Since the last post was locked, I'll make a new one.<a href="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/posts/list.m?topic_id=386769" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/...topic_id=386769</a>Old topic or not, the point remains.. a lot of RoK textures / styles are no less than laughable. I'll say it again.. what the heck?Why do Drolvarg look so.. SO horrible? And you can't argue it, that's not even specular lighting.. Aren't we supposed to make graphical progress not degeneration?

Drolvarg look great on my machine.  Dunno what's wrong with yours.

<a href="http://pcmedia.ign.com/pc/image/article/826/826237/everquest-ii-rise-of-kunark-20071011002206024.jpg" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://pcmedia.ign.com/pc/image/art...11002206024.jpg</a>Compare them to even some early-game models and then tell me they look great

That screenshot was from an early pre-beta Preview of Kunark.  Both the drolvarg's posture and textures are better than that in the released game.I'm not sure what specifically you don't like about the drolvarg.  The geometry and animations are terrific.  The textures look a little bad at High detail due to how the pattern on the tunic is blurred, but look great at Maximum and fine at Medium (in my opinion).I think the models in Kunark have made great progress over the models in Faydwer.  Kunark wurms, goblins, devourers, even burynai... all have some of the best animations ever seen in EQ2 (animations always have been a weak spot for EQ2).  Compare them to some of the mediocre model work from Faydwer - bugbears, werewolves, kobolds, nayads... none of them were great.The last great models done before Kunark were droags, IMO.  Kunark has lots of models that match or exceed that level of quality.

The drolvarg armor is what looks like a joke.. it's drawn to look shiny, when the armor really isn't.. no matter how the light hits it, and drolvarg still have that flaw.

For the approximately 12 seconds of life expectancy any given Drolvarg has, I'll get over his shiny armor.

I'm pretty sure a game in its 4th year the subscribers arn't playing it for the graphics.  Laughable?  Why don't you load up Duke Nukem if you wan't to see some truly laughable graphics for the year 2008, its called games get out-dated and newer engines and graphics are out.  Go download the newest version of 3dmark and put it on loop 3 times straight, then when you'd have enough graphics fix go play a video game you enjoy.

<cite>Maergoth wrote:</cite><blockquote>The drolvarg armor is what looks like a joke.. it's drawn to look shiny, when the armor really isn't.. no matter how the light hits it, and drolvarg still have that flaw.</blockquote>It looks fine if you use max texture and light settings.  It translated poorly to the "high" setting in this particular case.  Big deal.  It's still better than any of the models from Faydwer.

There is something about those drolwargs that make them look kinda 2D instead of 3D.....

It's not like it's even a new model.  It's the freakin deep gnoll from Splitpaw Saga with shiny armor.<img src="http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w103/seejoker1/EQ2_000058.jpg" alt="" border="0" />

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<cite>AurorumII wrote:</cite><blockquote><cite>thajoka wrote:</cite><blockquote>I'm pretty sure a game in its 4th year the subscribers arn't playing it for the graphics.  Laughable?  Why don't you load up Duke Nukem if you wan't to see some truly laughable graphics for the year 2008, its called games get out-dated and newer engines and graphics are out.  Go download the newest version of 3dmark and put it on loop 3 times straight, then when you'd have enough graphics fix go play a video game you enjoy.</blockquote>A player recently wrote something about the EQ2 developers implementing DirectX 10 and the new character models. Is this plausible?</blockquote>I would highly doubt they would be using DX10 simply because it really locks them into client video card potientials. NOW using DX9 that's a different story that has a much wider platform they can use. I just soooooo wish that eq2 would actually use the graphics card's cpu instead of doing everything and the kitchen sink on my computers cpu!!

<cite>Maergoth wrote:</cite><blockquote><a rel="nofollow" href="http://pcmedia.ign.com/pc/image/article/826/826237/everquest-ii-rise-of-kunark-20071011002206024.jpg" target="_blank">http://pcmedia.ign.com/pc/image/art...11002206024.jpg</a>Compare them to even some early-game models and then tell me they look great</blockquote>that one looks awful.Like a plastic toy. Dont tell me the shinyness makes it look uber. If that thing ever came close to any of my shinycrazed guildies they'd try to collect it. <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />