I think part of what bugs me in some of the screens is it seems like there's a bad habit of releasing outdoor images taken at "noon", which doesn't show off much of the neat new shadows I know are there. (The two shots below thankfully don't suffer from that so much.)
Though another part of me is actually glad, because it's going to be so much more fun going through and discovering the awesome sights on my own, rather than having a screenshot "spoil" it for me.
Here's a couple other screens I found earlier but forgot weren't in that link I posted before:
This engine doesn't look like a huge improvement over the other one.. Sometimes it looks incredible but other times it looks awful and fullbright-esque!
I got to agree. As much as I want to play Skyrim, I have to admit that some of these screenshots looks just bad.
But it looks like lighting is the main suspect here; I can see the shadows in all indoor shots, but it looks like their keylights are just so strong that they wash everything them out. I guess I can't blame them, after all they have hundreds of indoor areas.
But...that's something that can be modded :poly142:
This COULD be a cool screenshot. But I can hardly see any shadows, barely any SSAO, a blatantly obvious seam on the carpet next to the left of the character, and all the lighting just seems incredibly flat and boring. I'm hoping that this is a screenshot taken on a lower-spec computer, with the visuals toned down. The lighting is SO flat, that the normal maps are barely discernible on the environment props and walls/floors. The lighting could have been baked into the diffuse and it probably wouldn't look any different.
Yeah art is awesome but lighting is pretty much non-existent on this particular screen. Almost like 3d app viewport screengrab with default light hovering near camera.
Other screens look cool, but it seems to me they are not tone-mapping. Lots of blown-out and clipped colors.
I'm kind of surprised they don't do any model swapping for the first person view either to get higher res weapons and 'arms'...Maybe that's because they wanted you to scroll seamlessly from 3rd to 1st person views, or ... maybe that means there's actually so many types of arms and armor that it wasn't feasible to model high res LODs. Of course, given Bethesda's track record on armor variety I'm not expecting much...
One of the screenshots id released for Rage -- while explicitly talking up how awesome the animation system was and how characters interacted in the world -- had a characters foot going straight into the floor.
I was going to make a point with that but, actually, it's just a funny observation. Too many possible reasons to jump to conclusions.
With Bethesda though, things are a little different. Bethesda has never been strong on the art side... or the tecnical side, or even the design side. Bethesda's strength is in one thing and one thing only: "Look how big and ambitious everything is!"
I mean seriously, what's the big selling point about Skyrim? It's got BIG DRAGONS! UNLIMITED BIG DRAGONS!
And Oblivion/Fallout 3's selling point was that they had BIG WORLDS!
So what happens is the art is mostly shoddily made, sometimes getting the job done and sometimes not. The gameplay systems are horrendously broken, sometimes being passable when taken as a whole and sometimes not. The writing is shite, sometimes being mediocre enough to not ruin things and sometimes not.
But you walk out into the BIG world and see the BIG dragon and holy shit this game is BIG!
Bethesda is the Hollywood of gaming.
Skyrim = Transformers
One of the screenshots id released for Rage -- while explicitly talking up how awesome the animation system was and how characters interacted in the world -- had a characters foot going straight into the floor.
I was going to make a point with that but, actually, it's just a funny observation. Too many possible reasons to jump to conclusions.
With Bethesda though, things are a little different. Bethesda has never been strong on the art side... or the tecnical side, or even the design side. Bethesda's strength is in one thing and one thing only: "Look how big and ambitious everything is!"
I mean seriously, what's the big selling point about Skyrim? It's got BIG DRAGONS! UNLIMITED BIG DRAGONS!
And Oblivion/Fallout 3's selling point was that they had BIG WORLDS!
So what happens is the art is mostly shoddily made, sometimes getting the job done and sometimes not. The gameplay systems are horrendously broken, sometimes being passable when taken as a whole and sometimes not. The writing is shite, sometimes being mediocre enough to not ruin things and sometimes not.
But you walk out into the BIG world and see the BIG dragon and holy shit this game is BIG!
Bethesda is the Hollywood of gaming.
Skyrim = Transformers
(it would be great if I were wrong!)
I strongly disagree. Bethesda's games have been the most immersive games I've ever played. Morrowind, was incredible, Oblivion was a great game as well, though not quite as immersive as Morrowind was. But at the time, Oblivion was jaw-droppingly beautiful. While the animations sucked, the art side of things was pretty freakin' sweet. Bethesda has a knack for lore as well.
It is pretty obvious that wide, open-world games are much more difficult to debug and fix technical issues. On the art side, it also requires ALOT more work. You can't spend as much time on an asset in such games, as you can on small corridor shooters.
The big selling point for skyrim? Badass vikings, exploring mountain ranges, yeti's, awesome magic abilities and obviously, you get to kill dragons and steal their mojo.
One of the screenshots id released for Rage -- while explicitly talking up how awesome the animation system was and how characters interacted in the world -- had a characters foot going straight into the floor.
I was going to make a point with that but, actually, it's just a funny observation. Too many possible reasons to jump to conclusions.
With Bethesda though, things are a little different. Bethesda has never been strong on the art side... or the tecnical side, or even the design side. Bethesda's strength is in one thing and one thing only: "Look how big and ambitious everything is!"
I mean seriously, what's the big selling point about Skyrim? It's got BIG DRAGONS! UNLIMITED BIG DRAGONS!
And Oblivion/Fallout 3's selling point was that they had BIG WORLDS!
So what happens is the art is mostly shoddily made, sometimes getting the job done and sometimes not. The gameplay systems are horrendously broken, sometimes being passable when taken as a whole and sometimes not. The writing is shite, sometimes being mediocre enough to not ruin things and sometimes not.
But you walk out into the BIG world and see the BIG dragon and holy shit this game is BIG!
Bethesda is the Hollywood of gaming.
Skyrim = Transformers
Neat to finally see the full length of that video. It seems like it's just the "full" version that people got to see behind closed doors at E3.
It was a good watch though, I finally learned what all the skills are, got to see some more of the neat menu, and got to see all those nice shadows!
I think most of the screenshots are coming from the 360 version, that seems to be their platform of choice for promotional stuff. Which is good, because as was said in the video...what was it, "The PC version will be even way better."
Someone should tell them, and any developers aside from a very few like Crytek, the ability to have AA and AF on to a slightly higher degree, and marginally crisper shadow edges, hardly qualifies as 'better'.
Ah, thank you! I was so stressed in doing artwork and didn't feel like playing a game which would suck my time, so I'll debate you instead, should be quick and painless, just like circumcision...at least, that what my parents told me after we got a Yacht.
One of the screenshots id released for Rage -- while explicitly talking up how awesome the animation system was and how characters interacted in the world -- had a characters foot going straight into the floor.
Well, per pixel collision for skinned models is kinda expensive, wouldn't you say? Call me old fashioned, but I like my games to be able to run and not drop dead when I drop dead (get it?)
I was going to make a point with that but, actually, it's just a funny observation. Too many possible reasons to jump to conclusions.
Yes, conclusions...not having the full information to come to conclusions is always a pain, isn't it? I mean it's not like we work in the game industry, have free game engine with plethora of forums to snip in and learn about such things.
I mean Lord, just think about it! If only we could somehow learn all this! For FREE! But surely, it's a jest.
With Bethesda though, things are a little different. Bethesda has never been strong on the art side... or the tecnical side, or even the design side. Bethesda's strength is in one thing and one thing only: "Look how big and ambitious everything is!
You mean Morrowind, right? Last I checked, in Oblivion, they were touting how great the AI in the game was before they had to scale it back because NPC's would kill each other if one so much had an item which didn't belong to them.
I mean seriously, what's the big selling point about Skyrim? It's got BIG DRAGONS! UNLIMITED BIG DRAGONS!
It's been a while, but I recall the guy saying the big dragons were limited in numbers (at least the big ones with the spells), the big selling point was that nothing was scripted in the game this time (apart from the necessary questing and choke-points naturally) and everything is an organic event part of an organic world.
And Oblivion/Fallout 3's selling point was that they had BIG WORLDS!
Not really, that's what the players thought the selling point was, the real selling point was more flexibility then Oblivion and guns in the Post-Apo.
Also, furry mods, YIFF YIFF!
So what happens is the art is mostly shoddily made, sometimes getting the job done and sometimes not. The gameplay systems are horrendously broken, sometimes being passable when taken as a whole and sometimes not. The writing is shite, sometimes being mediocre enough to not ruin things and sometimes not.
Mass Effect is Star-Trek with sex, LA-Noire is GTA without shooting whores, WoW was not better then other MMO's at launch and all games are about getting laid and killing a deity like entity, yeah yeah, we've all been there before.
If you want something polished to a spit-mirror shine, may I suggest opening a shop for Silverware? Although you should be careful if there are dragon around.
But you walk out into the BIG world and see the BIG dragon and holy shit this game is BIG!
With all the BIG talk you're making, and BIG words you're using, the issues do sound SMALL.
Bethesda is the Hollywood of gaming.
Skyrim = Transformers
Are you sure? I can make out the dragon perfectly fine during combat.
Anyway, whereas I'm not impressed with the latest Skyrim media, I know I'll put 50+ hours into it and it will be possible the best 50 hours I spend in front of my computer this year.
I felt the same thing with Oblivion, and Fallout 3.
The elder scroll series have never looked really good in my opinion and the combat system is by far one of the more retarded ones out there BUT! despite all of these many many negative points, the story and size of the world with the pure essence of adventure and really well made plots makes them one of the best games out there.
I for one has never been a fan of high fantasy gear that makes no sense and funky ass looking weaponry, but i categorize that under my personal preference so i cant count that in to the judgement of the game, though it damages my immersion a bit i can still deal with it due to the really epic big picture.
I do agree these latest shots look rather flat and shadows on the normal maps look terribly black in a lot of places, yuck I dont like black shadows, still Ill be there buying it on day one
I dont feel impressed at all by the game at the moment. I feel like the environments are barely Oblivion 1.5, the animations/body awareness are still not AAA budget like. Of course last video was 360.. but hell
oh man... i watched half the video.. and had to stop so i can wait and see the Hi Def video whenever it comes out. I just started playing Oblivion to get ready for this. Looks amazing. I wonder if my PC will run it in ultra high settings. are there any specs yet?
oh man... i watched half the video.. and had to stop so i can wait and see the Hi Def video whenever it comes out. I just started playing Oblivion to get ready for this. Looks amazing. I wonder if my PC will run it in ultra high settings. are there any specs yet?
I have question though, what exactly are the black 'shadows' or 'normal bending' that I'm seeing in the pictures? Is there a reason normals would act like that? Or could be a type of Fresnel to pop the characters from the environment which have the same color around them?
you mean you don't think this looks like an utterly awesome experience?
Its not about being "utterly awesome man!" its about being a well made polished game. Whilst these games are good, they are a mess, unfinished, ill though out, badly implemented games.
Replies
http://gamersheep.com/2011/07/6-new-skyrim-screenshots/
Just a few new screenshots.
I really wish I could get the collectors edition, mostly for the art book, but I think I'll have to pass up that price tag.
There hasn't been any news on spellcrafting that I've missed, right?
I mean, even oblivion looked better than some of those...
Then metalliandy linked me to this, and everything was ok again.
Though another part of me is actually glad, because it's going to be so much more fun going through and discovering the awesome sights on my own, rather than having a screenshot "spoil" it for me.
Here's a couple other screens I found earlier but forgot weren't in that link I posted before:
But it looks like lighting is the main suspect here; I can see the shadows in all indoor shots, but it looks like their keylights are just so strong that they wash everything them out. I guess I can't blame them, after all they have hundreds of indoor areas.
But...that's something that can be modded :poly142:
This COULD be a cool screenshot. But I can hardly see any shadows, barely any SSAO, a blatantly obvious seam on the carpet next to the left of the character, and all the lighting just seems incredibly flat and boring. I'm hoping that this is a screenshot taken on a lower-spec computer, with the visuals toned down. The lighting is SO flat, that the normal maps are barely discernible on the environment props and walls/floors. The lighting could have been baked into the diffuse and it probably wouldn't look any different.
Other screens look cool, but it seems to me they are not tone-mapping. Lots of blown-out and clipped colors.
Probably marketing people taking screenshots
THis is so funny to me, lol man *fist bump*
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xkefdc_1_news
not sure how long it will be up
Remember when they released that first batch of Tomb Raider screens and had that awful, awful weight and deformation on her elbow
I was going to make a point with that but, actually, it's just a funny observation. Too many possible reasons to jump to conclusions.
With Bethesda though, things are a little different. Bethesda has never been strong on the art side... or the tecnical side, or even the design side. Bethesda's strength is in one thing and one thing only: "Look how big and ambitious everything is!"
I mean seriously, what's the big selling point about Skyrim? It's got BIG DRAGONS! UNLIMITED BIG DRAGONS!
And Oblivion/Fallout 3's selling point was that they had BIG WORLDS!
So what happens is the art is mostly shoddily made, sometimes getting the job done and sometimes not. The gameplay systems are horrendously broken, sometimes being passable when taken as a whole and sometimes not. The writing is shite, sometimes being mediocre enough to not ruin things and sometimes not.
But you walk out into the BIG world and see the BIG dragon and holy shit this game is BIG!
Bethesda is the Hollywood of gaming.
Skyrim = Transformers
(it would be great if I were wrong!)
I strongly disagree. Bethesda's games have been the most immersive games I've ever played. Morrowind, was incredible, Oblivion was a great game as well, though not quite as immersive as Morrowind was. But at the time, Oblivion was jaw-droppingly beautiful. While the animations sucked, the art side of things was pretty freakin' sweet. Bethesda has a knack for lore as well.
It is pretty obvious that wide, open-world games are much more difficult to debug and fix technical issues. On the art side, it also requires ALOT more work. You can't spend as much time on an asset in such games, as you can on small corridor shooters.
The big selling point for skyrim? Badass vikings, exploring mountain ranges, yeti's, awesome magic abilities and obviously, you get to kill dragons and steal their mojo.
not sure if trolling
Neat to finally see the full length of that video. It seems like it's just the "full" version that people got to see behind closed doors at E3.
It was a good watch though, I finally learned what all the skills are, got to see some more of the neat menu, and got to see all those nice shadows!
I think most of the screenshots are coming from the 360 version, that seems to be their platform of choice for promotional stuff. Which is good, because as was said in the video...what was it, "The PC version will be even way better."
Haha.
Someone should tell them, and any developers aside from a very few like Crytek, the ability to have AA and AF on to a slightly higher degree, and marginally crisper shadow edges, hardly qualifies as 'better'.
Well, per pixel collision for skinned models is kinda expensive, wouldn't you say? Call me old fashioned, but I like my games to be able to run and not drop dead when I drop dead (get it?)
Yes, conclusions...not having the full information to come to conclusions is always a pain, isn't it? I mean it's not like we work in the game industry, have free game engine with plethora of forums to snip in and learn about such things.
I mean Lord, just think about it! If only we could somehow learn all this! For FREE! But surely, it's a jest.
You mean Morrowind, right? Last I checked, in Oblivion, they were touting how great the AI in the game was before they had to scale it back because NPC's would kill each other if one so much had an item which didn't belong to them.
It's been a while, but I recall the guy saying the big dragons were limited in numbers (at least the big ones with the spells), the big selling point was that nothing was scripted in the game this time (apart from the necessary questing and choke-points naturally) and everything is an organic event part of an organic world.
Not really, that's what the players thought the selling point was, the real selling point was more flexibility then Oblivion and guns in the Post-Apo.
Also, furry mods, YIFF YIFF!
Mass Effect is Star-Trek with sex, LA-Noire is GTA without shooting whores, WoW was not better then other MMO's at launch and all games are about getting laid and killing a deity like entity, yeah yeah, we've all been there before.
If you want something polished to a spit-mirror shine, may I suggest opening a shop for Silverware? Although you should be careful if there are dragon around.
With all the BIG talk you're making, and BIG words you're using, the issues do sound SMALL.
Are you sure? I can make out the dragon perfectly fine during combat.
Have no fear, for you're wrong.
[ame]
To be fair, elderscrolls has been far more known for being buggy games, not having broken gameplay.
Anyway, whereas I'm not impressed with the latest Skyrim media, I know I'll put 50+ hours into it and it will be possible the best 50 hours I spend in front of my computer this year.
I felt the same thing with Oblivion, and Fallout 3.
I for one has never been a fan of high fantasy gear that makes no sense and funky ass looking weaponry, but i categorize that under my personal preference so i cant count that in to the judgement of the game, though it damages my immersion a bit i can still deal with it due to the really epic big picture.
I will buy it, when its price will have dropped.
This is exactly what I was thinking when looking at them.
http://www.g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/64714/the-elder-scrolls-5-skyrim/articles/75197/the-elder-scrolls-5-skyrim-hands-on-preview-time-flies-when-youre-dual-wielding-fire-spells/
http://www.gameinformer.com/games/the_elder_scrolls_v_skyrim/b/xbox360/archive/2011/08/05/skyrim-hands-on-impressions.aspx
http://kotaku.com/5828687/an-hour-with-skyrim-its-amazing
And the interesting, and somewhat misleading, labor story:
http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2011/08/05/woman-goes-into-labor-during-skyrim-presentation.aspx?PageIndex=2
She explains herself, and actually comments while at the hospital, later on in the discussion thread, under the name "nix".
I would guess: the same as oblivion & fallout 3.
-DFI LANPARTY DK X38-T2R LGA 775 Intel X38 ATX DFI mobo
-Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 Wolfdale 3.16GHz 6MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor BX80570E8500
-RAM 8GB
-SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 4870 X2 2GB 512-bit
-Antec NeoPower 650 Blue 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI
-Windows Vista Ultimate OS
you guys have outdone yourselves, this is gonna be GOTY
Thats a bit of a given any triple aaa rated game gets a goty these days.
I laughed when I saw this. I laughed even harder about it after I saw the first Skyrim trailer.
Its not about being "utterly awesome man!" its about being a well made polished game. Whilst these games are good, they are a mess, unfinished, ill though out, badly implemented games.