Really old, bumpy, clay-like character models

wheelercub · March 2013

I've played quite a bit this weekend and the environment and dungeons look REALLY impressive. So much so that I think the character models need to be completely updated and overhauled. Male elves never looked so ugly. Female elves eyes look like they have Area 51 alien eyes. Hair styles on all the races look like they're made of straw. Humans look like they're made from lumpy clay. In fact, all the character models are so ugly that they actually look like they're exact copies from Neverwinter Nights 2 which was released in 2006. So I did some research and found this video online which shows character creation for NWN2, and with the exception of more scaling options in Neverwinter, the character models look pretty much the same. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=736mRftsMeU

And I have a really powerful computer with all my graphic settings maxed out. Even after playing with the sliders for character design, the results are always lackluster as my characters always look like very bumpy clay dolls with dead eyes and poor complexion. And while NWN2 was a great game for it's time, this new Neverwinter doesn't have the same character class flexibility, and it doesn't even really use the official D&D system; which was extremely flexible, engaging, and allowed us to forgive the mediocre character models of Neverwinter Nights.

So if there's any way you can update your character models to something aesthetically more pleasing and worthy of a 2013 release, I think Neverwinter will be a hit. Otherwise you may quickly loose players to games where people can express their individuality through more appealing character design.

fstaxcollector · March 2013

wheelercub wrote: »

So if there's any way you can update your character models to something aesthetically more pleasing and worthy of a 2013 release

Redesigning the character models now would also mean that they would have to reskin every piece of armor and weaponry in the game, for every race in the game, in order to accommodate the new models. It would be a phenomenal amount of work and is no small task to accomplish.

Perhaps we'll see this happen later down the road, but what we see now in terms of character models is definitely what we will have available at launch.

foxtsilveruk · March 2013

I agree that the character customization is lacking, especially with regards to eye color, one of the main issues I have with the models is there clunky robotic movements during combat, the combat animations are poorly done slow, and very clumsy. This is especial so with the Guardian fighter, its like a zombie having a fit rather than a skilled fighter.

grimjoe32 · March 2013

I must agree. The animations need work also moving forward.

kagourn · March 2013

Tend to agree the characters move like golems slow and methodical the run animations are terrible as are the models themselves would like to see characters that look less like plastic and more natural.

armalas · March 2013

It's not so much the animations, but the actual textures I think.
They are seriously ugly, and if your character is ugly you're actually less inclined to feel attached to it, and thus the game.
I am fairly certain this can be fixed as the framework of the races remain the same proportions, so armors wouldn't become a problem.

Of all the things I found to be wrong/bugged with the game, oddly this was the one thing I couldn't forgive, I was just happy I didn't have to look at my char from the front...

seekeroftech · March 2013

I agree about the characters' body and colour / textures. The world looks great, costumes look awesome, but characters look blocky and single colour shaded. Coming from CoH and STO I was expecting something along those lines, even if not as many customization options, then at least the higher quality faces and hair from STO which uses the same engine.
I am hoping this is the 'low res' placeholder version.

ryger5 · March 2013

Yeah, character models are awful. In general the character generator is a huge disappointment for me.

That said, it's too late for radical redesigns now.

Also, despite my severe disappointment at character models and character animations, there were so many other aspects to the game I loved, that I can live with it.

wheelercub · March 2013

I did notice in the 11th hour of the beta that although I had my graphics maxed out for detail over performance, there were some additional sliders in the Advanced Settings that were set to 100%, but had a maximum of 200%. I thought this was odd, so I put everything possible at 200% and the character textures looked much, much, better. They could still use some major improvement, but everyone was a lot less painful to look at. Also, at that point I realized that the game graphics, combat system, and questing is more akin to an updated, online version of Dragon Age II rather than Neverwinter Nights 2 (which is funny because DA1 was an updated version of NWN2).

dboss777 · March 2013

fstaxcollector wrote: »

Redesigning the character models now would also mean that they would have to reskin every piece of armor and weaponry in the game, for every race in the game, in order to accommodate the new models. It would be a phenomenal amount of work and is no small task to accomplish.

Perhaps we'll see this happen later down the road, but what we see now in terms of character models is definitely what we will have available at launch.

Wouldn't the modeling be the same if they just updated and changed the texturing? Meaning their dimensions would be the same but the skin/hair/face textures could be updated and nothing major would have to be overhauled. Animations would be a simple matter too and wouldn't, I believe, require anything other than reworking movement loops in running/strafing etc.

wheelercub · March 2013

dboss777 wrote: »

Wouldn't the modeling be the same if they just updated and changed the texturing? Meaning their dimensions would be the same but the skin/hair/face textures could be updated and nothing major would have to be overhauled. Animations would be a simple matter too and wouldn't, I believe, require anything other than reworking movement loops in running/strafing etc.

Yeah I think you're right. Since the clothing already looks great, only the skin textures, hair, and eyes need to be reworked. As for the movement animations, I worked for a Motion Capture company for a few years, and it looks like some of the animations (e.g. Running or Jumping) have been smoothed out too much, resulting in the joints being pulled up higher and closer to the character bodies, thus creating unnatural movement animations. If they don't have the original capture or animation files, I'm sure if they can fix it without starting from scratch. Fortunately most all the animations are pretty good and only a few would need to be replaced.

korosnwn · March 2013

In most MMOs, I usually go without a helmet so that I can show off my handsome mug. This is the first MMO where I can't wait to cover my inbred-looking face with a helmet!

tabris82 · March 2013

korosnwn wrote: »

In most MMOs, I usually go without a helmet so that I can show off my handsome mug. This is the first MMO where I can't wait to cover my inbred-looking face with a helmet!

Ahah! I totally agree with you! Some female do look good, but all the males are ugly, uglier and ugliest. On a totally related mater, the only helmet i found on my HAMSTER looking human priest had no model showing

(even after checking the show/hide option). Talk about bad luck.

iviyliss · March 2013

All the character models were horrible...male & female! One of the things that bothered me the most was the hair...OMG, there was better hair in NWN 1! (well, character created hair anyway, lol!) But seriously, with the technology today compared to then the eyes, hair, skin textures, features, ect, should be much, much better than they are! Animations and stances need to be tweaked too! The running animation of all my female characters was ridiculous! Please, please make some changes!!

rhumor · March 2013

armalas wrote: »

It's not so much the animations, but the actual textures I think.
They are seriously ugly, and if your character is ugly you're actually less inclined to feel attached to it, and thus the game.
I am fairly certain this can be fixed as the framework of the races remain the same proportions, so armors wouldn't become a problem.

Of all the things I found to be wrong/bugged with the game, oddly this was the one thing I couldn't forgive, I was just happy I didn't have to look at my char from the front...

I agree completely with this statement. I can forgive some lack of detail in my surroundings but if my character looks like trash I loose interest.

ryger5 · March 2013

They do look awful, and watching a family member make their first character, it was obvious they lost interest half-way through character creation.

There's no doubt in my mind, that graphically this game is sub-par, PARTICULARLY with character models and animation.

I still like the game though, but I understand the complaints I read on this thread.

jaderiss · March 2013

armalas wrote: »

It's not so much the animations, but the actual textures I think.
They are seriously ugly, and if your character is ugly you're actually less inclined to feel attached to it, and thus the game.
I am fairly certain this can be fixed as the framework of the races remain the same proportions, so armors wouldn't become a problem.

Of all the things I found to be wrong/bugged with the game, oddly this was the one thing I couldn't forgive, I was just happy I didn't have to look at my char from the front...

rhumor wrote: »

I agree completely with this statement. I can forgive some lack of detail in my surroundings but if my character looks like trash I loose interest.

I agree with both of you as you will see by reading what I posted here:

http://nw-forum.perfectworld.com/showthread.php?45871-Feedback-Character-Creation-Elements-You-Want-Added-For-Launch&p=1562911&viewfull=1#post1562911

I'm really concerned with how it will affect playerbase based on what you are saying here and the reasons I mention in my post.

corloc1 · March 2013

I very much agree. Character models seems unfinished.

tessilyn · May 2013

I have to agree with this thread.

When I first booted up the game and watched the cinematic I was really excited - that is - until I saw the character models. Someone above me described them as bumpy clay and I think that's very accurate. I couldn't put my finger on what it was that I hated so much about them...this was it. The character models look like they're made of clay. They have got to be the ugliest character models I've ever seen. For people like me character models are make or break, and I've lost all interest. I wont be playing this game.

zahinder · May 2013

I don't mind the shapes much, the part that bugs me is the shine. The skins are way too glossy.

ksinclaire · May 2013

I had characters in Neverwinter Nights (rather modded, mind) that looked better than the best the current creator can produce.

From the company that gave us City of Heroes and, though less aesthetically pleasing, Champions Online - there's just no excuse for the.. well.. garbage we have here. WoW has textures that are easier on the eyes than these; and I don't even like WoW's textures.

Really old, bumpy, clay-like character models

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