Graphics Don't Cut It

[Arkayjiya]

The immersion in the TES 3+ has little to do with the story. It's the universe that do all the work. So yes, graphics are important. Sound is important. IA of NPC is important. Animation is important, writings of good quality are importants, story is part of it too so it's important but not really more than the others factors. For me what is really not important in a TES, is the gameplay. I'm fond of morrowind even if the gameplay sucks because I love the design, the sound, everything that make vvardenfell coming alive. I don't think the gameplay of oblivion is great, but it's definitely better than morrowind's altough I prefer TES3. Of course a good gameplay will greatly improves the game, but it's really less important in an open rpg for me.

 

So yes, I want beautiful graphics. Not only that, and not "perfect ones" à la crysis, but I definitely want beautiful ones.

[Arrok]

Quite frankly, I don't care either way. I'd LOVE an Oblivion with Crysis graphics. Sure, a good story is always nice but all I want is good gameplay. If the game has that AND good graphics it will be amazing.

 

I agree with you.

 

a lot of people here are really concerned with story, but TES is really about making your own story. If the story is too detailed and centered, then you will have assassins saving the world only to kill it's inhabitants.

 

Gameplay will keep you playing. I'm looking forward to combat, physics, crafting, NPC AI, Animations (omg thank you for fixing this), Horses (Red Dead Redemption horses own oblivion so hard), the radiant story random stumble quests.

 

If rain doesn't fall through overhead awnings, ill be satisfied.

 

As for the graphics resolution wise, I really dont care if its worse than oblivion.

[marksman_sniper]

I've seen the graphics in the trailer and honestly I didn't think the graphics were all that improved. I don't care. One of my favorite games of all times is one of the oldest surviving MMOs, Dark Ages by Kru (not DAOC). It's very pixelly anime style that can't even boast 256 colors, a highly modified/localized port of a very old game called Legends of Darkness. In its heyday rp was mandatory. It has dungeons something like 20 levels deep. It had complex skills, quests, and levelling. Can't play it anymore because it can't handle 64 bit. All that said, I do like good graphics, but the graphics in that Skyrim trailer are going to be modded and improved nearly instantly once the game is released. So just give it time. There will be optimized replacers for people with older computers. There will be graphics which require people with gaming computers to upgrade cards, and everything in between. Any moddable game is soon modded. That's an additional reason the graphics aren't really the most important thing. Story can be modded, too. To some degree the engine and gameplay will be modded, but people have to love a game enough right out of the box for a modding community to truly thrive. Elder Scrolls games have a long history of creating that level of fandom. I am just hoping Skyrim can do the same. Story and AI are important. Settings are important, but if you want to know the most important thing of all which ultimately determines which games fade quickly and which ones are around years later, still selling, the answer to that is...YOU. You the player. Game franchises that attract good communities are the ones that last. In reality, all they have to do is make sure Skyrim does not drive that community away as some other companies have done by not listening to players, by using buggy, overly intrusive or ethically dubious forms of DRM on paying customers, charging too much for the DLCs, etc. If they don't do that, we will buy it, and if we don't love it right away, players will transform it into something they do love. The most important thing that Bethesda can do really is care about players and give them an interesting world as a canvas. They've done it before, and I think they will do it again. If people are still buying Skyrim 5 years from now, then they have done their job. No matter how terrific the graphics are now, they aren't going to blow people away in 5 years, and I think they know that by now. I hope they do.

Couldn't have said it better myself, I totally agree with you too. The community is what keeps a game thriving.

[AncientCircle]

I agree. A solid, engaging story with memorable characters and an intriguing plot is far more important than fancy graphics, though I won't lie and say graphics aren't important, because they are. But they are periphery to the story, in the same way good sound effects and voice acting are periphery. The story is the main part. Some RPG's without good graphics but a decent story are still enjoyable. Edited March 18, 2011 by AncientCircle