I hate those power ranger like spark effects

[ArnoMorley]

ArnoMonkey, and please take this as a genuine question, how do characters seem like cartoons to you?

Asswa, It's the cutscenes and motions really, even the opening cutscenes from the beta the first impression I got was that the acting was a little cartoony. And the emotes can be a little too goofy I mean fail a double meld, do things like /thumbsup.

And it's like I said it's not like other things aren't more cartoony it's that this game isn't exactly not one either.

and to sir, is that a WoW screenshot? (never played it) not really fair to compare an older graphic to a new one. Maybe an XI -> WoW comparison would be fair but then we weren't talking about XI.

[SirOleas]

Its entirely fair because no other MMO currently compares graphically to this one.
Art style also has a lot to do with it. Such as Tauren (Cow Humanoids from WoW) are incredibly ugly creatures no matter how well the graphics are done.
As for your issues with characters doing thumbs up and such...that's a cultural difference. Japanese games/anime/etc tend to have things that seem odd to western audiences. In other words, just because it seems odd to you does not make it cartoony.

If you want a more current comparison we can use GW2: A stunning game visually because of art direction but still less realistic than FFXIV.

[Issac]

wai....wait....wha...what? Your making a 100% troll post just to prejudicely call a servers entire population trolls based on the action of 4 posters. if your going to troll, you should finish high school and go to college first. Because nothing is worse then a dumb troll...

Hook, line, and sinker?

[Dragon]

I've been thinking, just maybe we should make the White Ranger song the new FFXIV theme.

For those whom the joke is lost upon.

[ArnoMorley]

Its entirely fair because no other MMO currently compares graphically to this one.
Art style also has a lot to do with it. Such as Tauren (Cow Humanoids from WoW) are incredibly ugly creatures no matter how well the graphics are done.
As for your issues with characters doing thumbs up and such...that's a cultural difference. Japanese games/anime/etc tend to have things that seem odd to western audiences. In other words, just because it seems odd to you does not make it cartoony.

Well you threw anime in there, that kind of adds to the argument. That's what anime is, a type of cartoon. I visited a military base in Okinawa once and normal Japanese people didn't act odd like that which makes it unrealistic/cartoony.

And it's like I said my point wasn't that the graphics weren't as good, or it was more cartoony than other games (Although it can look more cartoony but act less cartoony). I just said that it did have cartoony elements.

[Coldfire]

GW2 bodies are definately more cartoon-style than FFXIV. Mostly since the designers didn't want to make the characters too different from GW1. The graphics of the armor can definately be compared to ffxiv though and is probably a bit better-looking. That being said... IS THAT COLORFUL CONFETTI THERE??? @devs /implement!

[Razorboi82]

What. the. Hell. are you people talking about?

Sparks have always been in the weapon skills

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYFIG...eature=related

This thread is NOT just about the NEW skills. GOD.

OH! in that case, I don't see it. The animation is great to me, I vote we don't change it. Its very Final Fantasy to me. The last time I checked, I was playing on a computer. My expectations for anything computer made to look not computer generated falls far into the future. Now if you think the casting effects need a little more flare, I would definitely like to see what they could conjure up.

Either way half of your post I just don't see what your talking about. The other half just doesn't make sense to me. Please clarify the half of how to make a computer generated game look less computer generated. I wait for your response.

[Coldfire]

Please clarify the half of how to make a computer generated game look less computer generated. I wait for your response.

How about filming someone in real life doing magic and then putting that as a video into the game? Copperfield and Houdini effects!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0_VSBA4FQI

[Razorboi82]

How about filming someone in real life doing magic and then putting that as a video into the game? Copperfield and Houdini effects!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0_VSBA4FQI

I could see that. that would actually look a little more out of place in the game though. Like a mortal kombat combatant on top of the fantastic backdrop.

[Maxwell]

FFXIV needs more Mortal Kombat. The End.

Pure truth. I'd pay money to have my mithra smash a goblin's head in x-ray mode (kung lao style)