in that game are. That is a terrible comparison.

It was actually just a short example. Everything in Oblivion can be modded, including models. In PSO2 nothing can be modded without running into violation from term of use (and risk of ban).

In term someone looking for war, i guess PSO2 would have short pace standing against anything im able to offer. But its just to much OT, really. Just made a short example of a old game i had in mind it looks better (because the stuff some people posted looked so terrible).

Well other than the terms of service and the risk of ban, I've seen other online games having their things modded on the player side and never heard of people getting banned by it, only thing you would have to worry about is maybe showing it off and maybe the company finds out and ban you of course.

While I'm not a fan of The Elder Scrolls games, one image I recall while playing Oblivion many years ago were the facial movments when you talked to someone.... some of those expressions still haunt me... don't recall anything haunting me from PSO2 as of yet.