we need a new sky

[Dragowulf]

our sky is too bland. especially at night. it looks like someone wen t in photoshop and used the gradient tool. we need a sky revamp. seriously. look at all these newer(but not as good graphically) games that have amazing skys. vanguard, age of conan, lotro. our sky took 10 minutes to make in the eq2 hq.

[Image_Vain]

Yeah, I can do a better job on my paint program. /sign

[Armawk]

lets see some of your skies then ppl.. no pics= no goodness.

[Siogai]

Want me to steal a sky shot from Oblivion? It's astounding. Stay tuned, I'm not in front of my ES4 machine atm.

[DanaDark]

<p>um... I like the EQ2 sky... =/   I think it fooking rocks... but I play with atmospheric stuff on and bloom and all the goodies that make it soooo nice...</p><p>Touch my sky and I'll EAT YOU FOR DINNER ><</p>

[Emerix]

I'd love prettier skies and epecially clouds and other weather effects . Would add a lot to the atmosphere

[Image_Vain]

<cite>shaunfletcher wrote:</cite><blockquote>lets see some of your skies then ppl.. no pics= no goodness.</blockquote> Fine, I was going to wait till I was finished, before releasing it to the world, but, I'll show you, it's 4 years in the making! <img src="http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb290/Image_Vain/NewBitmapImage5.jpg" border="0">

[Armawk]

You win the internet

[Dragowulf]

<cite>Siogai wrote:</cite><blockquote>Want me to steal a sky shot from Oblivion? It's astounding. Stay tuned, I'm not in front of my ES4 machine atm. </blockquote> i have all my settings up and it looks like it was made is PS6.   the diff with us, or at least me is, I DONT  specialize in graphics and didn't go to college for it. i do know some stuff, for i have PS CS3 and i can tell u right now my knowledge with that i can recreate our eq2 sky. either way we need it to be teaked significantly.

[Josgar]

Even RO2 has a better sky... but if they make the sky look better.. at what cost will it be to our FPS?

[Dragowulf]

make it an option. just like specular lighting,etc.

[Siogai]

LOL, wouldn't you know it? I went home last night, loaded up Oblivion and played for 6 hours.... and it... Rained. Every. Single. Minute. That I was outside... /sigh. I'l try again tonight.

[Iseabeil]

Whilst the sky isnt so bad that Id ask for it to be redone, it certainly isnt EQ2's most advanced feature. I remember when i was in alpha test of a game that unfortunatly never made it live (dragon empires) we had commands that enabled us to go anywhere on the 'planet', including up in the sky. The clouds where made of several layers, all moving independently on different altitudes making for an amazing view from bellow and the weather patterns were amazing. The most beautifull weather Ive ever seen in a mmorpg I saw there, Aurora Borealis dancing above the sky looking so lifelike it was mindboggling. Im not sure of what type of skybox EQ2 uses, but even tho I wouldnt call it needed, I wouldnt mind some upgrades there.

[Korvin]

Old post, but it is still relevant.Nothing has changed in EQ2 since launch concerning the sky. I also do personally think that the sky is very simple. The colors espesially blue/grey lack the saturation, and especially clouds are not so impressive and colourful. Look in Antonica - you will never see impressive clouds there.For example here (Commonlands)<img src="http://i033.radikal.ru/0803/09/c3fceddfa16b.jpg" border="0" alt="" />or here (even added saturation with Photoshop a little, but as you can see clouds are very bleak)<img src="http://i012.radikal.ru/0803/60/b3d59de8346d.jpg" border="0" alt="" />compare this sky for example with Vanguard  <img src="http://i023.radikal.ru/0803/dc/dd14eaf81bf7.jpg" border="0" alt="" />And when its raining or before the rain, the sky turns just grey, very pastel colors.Look here<img src="http://i011.radikal.ru/0803/5a/52e12384e85a.jpg" border="0" alt="" />and compare it with Vanguard <img src="http://i031.radikal.ru/0803/78/dde4a393a0ee.jpg" border="0" alt="" />or with with Oblivion <img src="http://i018.radikal.ru/0803/32/38e689d9e2a4.jpg" border="0" alt="" />So, I will highly expect some commentaries from SOE designers about this topic. EQ2 graphic engine could produce better sky picture, i am absolutely sure. Will you be willing to change this in the nearest future?

[Snowdonia]

That's all atmospheric though. You're not talking about the actual sky, you're talking about the atmospheric conditions; IE weather.THIS is the EQII sky (and pictures honestly don't do it justice because you miss the twinkling of the stars and the movement of Luclin within itself, etc)...<img src="http://www.ulujain.org/temp/luclin1.jpg" border="0" alt="" /><img src="http://www.ulujain.org/temp/luclin2.jpg" border="0" alt="" /><img src="http://www.ulujain.org/temp/luclin3.jpg" border="0" alt="" />These were all taken on the Island of Mara and I sat there, when the sky was clear, just staring at the sky because it was so mesmerizing. Now, those "clouds" coming in in the third pic, I agree, they need fixing. The sky's atmospheric effects are really lacking. But the sky, it's beautiful.

[Telden]

I would agree that the problems with the Norrath sky are all in the cloud layer. The sky itself is very nice.The most disconcerting problem to me is that celestial objects, meaning the sun and the 2 moons, drop through the cloud layer as they descend down the horizon. Yep, it looks like the setting sun is falling down onto Norrath, not simply going beyond the horizon.

[Kaalenarc]

<p>Id like to see it enhanced and I'd also like to see some WEATHER in all the other zones. Why is it that mostly original zones have weather and most of the expansion ones dont?</p><p> I'd like to see some dust storms in Sinking Sands, rain in KoS, Lightning in Bonemire, A blizzard in EF, etc... would be a nice touch and its almost always forgotten...</p>

[Wildmage]

<cite>Kaalenarc@Antonia Bayle wrote:</cite><blockquote><p>Id like to see it enhanced and I'd also like to see some WEATHER in all the other zones. <b>Why is it that mostly original zones have weather and most of the expansion ones dont?</b></p><p> I'd like to see some dust storms in Sinking Sands, rain in KoS, Lightning in Bonemire, A blizzard in EF, etc... would be a nice touch and its almost always forgotten...</p></blockquote>one simple reason, conservation of system resources.  People complained that old world zones were plane and boring, solution make zones more interesting but that extra drain on the system has to come from somewhere so the resources for weather are reallocated, downsized, eliminated.

[ke'la]

<cite>Siogai wrote:</cite><blockquote>LOL, wouldn't you know it? I went home last night, loaded up Oblivion and played for 6 hours.... and it...Rained.Every. Single. Minute.That I was outside.../sigh.I'l try again tonight.</blockquote><p>If it's raining head to an Oblivion gate, Rain+Gate effect = really cool sky. </p><p>I think the EQ2 night is really nice espaelly when the Luclan Scare is turned tord Norath. But yeah the Day sky is Blah. Though sunset and sunrise are nice.</p>

[ke'la]

<cite>Kaalenarc@Antonia Bayle wrote:</cite><blockquote><p>Id like to see it enhanced and I'd also like to see some WEATHER in all the other zones. Why is it that mostly original zones have weather and most of the expansion ones dont?</p><p> I'd like to see some dust storms in Sinking Sands, rain in KoS, Lightning in Bonemire, A blizzard in EF, etc... would be a nice touch and its almost always forgotten...</p></blockquote><p>How is it suposed to rain in KoS? the clouds are below you.</p><p>I have been in a Sinking Sands Dust Storm, not reasontly because I HATE that zone(spent WAY to much time thier lvling my monk, when it was the only 50-55 zone). While I don't recall Lightning in BM, I think the falling ash is a nice effect, and I have also seen Blizzards in EF.</p>

[ke'la]

<cite>Snowdonia@Runnyeye wrote:</cite><blockquote>That's all atmospheric though. You're not talking about the actual sky, you're talking about the atmospheric conditions; IE weather.THIS is the EQII sky (and pictures honestly don't do it justice because you miss the twinkling of the stars and the movement of Luclin within itself, etc)...<img src="http://www.ulujain.org/temp/luclin1.jpg" border="0" alt="" width="768" height="565" /><img src="http://www.ulujain.org/temp/luclin2.jpg" border="0" alt="" width="768" height="576" /><img src="http://www.ulujain.org/temp/luclin3.jpg" border="0" alt="" width="768" height="576" />These were all taken on the Island of Mara and I sat there, when the sky was clear, just staring at the sky because it was so mesmerizing. Now, those "clouds" coming in in the third pic, I agree, they need fixing. The sky's atmospheric effects are really lacking. But the sky, it's beautiful.</blockquote>Like I said the Night Time sky is Awasome, its the Day light sky that I have issues with, it just seems alittle washed out or something, especally against the prittier zones like RoK.

[DamianTV]

<cite>ke'la wrote:</cite><blockquote><cite>Kaalenarc@Antonia Bayle wrote:</cite><blockquote><p>Id like to see it enhanced and I'd also like to see some WEATHER in all the other zones. Why is it that mostly original zones have weather and most of the expansion ones dont?</p><p> I'd like to see some dust storms in Sinking Sands, rain in KoS, Lightning in Bonemire, A blizzard in EF, etc... would be a nice touch and its almost always forgotten...</p></blockquote><p>How is it suposed to rain in KoS? the clouds are below you.</p><p>I have been in a Sinking Sands Dust Storm, not reasontly because I HATE that zone(spent WAY to much time thier lvling my monk, when it was the only 50-55 zone). While I don't recall Lightning in BM, I think the falling ash is a nice effect, and I have also seen Blizzards in EF.</p></blockquote><p>Easy.  Ever been in an airplane in a cloudy sky?  Just make it foggy.  I wish it were particle fog but I'll settle for gradient distance fog.  Or leave out TT and say they are above the weather.</p><p>For developers tho, we understand the need for a texture and resource budget so its playable on everyones computers.  But for those of us with higher end systems, we could have yet another extra option for advanced sky systems.  If its too taxing for someones computer, allow us to turn it off.  If we can play with those graphics turned up, let us.  </p><p>However I think in order to get this going and playable on many ppl's computers we will need to have multi core processor support first to handle extra graphics workload.  Once they do multi core support, then I think some skies that can blow oblivion out of the water are a real possiblilty.  I think they have already agreed to look at implementing multi core support, so once that happens, we can try kicking this into high gear.</p><p>Go particle clouds!  Say goodbye to texture clouds!  Hello particle fog!  Bye bye radial gradient fog!  Hello lightning!  Hello global lighting changes when stormy!  Hello lightning casting its own shadows without killing your box!  Hello good rain!  Hello accurate specularity mapping!  Hello soft shadows!  Hello wind blown trees!  All can only be possible with multi core support and high end graphics cards...  </p>