Crowfall aka Play2Crush aka Shadowbane II aka Nostalgia Online

[Tmon]

To me the style suggests mobile game.  Not sure why, but that was my first thought when I saw the character creator screen.

[WayAbvPar]

It's not wrong or right, it's a matter of personal taste. I *personally* DETEST & DESPISE what in the western hemisphere seems to be known as "cartoon style".

Preach on, my brotha. HATE HATE HATE that shit.

[HaemishM]

I'm ambivalent about the art style. It reminds me of a lot of MOBA's that have been coming out recently - especially TOME and STRIFE (you have to all caps MOBA game titles apparently). How it animates is crucial to that type of style, though. Janky animation will make it look even shittier.

[Falconeer]

I might be wrong but I think that some of the icons on the right part of that screenshots are taken from Shadowbane too.

[Yegolev]

All of the style elements are stolen from somewhere else.  Looks like Torchlight to me.

This might seem an odd question, but what is "cartoon style" called in non-western places?

[Triforcer]

Screenshot looks fine to me.  In a hardcore pvp mmo, anything that produces a non slideshow is by definition great.  I didn't think the play2crush and "anything that doesn't show a perfect reflection of the entire zone in every puddle of water suxxx" venn diagrams had much overlap for that basic reason.

[tmp]

Eh, that just looks like a millionth game copying the "WoW style". I'm all out of fucks and outrage to give.

[ezrast]

Hey look, an actual screenshot

Fuck that style. They probably found the only way to drive me off a hardcore PvP MMO.

I'm actually quite the opposite.  That route tells me they aren't so wedded to "realism" that can't be achieved with a low budget anyway that they could actually have some sense as a development team.

Or maybe the game will just suck either way.  Yeah, it's probably this one.  I can't see a game called Crowfall doing well.

Those were pretty much my thoughts as well. Part of me even wants to believe that they intentionally chose the goofiest-ass name they could think of to go along with the art style. It's almost like they're self-aware.

I do really like that "Dash Count" is a primary stat.

[Gimfain]

Cartoony style isn't particularly interesting but it allows you to make low resolution characters that doesn't look awful. While it might not be interesting while you grind sheep intestines and stare at your female characters bum all day but its important for mass battles when an immense number of players are on the screen at the same time. Its hard not to forget Aion when everyone turned invisible during the big scale abyss fights.

Gameplay and performance trumps graphics and aesthetics.

[Falconeer]

In a hardcore pvp mmo, anything that produces a non slideshow is by definition great.

No MMO has been a slideshow even with lots of people on screen since... Age of Conan and Aion? 2008? That was SEVEN years ago. In recent times Guild Wars 2, Elder Scrolls Online or even Archeage proved that you don't need shitty graphics to have 100+ people on screen butchering each other. The "slideshow" excuse is old and belongs to ancient times. You should stop believing it.

Also, you can make simplified models without resorting to "cartoon" style. I am not an artist, the burden of creativity is on them, sorry, and clearly they are kind of short on it.

[Falconeer]

This might seem an odd question, but what is "cartoon style" called in non-western places?

I don't know? Crap?

[Azazel]

When the alternative is all too often the soulless crap of EQ2/Vanguard et al, I'll go for the WoW/Torchlight-inspired look every time.

[Draegan]

This coming from a guy in love with SMITE's graphics. Beauty is certainly in the eye of the beholder.

[Malakili]

When the alternative is all too often the soulless crap of EQ2/Vanguard et al, I'll go for the WoW/Torchlight-inspired look every time.

Yeah, I 100% agree with this.

[Falconeer]

This coming from a guy in love with SMITE's graphics. Beauty is certainly in the eye of the beholder.

Not in love. I think it's good and on par when not better than similar and more popular games, and so are the animations. If you say "graphics and animations are terrible" (which is what you said) that calls for a reality check, especially since you are apparently questioning the quality and not the style.

EDIT: Also, thanks for mentioning SMITE which is one out of a possible million examples of how to make colourful and not-so-realistic graphics that don't have much in common neither with EQ2 and Vanguard nor with WoW and cartoons. There's a lot of in-betweens you know? It's sad when no one even tries anymore.

[Draegan]

This coming from a guy in love with SMITE's graphics. Beauty is certainly in the eye of the beholder.

Not in love. I think it's good and on par when not better than similar and more popular games, and so are the animations. If you say "graphics and animations are terrible" (which is what you said) that calls for a reality check, especially since you are apparently questioning the quality and not the style.

EDIT: Also, thanks for mentioning SMITE which is one out of a possible million examples of how to make colourful and not-so-realistic graphics that don't have much in common neither with EQ2 and Vanguard nor with WoW and cartoons. There's a lot of in-betweens you know? It's sad when no one even tries anymore.

Again it's opinion because i don't think those screens look like crap either.

[Nija]

In recent times Guild Wars 2, Elder Scrolls Online or even Archeage proved that you don't need shitty graphics to have 100+ people on screen butchering each other.

Dude, you couldn't SEE most of the people in GW2. They didn't fix that for the first year of release! I spent the first month of the game using area effect skills at the ground because the players wouldn't ever load.

[Falconeer]

Yes, me too, and they fixed it and it has been fixed for two years now. "We have the technology!"

[tmp]

Also, thanks for mentioning SMITE which is one out of a possible million examples of how to make colourful and not-so-realistic graphics that don't have much in common neither with EQ2 and Vanguard nor with WoW and cartoons. There's a lot of in-betweens you know? It's sad when no one even tries anymore.

Are you serious? Because I just had a quick look, and if I wasn't told beforehand that's supposed to be a different game, between the style, the UI, combat graphics and the out-of-game artwork you'd easily make me believe that's just some new WoW expansion (post their graphics update(s) in particular)

[Threash]

SMITE looks a lot closer to WoW than that screenshot does.

[Paelos]

I dislike MMOs that chase the "realism" graphics because of logistical issues, and because it ends up looking really dated in the span of 5 years. At which point they have to waste time updating it. Also graphics whoooooooooooooooores. 

[tmp]

I dislike MMOs that chase the "realism" graphics because of logistical issues, and because it ends up looking really dated in the span of 5 years. At which point they have to waste time updating it. Also graphics whoooooooooooooooores. 

Well, WoW might've bought itself some 5 extra years with the cartoonish style but still ended up looking dated to the point they went through upgrades

[Paelos]

10 years is fine. Nothing you design will last beyond that graphically without looking dated.

[Hutch]

More sizzle

Pictures of a couple more classes, plus their guild crests (or whatever they are) arranged in a "tree".

At least these guys had some art ready to go before they made their announcement 

[Ingmar]

In a hardcore pvp mmo, anything that produces a non slideshow is by definition great.

No MMO has been a slideshow even with lots of people on screen since... Age of Conan and Aion? 2008? That was SEVEN years ago. In recent times Guild Wars 2, Elder Scrolls Online or even Archeage proved that you don't need shitty graphics to have 100+ people on screen butchering each other. The "slideshow" excuse is old and belongs to ancient times. You should stop believing it.

Culling may have been worse than slideshows, really.

[Threash]

Besides culling no MMO since shadowbane has gone for the numbers of people in a battle that shadowbane had.  If those graphics are what it takes to put 500 people on screen then i will gladly take them.  Not that there is anything wrong with them anyways.

[Draegan]

Mass PvP like that is just zerg and boring.

[Threash]

And yet it is still by far the best pvp game i've played, and i play everything.

[Draegan]

That's probably because no PvP MMO in the last decade has had any consequences to losing outside of points (if that).  That lack of weight to your actions makes all games weak.

Anyway mass PvP vs. Small scale PvP is a matter of taste. Both have their moments.

[Draegan]

Now this is hardkore  

[HaemishM]

More sizzle

Pictures of a couple more classes, plus their guild crests (or whatever they are) arranged in a "tree".

At least these guys had some art ready to go before they made their announcement 

Their game already looks better than Pantheon. 

[Megrim]

Now this is hardkore  

See, that's actually pretty funny.

[drogg]

here's some stuff on the skeleton of the fealty system and more character customization - looks shadowbane like, big surprise!

http://community.crowfall.com/index.php?/topic/907-012015-character-creation-preview-runes-runes-runes/

[Hutch]

Yeah, all that crowing about Taking Chances was pure edgy sizzle bullshit. This game is going to be SB v2.
Or more precisely, the Pitch For Crowdfunding For SB v2.

[Threash]

How is trying to make sb2 not taking chances?