Re: Cyclopean

On 11/7/2024 4:34 PM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

On Wed, 6 Nov 2024 22:36:37 +0100, Kyonshi <gmkeros@gmail.com> wrote:
 

On 10/30/2024 10:50 PM, Hugh wrote:

Wishlisted. Reminds me of old school Ultima.
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On 2024-10-26 16:46, Jhulian Waldby wrote:

<https://www.reddit.com/r/SoloDevelopment/comments/1g3rxqp/
steamnextfest_starts_today_check_out_cyclopean_i/>
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well, intentionally low-rez graphics. I do sometimes wonder how many
people really enjoy this particular part of it those retro-style games.
I remember mostly putting up with these graphics because, well, there
was no way around it if you wanted to play anything.

 I'm on the same page with you on that! I endured retro-graphics back
before they were retro. And sure, there were some great games back
then --some of them even were visually appealing!-- but that was
/despite/ the crummy graphics, not because of them. I endured years of
4- and 8- and 16-color games; I struggled through the days of early
3D; I was made to play FMV titles. I don't want to go back to them. I
/like/ my games with twenty-gajillion triangles per model and
ray-traced lighting. Don't make me go back!

Actually at the end of the sprite era, just before or after everyone already switched to 3D, was this incredible burst of creativity in the art form that completely was ignored in favor of cruddy 3D. There's a reason so many games nowadays are going for the pixel aesthetic, and also a reason so many fail at it: it's not just about having lofi graphics, it's about using them.

 There are several reasons for the appeal of retro. One is just pure
nostalgia; "I liked Might & Magic 1, that had EGA graphics, therefore
this other new game with similar crappy visuals might scratch that
same itch'.
 Or it could just be new gamers who never experienced the old style and
are looking for something different.
 Then there are those who say, 'it's all about the gameplay; graphics
don't matter'. Or 'not focusing on high-end graphics lets Indie
developers with fewer resources put out a game that might be fun even
if they can't afford to create something that looks good'.
 None of these arguments really carry water with me (especially the
last one; with high-end game engines available for free and easy
access to 3D assets, you have to WORK to make an ugly game these
days).
 

I guess this is true for a lot of areas in gaming. You can make beautiful games even in retro graphics, but most people just do the retro thing because they don't have the skill or the budget to get anything better. For every Stardew Valley that pulls it off there are now dozens of others that just don't seem to GET it.
I am not completely against retro graphics IF you know what you are doing and don't just do it to save money/cash in on the novelty.