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[DagnastyEp]

Sounds like they're putting good work it. I was impressed by the recent trailer; the animations didn't really bother me - but still good that they'll be improving them.

Along with the release date, I'm interested in their post release content strategy. ME2 and ME3 had quite a bit of DLC, though neither had a season pass. If offered, or if that had a "deluxe edition" with the game+season pass, I'd probably get that straight away.

 

[Tovarisc]

As long as we don't see the same recycled animations from the original trilogy, Andromeda's animations will be considered an upgrade.

If they are going to recycle animation they will be using ones from Inquisition.

Edit: Love it how they leave door open for DLC squadmates even after all backslash when ME3 featured it.

 

[Heckler456]

What?

Your complaint was incredibly vague to the point of meaningless, hence me comparing it to this.

 

[LegalEagleMike]

Is it just me, or does it feel like there's some subtle shitting on EDI to build up SAM?

EDI was a squadmate. Implying that you didn't really have an emotional connection to her kind of implies that they failed in that.

Hopefully it just means we dont have to watch Seth Green try and dry hump the new AI.

 

[Skunkers]

Not anymore. Naughty Dog now uses performance capture, just like anybody else.

He means they do a manual pass after the performance capture is done to fix any rough spots, which they do.

 

[plushyp]

Your complaint was incredibly vague to the point of meaningless, hence me comparing it to this.

What was vague and meaningless in me stating the running/jogging animation needs work?

 

[Tortahegeszto]

Bioware games will never have good animation.

 

[SDBurton]

That gif gets me every time.

 

[Heckler456]

Ugh, disgusting.

What was vague and meaningless in me stating the running/jogging animation needs work?

When I take the time to complain about something, I usually at least put a modicum of effort into elaborating what exactly it is I'm complaining about. I mean hell, I've put in more effort now in explaining a throw-away joke than you have in your complaint about the running/jogging animation.

 

[adversarial]

Is it just me, or does it feel like there's some subtle shitting on EDI to build up SAM?

EDI was a squadmate. Implying that you didn't really have an emotional connection to her kind of implies that they failed in that.

Sounds like you're seeing what you're looking for.

It was a pretty basic explanation as to why SAM would have more of a connection with you (the main character) than EDI due to difference in origin-story / relationship with your actual family.

 

[SchrodingerC]

If they are going to recycle animation they will be using ones from Inquisition.

Edit: Love it how they leave door open for DLC squadmates even after all backslash when ME3 featured it.

Can't say much about DAI's animations(didn't play much), but they seemed decent from what I remember.

 

[shinobi602]

Edit: Love it how they leave door open for DLC squadmates even after all backslash when ME3 featured it.

Nothing wrong with adding a new character with his or her own side story if the main story's fully complete at launch, imo.

 

[EventHorizon]

Andromeda is doing a horrible job of selling the story. They are being so tight lipped about the game/story that they've provided little reason to get excited. I bought and read the book prior to the original Mass Effect but have no desire to pick up a book for this one.

Correct me if I'm wrong but the plot so far is about as generic as you can get. A bunch of ships travel to another galaxy. Something goes wrong and the ships get split up. The leader of the human colony dies leaving his children in charge to explore the new galaxy and reunite the travelers. Zzzzzzzzzzz.....

Even when they try to talk up the story, they end up confirming that it is just a platform to unite independent story elements. This is going to be a bunch of by the book loyalty missions and planet hopping. The main story is going to be "find the lost ships". That's pretty weak for a Mass Effect game.

 

[Baalzebup]

I still don't really get what's terribly wrong with that animation.

Her smile is a little awkward, but mainly that disarm has NO force behind it. It's slow.

Yah, the disarm is slow, it doesn't project any force and technique-wise, that is a terrible, terrible way to do it. The very first thing that should happen is making sure the gun no longer points at the person doing the disarming and here it is just pushed straight down with no movement to put Ryder away from the front of the barrel. Legs, especially thighs, make for an excellent place to plant bullets at if the torso is currently unavailable.

It looks like it was supposed to be badass, but it just comes off as goofy as hell due to both parties being incompetent.

 

[tuxfool]

He means they do a manual pass after the performance capture is done to fix any rough spots, which they do.

As everyone else too. Nobody passes through raw performance capture data, doubly true if they're retargeting animations onto a different facial structure.

 

[Spat_triate]

I guarantee it will be better than this candy ankle mess.

Is that...is that Mass Effect 3? I didn't play that game but this is horrible. Looks like someone just threw a blocked run cycle in there and called it a day. I can't believe a professional was ok with calling this final.

Spoiler

Speaking as an animator myself

 

[TetraGenesis]

Have they said anything yet on if you're forced to do side quests to progress the main story?

The reason I never finished DA:I. What a shame.

 

[TetraGenesis]

Can't say much about DAI's animations(didn't play much), but they seemed decent from what I remember.

They weren't.

The only open world RPG to straight up nail facial animations is Witcher 3. Every other developer in the industry (in the genre) should be treating that as a bible.

 

[Tovarisc]

Is that...is that Mass Effect 3? I didn't play that game but this is horrible. Looks like someone just threw a blocked run cycle in there and called it a day. I can't believe a professional was ok with calling this final.

Spoiler

Speaking as an animator myself

ME3 is filled with animation jank like that. At this point animation jank in BioWare's trademark.

 

[ironcreed]

Is that...is that Mass Effect 3? I didn't play that game but this is horrible. Looks like someone just threw a blocked run cycle in there and called it a day. I can't believe a professional was ok with calling this final.

Spoiler

Speaking as an animator myself

Indeed it is and I love the game, btw. But shit like this is why I am not complaining about what we are seeing with Andromeda. It looks leaps and bounds better than the old trilogy in general, despite whatever warts it may have itself.

 

[plushyp]

When I take the time to complain about something, I usually at least put a modicum of effort into elaborating what exactly it is I'm complaining about. I mean hell, I've put in more effort now in explaining a throw-away joke than you have in your complaint about the running/jogging animation.

I would think the countless complaints starting from Dragon Age: Origins stilted animation would not warrant me writing an essay about how off and strange the movement seems. Countless gifs like the running animation have already been posted and yet you seem so wound up about something that doesn't need to be explained further. Why are you getting so offended about something that was never Bioware's strong suit?

 

[Renekton]

They weren't.

The only open world RPG to straight up nail facial animations is Witcher 3. Every other developer in the industry (in the genre) should be treating that as a bible.

W3 facial animations are quite stiff, luckily Geralt is perpetually poker-faced.

 

[xealo]

Is that...is that Mass Effect 3? I didn't play that game but this is horrible. Looks like someone just threw a blocked run cycle in there and called it a day. I can't believe a professional was ok with calling this final.

Spoiler

Speaking as an animator myself

Yes it is. Bioware's reputation for poor animation is quite well deserved.

 

[lukeskymac]

As long as we don't see the same recycled animations from the original trilogy, Andromeda's animations will be considered an upgrade.

But we did. In that same demo. Seconds before that gif.

 

[Staf]

Is it just me, or does it feel like there's some subtle shitting on EDI to build up SAM?

EDI was a squadmate. Implying that you didn't really have an emotional connection to her kind of implies that they failed in that.

How could you not have a emotional connection to the Normandy's residential sexbot?

 

[cackhyena]

Yes it is. Bioware's reputation for poor animation is quite well deserved.

Still not as bad as Bethesda's, tho.

 

[Kinyou]

There's a very specific relationship there. It's more of a partner than EDI was - you're way closer emotionally to SAM.

We're going to fuck that robot

 

[PulseONE]

We're going to fuck that robot

We're all Joker now

 

[StrawberryJam]

Her face always reminds me of Rebecca Black.

 

[TetraGenesis]

W3 facial animations are quite stiff, luckily Geralt is perpetually poker-faced.

Witcher's facial animations are subtle. All Geralt needs to do is raise an eyebrow or tilt his head just a little. They're not overblown and cartoonish like DA:I.

We're going to fuck that robot

Laughing my ass off right now.

 

[Staf]

We're going to fuck that robot

See, you're doing a better job at selling this game than Bioware's marketing apartment.

 

[Sub_Level]

EDI was a squadmate.

Synthetic apologist detected. At least we'll know who to blame when our "squadmates" decide that human life is unnecessary.

 

[pashmilla]

FFXII still the king of facial animation. How did they do it, actually? It's so subtle and detailed it was probably mo-capped right?

Also the laugh animation from DAI haunts my nightmares.

 

[Renekton]

Witcher's facial animations are subtle. All Geralt needs to do is raise an eyebrow or tilt his head just a little. They're not overblown and cartoonish like DA:I.

Nice spin, but it is stiff and unimpressive.

As open-world RPGs go, already inferior to something like FFXV.

 

[Iriscomeback]

I think the motion capture like in L.A. Noire will never be topped.

Holy shit that was good.

What we've seen so far from Andromeda isn't very good. I doubt it will improve much for the final build. BioWare animation never has been very good.

 

[SolVanderlyn]

I guarantee it will be better than this candy ankle mess.

I call this "The Slightly Frozen Admiral"

 

[His Majesty]

W3 facial animations are quite stiff, luckily Geralt is perpetually poker-faced.

no great hopes for Andromeda given the fact that Mac Walters is lead writer

 

[TetraGenesis]

Nice spin, but it is stiff and unimpressive.

As open-world RPGs go, already inferior to something like FFXV.

It's not spin, dawg. I don't know how to convince you that Witcher 3 had excellent animations. Especially because they're subtle.

I mean, different strokes, you don't have to like them. But I'm not gonna back down and say that Witcher 3's animations especially in general dialogue with NPCs (where it's not handcrafted) are not industry-leading.

 

[SchrodingerC]

But we did. In that same demo. Seconds before that gif.

Oh goddamn it. I need to watch the video again.

Edit: what animation are you talking about? The semi sassy pose Ryder was doing?

 

[tuxfool]

I don't know how to convince you that Witcher 3 had excellent animations. Especially because they're subtle.

Don't bother, Renekton has witcher derangement syndrome. The salty comments should tell you that.

 

[Lt-47]

no great hopes for Andromeda given the fact that Mac Walters is lead writer

He's not lead writer. I don't think we even know who's the lead writer is since Schlerf left

 

[Tsukumo]

I can't take their PR anymore. They are ruining this game for me.
Can't wait for the inevitable AMA full of press-release "info".

 

[Ridesh]

The difference between default male Ryder and FemRyder is BIG

I mean, look at this

It is like the male was carefully modeled after someone and the female was quickly made with the character creator.

 

[Smoolio]

Depends on who you ask I guess as I loved even Dragon Age 2 way more than Witcher 3. The character stories I felt through MY Hawke easily outweigh any problems, Bioware is singular these days in this for me. Of course doesn't mean they can't improve everywhere else.

 

[Alpha Phoenix]

He says it's the first time for BioWare working on Frostbite, but this is factually wrong. Where is Inquisition?

 

[Wulfram]

Yah, the disarm is slow, it doesn't project any force and technique-wise, that is a terrible, terrible way to do it. The very first thing that should happen is making sure the gun no longer points at the person doing the disarming and here it is just pushed straight down with no movement to put Ryder away from the front of the barrel. Legs, especially thighs, make for an excellent place to plant bullets at if the torso is currently unavailable.

It looks like it was supposed to be badass, but it just comes off as goofy as hell due to both parties being incompetent.

OK.

Maybe I've just got low standards after all the really terrible animations I've seen in video games, but it still seems like a quibble to me. Its not like Shepard giving Tali an invisible rock or whatever

 

[Herr Schwarz]

I just hope that the egregious amount of time sink isn't as prevalent as it was in dragon age inquisition.

I don't wanna be traipsing through a planet and having to stop every other second to pick up some moon dust or some shit.

God I hated inquisition.

 

[Portugeezer]

Hopefully not just facial animations, the jetpack animations look stiff.

 

[Staf]

The difference between default male Ryder and FemRyder is BIG

I mean, look at this

It is like the male was carefully modeled after someone and the female was quickly made with the character creator.

Didn't Bioware post statistics showing like 80% of the players played male Shepard or something? If that's the case i'm not surprised they focus on him. Her animation could get better though, should give them the benefit of the doubt.

 

[Patryn]

no great hopes for Andromeda given the fact that Mac Walters is lead writer

Mac Walters is not the lead writer, he is the creative director.

Chris Schlerf, who wrote Halo 4 and has since left Bioware to work on Destiny at Bungie, is the lead writer for Andromeda.

Didn't Bioware post statistics showing like 80% of the players played male Shepard or something? If that's the case i'm not surprised they focus on him. Her animation could get better though, should give them the benefit of the doubt.

I suspect they know that figure is inflated by male Shepard being the default option. It can further be seen by the large percentage of players who played Soldier, which was the default class.