Bionic wrote: They didn't say the graphics were bad. They said they were sterile.
I found the characters in SWG to look much more alive than EQ2 because of the facial expressions and customizability.
I've made a few characters on EQ2, and they all felt very generic, no matter how much I tried to make them stand apart.
Even so there was no grounds to say that SOE lacked in the art department....
It's one of their strongpoints.
Heck, even Planetside which has it's polygon count cut down to support a FPS with little lag, still looks great.
All I really think it is though, is PA tring to stir up a little controversy for their site.
I'm sure that you have a different opinion than I do on a few games. On art direction, on storyline, on all kinds of things.
If I make a post on here saying that I didn't feel the artists put any heart into bla-bla-bla's game, because the game world felt sterile, I think that's a valid opinion. It's not like I'm saying your opinion is wrong or stupid. I'm just saying I didn't appreciate things about it that you did.
If you want to consider that stirring up controversy, that's your right. But to me, it just feels like posting an anecdote regarding opinions of a game they didn't like which was in the gaming news for being reduced in price.
Nothing out of the ordinary, and certainly nothing for people to be yelling at each other about why EQ2's graphics are good. It's just an opinion.
Yes expect you are forgetting he posted a private email. He's tring to stir up website hits.
I'm not forgetting it. If John Smedley did not want him to post it, he could have said so. E-mail is NOT a form of communication that has an expectation of privacy attached, and even if it was, Penny-Arcade has shown over the past five years that they will post e-mails they get from the industry and otherwise if they find them interesting.
first time im my life i ever heard someone say that email is not expected to be private. unless your talking about the government lol.
PA did not post that email because they found it 'interesting', give me a break. its nothing but an attempt to make someone look bad because they didnt like the response they got when asking for money.
Anybody who has been certified to do research in which confidentiality or privacy is a factor has to pass tests indicating they understand that expectations of privacy are not guaranteed in any un-secure contact. That is why e-mail, answering machine messages, and conversations in public are not used when contacting participants unless they are initiated by the participant.
Having gone through the process myself, I take it for granted that everyone understands e-mail is not secure or private.
ﾚｲﾗﾆ ｷﾙ'ﾘｱ Who decided every addition to SWG should be a rutabaga?
IMO unprofessional is responding via email to someone who critized your company's work, good intentions or no.
professionals ignore comments like these, true or untrue, and even if you had a valid point it doesn't matter.
and you know what smed? he didn't insult the artists at all, he insulted the visual feel of EQ2 and he insulted the company that produced that visual feel. i feel you misread his statements, then made yourself look unprofessional by responding an email that highlighted that misunderstanding. also unprofessional is responding to this thread, because that just makes it seem like you're trying to damage control a judgement error on your part by blaming the web comic artist.
furthermore i agree with gabe's assessment. EQ2 does not look or fee like a lived in world, despite technical wonder. neither does SWG. maybe instead of writing emails to random web comic artists you should be spending that time trying to analyse how to rectify some of those issues.
i mean, imagine if penny arcade brought their wit to bear on SWG in a meaningful way? it's a giant box of ammo to sling at SOE, better to learn from this mishap now.
Actually I'm a strong believer in public commentary, debate and criticism. This is just an industry thing.. I don't think it's polite to imply or say anything directly about the people.. that's all.
Here's the email itself:
Normally I like you guys a lot.. even when you dig on us.. but it felt like you went personal on our artists. Low blow IMO
We have some of the most talented artists in the business and EQ II is a gorgeous game. Certainly art style is a subjective thing..and if you want to bag on the art then that’s certainly your right. But unless and until you’ve had any of your art in a game calling people robots just seems weak.
wildcat84 wrote: I agree with Smed. Posting private stuff publically without permission is low class.
low class is not giving to a charity because don't like who hosting it, if you got the money to give do it ppl are starving, dying everyday. Low class is the lies over the passed 2 years. Low class is straight up slaping people in there face with the NGE. People like that guy don't deserve my respect.
WarStory
There are only five notes in the musical scale, but their variations are so many that that cannot all be heard. There are only five basic colors, but their variations are so many that they cannot all be seen. There are only five basic flavors, but their variations are so many they cannot all be tasted. There are only two kinds of charge in battle, the unorthodox surprise attack and the orthodox direct attack, but variations of the unorthodox and the orthodox are endless. The unorthodox and the orthodox give rise to each other, like a beginningless circle- The Art of War by Sun Tzu
To be clear on this - I sent Gabe a private email which he proceeded to post. I have no problems with people criticizing our games. I felt he was a little harsh on the actual people that made them.. that's all. That's also the first time I had emailed Gabe and complained about anything.. ever.
In 15 years in this business I have never once had an obviously private email posted like that. It was extremely unprofessional and I thought it was a pretty cheap shot.
Smed
I thought the NGE was a cheap shot. I also thought that forcing us to pay for a beta is a cheap shot. What can you do?
To be clear on this - I sent Gabe a private email which he proceeded to post. I have no problems with people criticizing our games. I felt he was a little harsh on the actual people that made them.. that's all. That's also the first time I had emailed Gabe and complained about anything.. ever.
In 15 years in this business I have never once had an obviously private email posted like that. It was extremely unprofessional and I thought it was a pretty cheap shot.
Smed
how come when people air opinions against the nge here the post gets deleted then?
low class is not giving to a charity because don't like who hosting it, if you got the money to give do it ppl are starving, dying everyday. Low class is the lies over the passed 2 years. Low class is straight up slaping people in there face with the NGE. People like that guy don't deserve my respect.
Not that I want to get into this debate, but Child's Play comes with strings attached. It is a charity, but there are better ones out there. Not wanting to be part of CP because of it's connection with Penny Arcade is a viable excuse for many, many reasons. Now, if you complained that SOE didn't give to ANY charities, that'd be cause for your type of comment. Not giving to CP alone isn't.
Actually I'm a strong believer in public commentary, debate and criticism.
It does not appear to the Smuggler, Entertainer, or Trader communities that you genuinely DO believe that.
Asking any developer to ever make a post of substance and follow up in any of those three forums would do a large service to yourselves in having us believe that you want "public commentary, debate and criticism."
As of right now, I feel that you want "public silence, statements of how well we are doing, and support."
ﾚｲﾗﾆ ｷﾙ'ﾘｱ Who decided every addition to SWG should be a rutabaga?
To be clear on this - I sent Gabe a private email which he proceeded to post. I have no problems with people criticizing our games. I felt he was a little harsh on the actual people that made them.. that's all. That's also the first time I had emailed Gabe and complained about anything.. ever.
In 15 years in this business I have never once had an obviously private email posted like that. It was extremely unprofessional and I thought it was a pretty cheap shot.
Smed
So is refusing to help with a charity that helps bring relief to children in hospitals because the people who run it said they don't like the art style of a video game your company made.
And how do you know what he or Soe gives money to? "charity" most people don't need to brag out giving money to charity,unless there only doing it to make them selfs look like A bigger person"or showiing off there money"
To be clear on this - I sent Gabe a private email which he proceeded to post. I have no problems with people criticizing our games. I felt he was a little harsh on the actual people that made them.. that's all. That's also the first time I had emailed Gabe and complained about anything.. ever.
In 15 years in this business I have never once had an obviously private email posted like that. It was extremely unprofessional and I thought it was a pretty cheap shot.
Smed
I thought you handled yourself very professionally Mr. Smedley. Now that I have sucked up appropriately, can we PLEASE have a few pre-CU servers? Pretty Please?
Offer pre-CU SWG Servers NOW! End the suffering. SOE, let my people go!
Actually I'm a strong believer in public commentary, debate and criticism.
It does not appear to the Smuggler, Entertainer, or Trader communities that you genuinely DO believe that.
Asking any developer to ever make a post of substance and follow up in any of those three forums would do a large service to yourselves in having us believe that you want "public commentary, debate and criticism."
As of right now, I feel that you want "public silence, statements of how well we are doing, and support."
