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[Koozek]

At least in the examples you provide the places are inspired by interesting themes and concepts. Areas inspired by a sushi bar or a Texan saloon are rich and interesting. Driving a car down a road is never interesting. It is boring, banal and generic.

Now you're comparing general over-world to specific localities. FFXV has American-style ranches (the Chocobo ranch) and gas-stations including typical restaurant, fancy hotels in a Havana-inspired mining-town and many more. How are those less interesting than a Sushi-bar and a Texan saloon?
And if we're talking about the simple over-world, which was your original complaint, FFVII and FFVIII had plain, generic over-worlds, too. Why where those more exciting to explore again? The Buggy and car in those were optional, outside of mandatory moments to advance the story or cross artificial barriers on the over-world, the same as the car in FFXV apparently.

It just doesn't make me want to dive in and explore that world in the least. It doesn't inspire a sense of exploration, it just inspires a sense of tedium. In previous games with vehicles we see entirely different times, different contexts and different graphics - not directly comparable in the least.

What does this even mean? How are FFXV's Venice-, Havana-, Tokyo- and Manchester-inspired cities with their respective different climate, vegetation, means of transportation and levels of technologies (more medieval in Niflheim and the rest of the world versus the high-technology Insomnia) "directly comparable" and not "inspiring a sense of exploration"?

If the car made up a small portion of the game, it wouldn't really matter. But this is apparently the main way to get around. That's what I'm bothered about, that, and the woeful character design and the serious lack of diversity too.

The driving parts can most likely be skipped anyway if set on auto-pilot to just get to the next story section. Maybe you can use Chocobos instead for most of the game outside of the critical parts where the car has to be with you (like crossing the ocean with your car on a boat/ship), who knows. If driving a car is such a pain for you you could walk everywhere and have your car brought to you by Cidney (this feature was confirmed at PAX) if necessary.


You could very well just admit that you aren't interested in the game and not try to justify it by hypocritical arguments that are mostly based on nostalgia for FFVII/FFVIII.

 

[KupoNut]

Photoshopping it would only hurt them in the end, think the image is the real deal

 

[Kagari]

Photoshopping it would only hurt them in the end, think the image is the real deal

Again, they were caught Photoshopping Type-0 HD of all things.

 

[benzy]

Again, they were caught Photoshopping Type-0 HD of all things.

I haven't followed that game much. Is there a link to those photoshopped shots?

 

[djtiesto]

You're right. Looks like the 70's. They should have Highway Star as the music.

Wouldn't be the first RPG with Ian Gillan on the soundtrack!

 

[Famassu]

Driving a car down a road is never interesting. It is boring, banal and generic.

This is just one of the dumbest things I've ever heard. Running is boring, generic as well, if you want to go down that road. I guess these characters should float through the air? That would at least be a bit more original.

And when it comes to the design of the newly revealed area, sure, that particular location isn't bursting with fantasy elements, but it's still a beautiful coastal area that looks like it will be nicely relaxing to drive through after what could be an epic confrontation with the Titan summon in Duscae/Lestallum. What it perhaps lacks in uniqueness, it excells in a kind of sense of place. And I think the lighthouse shown looks fairly unique, just the kind of somewhat fantastical, unrealistic arcitechture that you don't see (much) IRL.

Also, when you're designing a massively open-ish, seamless world, you can't just put a magical forest near an ice cavern that leads to a fiery valley that leads you to an open field with flying islands in the sky. There needs to be some modicum of logic in how these places are designed & situated and it's good to have some more mundane settings so that the more fantastical ones will pop out that much more. A coastal area looking like a coastal area isn't horrible environmental design, especially when we know that this will take us to Altissia.

 

[Koozek]

This is just one of the dumbest things I've ever heard. Running is boring, generic as well, if you want to go down that road. I guess these characters should float through the air? That would at least be a bit more original.

And when it comes to the design of the newly revealed area, sure, that particular location isn't bursting with fantasy elements, but it's still a beautiful coastal area that looks like it will be nicely relaxing to drive through after what could be an epic confrontation with the Titan summon in Duscae/Lestallum. What it perhaps lacks in uniqueness, it excells in a kind of sense of place. And I think the lighthouse shown looks fairly unique, just the kind of somewhat fantastical, unrealistic arcitechture that you don't see (much) IRL.

Also, when you're designing a massively open-ish, seamless world, you can't just put a magical forest near an ice cavern that leads to a fiery valley that leads you to an open field with flying islands in the sky. There needs to be some modicum of logic in how these places are designed & situated and it's good to have some more mundane settings so that the more fantastical ones will pop out that much more. A coastal area looking like a coastal area isn't horrible environmental design, especially when we know that this will take us to Altissia.

Preach.

 

[How About No]

FFVII had fairly standard Japanese sushi/ramen bars.



FFVII takes place on Earth, confirmed!

Unrelated, but I'm always weirded out when fiction set in fantasy worlds have proper nouns in direct references to things in real-life.

I believe "Speak proper English!" was a line in FFVIII. WTF there's no England for there to be the world "English" from!!!

 

[dragonzdogma]

It doesn't make much sense to doctor 10% of a screen shot and leave noticeable graphical artifacts elsewhere.

Agree to disagree, most artist use phothoshop for touch up purposes, is clearly the intention on that shot.

 

[thebigmanjosh]

This is just one of the dumbest things I've ever heard. Running is boring, generic as well, if you want to go down that road. I guess these characters should float through the air? That would at least be a bit more original.

And when it comes to the design of the newly revealed area, sure, that particular location isn't bursting with fantasy elements, but it's still a beautiful coastal area that looks like it will be nicely relaxing to drive through after what could be an epic confrontation with the Titan summon in Duscae/Lestallum. What it perhaps lacks in uniqueness, it excells in a kind of sense of place. And I think the lighthouse shown looks fairly unique, just the kind of somewhat fantastical, unrealistic arcitechture that you don't see (much) IRL.

Also, when you're designing a massively open-ish, seamless world, you can't just put a magical forest near an ice cavern that leads to a fiery valley that leads you to an open field with flying islands in the sky. There needs to be some modicum of logic in how these places are designed & situated and it's good to have some more mundane settings so that the more fantastical ones will pop out that much more. A coastal area looking like a coastal area isn't horrible environmental design, especially when we know that this will take us to Altissia.

Not only this but during the ATR they said the lighthouse was part of some story elements. Just driving around might be boring to some but adding a sense of context and purpose will make that drive more meaningful.

This whole debate is ridiculous without knowing more about the world map, open-world activities, side-quests, and story destinations.

 

[ViciousDS]

This is just one of the dumbest things I've ever heard. Running is boring, generic as well, if you want to go down that road. I guess these characters should float through the air? That would at least be a bit more original.

And when it comes to the design of the newly revealed area, sure, that particular location isn't bursting with fantasy elements, but it's still a beautiful coastal area that looks like it will be nicely relaxing to drive through after what could be an epic confrontation with the Titan summon in Duscae/Lestallum. What it perhaps lacks in uniqueness, it excells in a kind of sense of place. And I think the lighthouse shown looks fairly unique, just the kind of somewhat fantastical, unrealistic arcitechture that you don't see (much) IRL.

Also, when you're designing a massively open-ish, seamless world, you can't just put a magical forest near an ice cavern that leads to a fiery valley that leads you to an open field with flying islands in the sky. There needs to be some modicum of logic in how these places are designed & situated and it's good to have some more mundane settings so that the more fantastical ones will pop out that much more. A coastal area looking like a coastal area isn't horrible environmental design, especially when we know that this will take us to Altissia.

 

[Ishida]

This is just one of the dumbest things I've ever heard. Running is boring, generic as well, if you want to go down that road. I guess these characters should float through the air? That would at least be a bit more original.

And when it comes to the design of the newly revealed area, sure, that particular location isn't bursting with fantasy elements, but it's still a beautiful coastal area that looks like it will be nicely relaxing to drive through after what could be an epic confrontation with the Titan summon in Duscae/Lestallum. What it perhaps lacks in uniqueness, it excells in a kind of sense of place. And I think the lighthouse shown looks fairly unique, just the kind of somewhat fantastical, unrealistic arcitechture that you don't see (much) IRL.

Also, when you're designing a massively open-ish, seamless world, you can't just put a magical forest near an ice cavern that leads to a fiery valley that leads you to an open field with flying islands in the sky. There needs to be some modicum of logic in how these places are designed & situated and it's good to have some more mundane settings so that the more fantastical ones will pop out that much more. A coastal area looking like a coastal area isn't horrible environmental design, especially when we know that this will take us to Altissia.

I don't understand why people who are so negative about this game keep coming into these threads. You read nothing but negative comments from some people; from "they look like a boy band", "cars in my Final Fantasy", "generic stuff"....

These people have already decided that they won't like the game. I bet most of them won't even play it.

We all have opinions, but do we seriously have to keep going through the same shit posts over and over again every time a FFXV thread is created? If the character design is so bad that it will ruin your experience, then stop following this game and forget it exists. Easy, isn't it?

 

[benzy]

Maybe 90-95% the point is that they intentionally wanted to make it look like a real screen shot.
Correct about Noctis,It could be a combo,paint dub/smart blur filter and also by hand, via smudge tool.
But no, this is not some in-game filter, there is no way a filter like that could restructure the polygons and jaggies in such detail like we see in the character faces and hair.

Agree to disagree, most artist use phothoshop for touch up purposes, is clearly the intention on that shot.

Doctored bullshots do happen all the time, but not ones where only a small insignificant portion of it is photoshopped. To use the smudge tool on the hair would actually detract detail. I just don't see what you mean by "restructuring the polygons of the faces and hair." The hair blows and moves in the wind as well as when you walk/run, it happens in the demo and looks the same as in the new screen.

 

[schopaia]

Wow @ the second shot. Xenoblade X has better environment textures than that.

Wow @ Xenoblade is a finished product released months ago. This game is at least 12 months out.

 

[desu]

Wow @ Xenoblade is a finished product released months ago. This game is at least 12 months out.

How about being smart and not releasing screenshots showing your game off in a bad state (imho #2 looks pretty meh due to bad LODs)? It quite possibly will look better in 12 months, but right now it doesn't look all that fancy graphically.

 

[Ishida]

How about being smart and not releasing screenshots showing your game off in a bad state? It quite possibly will look better in 12 months, but right now it doesnt.

Currently the game looks great.

 

[Famassu]

How about being smart and not releasing screenshots showing your game off in a bad state (imho #2 looks pretty meh due to bad LODs)? It quite possibly will look better in 12 months, but right now it doesn't look all that fancy graphically.

It's just a bad screenshot. It looks better in motion and far better (at least from a technical POV) than Xenoblade X

 

[Koozek]

How about being smart and not releasing screenshots showing your game off in a bad state (imho #2 looks pretty meh due to bad LODs)? It quite possibly will look better in 12 months, but right now it doesn't look all that fancy graphically.

A year away and already not that much worse than other open-world games on consoles: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=177076439&postcount=171

It will get optimized. In the meantime they'll still have to show off some screens of the world for marketing and at least they're not bullshotting even if it's not always flattering in stills. That's the compromise with open-world games.

 

[ViciousDS]

How about being smart and not releasing screenshots showing your game off in a bad state (imho #2 looks pretty meh due to bad LODs)? It quite possibly will look better in 12 months, but right now it doesn't look all that fancy graphically.

Witcher 3 looks amazing on consoles......FFXV is nearly equivalent to it graphically in its current state and its a year out......but manages to not look fancy :/

Not to mention how great the game looks in motion


sure

 

[desu]

I was strictly talking about the second screenshot, as that was topic of the discussion.

Glad you guys seem to agree at least:

It's just a bad screenshot.

even if it's not always flattering in stills.

A year away and already not that much worse than other open-world games on consoles: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=177076439&postcount=171

Uh, really? I mean I really had to laugh at the Second Son screenshot. So you wanted to proof that other games can look bad as well? Yes probably, but most of the devs/publishers don't release the worst possible looking screens (in a screenshot pack of 2 to get even more focus on the one bad looking screen) and I don't know why SE does it. The first screenshot got me excited as it looks really good and then I saw the second one ...

 

[nelsonroyale]

Witcher 3 looks amazing on consoles......FFXV is nearly equivalent to it graphically in its current state and its a year out......but manages to not look fancy :/

Not to mention how great the game looks in motion


sure

Yeah. W3 has the edge at the moment for being more dense, varied and having better LoD...But I think FFXV at least matches it currently, and has better lighting, better scale, better landscape geometry, better character models, crazier effects...I think it will definitely come out on top visually come release. I am a massive fan of W3 though, best wrpg I have played in 26 odd years gaming.

 

[peronmls]

I haven't followed that game much. Is there a link to those photoshopped shots?

also would like to see

 

[Famassu]

Uh, really? I mean I really had to laugh at the Second Son screenshot. So you wanted to proof that other games can look bad as well? Yes probably, but most of the devs/publishers don't release the worst possible looking screens (in a screenshot pack of 2 to get even more focus on the one bad looking screen) and I don't know why SE does it. The first screenshot got me excited as it looks really good and then I saw the second one ...

It's a bad screenshot in the way that screenshots taken with PS4's Share function can look bad due to compression, but I still think the shot itself shows of a decently beautiful coastal area.

 

[Whompa02]

You guys realize every promotional image released by almost every AAA game developer photo retouches their screenshots?

It's not anything new, especially these days. Square is no better than Ubisoft, EA, Eidos, Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo, and many others...this should seriously not shock anyone.

 

[Kagari]

It's a bad screenshot in the way that screenshots taken with PS4's Share function can look bad due to compression, but I still think the shot itself shows of a decently beautiful coastal area.

Stop reaching.

 

[ViciousDS]

Yeah. W3 has the edge at the moment for being more dense, varied and having better LoD...But I think FFXV at least matches it currently, and has better lighting, better scale, better landscape geometry, better character models, crazier effects...I think it will definitely come out on top visually come release. I am a massive fan of W3 though, best wrpg I have played in 26 odd years gaming.

fuck yes it is, but holy crap is it overwhelming......never I have actually felt that exhausted on an open world game. But damn, when I finally finished it.....nothing but a grin on my face and gladness knowing the journey of the game and the outcome. Absolutely beautiful title.

If FFXV is bigger and looks as good if not better............ffffuuucccckkkk, goodbye life

 

[Famassu]

Stop reaching.

I probably should've added screenshots taken with the Share function that have then been shared through Twitter or something. They get compressed pretty badly at that point and otherwise nice looking shots might look a lot worse when some of the detail is muddled up.

Still, doesn't change my opinion that while yeah, that is not the best screenshot they could've shared from FFXV, I think the area itself still looks pretty enough that I'm not too bothered by the screenshot's IQ issues.

 

[benzy]

Uh, really? I mean I really had to laugh at the Second Son screenshot. So you wanted to proof that other games can look bad as well? Yes probably, but most of the devs/publishers don't release the worst possible looking screens (in a screenshot pack of 2 to get even more focus on the one bad looking screen) and I don't know why SE does it. The first screenshot got me excited as it looks really good and then I saw the second one ...

Second Son hides distant detail with dof blur, that was the point for the comparison when people complain about draw distance, LOD, and flat trees in the FFXV shot.

It's not the LOD or draw distance that looks unflattering to me, what they showed in the second screen is actually a drastic improvement over the crappy LOD in the demo and is comparable to other open world games. For me the rock textures look incomplete and could use work; I agree SE should have captured a more flattering screenshot for PR.

 

[Astral Dog]

This is just one of the dumbest things I've ever heard. Running is boring, generic as well, if you want to go down that road. I guess these characters should float through the air? That would at least be a bit more original.
.

That would be awesome, get out of your car and the party can fly with sky enemies and slightly different combat.

 

[benzy]

That would be awesome, get out of your car and the party can fly with sky enemies and slightly different combat.

 

[desu]

I probably should've added screenshots taken with the Share function that have then been shared through Twitter or something. They get compressed pretty badly at that point and otherwise nice looking shots might look a lot worse when some of the detail is muddled up.

Am I reading this wrong or are you trying to imply that this counts for screenshot #2?

 

[nelsonroyale]

Second Son hides distant detail with dof blur, that was the point for the comparison when people complain about draw distance, LOD, and flat trees in the FFXV shot.

It's not the LOD or draw distance that looks unflattering to me, what they showed in the second screen is actually a drastic improvement over the crappy LOD in the demo and is comparable to other open world games. For me the rock textures look incomplete and could use work; I agree SE should have captured a more flattering screenshot for PR.

To be honest, I personally probably am being a bit harsh on this game because some elements already look really damn good and there is a very obvious discrepancy. Overall, I already think it looks quite a bit more impressive than say Infamous, which is a fair feat, since Infamous looks great. I think the smudgy IQ and the LoD since needs work. It is more obvious than in Witcher 3, or at least they deal with it in a much more blatant and obvious way here which reminds me of AC Unity...which was another game which really had a jarring drop off in detail. Actually, it is done better here than in that game at least.

 

[benzy]

You guys realize every promotional image released by almost every AAA game developer photo retouches their screenshots?

It's not anything new, especially these days. Square is no better than Ubisoft, EA, Eidos, Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo, and many others...this should seriously not shock anyone.

Square has been releasing non-touched up, direct-feed screenshots of FFXV ever since the re-reveal. It's pretty easy to see which shots get touched up or not. The new screens in the OP don't look doctored or supersampled in any way.

From 2014

To be honest, I personally probably am being a bit harsh on this game because some elements already look really damn good and there is a very obvious discrepancy. Overall, I already think it looks quite a bit more impressive than say Infamous, which is a fair feat, since Infamous looks great. I think the smudgy IQ and the LoD since needs work. It is more obvious than in Witcher 3, or at least they deal with it in a much more blatant and obvious way here which reminds me of AC Unity...which was another game which really had a jarring drop off in detail. Actually, it is done better here than in that game at least.

The LOD transitions definitely need work. They're a bit wonky in the footage and some trees actually seem to lose detail the closer you get to them.

 

[dragonzdogma]

This is just one of the dumbest things I've ever heard. Running is boring, generic as well, if you want to go down that road. I guess these characters should float through the air? That would at least be a bit more original.

And when it comes to the design of the newly revealed area, sure, that particular location isn't bursting with fantasy elements, but it's still a beautiful coastal area that looks like it will be nicely relaxing to drive through after what could be an epic confrontation with the Titan summon in Duscae/Lestallum. What it perhaps lacks in uniqueness, it excells in a kind of sense of place. And I think the lighthouse shown looks fairly unique, just the kind of somewhat fantastical, unrealistic arcitechture that you don't see (much) IRL.

Also, when you're designing a massively open-ish, seamless world, you can't just put a magical forest near an ice cavern that leads to a fiery valley that leads you to an open field with flying islands in the sky. There needs to be some modicum of logic in how these places are designed & situated and it's good to have some more mundane settings so that the more fantastical ones will pop out that much more. A coastal area looking like a coastal area isn't horrible environmental design, especially when we know that this will take us to Altissia.

Well said,
you know playing GTA V yesterday I often pay extra cash to have my cab skip
the ride and get me straight to my destination, that's something I doubt I would do in a world like FF XV ( at the very least, surely not the first time I visit a new area.)

 

[dragonzdogma]

Doctored bullshots do happen all the time, but not ones where only a small insignificant portion of it is photoshopped.

Bullshots happen both ways insignificant or not they are still bullshots.
I believe the Type-0 shots were also slightly photoshoped and if my mind is not playing tricks on me they have tried to trick us with FFXIII a while back.

 

[benzy]

Bullshots happen both ways insignificant or not they are still bullshots.
I believe the Type-0 shots were also slightly photoshoped and if my mind is not playing tricks on me they have tried to trick us with FFXIII a while back.

I've explained the hair you thought was touched up with smudge tool, so what else do you think is touched up in that new XV screen? Even the demo lacks jaggies in screenshots.

 

[dragonzdogma]

so what else do you think is touched up in that new XV screen?

http://i.imgur.com/0hHlLWe.jpg
(If your browser allows zoom function check out that face on Ignis.)

I've pointed out the faces mostly,
but overall, there are some touch ups in the structure believed to be a light house and perhaps other spots here and there.Even if these images are compressed I can still spot extra details that should not be there.

 

[benzy]

http://i.imgur.com/0hHlLWe.jpg
(If your browser allows zoom function check out that face on Ignis.)

I've pointed out the faces mostly,

All I see is the comparisons are under different lighting conditions.

but overall, there are some touch ups in the structure believed to be a light house and perhaps other spots here and there.Even if these images are compressed I can still spot extra details that should not be there.

This is so vague man, I give up lol.

 

[Ishida]

http://i.imgur.com/0hHlLWe.jpg
(If your browser allows zoom function check out that face on Ignis.)

I've pointed out the faces mostly,
but overall, there are some touch ups in the structure believed to be a light house and perhaps other spots here and there.Even if these images are compressed I can still spot extra details that should not be there.

Mmhh.. I really don't understand what you are trying to point out in that screenshot.

 

[VindicatorZ]

One of my main concerns is the lack of music in the overworld when stepping out of the car. I really hope it isn't like this throughout the game. The best part of the old FF's is having the environments burned in your memory with amazing music.

 

[dragonzdogma]

All I see is the comparisons are under different lighting conditions.



This is so vague man, I give up lol.

Vague to untrained eye my friend
Listen, even if the lighting conditions were exactly the same, there is way to much detail on Ignis face at that distance,and both Prompto and Ignis smooth hair gives it away.
Like I said before, Agree to disagree, but the fact still remains they have done this with type-0 and Final fantasy XIII.

Mmhh.. I really don't understand what you are trying to point out in that screenshot.

Mostly How smooth and curvy the image on Ignis and promptos hair looks, usually there should be less detail and that distance and maybe even more Jagged edges all around.

But Hey if I'm wrong and somehow Squarenix manages to run this game with some sorta Super Eagle!,hq2x filter like emulators do at 1080P
I would be more than happy, since I loved the demo so much, but I wouldn't get my hopes up.

 

[Koozek]

One of my main concerns is the lack of music in the overworld when stepping out of the car. I really hope it isn't like this throughout the game. The best part of the old FF's is having the environments burned in your memory with amazing music.

I could imagine this getting really annoying in a huge world like this if it's really just a simple loop. If it has music on the over-world it should be dynamic, where sometimes only some short stems are faded in/out and then it's back to silence plus atmospheric ambient sounds for a while.
Also enough different cues/layers depending on where in the area you are. When you're in the forest flutes fade in, when you enter the swamp some synths fade in, etc. I don't want to hear the same song for hours on those big maps. Also PLEASE drop that "enemy alarm" jingle before and the battle music for every single encounter no matter how small the mob. At least have a Zelda-like percussion layer fading in lightly when a battle starts, not a completely different song that even starts from the beginning again every time.
Unfortunately I doubt they'll do something elaborate like this, which is a shame considering how dynamic every other aspect of the game is (visuals, AI, animations, etc).

 

[STILLethal]

Looks goodman.jpg

 

[benzy]

Vague to untrained eye my friend
Listen, even if the lighting conditions were exactly the same, there is way to much detail on Ignis face at that distance,and both Prompto and Ignis smooth hair gives it away.
Like I said before, Agree to disagree, but the fact still remains they have done this with type-0 and Final fantasy XIII.

It's just extra clarity from going to full 1080p, getting rid of the DOF blur and whatever smeary AA they were using in the demo which ran at 900p.

 

[ezekial45]

If I recall correctly, this game is running on some of the same tech as Just Cause 3, right?

 

[benzy]

If I recall correctly, this game is running on some of the same tech as Just Cause 3, right?

It's SE's own tech. They're going to try to incorporate Just Cause 3's streaming tech to get full-scale airships working, but it's only in the beginning phase of discussions atm.

 

[Wensih]

In what aspect?

In both aspects. It's either a corridor or a giant plain.

 

[Koozek]

If I recall correctly, this game is running on some of the same tech as Just Cause 3, right?

Lol, nah. They only now started talking about a possible collaboration for some of the streaming tech that would be needed for an air-ship in the game to fly really high. At the moment they can only have the air-ship fly as high as birds roughly.

 

[vocab]

That second shot. Oh boy.

 

[JayBabay]

Level of detail in the second image is disappointing. I don't think it will be improved all that much because that game already looks better than a lot of stuff we've seen on PS4, add to this an open world and I believe corners have to cut in some place. In the first image though, it looks good enough for me. Sure, there are aliasing issues but seeing each individual blade of grass and light reflecting off everything gives it a nice feel.