Breaking down some of the screenshots

[Ikea]

Because one of the major complaintes about the game when it first released and even long after was that it consumed a gigantic number of resources from Pc's and that only those that could afford high end rigs could play it. It would make perfect sense to me for them to show people that the game is not only getting upgrades content-wise but is also now more accessable to many different types of players. At least, thats what I saw as a possibility. People already know the game is fantastic looking, and look what that got them? WHy would you go out of your way to highlight the graphics when that wasn't enough to keep people playing your game the first time?

Because instead this might scream "Hey we tried good graphics before and it didn't work, so this is now the best you're gonna get cause we can't cram in better graphics cause the game wouldn't be playable" rather than "Well of course this is standard settings, we have waaay better settings for the guys with 10 x 7970 graphic cards"

I don't think it's a bad plan to do the whole "This is how the game is gonna look on your everyday computer, it's this awesome" but you kinda have make sure people are aware of the fact that is not the best settings, cause of you know, the reasons I stated in my last post.

And maybe they made the people at E3 aware of that and we didn't get the memo, I can't say that's not a possibility. But releasing shots and assuming people understand it's not the highest setting is, to me atleast, common sense.

[Amae]

LOL i just want to see them say something like "thats all Ps3 footage" and listen to nothing but freakin crickets from the hater camp.

Let's not be manichean please. Or are we not allowed to criticize one aspect we didn't like without automatically being in the "hater camp"? That's a really dualistic view of the world right there. Black and white?

Now, as always on official forums, there seem to be a lot of people who make a point to defend "their" game (for what reason I wonder). Thus I would very much be obliged if someone can point out any official statement of these screenshots being taken in standard settings. Or any other reliable source, but not a rumour from a dude who heard it from someone else who himself heard it from his neighboor. Something solid.

And before I get attacked for hurting the feeling of some fanatic of the game, do note I also like it (that new UI <3 ). I just find it dissapointing if they decide to lower the quality of the graphics to please players with older computers. As it was pointed out before, custom settings for those who have high end computers is...something obvious?

[Ikea]

Its worth noting that your view of texture quality depends on your current system. I run a GTX 580 @ 1920x1200 and my settings are pretty high, so to me the screenshots look incredibly crappy - more so than most I imagine. To other people, with average systems, the screenshots might look better than what they have.

So to someone running the game on a 9600GT, I might seem like a total hater since they look at the screenshots and think they are amazing. meh.

Well that is true, didn't really think of that. I always try games at highest setting even if I get 1 fps, just so I can dream about what I can't have

[Ikea]

I'm pretty sure Bayo stated at one point they take vanilla screenshots, so even if it's PC they're not boosting the graphics to full, they're showing what it will look like without all the bells and whistles which still looks better than a lot of MMOs. People keep throwing around Tera when saying "best graphics"...there's a difference between bright/cartoonlike textures and photorealistic textures in terms of "better graphics".

If I would've gotten a quote from a dev about this early I wouldn't still be talking

[Biggs]

Let's not be manichean please. Or are we not allowed to criticize one aspect we didn't like without automatically being in the "hater camp"? That's a really dualistic view of the world right there. Black and white?

Now, as always on official forums, there seem to be a lot of people who make a point to defend "their" game (for what reason I wonder). Thus I would very much be obliged if someone can point out any official statement of these screenshots being taken in standard settings. Or any other reliable source, but not a rumour from a dude who heard it from someone else who himself heard it from his neighboor. Something solid.

And before I get attacked for hurting the feeling of some fanatic of the game, do note I also like it (that new UI <3 ). I just find it dissapointing if they decide to lower the quality of the graphics to please players with older computers. As it was pointed out before, custom settings for those who have high end computers is...something obvious?

I would gladly trade a little graphical polish for better gameplay and content, but I understand that some peeps want it all. I just don't think they are showing this at the very best settings, and so many people are assuming they are.

Even if they are I am good with it.

[Amae]

I would gladly trade a little graphical polish for better gameplay and content, but I understand that some peeps want it all. I just don't think they are showing this at the very best settings, and so many people are assuming they are.

Even if they are I am good with it.

I would trade it for better gameplay too, but this is irrelevant to this thread. Except if you have the ability to judge gameplay from a screenshot.

As for wanting to have it all, again it's irrelevant. The critic is "worse textures than what we currently have". So we're questioning a possible downgrade, not questioning something we didn't had from the beginning. So maybe we should focus back on the critics instead of mentioning things that have nothing to do with what's been posted?

That put aside, I would like to ask you why are you assuming those screenshots were taken in standard settings? Again, I want a reliable source. If we think about truly logically, they would do like all other companies and present the best settings possible because most people like eye-candies. Unless they stated otherwise. But if that's the case, where is that statement?

[bobbygunz]

I would trade it for better gameplay too, but this is irrelevant to this thread. Except if you have the ability to judge gameplay from a screenshot.

As for wanting to have it all, again it's irrelevant. The critic is "worse textures than what we currently have". So we're questioning a possible downgrade, not questioning something we didn't had from the beginning. So maybe we should focus back on the critics instead of mentioning things that have nothing to do with what's been posted?

That put aside, I would like to ask you why are you assuming those screenshots were taken in standard settings? Again, I want a reliable source. If we think about truly logically, they would do like all other companies and present the best settings possible because most people like eye-candies. Unless they stated otherwise. But if that's the case, where is that statement?

The shadows are an upgrade, but everything else looks like a downgrade, and those aetherytes are very ugly. To think S.E. shows a demo on worst settings would be a stretch of the imagination, so I think it's safe to say, they downgraded graphics.

[Ikea]

The shadows are an upgrade, but everything else looks like a downgrade, and those aetherytes are very ugly. To think S.E. shows a demo on worst settings would be a stretch of the imagination, so I think it's safe to say, they downgraded graphics.

Welcome to Camp Hatred, come and warm yourself by the fire.

[Lurex]

There are those that just have to focus on negatives. A negative nancy in every crowd.

[neorei]

some people just want to watch the world burn.