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View Full Version : Movement / Animations (An inquiry, or perhaps a suggestion)



Gervase
05-04-2020, 03:19 PM
Clearly an obvious thing that is rough and I'd presume still in the works, but is there any ETA or timeline of sorts that we can follow in regards to this?

Not trying to use this as a way of 'Well I've been here for quite some time, hur-hur.' but I was playing this back in it's alpha around 2017 and I have to say there hasn't been much change to the animations slash combat movement... aaaaand before you dedicated few who jump on others because of 'well i dont think x is bad, you just need to learn to appreciate it!'

It's an absolute pain trying to convince players to play Project Gorgon for this very reason. I tell them that the game rewards you for exploration, curiosity, and doesn't hold your hand. You can do basically anything you'd like from making cheese to becoming an animal. It's open ended with it's choices, it has customization for your armor and weapons, etc. etc. It's clear it has a lot of awesome skills and systems that I personally appreciate.

But everytime I've brought a new player into this game, the first gripe I get (and usually what drives them off) is "This game feels janky." "This game feels clunky." "Why does it feel so rigid?" I've brought up to 10+ people into the game and all have quit relatively quickly even if they were playing the demo version. It speaks volumes when people wont even put up with it when the item in question was free to try.

Again, not trying to say like I am some big advertisement help or what ever - but I really want to play this game with my friends, but I'm not sure what to tell them when it comes to the extremely stiff, non-fluid movement. I don't think anyone can argue that it's hard to present a game that sounds awesome but then (And again, no offense) plays like junk. It's just one of those painful truths about this game. The movement and animations is SO grinding.

Everyone is entitled to their opinions of course, but I don't think there is much arguing that the systems currently in place are 'good enough'. I would say it definitely feels still more like an alpha, than a beta, and obviously it isn't a finished game.

My concern is there going to be an improvement in this department in the (hopefully near) future? Again, not trying to come off as a "wah you need to do this now" but I'm honestly going to hold off on trying to get people to play when their first few minutes in game is dealing with the ridiculously bad movement. I've just learn to put up with it - however, that doesn't mean I accept it for what it is.

What does the community think? Do you think the movement should stay the way it is, do you accept it? Or do you think (and hope) that it will be smoothed and or ironed out to be a lot more fluid.

And before anyone tries to throw it up in my face, I'm aware that other things can take precedent over animations and or movement since it is in a 'functional and playable state' as well as that this isn't a game being developed by a massive entity - rather what I'd dub a small indie company. I am more or less curious if this is the final cut of it, or if we can expect something better.

Aionlasting
05-04-2020, 03:49 PM
Ive asked multiple times about the animation system. There is a revamp but its been probably three years since it was first announced? Maybe two? Doubt less than two. Even the new mounts are on hold because the animation system is broken.

I agree that while content is king, aesthetics and visual appeal go a long way in the immersion and attachments players develop to the world and their character. Project gorgon is 100% on the content, 0% on the aesthetics and visual appeal. Most games are somewhere in between it seems or even the other way around, 100% beauty but garbage for content.

Gameplay is enjoyable in PG but I would be lying if I didn't admit I lament the lack of visual beauty, I yearn for a beautiful world to deepen my connection to project gorgon and its universe. Its low on Citan's totem pole of things judging by the very infrequent updates to visual , map design, models, art, animation, we see with each patch. Then again, its hard to do everything when your team is made of two or three people. Another problem for another thread.

Just patient waiting outside the game myself for the next patch. It has some animal handling love which is not my thing so I may be waiting two more patches before I dive back in but I guess thats the beauty of no subscription fee. Come and go as you please. Hopefully we'll all be alive to see the new systems put in place and the game released. Its a long wait though, that's for sure.

Worm
05-04-2020, 04:07 PM
Honestly I think the graphics looking the way it does serves as a bit of a buffer. If it looked better you'd probably have a lot more people complaining about the game. I have had friends who said they wouldn't play it because of the graphics and it's probably for the best because it's absolutely not the kind of MMO they are or ever will be accustomed to.

I'd almost rather the game go for a actual retro appearance rather than having a modern revamp in some ways. It'd be quaint.

Gervase
05-04-2020, 07:46 PM
Honestly I think the graphics looking the way it does serves as a bit of a buffer. If it looked better you'd probably have a lot more people complaining about the game. I have had friends who said they wouldn't play it because of the graphics and it's probably for the best because it's absolutely not the kind of MMO they are or ever will be accustomed to.

I'd almost rather the game go for a actual retro appearance rather than having a modern revamp in some ways. It'd be quaint.

I'm fine with the graphics.


I'm not fine with the animations and or movement being so rigid. Though I have a feeling you were referring to the post above your own.

I actually like the graphic style of PG, even if it is low-poly and could use some work. It actually doesn't bother me. If this game had solid animations and not-so-rigid movement.. I would have people playing this game so very quickly. I also believe there is more than enough content available for a new player to experience currently (IMO) Obviously the people that have been playing and haven't stopped playing have perhaps hit their content limit (And I say this in the nicest way possible) but they already purchased the game if they're playing at this point.. If anything, they could just wait for something like better animations / movement to come out; it's not like they'll lose out money since there is no sub feature. (My perspective being if they want more content, they should just wait for maybe something else to come first instead; but I'm not the dev. here)

All I'm trying to say is - It's hard for new players to get into the game, and it would be a horrid lie to tell me that the janky movement -isnt- the problem.

Roccandil
05-04-2020, 10:28 PM
As a new player, the graphics or animations weren't an issue at all for me (I like gameplay better than graphics), but the interface -was- an issue (and still is, to a certain extent).

Thanks, however, to the immense customization possible, I was able to get an interface configuration that works for me. The kicker is that I had to spend time on the tutorial island figuring it out. I'm a sysadmin by trade, so that's normal for me, but I don't know how many potential customers would be willing to do that.

I'd recommend a more natural/standard movement configuration default. (In my case, that's W-forward movement, with right-click mouse controlling direction.)

The other big issue is lag: it's predictably horrible in certain places with many NPCs or players (like Serbule). I'm not sure how this game could scale if it became more popular.

(While I'm at it, I wish I could stack the side bar as a third row with my combat abilities! I haven't found any way, though, to get the sidebar to go horizontal. In tough fights, that can be a big issue if I'm trying to use the mouse to activate abilities, due to the distance between the sidebar and the combat ability bar.)

alleryn
05-05-2020, 07:01 AM
I'd recommend a more natural/standard movement configuration default. (In my case, that's W-forward movement, with right-click mouse controlling direction.)
I must be missing something. Isn't this already the default configuration?


(While I'm at it, I wish I could stack the side bar as a third row with my combat abilities! I haven't found any way, though, to get the sidebar to go horizontal. In tough fights, that can be a big issue if I'm trying to use the mouse to activate abilities, due to the distance between the sidebar and the combat ability bar.)
I would like this as well. Even though i don't use the mouse to activate abilities, having them all in the same alignment would be useful for monitoring coolodowns.

Right now i have my sidebar dragged near the bottom of the screen, and my skill bars all the way to the left, to make them as close as possible. (Also kind of makes a nice aesthetic mesh at the corner with the little cutout and the orb :p) :

https://i.imgur.com/cDC1kER.png

Roccandil
05-05-2020, 07:38 AM
I must be missing something. Isn't this already the default configuration?

Definitely wasn't when I started the demo: took some doing to get there. :)

alleryn
05-05-2020, 01:35 PM
Definitely wasn't when I started the demo: took some doing to get there. :)

Which part isn't the default? That w goes forward or that holding down the right mouse button and moving the mouse causes the player to turn?

Roccandil
05-05-2020, 03:49 PM
I think it was holding down the right mouse button to turn. One way or another, the mouse didn't behave at all like I'm used to at first.

Gervase
05-06-2020, 05:45 PM
Well I look forward to it coming if it ever does, cause god almighty does the game need it haha.

JamesGT
05-10-2020, 07:18 PM
I just bought this game and the animation, models, and textures are all over the place. For example the pig model has animations and textures that seem much more lively than the cow. The cow seems dead and the model and textures are really bad.

this game could use another pass on the models, textures and animations. still enjoying it though just hopefully they eventually give it another pass