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Jumpgate Evolution - Graphics
This week, in the second part of a continuing developer journal series, Jumpgate Evolution Lead Producer Hermann Peterscheck gives us an earful on the graphics of the game.
We sometimes hear people talk about how graphics don’t matter. I have often been confused by this statement. What does it really mean? Taken at face value would mean that a game is merely a series of rules and the visual representation of those rules is irrelevant. What it really means though, I think, is that making a game look attractive is an extra that does not substantially contribute to the game. I may be a bit biased, but I really don’t think that this is true. Even thinking about an ancient game, such as chess; the graphics in chess are the quality and material of the board and pieces. It is also the theme that the chess pieces have. There is a reason that there are thousands of different themed, sizes, colors and materials used in chess boards and the reason is that graphics contribute to the experience of the game.
;)
Our position is that graphics do in fact play a major role in games, and they serve a specific role. The primary function of graphics is to immerse the player in your world and to provide meaningful information. The better the graphics accomplish these goals, the better experience a player will have. If we take two different kinds of games as examples: Crysis and World of Warcraft. Both of these (arguably) have good graphics, but they are vastly different. In one case the graphics are hyper realistic, high resolution, complex shaders and so on. In the other case the graphics are more cartoonish (or stylized as people like to say), far lower poly and texture resolution. The reasons for these decisions are complex, but in general Crysis is pushing the envelope of technology and Evolution, immersing the player in a world with qualities they have never seen before. The games that did this in the past, such as Quake and Unreal are no longer visually impressive in this same way. So as developers, we need to keep pace with the times, and technologies that allow us to push the envelope. In the case of World of Warcraft the number one goal is to keep accessibility high; the game has to run on as many machines as possible. This does not mean the game can look bad, thus Blizzard’s strategy has been to use lower tech techniques to create the same visually compelling feeling. Big objects with bright colors and high contrast and saturation tend to help with this effect. This is, of course, an oversimplification, but it is important when discussing our approach to graphics in Jumpgate Evolution.
;)
The goal for us, simply stated, is to create the visually compelling and immersive world while simultaneously making it accessible on as many hardware configurations as possible. This is much more in line with the World of Warcraft approach than that used in Crysis or Unreal 3. From the start we wanted a world that was inviting and impressive. Most space games tend to be very dark and empty, which makes sense because space is, in fact, a very dark and expansive place. We, on the other hand, are much more concerned with developing a space game that is more aligned with the way people wish it looked. If you watch PBS specials about space they tend to show colorful spiraling nebulas, huge gas clouds and bright swirling galaxies. Most of these images are touched up visual representations of much less compelling images. It is these touched up representations that we are more interested in reproducing for Evolution.
Our first focus was graphics programming. We felt the most important thing is to have some great concept art to work from. We spent a lot of time iterating on all sorts of concepts of space, space stations, ships and just about everything else. This was a very rewarding albeit frustrating experience. Once we had something compelling, we began the process of creating a graphics engine that would accomplish the concept vision. This was complicated by the fact that we were dedicated to a reasonably low end system. While at first these goals seem to be in conflict we discovered many ways to cheat – create a graphic quality higher than what the technology is expected to handle. As a few examples we used high resolution textures for the skybox, since this dominates much of the scene. For our ships we take advantage mixing high specular values and environment mapping to make them both stand out and blend in at the same time. Particles get a similar treatment. Instead of using massive numbers of alpha blended particles, we try to use a few particles with more saturated values. This is a simplification of the entire process but we have strictly enforced our minimum spec while refusing to degrade visual quality. And the results are far better than what we had ever expected.
;)
Another thing we felt was important was creating two render paths: one for fixed function video cards and one for pixel shader supported hardware. Shaders can then be scaled based on specific video card features. When doing this, however, we always target the minimum spec and add features for the higher end systems and not the other way around. It is much more difficult to scale down to older cards if you write for the high end than the other way around. As a side advantage we ended up fighting a lot less graphics related issues because most of the techniques we are using are well established and universally supported. We save the complex graphics problems for visual features that are not critical for game play so if there are hardware related issues they do not affect the ongoing production of the game. This is something that turned out to be a really nice win for us.
We believe that the graphics in Evolution are very strong. People tend to react very favorably to what we have achieved and that is, after all, one of our primary goals. Simply put, graphics can not look dated, and that is a very important consideration for the longevity and success of any mainstream MMO. We believe that the approach we have taken will bring high quality visuals to massive numbers of players without expecting them to spend thousands of dollars on new hardware. As we move forward with the product we will continuously look to find ways to improve the visuals and I have no doubts that post ship we will do several more iterations to ensure that the graphics quality remains high and the overall game experience is as exciting and entertaining as it can possibly be.
It's like when you ask someone what they are looking for in a mate and they say, "Looks don't matter as long as they treat me good." Then you show them a really nice toad and they are like, he's not my type.
The fact is there is a certain line regarding appearances that the majority of people will not cross. People who say they would play an mmo today with atari 2600 quality graphics are either being disingenuous or are a very small sliver of the gaming population. People vote with their dollars, and the most popular mmo's you will notice have great graphics: WOW (stylized), EQ2, LOTRO, Eve Online, Guild Wars, etc.
I'll agree with Terranah on this one, graphics are what people want. Good eye candy is always a welcome addition to good game play. But remember, good graphics are not the only thing that makes a great game. There are many examples of games with great graphics that just plain suck.
I too, prefer the ooooh,ahhhh effect .especially since building a quality game rigg just for graphics and speed.Theres nothing like playing your favorites with everything maxed to the hilt.that being said,the second thing I look for is function, third freedom in the world such as just how much could I do if i were really there.and then of course fourth, just what am i doing here.
For me this makes a game worth my time and money as for fun mix in a little first person shooter and an occasional adrenaline rush and walla! the perfect game.lol
disclaimer;
(Just an opinon nothing said is ment to hurt or inflame)
Yes, but allot of that is in the art direction, not Bleeding edge hardware.
Huge difference there.
When people are talking about WoW's "Graphics" they are really talking about its art direction and style.
Most people can't separate the two.
The jumpgate guys are on the right track. You don’t need whiz-bang graphics when you have top notch art direction, and use what graphics you do have effectively.
I think the game looks great.
I would like to see what the Jumpgate Developers consider low end hardware, though.
I hope that "reasonably low end system" means something like a GeForce6600 because that will be pretty damn low end / old by the time this game comes out. Also, if people didn't care about graphics, then Dungeon Runners would be a lot more popular than it is... Personally, I can tell you that a couple buddies and I who have been around since the UO days are a bit tired of the fantasy MMO. The Sci-Fi and anything without elves would really appeal to us olderish crowd (~30, older for the gaming generation), haha.
Wow has showed that as long you make it artistic or very nice stylish great gfx is not needed, i just hope jumpgate people balance it nicely, as blizzard did with wow.
i want a game to look nice and alive it doesn't mean it has to be top notch, wow did it pretty well you can play that mmorpg on low end comps and still feel the artistic looks and the world still seems alive, while the games who build around you having it on medium high the least, will feel dry and tasteless if you pull it below medium.
I'm really hoping for the jumpgate fellahs to do it right i want another space mmo become a succes :)
We are shooting for a GForce 2 64MB card with 512MB RAM right now. Nothing is official yet, but that is the min spec machine we are testing the game on now. We really want this to run on everything.
From everything I have seen the game looks quite fantastic.
lot of you made some very good valid points to the long standing arguement of graphics over gameplay. but i think anyone who is genuine and realistic with their needs and wants will state they like both. me Im all for good gameplay, i think it is what drives the game. but I also love good graphics, the oohs and ahhhs that follow when i log into a world and see things I never expected, or just blow me away visually, even sound has become a new driving force in selling a game, musical scores, combat music, sound effects that are both realistic, and stylized.
WoW for one has proven you can have a low end hardware pc, and still look good, cause its not the graphics hardware its pushing its the stylization, and art direction, use of color, light, saturation effects that sells this game, i think WOW has a strong visual style that defines what it is. and yes, art direction not to so much pushign hardware will make a game beautiful, u can use all the whizbang effects in direct x 9.0c, if it has no artistic style, no creative spectrum to it, it doesnt really matter how much specular mapping, normalmapping, this mapping and that mapping you enabled. it takes a keen sense of design, and visual creativity to bring a world to life. but I wont lie that alot of us like to have our cake and eat it too :P. i know i do. cant have gameplay without some nice graphics, as well as immersive sound and music, i think it has become a standard.
"We sometimes hear people talk about how graphics don’t matter. I have often been confused by this statement. What does it really mean? Taken at face value would mean that a game is merely a series of rules and the visual representation of those rules is irrelevant. What it really means though, I think, is that making a game look attractive is an extra that does not substantially contribute to the game. I may be a bit biased, but I really don’t think that this is true. Even thinking about an ancient game, such as chess; the graphics in chess are the quality and material of the board and pieces. It is also the theme that the chess pieces have. There is a reason that there are thousands of different themed, sizes, colors and materials used in chess boards and the reason is that graphics contribute to the experience of the game."
While I am looking forward to this title, this statement just isnt true.
If there was just one style of chess set ever made it would still be an enduring game imo. The core attraction of chess is not the pretty pieces, it is the challange of the gameplay, so to claim that redesigning the play peices has contributed to it's continued popularity is a little silly to me.
The fact is people have redesigned the chess board and pieces for one of two reasons. The first is for the sheer joy of the art involved in doing so, and the second is to resell the same old game to those that are impressed by superficial spectacle. The game itself has never changed.
While I may be convinced that the team behind JG:E are in it soley for the art, I have the suspicion that they are more in it for the latter... Especially considering this is a tart up job on an old game.
I believe over emphasis on graphics is what is wrong with current generation games. Kid you not, i'd play a game made of wireframe or polygons if it had excellent gameplay (infact i do). I guess the game came first, because good graphics were almost non existent back then.
Kudos to jumpgate. This was a prime example of simple elegant graphics, and prioritizing the game first. I preferred it to the sexy eve-online and played it for ages. Why? I didnt really want to gaze at lovely vibrant nebula and ship textures. I wanted the game; the competition and sport. It was built on a solid foundation of fun, strategic and skillful play.
Some of the fierce fights I had in jumpgate gave me more white knuckle thrill in 5 minutes than 12 months of "pvp" in eve. Can anybody say "click"? Sometimes I think eve was built graphics first, then slapped together some awkward RPG combat system afterwards. No offense eve goers. I loved the game all the same and enjoyed all the vast experiences it had to offer. But combat always left me feeling dull.
The new graphics will hopefully attract a new generation of pilots to the game. All it needs is a boost in popularity. I've always felt its a great game but unfortunately too empty, and this turns people off (its a vicious circle - people dont stay because its lonely, and its lonely because people dont stay). I felt that once it becomes more populated it has the infrastructure for some wicked battles and vivid roleplay. Hopefully there'll be some classic battles that will attract some of us old geezers out of retirement. Heck I might even dust off the old joystick (remember those?) :)
grahpics don't mean a hill of beans after the first week of play on any game
what makes a game great is gameplay and storyline
the "ooh, ahh" factor wears off within the first few hours
what keeps people playing is "fun factor"
not graphics.
I'm starting to rethink my stance on graphics. While it's certainly important to be visually appealing being cutting edge should be reserved to a select few titles that are pushing gameplay as well.
Translation: focus on you're mechanics and gameplay first then graphics.
Sure graphics are important to many of us dedicated MMO players but unlike platform titles it's simply not as important. One need only take WOW's huge success as a counter to the graphic argument. While it's gameplay is excellent the graphics were mediocre even in 2004. Above all else a title must be fun and engaging.
My fingers are crossed that 2008's games will have cutting edge gameplay and AI that finally matches those graphics.
in a mmorpg the game graphics are not irrelevant because:
- a mmorpg is a virtual simulated parell world
- realistic looking environment is the base for a good simulation
- a modern graphic-engine giving a game depth and authenticity (sure there are other indicators, like the soundssytem, etc.)
- depth and authenticity is the key to bound players for a longer time to a game & let em have more fun
i playing mmorpgs since the original star wars glaxies. if a game haveing for example a great questing/mission system and a nice backgroundstory (lore etc.), but the player-characters looking like crap, i dont want install it. for me its a 50/50 thing. the times of UO and DAOC are (fortunately) long ago over, this players should wake up and they should join the technological advance.
I bet people going to forget about this game right after it gets realised. Only details can give a game more depth, graphics dont have mush to do with it,
Graphics are important. And upgrading graphics once in a while is very important in mmo. But they should not make the graphics so demanding that the FPS combat gets affected.
First hour of gameplay is the most important aspect of capturing the audience and getting them to play more. Some may quit because of graphics, some because of gameplay and some may quit because they werent able to understand how to play.. The worst is when you arent able to install the game because of bugs and just give up there.. All these count, plus the most important, advertising. This is what will decide if the game will be success or not.
MMmmmm, no. Graphics are the main part of the game. Think about it... the first thing you notice in a game is its graphics, doesn't matter if they are awesome or crap. You won't start playing it if you don't like the graphics, its the first thing you see and think about when watching movies, screenshots or whatever you watch before you start actually the game. So if the graphics sucks you'll say "WTF?! this is so 90's" and you will never ever think about this ugly and outdated game. But if you like them then the other parts come, engine, gameplay, effects, community etc. So please in future don't say that graphics don't have much to do with a game, they are almost everything about it. Will you play a game with crap graphics just because of the detailed world or nice gameplay? I think no...
Graphics are the hook, Story/gameplay is the reel, sure people will buy a game that looks good, but then they stop playing when they realise the story is bad.
quoted from their forum, yea, i know i threw out a machine with those specs just last week
but seriously an engaging game play is what keeps people, pretty graphics mit get you to take a look, but if u want players still paying their monthly sub, in 6 months pretty graphics aint the route to success.
man i loaded up an ancient game called star control 2 from source forge, cuz im lacking something interesting to play,. the grapgics suck by todays standard, but ... well the campaign and story had me hooked then and still, now ive forgotten it all, amuses me .
as the game will all about twitch and manual combat, the last thing they need is laggyness from any source, graphics or netweork. going for basicv graphics will leave game open to competitive play form all comers. If the game world has truly evolved form the last incarnation of jumpgrate im really looking forward to the release, although all i ever did was get blown away by skilled pvp pilots, i did handle the bots the game threw at me quite well.