The good people over at Star Wars Galaxies have posted their weekly wednesday beta update for us. Instead of going all the way over to their main site, just check out the post here!
Tonight the beta testers are going to see our latest (and hopefully last) revision to the look of the interface. We made a lot of changes to it based on their feedback and that of our internal testing department. We’ll test this out for a few weeks and if we determine that it is likely the one we stick with, I’ll make sure you get some screenshot with the HUD turned on.
As I mentioned before, the Beta Testers were finally allowed off Tatooine and spent a good deal of Saturday exploring the planet of Naboo. After they got all the sand out of their boots and ran around for a bit, this is what they had to say: (I’ll warn you up front this is giddy first impressions from a bunch of people who were marooned on a desert planet for months )
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Well color me impressed. For the first time ever, I can actually say that taking a hike is a viable gameplay option. Seriously, kudos to the designers for making the flora and fauna of Naboo interesting in it's own right without the need to add "content" to bribe me into taking a walk. As someone who loves hiking and nature, I can honestly say I look forward to setting out with a group just to see what lies off the beaten path. It looks that good. The sounds, the vistas, everything. Oh man. I can't say enough good things about what we witnessed today. Thumbs up, way up! Being an explorer now takes on a whole new meaning. Really, I can see non-dev created hobbies forming such as orienteering and cataloging. I'm smiling from ear to ear.
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I agree. Its stunning.
But frankly, i had the same feelings when hiking through Tatooine in beta 1
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I couldn't agree more. I love how people complain about walking comparing it to UO, EQ or DOAC. They totally miss how you have WORLDS here to explore and that in most cases they will be different and even opposite. Like naboo and Tatooine. I think that naboo looks incredilbe and I cannot wait to visit other worlds.
Anyone think the grass sounded wrong? Like you were walking on dead leaves and not grass?
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We’re looking into the footfall sounds.
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Yes, I truly enjoyed walking around Naboo, beautiful to say the least.
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The mountains of Naboo are a truly impressive achievement, and really show the strength of the engine. This is the first time in one of these games that I could look as far up a mountain and not see the top.. I cant say enough about how unique and impressive it is to see terrain gain that sort of altitude as you look up.. no game in my experience has ever conveyed that feeling of being at the bottom of something very very tall..
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I agree, some of the views and vistas that I came across, while running around, were quite impressive. And just think, as the devs said, Naboo is one of the older planets. The ones done more recently, should look even better.
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Agreed! The mountains were great. But falling SHOULD cause damage.
The ground cover was good too. Too many games have added brush only to have it end up as 2 D cut outs than don't FEEL like you are in the brush. Naboos brush is good!.
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I'm blown away by Naboo. It's simply amazing. The contrast between Tatooine and Naboo is so significant you really get the feeling of being on another planet, not just another "zone."
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I was very impressed. I don't know what tools they're using for their terrain gen, but they must be good. Very pretty.
Unfortunately, I guess buildings were off when I tested, or I just never happened upon anything city-like. I just wandered about in the woods a bunch.
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The world looks wonderful. Found an ocean and must have run around one coast line for about half a hour and never came to the end. The mountain terrain is very well done. Wouldn't mind seeing some snow up near the taller peaks. The music cues were very well done. They made me take a sec and look around and see where I was.
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Flora was excellent...
Water needs work, but you guys already said you are handling it...
I got a couple of music cues that I thought were cool, but I couldn't tell what real purpose alot of them served.
Landscape was great, great swamps and mountains, lots of variety
Ok, skies! BIG PROBLEM that happens in first person view when running directly at the sun: THE SUN FLICKERS. But it doesn't do it while stnading or when in third person view.
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We’re working on those issues.
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The flora was very nice. Seemed a bit much in areas along the beaches. Could be a biased opinion due to having just a GForce2. The flowers were the icing on the cake.
The terrain was what I enjoyed the most. Nicely varied. I picked south and simply ran in a straight line for the most part. Beaches, rolling hills (my fave), mountains, swamps, tundras, plateaus, lakes, rivers. Outstanding.
Ambience and music cues, what can I say, wow. Although I wasnt crazy about the monkey hoots in the background. Ive heard that sound sample in a lot of programs. Reminded me of Turok mostly. I thought this was supposed to be an alien planet?
Overall Im dazzled
Naboo was incredible. Its beauitfully done. From the buildings i did see, it fit the world beauitfully. I loved the lakes. It really captured the look and feel of Naboo. From the grasslands to the swamps.
Nicely done.
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It was gorgeous. I explored quite a bit and found it amazing. Each area had a different feel and the effects of the mist/fog were my fave!
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I had the impression that Naboo is almost a "paradise" planet. It is that gorgeous landscape of meadows covered in wildflowers, and sandy beaches meeting crystalline waters. I was in awe.
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The only real complaint I have is that the grass looks too fake when view up close. Each grass chuck is only two dimensional and looking at it from the side and only seeing a line hurts the realism for me. But other then that all the flora was great.
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Complaints were few and far between, but I thought I would share one of them with you so I wouldn’t be accused of only choosing positive comments.
-Kevin O'Hara
Community Relations Manager
