[MUD-Dev] "USPs" (was: Warhammer Online Cancelled -- Why?)

[Vincent Archer]

According to Mike Rozak:

> EQII itself is taking a risk with it's high-quality graphics and
> animations.  If users aren't willing to upgrade their PCs, then
> EQII's sales will be hurt in the near term. Long-term their decision
> seems like a winner, assuming they have enough cash to hold out
> until players buy the faster PCs (which they probably do).

It's also taking a risk if the high-quality graphics are its main USP.

The graphics are high quality, "CPU-wise". But I wouldn't rate them
high quality, in the aesthetic domain.

The characters themselves feel "plastic". It's another case of the
graphic bar being raised high enough that people start expecting
"realistic characters", but not high enough to deliver. With more
primitve graphics, like those of current MMOG, or deliberately
cartoonish graphics (like City of Heroes, World of Warcraft), you
don't have this automatic expectation: the characters are obviously
unrealistic, so you aren't disappointed because they aren't. With
EQ2, you are.

Of course, if you look at the in-game movies, you will also notice
the terrible animation of the characters. They don't move very
naturally, and worse, they don't stay at rest naturally (a flaw that
dates back from EQ1's Luclin characters - the terrible rest position
with your left feet pushed toward the front, and your right feet
pushed back, as if you are permanently ready to start to run, notably).

--
	Vincent Archer			Email:	archer at frmug.org

All men are mortal.  Socrates was mortal.  Therefore, all men are Socrates.
							(Woody Allen)
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