I'd go for stylized graphics all day. Realistic graphics may be good and all that but it's expensive to do and that means developers are less likely to take risks, and that in the end means more WoW-like game and less creativeness. Of course it depends on the game, but I could see most games with stylized graphics although with different themed ones of course. And I'd rather have clean and nice stylized graphics than pixelated realistic graphics: I'd rather see WAR had WoWs graphic than the other way round. Additionally the major part of the game is the gameplay which is what the focus should be on, not making realistic graphics; I could play a game with bad graphics and good gameplay, but not one with good graphics and bad gameplay.

Heres my problem with realistic (Aka. WAX people) graphics.

These games Age rather quickly.

After six months of EQ2 the character models are ugly mean while I can enjoy WoWs stylized graphics for years.

Look at Vanguard and Lotro sure the world looks nice but the character models are terrible.

Even AoC with its Wax people models look like hell.

I prefer sylized graphics like Wow, WAR, Ryzom and TCoS.

Right now we have four choices to choose from.

Wax, Stylized, 2d and Anime

Only one has longevity imo.

Edit: I am only talking about graphics here not gameplay, features or mmo genre.

Realistic all the way! AoC for example has amazing graphics that I can really get into and feel emersed in the game. I could never feel that way in WoW or any other MMO with cartoony graphics. I realize not all people feel this way, just my opinion.

Originally posted by Z3R01

Heres my problem with realistic (Aka. WAX people) graphics.

These games Age rather quickly.

After six months of EQ2 the character models are ugly mean while I can enjoy WoWs stylized graphics for years.

Edit: I am only talking about graphics here not gameplay, features or mmo genre.

I completely disagree; I found - and still find - WoW's graphics to look too simplistic for me, but EQ2 and Vanguard were built with future in mind.  When I first bought the game, I could barely turn on most of the eye candy.  But after an upgrade or two, the game continues to look better.  WoW, on the other hand, continues to look the same to me.

Realistic hands-down.  Everquest, Dark Age of Camelot, Age of Conan, Lord of the Rings Online...All of these had very nice graphics when they came out, especially Age of Conan.  Lord of the Rings Online with DX10 is simply brillant.  Hopefully Age of Conan's DX10 will hit the live servers soon too.

I never did like cartoony graphics, like WoW.  It's hard to roleplay when you look totally fake.

Originally posted by Gammit100

Originally posted by Z3R01

Heres my problem with realistic (Aka. WAX people) graphics.

These games Age rather quickly.

After six months of EQ2 the character models are ugly mean while I can enjoy WoWs stylized graphics for years.

Edit: I am only talking about graphics here not gameplay, features or mmo genre.

 

I completely disagree; I found - and still find - WoW's graphics to look too simplistic for me, but EQ2 and Vanguard were built with future in mind.  When I first bought the game, I could barely turn on most of the eye candy.  But after an upgrade or two, the game continues to look better.  WoW, on the other hand, continues to look the same to me.

These topics are silly really, how am I suppost to argue a subjective topic lol.

But in good fun i will try.

I personally don't play WoW but I do visit my old characters using ressurection scrolls every 3+ months.

Every time I log in Blizzard has bumped textures, improved world detail and increased shadows.

The game looks really good, sure I have my problems with WoW but graphics are not one of them since they work perfectly within the game.

EQ2,Lotro, AoC and Vaguard Do look dated imo. Sure these games require better systems to run but does that really mean they are built for the future? or just not talented enough to get sweet graphics on old hardware?

Why do you think long time WoW players try those games and instantly uninstall? do you really think the game is too hard for them? its the graphics!!! EQ2 looks like a much older game then WoW and so does Vanguard.

I promise you WoW will still be around ten years from now and noone will complain about their graphics at that time EQ and Vanguard will probably need sequals because those games will look terribly dated.

Lets look at consoles for a second, remember old Ps1 games like MGS and Siphon Filter? those games aged terribly while people can still play games like FF tactics, Castlevania :SotN and the Rachet and Clank series.

Stylized graphics have staying power. Cartoons never get old.

Speaking of cartoons remember all those Cyber 3d shows like Beastwars and REboot right now they look like ass, but people still watch cartoons like loneytoons.

Stylized graphics just don't age as fast if i was wrong people would still be playing EQ, AO and AC1.

As long as it fits the game,  ROSE online, to me that was cartoon, worked well for the game.  Perfect World, to me that is realistic and that worked great for that game.   I think to me that is has to do with game and as long as it fits.

forgot to add.  I do prefer realistic.

Originally posted by Kyleran

Games have graphics types?  I come from the days of CGA 4 color graphics, and to me all of todays graphics are nothing short of amazing, so I'm satisfied with all of them.

I focus on gameplay vs graphics, and thats the determining factor in my game. I play EVE now, and spend most of my time flying through black space with so many windows open on my screen its more like being in a submarine.

 

Lol, ok yeah I too recall days of the Commodore 64. Now when I think of games, say like Ultima V & VI, somewhere 1985 (?), I have felt for these two games considerably more than ANYTHING today. Now the big question I am still unsure about is: did I change, and it was youthful enthusiasm or did the games loose their magic? Or, as one of my friends said, have the graphics become TOO detailled and with less there was more of it in our head?

I cant say. I know I recall the beginning and end of Ultima V in every detail and still feel warm in my tummy over it, while many games, even great ones of the last years, dont evoke such things.

I wonder why.

I don't like cartoony games.

Each art style has it's place depending on your game concept and target audience.

It is like trying to compare chalk and cheese.

It depends on the game.Only game i have ever disagree on the character models is War i think they did diservice to the fan base making look way it did.War is suppose to be this brutal world and it doesn't reflect that.One look at warhammer opening demo and you know they went the wrong way.

Originally posted by Mrbloodworth

To many people confuse "Cartoony" with stylized.

Every game is stylized, so the word is rather useless.

The two words are not synonymous, but cartoons are an extreme of stylization, so I completely understand the use of 'cartoony'. I hate using it, myself, but in the absence of anything better, I do.

Pixar's movies are stylized. Live-action movies with even the subtlest of filters thrown on are stylized. Miyazaki's anime is stylized.

So are televized cartoons, stick figures, and my niece's scribbles.

Why is it always one or the other around here?  Can you people only play one game at a time?

I like a variety of games with a variety of looks.

That being said some games that I really likes the looks of are: CoH/CoV, WoW, AoC, TF2, Mass Effect, Jade Empire.  I'm sure there's more but I just work up.

Originally posted by GreenChaos

 

Why is it always one or the other around here?  Can you people only play one game at a time?

 

I like a variety of games with a variety of looks.

That being said some games that I really likes the looks of are: CoH/CoV, WoW, AoC, TF2, Mass Effect, Jade Empire.  I'm sure there's more but I just work up.

 

 Yeah really ... I want all my games to looks the same and play the same.

Originally posted by Saerain

Originally posted by Mrbloodworth

To many people confuse "Cartoony" with stylized.

 

Every game is stylized, so the word is rather useless.

.....

Not true, it's the term developers use.   And they wouldn't say every game is stylized, there are games (and many of them) that attempt to be realistic.

I prefer the realistic, yet fantasy look, rather like that of Guild Wars, or Atlantica, etc.

I detest the look of those 2D characters running around an isometric world...just the sight of such things makes my flesh crawl, lol.

It depends, I like both styles, but lots of times, the art team still makes the game look really bad. I can't stand WoW's graphics, the painted-on armor textures, lack of robe/dress physics, blocky character models, and numerous other graphical flaws bother me.

Whats considered cartoony exactly? TF2? I love the way that game looks. Plus Battlefield heroes looks really nice too. But on the same side stuff like flyff looks like shite. Shouldnt you be judging the games by their art style,and not whether theyre "cartoony" or not? Would you say Roma Victor or Vanguard look good,even though both are realistic?