mischievous mottled mutt graphic & animation

Discussion in 'The Veterans' Lounge' started by Vumad, May 29, 2021.

  1. Vumad Cape Wearer

    Have you guys seen this new mount? Someone linked the item for sale and I clicked the preview. The graphics on it are nuts. It looks like it is from a modern MMO. I didn't realize the EQ engine was capable of that level of graphic and animation. I didn't realize no one had taken a screenshot yet or I would have, but that still wouldn't have done it justice. The animation was excellent.

    Can we hope to see more items like this? Is this the real limit of the EQ engine or can it push out more?

    Kudos to the dev that made it. Would love to hear more from a dev about the design and the game engine.
    Thunderkiks and MasterMagnus like this.
  2. MasterMagnus The Oracle of AllHigh


    Everything in the last few years have been built by Ttobey and Covic from EQ2. Ttobey is quite a good animator.

    He claims to spend about 60% on EQ2 and 40% on EQ1 time wise. Sigh.
  3. Jumbur Improved Familiar

    Im still hoping for new character models/animations. The EQ-team is obviously skilled enough to pull it off...

    The current character models looks out of place in never expansions, compared to mobs.
  4. Waring_McMarrin Augur


    While it would be nice to have new models that would be a massive undertaking as you have 32 different models (16 races x 2 genders) and all the associated armor graphics and animations that go with it. Not to mention people still complain about the new models compared to the original ones to this day.
    MasterMagnus and Jumbur like this.
  5. Jumbur Improved Familiar

    If they have a skeletal based animation system, then hero's forge shouldn't add extra complexity.
    And it will still be an improvement over the current animations.

    Everytime someone says "no" to new models, a poor drakkin bard will stab his own face...

    Please! Think of the poor drakkin bards! :p
  6. Waring_McMarrin Augur

    I wasn't referring to hero's forge but armor graphics in general. From what I understand for the current/original models they don't support all armor types (cloth/leather/chain/plate) which makes me suspect that work has to be done for the models to support them. I could be wrong and it could be easy but if it was I find it strange that they did not add that support with the last model upgrades.
    MasterMagnus likes this.
  7. Jumbur Improved Familiar

    Oh, I don't think it would be easy. Im just saying the old animations and models looks severely outdated.

    Try googling trailers for modern EQ expansions and try not to "cringe" when you see the character models swinging their weapons in the general direction of a mob... :)

    There is not even the slightest hint of collision...
  8. Waring_McMarrin Augur

    I think a lot of people agree with you on that including Darkpaw devs and graphics designers but the problem is the amount of work and money it would take to get it done.
    MasterMagnus likes this.
  9. MasterMagnus The Oracle of AllHigh


    They absolutely have the common skeleton (armature) controlling the model.

    Those animations take a lot of time, and as noted there are so many to be done with race/class/sex/attack type combos.

    In addition, although there is an armature, and 'attachment points' for shield and weapon. Each item is added to the human standard armature/model at the attachment point, and then each of the other races are scaled by a single number (not adjusted proportionally to the race/sex model) which causes numerous clipping and weird angle issues.

    And the various items you can hold and are visible have been made by different people, to many different standards over the years. Some work with the quirks of EQ better than others.

    In the end, I just don't see DB gets the 'bang for the buck' out of doing such a monumental task to re-do something they wouldn't charge any more for. Or would you want a 'premium priced' graphic revamp?

    Again, I can only sigh.
  10. Jumbur Improved Familiar

    Fair enough, it is up to the devs, how to prioritize their efforts.
    I just think a lot of animation and modelling work is wasted on marketplace "fluff", rather than the core-areas of the game.

    Market-place "fluff", should come after the core game is is up to an acceptable standard imho. :)
    MasterMagnus likes this.
  11. Szilent Augur

    That's because EQ2 assets can be taken to EQ1, but not vice versa. EQ2 work *is* EQ1 work.
    MasterMagnus likes this.
  12. MasterMagnus The Oracle of AllHigh


    Yes, I sighed not negatively toward what you said, but wistfully to what 'could be'.

    Though I might take a bit of offense to the idea that Player Studio items would be considered 'fluff' ;) That's a completely different discussion.

    Those animations and the original models had to come first. This is not a chicken or egg thing. Egg had to come first to have a game. 'Fluffy' chicken came after.

    To redo them is pretty impractical, I'd say very impractical.

    I've mentioned ttobey and covic. I'd like to call out Kevin Lydy who has been there a long time (EQ1 art director) and is fantastic. They have, and have had, art talent.

    But in todays industry the painful truth is: most modeling and animation is farmed out to Asian studios because of high quality and lower cost (relatively lower cost).

    I just don't see us getting what we'd hope for out of it, besides the huge cost and effort to replace something that essentially 'works', to whatever degree.
  13. MasterMagnus The Oracle of AllHigh


    While I'm sure that is ONE reason. It is certainly not the only reason his work is divided that way.

    *edit*
    They can only bring over the model too. It has to be rigged to the different (much more simplistic) EQ1 armature. And then animated from there.

    They don't save that much bringing over models, but getting some of those more modern designs.
  14. Jumbur Improved Familiar

    Well, it is by no means gamebreaking what we already have, I just think that EQ1 has been disproportionally neglected compared to other games in daybreak's portfolio.
    Im hoping that they will change their priorities in the future. :)
    MasterMagnus likes this.