Bethesda: If you say graphics don't matter, you're probably

[Lyric Suite]

What can i say, i'm a fucking graphic whore, but this screen shot is just...

 

[Burning Bridges]

Yes, nice shot. But how is the game?

I still very much like the style of ToEE. Everything hand painted and crisp. Here is a screenshot I made in 1280x720 widescreen.

 

[Volrath]

Yeah, how is that robin hood game? Looks like a desperados/commandos clone, is it any good?

 

[Data4]

Sadly, it just seems that the definition of "good graphics" is simply an attempt at realism that at best looks like an environmental version of the uncanny valley, and at worst, like out-of-the-box Oblivion. Give me well done stylized graphics any day. I don't play games-- particularly RPGs-- to see how the normal mapping makes the courses of stones in that wall really pop. I play them to get engaged in another world and be, dare I say it, immersed in something that I can't just pop open a window and see.

 

[spectre]

Yeah, how is that robin hood game? Looks like a desperados/commandos clone, is it any good?

Yep, same shtick. IIRC, the gameplay was closer to desperados than to commandos. Didn't play it for long, it actually feels more forgiving than the good ole commandos - you can get away with alerting and fighting guards regularly. It also seems to have a limited number of unique maps.

 

[piydek]

The Codex - Never retreat, never surrender.


I agree with everything he said. He never said graphics were the only factor in creating immersion, just an integral part. (Certainly true when you have shit writers.) I still agree with him.

And that it was a valuable marketing tool. Yep again.

and

He's right. As much as we hate to admit it, we all love good graphics and there's nothing wrong with that - as long as we don't put graphics over gameplay.

What truly matters is not his statement itself. Yes, the very statement itself is true. But what matters much more is the spirit in which he's saying it. It's not a mere off-hand remark, it's a design philosophy. He's basically saying: you have to make awshum graphics, lie about game's graphics up until one week prior to release and show only pre-rendered animations and carefully created/positioned screenshots, make it appear so-and-so, so that brainless tools you're aiming the game at think "whoah, coool!" and that's it - you've sold the game. Which is, of course, the whole story from his point of view.

 

[JarlFrank]

Yeah, how is that robin hood game? Looks like a desperados/commandos clone, is it any good?

Yep, same shtick. IIRC, the gameplay was closer to desperados than to commandos. Didn't play it for long, it actually feels more forgiving than the good ole commandos - you can get away with alerting and fighting guards regularly. It also seems to have a limited number of unique maps.

It's pretty good, I'd say. It's mostly like Desperados in the middle ages, combat is often a valid path (but killing people gives you negative reputation which leads to less henchmen joining you, which I never cared about though since I always used main characters) but it's quite fun combat.

I wish Spellbound wound continue making games like this instead of raping Gothic.

 

[poocolator]

Wow, this is just... too cool for words.

 

[Topher]

I'm actually playing through Robin Hood right now, well I sort of put it down for a few days but whatever. Anyway, it's a pretty solid title but I'll warn you that it seems to run slowish on newer systems for some reason or at least it does for me, it's not unplayable but it can get on your nerves after a while. I haven't spent much time trying to track down the source of my slowdown but... well now... one quick google search later and it looks like there is actually a patch floating around out that's supposed to address the slow down issues on newer win98+ systems. I'll need to try that out because like I said it's a pretty fun game with some neat features and I'm actually kinda eager to get back to it.