Curse

Morganas · Nov 24, 2005, 07:42 PM // 19:42

Prettying up the aoe graphics would be a huge nerf to them in pvp, and that's the last thing they need.

Darr · Nov 24, 2005, 08:02 PM // 20:02

Morganas could you explain how that would be a nerf?

Racthoh · Nov 24, 2005, 08:04 PM // 20:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by Morganas

Prettying up the aoe graphics would be a huge nerf to them in pvp, and that's the last thing they need.

Care to elaborate? It may be stealthy for the maelstrom since it's graphic can be hard to notice at times, but there is no reason why players shouldn't be able to visually SEE the range of an AoE.

Morganas · Nov 24, 2005, 10:15 PM // 22:15

Being able to see the range would make it much easier to exit the aoe. As it is, with meteor shower in a hectic fight, it's pretty common for people to not sidestep far enough, since it's hard to see the middle. A graphical improvement would let people leave it easier.

Maelstrom, as pointed out, is pretty stealthy as is, and you can often get one good interrupt in since it's so hard to see.

Chaos storm is junkier than the others in part because it's too flashy. It should be toned down more. Same goes for firestorm.

People should have difficulty seeing the range of aoes because those spells become almost worthless otherwise. As it is the only spell that doesn't pull my eyes from the party screen as a monk is maelstrom, anything else can be avoided almost completely even while under slow effects. Concealing damage sources would be a big step towards improving aoe too, instead of saying "26 maelstrom" it could just say "26 Cold."

jesh · Nov 25, 2005, 07:55 AM // 07:55

While it might make it easier for someone to escape from your clutches, I think a patch or addition like the OP suggested is desperately in need, and it would make up for that shortcoming by making other things easier in pvp. Everything that you saw the enemy team use, you'd be able to recognize easily, without looking at the red letters. Or having them selected as your target..

There are just so many skills right now that have basically no visual effect.. it's horrible. Wouldn't it be cooler if, for instance, Vereta's Aura sent out like these spirit like green rays to all the undead affected? That way your team would be like, wow, that guy's using Verata's Aura.. or at least ask about it. Otherwise, no one would notice the skill use, or how much you're helping your team. This isn't the only skill like this, there are just so many skills..

ange1 · Nov 25, 2005, 08:42 AM // 08:42

signed maelstrom is worst, i cannot tell until i cast? maybe my graphics is too low?

The Son Of Morgoth · Nov 25, 2005, 08:45 AM // 08:45

i think this is a great idea..........we could have an effects slider that would let us see these or not.....dial up users could keep effects low.

Hiryu · Nov 25, 2005, 08:49 AM // 08:49

I really like that idea about concealing the AoE damage ("26 Cold" instead of "26 Maelstrom") and compensating with more indicative graphics. Might add another layer of micro to PvP and make AoE a little bit more effective in PvP. Plus it just seems cool.

/signed

Kai Nui · Nov 25, 2005, 10:14 AM // 10:14

Chaos storm, what a joke. Since when do storms look like little swirls near my feet? I was hoping it'd be a huge tornado or cloud striking lightning down. And Maelstrom... I don't think there's even an animation for it... or is there?

hcl40u · Nov 25, 2005, 07:12 PM // 19:12

There is a little swirl on the ground for maelstrom but it can be easy to miss seeing that I suppose. I'm guessing the general lack of extra effects is because its just too much work when you have over 400 skills and 6 classes to work with. Of course they took some shortcuts like most enchantments have the same aura except for death nova which is green. Not much different than palette swaps for different monsters and reused animations I suppose.

EnigmaticAnomaly · Jan 31, 2006, 03:36 AM // 03:36

/signed

Guild Wars is supposed to be one the best Fantasy MMORPG's out there. Implementing this would certainly make it NUMBER ONE(at least in my book)...

Orbberius · Jan 31, 2006, 03:44 AM // 03:44

It would be just too distracting.

Divinus Stella · Jan 31, 2006, 03:47 AM // 03:47

/signed

Completely agree, the animations for spells in this game are poor, meteor shower sounds pretty nasty, but its just a cloud of dust with a rock or two, fire storm is pretty awful aswel, but the worst of all is rodgorts invocation, sounds good, 25en, 5 secs cast, dragon in the icon, then boom, nothing!

MasterThrawn · Feb 24, 2006, 08:27 PM // 20:27

Some of these ideas would make the game so much more impressive - I play a Necro, and I could just see that Soul Reaping gonig on. But yeah - most of these spell effects are pretty weak, and it would be cool to see the Warrior's in their stance's. Think anything will change at this point though? I have my doubts... Here's hoping

Rieselle · Feb 25, 2006, 01:20 AM // 01:20

/SuperSuperSigned

Definitely. I hope they come back and improve the original GW skills' graphics as well, rather than just releasing prettier skills in the expansion packs.

At the moment I'm also playing Grandia 3 on the PS2. The spell graphics are amazingly cool. (although many are far too over the top for a game like GW, but even the basic stuff blows GW away)

I don't see how GW expects to compete in a japanese/taiwanese market full of console gamers who play Final Fantasy X, etc. with such dull spell and attack graphics.

(ps. WoW is even worse! WoW sucks! Mwahaha!)

Specifically, it would be nice if elem spells looked cooler. However, one thing I noticed whilst observing the GWWC is that other class spells (which generally follow the template of "sparkly effect around your target") need to be made more distinctive and obvious. Take Reversal of Fortune. A big spiky aura appears around the caster, but on the target, only a very subtle sparkle occurs. I'd rather it was the other way around, or better yet, instead of sparkles, some sort of energy-shield like effect appears on the target, so it's clear that he's being "protected" in some way.

Also, it'd be nice if there was some animation/effect for "block" and "evade", rather than just letters popping up. Similarly, a way to distinguish damaging hits from low damage hits.

Oh and Meteor Shower should be changed. Those fake meteors are a crime against er, humanity. At least make them do some damage but not knock down or something.

It'd also be cool if spell graphics changed a little depending on how powerful it is. Eg. Increase the scale of the projectile slightly for a Fire 16 Flare vs. a Fire 0 Flare.

I dont buy the argument that "better graphics would nerf some skills because they are no longer "stealth". If a skill needs to be ignored to be any use, then it's an argument to improve the skill somehow. (eg, aoes like Maelstrom, etc.)

Oh, and Obsidian Flame should be "taller". Currently the particles that are spawned are almost completely hidden "inside" the model of the target. For such a powerful spell, it's almost completely unseen.

Incidentally, dialup vs. broadband makes no difference to your graphics performance, it's all client side. How fast your pc and graphics card is, -does- make a difference. But go Effects Detail slider.

And often more impressive spell/skill effects is not an issue of technology, but simply an issue of artistry. You can get amazingly cool stuff even with low-end graphics if you do it with style and an appreciation of how to make things look impressive.

LifeInfusion · Feb 25, 2006, 01:45 AM // 01:45

It saddens me when a skill like shield of deflection has a much more noticable animation than maelstrom.

So yes, we do need some more animations... nothing incredibly flashy, just something to make it (more) visible.

If anything spammable stuff should have LESS intensive animations since they are used more, thus creating MORE graphics need.

Nevin · Feb 25, 2006, 05:03 AM // 05:03

Maelstrom looks amazing when it first goes into effect, its a giant dome of water-ish energy with lots of sparkles. Then it turns into a little swirling pool- LAME.

I'd like it if Maelstrom would just stay like a dome and swirl around.

Alcazanar · Feb 25, 2006, 01:18 PM // 13:18

Great Idea but making such a update however is
difficult and time consuming. Its not simple with programming
you know so if you wanna see such a update I suggest you
wait intill chapter 2....

bulletsmile · Mar 05, 2006, 02:53 AM // 02:53

yup, a lot of great ideas here guys keep it up:

-life siphon and life transfer could have like a green beam that goes from the one using the skill and to the attacked and that beam would be there as long as the hex was on.
-When you had spiteful spirit, emphaty, backfire..etc, you had green/purple magical wires around you or electrisity so that people can understand why the elementalist stopped attaking

TRIvario · Mar 05, 2006, 04:05 AM // 04:05

I agree entirely

I was quite annoyed the first time I tried the spell phoenix, I had fireball on my skill bar at the same time and thought I pressed the wrong button

And why doesn't Guardian,Shield of Regeneration, and other skills that should have very noticable apearances just make halo's around a character?

The most odd animation is the one when you get interupted..... You kind of fall over but are right back up 1/4 of a second after.

If they put as much animation effort as they did in Shield of Deflection for every other skill, then this game would blow all the others away even more