Lightsabers

[Sp!ker]

I would like to ask you, will be lightsabers improved? In my opinion they look Horrible ... like an ordinary stick not a lightsaber ... Thank you for your answers and excuse me for my terrible English :-)

[adamqd]

I have to admit, initially we all attacked Bioware for the size of the Hilts, which they resized to a certain degree, but yea, I have noticed that the actual Blade itself looks kinda flat and stick-like, not at all bright and fuzzy like the films and all other games have established, little bit more light and edge blur please

[Sp!ker]

100% agree

[Sabretooth]

Lego lego everywhere, and not a piece to build

[Tommycat]

It really depends on which images you're looking at. The most recent ones look way better than the Pringles-saber.

YouTube Video

[LordOfTheFish]

Thanks for sharing that video, Tommycat, I was still in agreement with most about the lightsabers looking rather ugly, but those are not that bad. The blade could be a little thicker, though...

[Tommycat]

Originally Posted by LordOfTheFish

The blade could be a little thicker, though...

I'm afraid to ask for it... I mean I could see them adjusting it a bit too much, and BAM Baseball-bat-saber. These look pretty good to me. I mean the sabers in the OT were pretty thin.

[Sp!ker]

thicker blade, more light and edge blur and reduce the size of hilt and it will be perfect... :-)

[Tommycat]

Originally Posted by Sp!ker

thicker blade, more light and edge blur and reduce the size of hilt and it will be perfect... :-)

I think the hilt size is fine. To be honest, I think the sabers are pretty well fine as they are. And at least you can holster(belt clip) them unlike KotOR or TSL where you just carried them in your hands everywhere.

[TheRogueForums]

Originally Posted by Sp!ker

thicker blade, more light and edge blur and reduce the size of hilt and it will be perfect... :-)

^^ This. I have *always* had an issue with the saber hilts and blades we have seen in TOR thusfar. It looks too.... cut and dry? The lightsabers in BioWare's KOTOR looked a kagillion times better than what's in TOR right now. And that game is what? 200 years old now? If it isn't broke, do not fix it.

[purifier]

Originally Posted by Master Finch

You're quite annoying, do you know that?

www.starwars.wikia.com/wiki/The_Exile

aaah crap! I wish you hadn't said that, you have no idea what you've started.

Originally Posted by TheRogueForums

^^ This. I have *always* had an issue with the saber hilts and blades we have seen in TOR thusfar. It looks too.... cut and dry? The lightsabers in BioWare's KOTOR looked a kagillion times better than what's in TOR right now. And that game is what? 200 years old now? If it isn't broke, do not fix it.

Originally Posted by Darth Vada

[rant]I don't think the hilts are a problem. I mean, look at the ones in JKA!!! Those things are HUGE compared to TOR. Now, it's the BLADE I'm worried about. I mean, come on! Those don't even look like LIGHTSABERS!!! Now, if Bioware doesn't improve this, I will give up on them.(well, just the star wars games.)[/rant]

I think it depends on how you look at it. From my perspective those lightsabers that we've all seen in the games, you both mentioned, are from different SW time periods. So I look at this way, the lightsaber design could have changed over the years from K1 to JKA; they could of evolved over time in each SW period. Technology always evolves in the real world, look at the automobile as an example.

[Jeff]

I agree that they don't look very good...it's hard to pinpoint exactly what doesn't look good but my biggest problem is with the blade, not the hilt. I basically want it to look exactly like the lightsabers in the prequels. I think the problem is that they are thicker at the base than at the tip.

[Liverandbacon]

The hilts have been way improved, but the blade looks a bit off. The width seems ok, but it looks strangely flat, perhaps because the separation of the white 'core' and the colored part is too defined, not a more gradual fade-in, though there could be some other reason.

I've noticed that while the graphics are still cartoonish, they're way less exaggerated (especially character models) than early screens showed. IMO this is a good thing, and the 'stylized graphics' fad is just as annoying as the much hated 'everything is gray and brown because we're gritty and realistic and other colors don't exist in war zones/the future' graphics.

[Sabretooth]

It's the same reason why CG movies still look cartoony instead of looking increasingly realistic, as was expected. It's cheaper, and you can get away with it.

IIRC, Borderlands shifting to the stylised graphics was a major thing. Back when it was announced and the first screenies were shown, there was little to differentiate the game from your average post-apo shooter.

Of course, that probably has more to do with the game and its story itself than it has to do with graphics, but so long as that's that, everyone's going to go stylised, rather than risk competing with Crytek and not being good enough to stand out.

[Liverandbacon]

Originally Posted by Sabretooth

It's the same reason why CG movies still look cartoony instead of looking increasingly realistic, as was expected. It's cheaper, and you can get away with it.

IIRC, Borderlands shifting to the stylised graphics was a major thing. Back when it was announced and the first screenies were shown, there was little to differentiate the game from your average post-apo shooter.

Of course, that probably has more to do with the game and its story itself than it has to do with graphics, but so long as that's that, everyone's going to go stylised, rather than risk competing with Crytek and not being good enough to stand out.

Oh I completely understand why they do it (price, looks better on low settings, etc.), and that obviously devs can't base their art styles on 'what liverandbacon would like'.

Personally, I don't need a game to look like it's from Crytek. Hell, I still play Ultima VII (and everyone should). However, even with older graphics (perhaps not Ultima VII old though), one can make a game that's clearly going for realism, or clearly going for cartoonishness.

I'm fine with stylization in games that are meant to be lighthearted or absurd (Borderlands for instance). However, in a more serious game, with deeper themes (what Bioware are claiming TOR is), cartoonish graphics are jarring and detract from the game IMO.

I should probably stop posting about TOR, since I'm seemingly unable to comment on it without being an absolute misery. And my opinion is irrelevant anyway, since I'm never going to play a game with subscription fees (If all games got them, I'd give them up entirely, without hesitation).

[ChAiNz.2da]

As with most MMO's the sabers/graphics are probably low poly, low impact to ensure the smoothest possible framerate...

You think griefing over an MMO vs SP is bad? Just wait till a raid is failed because graphics on server side hang. Talk about "ugh" days on the forums. Half the users revert to their inner 10 year old.

[Mav]

This doesn't matter to me, I don't think my Smuggler will be using a lightsaber much, though I could be wrong.

[Tommycat]

Originally Posted by Mav

This doesn't matter to me, I don't think my Smuggler will be using a lightsaber much, though I could be wrong.

After Galaxies, I got tired of sabers. I got so sick of hearing them because of all the Force Whine in the forums...

[Jae Onasi]

As long as the hilt doesn't look ridiculous or has a bizarre shape, I'm happy.

I have heard that the blade color would be determined by crystals, and not your class, so that should be good.

[Tommycat]

Originally Posted by Jae Onasi

I have heard that the blade color would be determined by crystals, and not your class, so that should be good.

In one of the gameplay vidyas they showed a Sith picking up and using a red saber and a blue saber. So it's entirely possible that you can change out crystals. I mean that was one of the basic things of KotOR, so it would be rather silly not to include that.

[Prime]

Frankly, I think some of the outfits are a bigger concern than the sabers.

[Sp!ker]

lightsabers from movie - http://www.alexandgregory.com/images/palpatine_4.jpg
lightsabers from other star wars games - http://xboxmedia.ign.com/xbox/image/...101003_006.jpg (jedi academy)

and now lightsabers from OLD REPUBLIC - http://www.hrypc.cz/files/star-wars-...#37;5B4%5D.jpg

Here you can see the difference
worst-looking sabers are in old republic :-///
Why did they do that?

[Tommycat]

Originally Posted by Sp!ker

lightsabers from movie - http://www.alexandgregory.com/images/palpatine_4.jpg
lightsabers from other star wars games - http://xboxmedia.ign.com/xbox/image/...101003_006.jpg (jedi academy)

and now lightsabers from OLD REPUBLIC - http://www.hrypc.cz/files/star-wars-...lic%5B4%5D.jpg

Here you can see the difference
worst-looking sabers are in old republic :-///
Why did they do that?

Um, try comparing the saber to the one in my video. It's the more recent vid, so we have the recent saber. I think it looks pretty dang nice.

[Sabretooth]

Originally Posted by Sp!ker

lightsabers from other star wars games - http://xboxmedia.ign.com/xbox/image/...101003_006.jpg (jedi academy)

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah epic nostalgia'd

[Ztalker]

Originally Posted by Prime

Frankly, I think some of the outfits are a bigger concern than the sabers.

Somehow all outfits remind me of the Power Ranger. Or that Beetle Borgs series.
Although I'm possible going for the Inquisitor, it's looks suck...

[Sp!ker]

they dont look so good.,even in your video-> not ... if you see .. light of lightsaber is too sharp... the edges arent blurred...sabre is very thin... in the best starwars game i expected better design of Lightsabers.. thats all ...

[Tommycat]

I dunno, comparing between KotOR and TOR, they look about the same. Maybe slightly larger hilts, but then you can actually change the style of your hilt... I guess you could add a bit more light diffusion... But really at this point, lightsaber criticism's are down to nit picking.

[Sp!ker]

Originally Posted by Sabretooth

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah epic nostalgia'd

Yea, Jedi Academy is a game in which the sabers were allright :-)

Originally Posted by Tommycat

I dunno, comparing between KotOR and TOR, they look about the same.

i don't care f any 7 years old game - kotor ..
now comes tor.. I would say that the lightsabers are even better in Kotor than TOR (they are "not much" in Kotor too).. i dont know why did they do lightsabers stick-like in tor.. it doesnt look good!

[Tommycat]

Originally Posted by Sp!ker

i don't care f any 7 years old game - kotor ..
now comes tor.. I would say that the lightsabers are even better in Kotor than TOR (they are "not much" in Kotor too).. i dont know why did they do lightsabers stick-like in tor.. it doesnt look good!

KotOR was made by Bioware.

I think it's just a matter of opinion. I don't like super glowey overly done sabers. YMMV

[Sp!ker]

Originally Posted by Tommycat

I don't like super glowey overly done sabers. YMMV

me too of course .. I dont wanna too glowing saber like here - http://www.rpgfan.com/previews/kotor/kotor-5b.jpg saber ... I just like the sabers in movie thats all ... and I think that most people have the same opinion

[Tommycat]

Originally Posted by Sp!ker

me too of course .. I dont wanna too glowing saber like here - http://www.rpgfan.com/previews/kotor/kotor-5b.jpg saber ... I just like the sabers in movie thats all ... and I think that most people have the same opinion

Which movie... in Episode IV it was very bland, V it was more refined, but still kinda bland, VI it got to looking pretty nice. then we got the prequels that had good looking sabers that varied to overly fuzzy at times.

[Sp!ker]

my idea of ​​a saber...

OFFICIAL by BioWare


MADE BY ME(Notice the blurred red sword when it moves -> on the right)

[Sabretooth]

Technically, the blurred moving lightsaber should only happen in the movies, because of the 24 fps motion blur. In a game that's supposed to run at 60, there shouldn't be that blurry effect. I think.

[Liverandbacon]

Originally Posted by Sabretooth

Technically, the blurred moving lightsaber should only happen in the movies, because of the 24 fps motion blur. In a game that's supposed to run at 60, there shouldn't be that blurry effect. I think.

I'm not an expert on the pretend science of lightsabers, but I always assumed it was like the blur you get when you 'write' with a sparkler. Visible with human eyesight, not due to a video camera.

edit: never mind, just realized you meant it wouldn't be visible when paused, not in game. That makes sense.

[adamqd]

I Think its the Glow rather than movement blur. The second picture is better as Sp!ker has shown (IMHO)

[Sabretooth]

The lightsabre on the left does look better no doubt, but the on the right looks like a movement blur (as it appears in the movies, and is specified by the image author).

[adamqd]

sorry, I didn't even see that saber lol, I'm talkin about the purple double blade, the movement blur doesn't bother me

[Sp!ker]

well, but in the video sabers could be movement blurred ..

[Ctrl Alt Del]

Originally Posted by Sp!ker

well, but in the video sabers could be movement blurred ..

Aren't they? Never paid due attention on the trailers. But I agree with you, it just looks weird otherwise.

[Sp!ker]

it blurs only in certain situations... probably some Ability