i have to admit...

[Freakaloin]

when i look at screensshots of hl2 now...i am underwhelmed...this game better look at least as good as far cry or its gonna be a bomb in my book...even with good gameplay...think this game is right at its tech window of opportunity...

 

[kiwii]

hmmm say again?

 

[The Mullinator]

when i look at screensshots of hl2 now...i am underwhelmed...this game better look at least as good as far cry or its gonna be a bomb in my book...even with good gameplay...think this game is right at its tech window of opportunity...

Why do so many gamers now only care about graphics? Its beyond me.

 

[BRODIEMAN2k4]

I'm a firm beleaver in the "Graphics don't make a game" concept

Plus, this game does look better than farcry graphics wise

 

[FoB_Ed]

this game better look at least as good as far cry or its gonna be a bomb in my book

Oh no! Whatever will valve do?

 

[BetaMaster]

I don't care about graphics. That's why I love the NES, Genesis, SNES, Atari....the list goes on and on.
However, I think interactivity is a big role in games. The first 3D games had absolutely no interactivity, so i generally don't enjoy playing them. I'm not saying they suck, just they're....different.

 

[marksmanHL2 :)]

Can't you lay off him a little lol..


I mean opinions are allowed here remember...

 

[Dr. Freeman]

Why do so many gamers now only care about graphics? Its beyond me.

yeah its beyond me as well.
back in the day...gameplay used to mean the world to us gamers.. now suddenly its "graphics graphics and more graphics" :|
i feel developers have generally concentrated so much on graphics and technology that gameplay has suffered.

from the bink videos i have seen, it looks like Valve have managed to keep some of that gameplay that made HL so good...rest we will find out once we have the game.

 

[Feath]

Why is there such an emphasis on graphics nowadays? Back in my day we used to base games on gameplay, even if they didn't have as good graphics as other games.

 

[Neutrino]

Can't you lay off him a little lol..


I mean opinions are allowed here remember...

Agreed. You'd think he just insulted everyone's mother.


Some people like graphics more than gameplay. Other's like gameplay more than graphics. There's nothing wrong with either viewpoint in my book.

 

[forg0tt3n]

There is too much emphasis on Graphics these days...look at Half-Life 1 the graphics were lame but It's an awesome game.

 

[Homer]

Gfx are important in a first person shooter, its just true. maybe in a rts or rpg game they dont matter as much, but even then they help to draw you in. Gameplay may be king guys, buy graphics is qween, and this king is whipped.

 

[The Monkey]

So if a game like Half-Life (1) came out today you would buy it?

 

[NeptuneUK]

yeah its like comparing pong with doom3,
it could never compete with pong's gameplay!!! no matter how good the graphics are

 

[poseyjmac]

ugh, whats the point of this topic really, topic starter? what do you hope to accomplish?

 

[Shuzer]

So if a game like Half-Life (1) came out today you would buy it?

I can answer that! Yes, yes I would

I bought Condition Zero, which is, surprise! On the HL engine
Also, alot of people purchased Nightfire, which ran on the HL engine.

 

[briggsb2k]

I believe 2 many ppl base a good game only around its graphics. Farcrys graphics are good, but the gameplay at times gets repeatitive and it feels very heavy n slow. Doom 3 was a good game just the only thing selling it was its graphics, the gameplay was dissappointing with things becoming very repeatitive. Hl2 seems to b on par with FC but i reckon its gameplay will far surpass FC's and doom3 and already from the binks and video clips u can see how fun the gameplay is. That in my opinion makes the game, good realistic graphics with great gameplay. FC and doom 3 have good graphics but the other - i dnt think so. but thats just my opinion so dnt b flaming me

 

[Lobster]

Some people dont appreciate good game design, of course there will always be a debate over the best looking games, but it seems by the time a game is released there is always somthing else on the horizon knocking it over, Unreal 3 over Doom 3 for instance, the quake 3 engine came out only a year after half-life but it didnt exactly squash half-life.

Half-Life 2's 'renderer' isnt gonna be breaking any new ground technologicly, but its certainly not out dated, what valve have done with the art direction and other features (esspeacialy immersive and interactive gameplay), and the overall quality of the game is what im looking for.

 

[kaellinn18]

I don't care about graphics. That's why I love the NES, Genesis, SNES, Atari....the list goes on and on.
However, I think interactivity is a big role in games. The first 3D games had absolutely no interactivity, so i generally don't enjoy playing them. I'm not saying they suck, just they're....different.

Quoted for so much emphasis.

I could play on my NES for hours and hours today and not get bored. I can create better graphics in MS Paint, but the gameplay of the time was just phenomenal.

 

[Malarkee]

Why do so many gamers now only care about graphics? Its beyond me.

Gameplay seems to be less and less important to your average gamer dosn't it?

when it comes to story and gameplay HL2 is going to be amazing, modability and community: ditto

looks: a) who REALLY cares
b) Its a Next gen engine, Next gen games have
barely been out, even if other game blew it out the
water (gonna be quiet hard) its still gonna blow your
socks off

 

[Sharrd]

So if a game like Half-Life (1) came out today you would buy it?

Yes, duh. I'm playing through Half-Life for the first time right now and it's alot better than both Far Cry and Doom III(if I'm going to act like everyone else and take those as examples).

Edit: Actually, I never played through Far Cry. Stopped halfway through, the story sucked and the gameplay wasn't that good.

Edit2: Want a game that looks better than those two, btw? Try Tron 2.0 or Zelda: The Wind Waker. The design is incredible for both and Tron 2.0's style makes everything look very smooth. You also won't need a top-notch computer to run Tron at highest graphics.

 

[Dr. Freeman]

Agreed. You'd think he just insulted everyone's mother.


Some people like graphics more than gameplay. Other's like gameplay more than graphics. There's nothing wrong with either viewpoint in my book.

hmm..there may be nothing wrong in liking one more than the other but theres no doubt gameplay is much more important than graphics... i mean u can have a pretty nice looking game...but if the gameplay isn't there, then whats the chances of a player keeping interest in completing the game?

HL was a perfect example of a game with graphics which weren't anything eye-opening-like but had the awesome game play which kept the player interested

 

[Mr. Redundant]

Why do so many gamers now only care about graphics? Its beyond me.

when you dole out 3 grand on pc hardware, graphics becomes a major influence in what you purchase.

gameplay is just as important, however underwhelming gfx becomes a flaw in next gen games instead of being palpable.
once you have tasted good graphics on high resolutions, going back is much harder.

I can understand how people who have not experienced absolute awesome gfx can be satiated by gameplay alone though.

that being said, the only thing graphically weak with HL2 is the (from what we have seen) world geometry (barren/"blocky")

 

[Jakeic]

If a gamer wants graphics he should watch a movie.

There is a problem in the video game industry right now. Companies are worried about the profits they make and not the games. The quickest way to capture peoples attention and money is to have flashy graphics. It is hard to showcase gameplay short of letting people play the game. Doom 3 was a terrible game, yet people bought it because of the graphics.

A game is only as good as it's gameplay.

 

[Gunner]

Why is there such an emphasis on graphics nowadays? Back in my day we used to base games on gameplay, even if they didn't have as good graphics as other games.

You want to know why? because this new generation of gamers started playing games with Farcry, their first console was probably a PS2 or an Xbox, their first pc was a Pentium 4. They didn't grow up playing the same games you and I did. At least that's my theory

 

[exoeight]

I don't care about graphics. That's why I love the NES, Genesis, SNES, Atari....the list goes on and on.

unbelievable yes.

i can not keep track of how many times i argue this sort of thing with friends, and i gotta say, marioRPG and Chrono Trigger rocked SNES.

SNES for ever!

bad gfx, awsome game = awsomeness.

and who is to say what bad graphics are?!

not using state of the art technology?

please, bad graphics is a game full of eye candy, good graphics are imagery that matches the mood of a game.

most people don't see beyond the "oh man the plastic doesn't look real enough."

just so you can't argue me on never have seen good gfx as stated from above...

i have a 9800pro to play my games with, and all that yummy stuff that comes with a custom pc... not some sorry store bought junk, not a n00b here and i can say that i still choose SNES games over 90% of the games out there... hah!

eat binary!

 

[kaellinn18]

when you dole out 3 grand on pc hardware, graphics becomes a major influence in what you purchase.

gameplay is just as important, however nderwhelming gfx becomes a flaw in next gen games for us.
once you have tasted good graphics on high resolutions, going back is harder.

I can understand how people who have not experienced absolute cool gfx can be satiated by gameplay alone though.

No one is saying graphics are bad. Hell, I've got a X800 XT coming. But they are not the be all and end all of a game. I still play NES games emulated on my computer. It's by no means pushing my graphics card, but I still shelled out a bunch of money for it.

 

[Jakeic]

when you dole out 3 grand on pc hardware, graphics becomes a major influence in what you purchase.

gameplay is just as important, however underwhelming gfx becomes a flaw in next gen games instead of being palpable.
once you have tasted good graphics on high resolutions, going back is much harder.

I can understand how people who have not experienced absolute awesome gfx can be satiated by gameplay alone though.

that being said, the only thing graphically weak with HL2 is the (from what we have seen) world geometry (barren/"blocky")

That's retarded, I have an XP 3200+ and a 9800 XT yet i play civ2 more than i play Doom 3. In fact, I haven't played a game that wasn't at least 5 years old in a month. The simple problem being that new games suck.

 

[DrJones]

I'd rather have amazing gameplay over amazing graphics. the graphics would just be a bonus. FC graphics were really good and I thought the gameplay wasn't the best but way better than Doom3. HL2 from what I can see looks to have a balance of awesome gameplay and some sweet graphics. Also with steam graphics can be upgraded whereas gameplay cannot.

 

[Neutrino]

hmm..there may be nothing wrong in liking one more than the other but theres no doubt gameplay is much more important than graphics... i mean u can have a pretty nice looking game...but if the gameplay isn't there, then whats the chances of a player keeping interest in completing the game?

HL was a perfect example of a game with graphics which weren't anything eye-opening-like but had the awesome game play which kept the player interested

HL's graphics weren't bad at all for it's time.

I certainly agree with you about gameplay being more important in general. Though honestly even the best gameplay won't get me to play a game if the graphics are just crappy. Together good gameplay and good graphics really complement each other I think.

However, I was just pointing out that if someone actually does prefer good graphics over good gameplay I don't see why they can't think that way. People like games for different reasons.

 

[ShinRa]

its amazing, all the man had to say was "the games graphics better be good" and you all jump on it like a vulture going for its prey. he's obviously saying that shit to piss u off. everyone who isnt blind knows hl2's graphics are far from dated. he apparently wanted to piss everyone off, and he was successful.

 

[Jakeic]

when i look at screensshots of hl2 now...i am underwhelmed...this game better look at least as good as far cry or its gonna be a bomb in my book...even with good gameplay...think this game is right at its tech window of opportunity...

a refresher for those of us who can't remember things.

 

[BRODIEMAN2k4]

I had an argument with a friend last year, lucky for me he was an idiot
ME:"Honestly, lets say there was a game that was released, mediocre graphics but phenomenal gameplay. Extremly fun. And there's another game, GREAT graphics, horrible gamesplay, like watching paint dry. Which one would you buy"
HIM:"The second one"
ME:
"Why?"
HIM: "You could just look at the graphics"
ME: "Why not jsut watch tv?"


Also other dumb things he said
"Grand Tourismo 4 has the greatest graphics ever in video and computer games"

"Doom has been around since like 1970"(and he wasn't exaggerating)

 

[exoeight]

all we have to say is "doom iii"

that's it, then we can laugh at the tards that stoped playing their lovely high gfx game.

does this not prove the point of gameplays superiority? doom iii is the ULTIMATE example of how a game that focuses on gfx first and gameplay last sucks.

don't even complain about doom iii, and it's story, it sucks... it's obvious... not many continue to play it after a week or two.

and especially nothingly memoriable that sticks with you... just realistic plastic.

pwned.

 

[Agent.M]

when i look at screensshots of hl2 now...i am underwhelmed...this game better look at least as good as far cry or its gonna be a bomb in my book...even with good gameplay...think this game is right at its tech window of opportunity...

Dude seriously graphics are shit without gameplay I mean comon....yeah I rember when I was younger and snes was out and I just couldnt wait for nintendo64 because there was such a graphics increase but no a days expecially in pc gaming graphics dont mean shit anymore look at D3 great looking game but dam crappy boring gameplay I mean Im playing the dam source css beta with one map more than I am any Doom3....you just gotta have good gameplay these days whihc HL2 will have I can tell this just from playing the dam css beta.

 

[Freakaloin]

do i have to accomplish something everytime i post on a msgboard? is there a test today?

 

[timech187]

I've played games for years and years. I loved the old school pong to NES to Sega like a lot of folks here. I love games. Truly, I will be playing video games until the day I die.

Also, I love good gameplay. I just love it. HL was the first to really have me addicted. The AI was phenomenal. I could replay parts of that game over and over, mainly the marine parts...man were they fun!

I also loved the graphics. There were games that looked better than it, sure, but not many. When you used OpenGL, that game became pretty easy on the eyes.

People keep dissing good graphics. There is absolutely no reason we can't hope for a game that has both. For $50 I should damn well better have both! If I want to play for hours on a game that has crappy graphics, I'll go to ebay and buy an NES with 20 games for $50.

Unfortunately, in some cases, I want a FPS that completely imerses me into the game, where I feel the physics, where I believe the graphics where I need the gameplay.

Yeah, we would all buy HL nowadays, but fortunately we get to do so for $20 instead of $50.

There is no reason you can't have both.

Timech

 

[Trebaruna]

please, bad graphics is a game full of eye candy, good graphics are imagery that matches the mood of a game.

The nail has been hit right on the head.

HL2 might eventually not be the uberbestest wowy freakin realistic looking game, but have you looked at how the maps are really lifelike in the sense that they have been modelled so that it could be a reproduction of an actual city? Now that's something D3 couldn't do by a long shot.
HL2 convinces through the accuracy of the worlds it features. (and stfu, the graphics still rule. If, that is, you know how to put games into perspective...)

 

[Freakaloin]

yeah good gameplay is the main thing but i expect graphics that wow these days...i pay 400 for a vcard i want it looking good...not decent...not 2003...2004 and 9 months+

 

[Trebaruna]

Well your videocard is still going to have to do a lot for HL2, don't worry