Uber Graphics

[DCillusion]

Occasionally, I see someone post a game at 640x400 or even 800x600, and there's always someone who attacks them for their graphics choice.  They give redundant argument of it's not the graphics, it's the game; or go play a Shooter.  Some AGSers even heckle people who use higher-end painting programs.

As a 640x400 game designer myself I'd like to tell all the people who say these things what I thought was painfully obvious.

People don't use Hi-res because they're graphics hogs, they do it because they can't draw like the 320x200 crowd.  Drawing at a lower resolution takes a LOT more skill than hi-res.  I assumed people knew this, but apparently some do not.  We aren't all AGDI.!!  We ARE all entitled to make games though, even if we have to go large format.  After all AGS isn't as clean as C++ or the Sierra Creative Interpreter, but we all use it because we can't do it ourselves and we still want to make games.

So Please, the next time someone attacks somebody else about graphics, make certain the game is rushed, sloppy, etc.  before making the "BIG GAME VS. GRAPHICS" speech.

[Moox]

What brought this up?

Low res doesnt take more skill, its just what your used to, I can draw cartoony 640x480 but more realistic 320x240
I dont draw much high res because of the amount of detail it needs.

[Gilbert]

Well many times hi res graophics can be good and contain more details, they're required if you can really have good use to it, but not when they're unnecessary.

But I don't see the point of argument here. Usually people were crit for using unnecessarily high res graphics only when they can actually make the graphics as good in low res and when painting those graphics won't mean more work (and usually less) doing low res. In that case low res is more favourable, at least for space and speed concern.

I don't see the point about people not liking higher end graphics programmes either, it's just a matter that good graphics depends mostly on the painter's own skill, and advanced features of graphics programmes may help, but you cant rely on them all.One good example is that we always joke about L3N5 FL4R3 effects, but you know that's a joke. The other part is capability, a graphics programme which is modern and powerful doesn't mean it can do everything, it sometimes DOES depends on the painter's need and what kind of graphics they want to produce, etc.

Take something I always say: "Photoshop sucks!" By that I don't really mean it sucks, it certainly does a great job for most graphics and most people like it and are get used to it, but it certainly sucks hard for sure when you come to some specific graphics - palettized graphics (256 colours or less).

[DGMacphee]

There's also an option in AGS's setup to run the game in 320x200. I think this converts hi-res graphics to los-res, so there's no point in nitpicking.

[Moridin]

Yeah ive tried that though. If the game is designed for a higher res then it looks weird. When i tried it for instance this real angry character looked like he was smilling.

[The Book]

My point is that it's the story that makes the game, not the graphics. While working on my own games, however, I prefer to use 800x600 resolution to achieve as much realism as I can.

[PeteRenton]

actually id like to ask a wee question here... does runign a game at 320x200 take up less space? cos ive been doing a game in 640x400 and im realising the size of the file (another reason for 320x200( and iw as wondering if there was anyways ot lower the graphics so its able to be given out of the internet...

[Mr Jake]

a file of any size can be given out over the internet

[PeteRenton]

i know... but when you think of my game for example, it has 12 rooms so far, and already it is 35 meg. I dont want people to download a 200 meg game or watever. i want a managable 12 meg game which is downloadable.

thats kinda what i meant.

[Mr Jake]

zip or compressing by some other means should reduce filesize

[scotch]

If you make your game at 320x240 instead of 640x480 the graphics will take up about 1/4 of the space, but remember that when you compress your game for distribution with zip or rar then it'll get much smaller than 35 mb.

DCillusion, I don't know what you were referring to when you started this thread, I've been working on a game at 640x480 and at 800x600 in 32 bit colour and nobody has ever complained.  When high res games come out they are generally complemented on their graphics, as long as they are drawn well.  I can't think of a single instance of what you are talking about happening to a well drawn game at any resolution.
AGSers being against anything that isn't old school is a myth.