Grass

[Shougun]

Pics are alpha/beta and are passable anyway imo - we have to remember we're being limited by the PS3. This is also an MMO, with a lot of character models and huge landscape to load up etc etc

If it looked like sh@t then I'd understand but ....

PS3 excuse is not going to fly with me, at least visually. I can understand if the ps3 just cant handle the data as a sheer calculation (like network things) but visually there is no reason PC players should be limited to the ps3 (though they are not already (at least for the most part), and that's great news).


And the grass does look like sh@t (well not that bad, but it doesn't look good), in my opinion. The game is full of beautiful models, very crisp lines, everything flowing to the environment and all a sudden we've got retro 16bit attack on the ground. For the systems that can make the experience consistent, it should happen.

For many peoples computers "visual dot" pixels are becoming a stylistic option and not a technicality of hardware, specially as people upgrade this will ever be more true - I think that is why while this is low priority compared to polishing the game in a whole it is something they can address when someone is not doing something (which can happen). Like when they address their graphic milestone update that is scheduled a few months after release... this would be an awesome thing to address with it.

Also those with non-recent / non-gaming computers can still enjoy this benefit by tweaking the grass density down and increasing grass quality (to have better nearby grass at the same frame rate - or decreasing quality but increasing density if they want to cover the ground (would be very pixely but w.e user's choice)).

[Radacci]

If you care for environmental physics, then FarCry 3 is a great game to play.

90% (yep I made that percentage up, come at me) don't really give a rats about grass & its physics in an MMO.

This is a really stupid comment that a lot of people seem to make.
We obviously don't play FFXIV for the grass, it's just one element, that would make the game look better.
Or we could say to everyone that likes fishing: omg go fish in real life instead, or play bla bla fish game. well OMG stop playing games, and become designer in real life if you enjoy crafting. Go play monster hunter instead, if you like killing bosses. Go play GW2 instead, if you like fate system! Go play Mario 64 if you like jumping, instead!
It's pathetic.

It is good. This is an MMO. Not Flower. The grass is passable considering it's not at all the main focus of the game.

Well crafting and gathering isn't main focus of the game either, neither is fishing, or cooking, or riding chocobos, housing, Behests, Caravans; trees, rocks, rivers or anything else like that, still it's a part of the game. Every bit improves the game somehow.
Look at this MMO, and tell me XIV shouldn't improve, because it's passable already....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNFSw107MQs
No game would ever improve, if no one tried to make something better, because it's already passable.
FF shouldn't be just passable or good, it should be awesome.

[Vilhem]

This is a really stupid comment that a lot of people seem to make.
We obviously don't play FFXIV for the grass, it's just one element, that would make the game look better.
Or we could say to everyone that likes fishing: omg go fish in real life instead, or play bla bla fish game. well OMG stop playing games, and become designer in real life if you enjoy crafting. Go play monster hunter instead, if you like killing bosses. Go play GW2 instead, if you like fate system! Go play Mario 64 if you like jumping, instead!
It's pathetic.



Well crafting and gathering isn't main focus of the game either, neither is fishing, or cooking, or riding chocobos, housing, Behests, Caravans; trees, rocks, rivers or anything else like that, still it's a part of the game. Every bit improves the game somehow.
Look at this MMO, and tell me XIV shouldn't improve, because it's passable already....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNFSw107MQs
No game would ever improve, if no one tried to make something better, because it's already passable.
FF shouldn't be just passable or good, it should be awesome.

You can't really compare aesthetics to activities man...they're not the same thing.

Your rebuttal uses activities such as fishing crafting, raiding etc, when trying to defend your position about grass being an element. You're trying to compare apples and oranges.

Grass, terrains, skies with clouds...they all exist for aesthetic purposes. Do they enhance the experience? Sure. Are they interactive? No. they exist purely as eye candy.

That is not the same as fishing, crafting, or other things you've mentioned. You are right in that these activities alone aren't the main focus of the game, but these activities TOGETHER balance the gameplay and offer a different level of experience (interactivity), than just staring at grass as you run by somewhere.

[Altena]

This is a really stupid comment that a lot of people seem to make.
We obviously don't play FFXIV for the grass, it's just one element, that would make the game look better.
Or we could say to everyone that likes fishing: omg go fish in real life instead, or play bla bla fish game. well OMG stop playing games, and become designer in real life if you enjoy crafting. Go play monster hunter instead, if you like killing bosses. Go play GW2 instead, if you like fate system! Go play Mario 64 if you like jumping, instead!
It's pathetic.

That is a really "stupid" analogy about fishing. You reply with spite, and you will get spite back.

I was just pointing out a game that does environmental physics really well. If you decide to play it, it is up to you.

Although since you like using fish as an analogy..
Someone cooks you a fairly nicely cooked fish that is much better then the last time they cooked it for you.
Do you return the plate and say "Could you cook it a little longer next time round?"
Because this is essentially what you are doing.

The grass is perfectly fine. I have played games with "better" grass, and I have played games with worse. I would rather see the resources going into content that actually matters to most people. SE do a pretty good job of attention to detail in regards to graphics.

[Radacci]

You can't really compare aesthetics to activities man...they're not the same thing.

Your rebuttal uses activities such as fishing crafting, raiding etc, when trying to defend your position about grass being an element. You're trying to compare apples and oranges.

Grass, terrains, skies with clouds...they all exist for aesthetic purposes. Do they enhance the experience? Sure. Are they interactive? No. they exist purely as eye candy.

That is not the same as fishing, crafting, or other things you've mentioned. You are right in that these activities alone aren't the main focus of the game, but these activities TOGETHER balance the gameplay and offer a different level of experience (interactivity), than just staring at grass as you run by somewhere.

I was simply pointing out the stupidity of pointing people to other games, if you mention that you want this or that to be better. such as *grass is good as it is, if you like grass so much, go play flower, XIV might not be for you* seriously? Just cause we want grass to improve, doesn't mean we play for the grass; we're here cause we wanna play XIV. Whatever examples i use doesn't really matter, it's the same principal; i heard the same argument in jump threads too, or with auto attacks, and with other suggestions; you get people saying: well if you don't like it, go play WoW instead!
And you could make grass, landscape, clouds interactive too you could have high grass, where mobs can hide, and ambush you. you may need to climb a mountain, to reach that cave,,,that is hidden in a sea of clouds.

That is a really "stupid" analogy about fishing. You reply with spite, and you will get spite back.

I was just pointing out a game that does environmental physics really well. If you decide to play it, it is up to you.

Although since you like using fish as an analogy..
Someone cooks you a fairly nicely cooked fish that is much better then the last time they cooked it for you.
Do you return the plate and say "Could you cook it a little longer next time round?"
Because this is essentially what you are doing.

The grass is perfectly fine. I have played games with "better" grass, and I have played games with worse. I would rather see the resources going into content that actually matters to most people. SE do a pretty good job of attention to detail in regards to graphics.

that's odd analogy...you can overcook fish, then it won't be good anymore. there's no such thing as making grass look to good But sure if someone makes a better dish, what's wrong with pointing out it was better, and making suggestions to make it better still? i'm not gonna say no thank you, take this back, and make it better; Or in case of XIV bleh crappy game can't make grass right, im going to flower, until you fix it.
and grass looks like lego, i don't know how that's an improvement?

Well, as has been pointed out several times before, there's different teams for different things.
Adding grass is the same process as adding trees, rocks, rivers, buildings, or anything else with environment. It does NOT affect other things like adding new classes, housing, raid mechanics or whatever.
Since they made the whole meteor thing, to justify a remake of the maps and such; and the fact that they have remade all the maps, to not be copy-paste; then obviously the landscape IS important! otherwise they wouldn't have bothered!
If they wanna make trees look nice, and cool looking environmental stuff, then why sell yourself short on grass? if everything else looks great, and grass is ugly, it's gonna be like a crack in your monitor, that is distracting.
Why have real flowers at home, when you can have lego flowers?

[Hestern_Nestern]

Grass aesthetics within a video game really interests me -- I like flora in the game called Real Life and as a result I enjoy experiencing flora in other worlds, too. Honestly, I experience a moment of repulsion when these elements are not, at least somewhat, paid attention to. Having said that, I will not be creating a thread about it.

Of course, on that same thimble, I will not be chastising another human being for creating a thread about it. It seems equally silly to me.

I just came here to say that YAY I LOVE GRASS AND I HOPE THE GRASS LOOKS GREAT - but also - I REALLY LIKE THE GRASS/FLORA QUALITY AS IT IS NOW AND WILL BE FINE IF THEY DO NOT CHANGE IT.

Furthermore, I would really like to thank the many individuals who have linked examples of great quality grass. It has pleased the treehugger inside me. I might begin stalking Black Desert Online. But even so, I do not necessarily agree that one should improve the flora/grass of THIS game based on the level of detail of another game (similarly, I do not believe we should shove people over TO A DIFFERENT GAME because we do not like their opinions on THIS one).

I'm not really providing anything to this thread - sorry about that! I just wanted to muse on grass and tell the world: it's okay to appreciate/desire grass quality in a video game. It's also okay to not care about the grass/think there are more important things to consider. Let's all live in a perfect blossom of grassy harmony, okay-dokay? La la la la la la~

Okay I am done now.

[Andrien]

I'm fine with the grass I see now. Pretty or ugly is subjective. Above all, it will not effect the way how the game plays.

[Radacci]

Forever GRASS!!!

[mikecoby]

[Radacci]

Forever REAL GRASS!