Mass Effect Mass Effect

Since 1040 Days

2007-02-20 23:09:26 MTV Multiplayer: "Mass Effect"'s Ray Muzyka talks emotion and eyeballs

quote:

Our mission statement is to deliver the best story-driven games in the world," Muzyka told me. Key to that is delivering emotional moments. And one key to that for Muzyka is creating believable eyeballs.

"There has to be a couple of layers of reflection," he told me, recalling his medical days and rattling off parts of the eye and explaining how they might reflect light differently. He was feeling good about the eyes in his company's upcoming Xbox 360 outer-space role-playing game "Mass Effect," which is expected to come out in the middle of the year. He started talking about characters in the game. "They open their eyes, they look at you, they tilt their head and look you up and down, nodding their head." They don't even have to speak, but the player should be able to tell that they're alive. He turned the conversation to my eyes. "I know whether you're agreeing or disagreeing, whether you're skeptical or saying, 'Yeah I get it.' "

rest of interview:

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1552795/20070220/...

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Halle Berry: Delgado i am feeling really reall dirty tonight, shall i call Jessica Simpson for a threesome?

Delgado: HALLE what have i told you about bothering me when i'm playing Mass Effect!!! now get out and dont come back for 2 months!! (Slams door

Since 1063 Days

2007-02-20 23:12:35

Sounds interesting, I think animation is probably more important than high polygon models, i'm interested how this will turn out.

But I don't think realism equals emotion as many cartoony style RPG's convey emotion better than many of the more realistic ones i have played..

It's a matter of getting the right balance of story and emotion across via whatever way possible.

I also think the more realistic you make something the more natural it is for a us to find fault with it.

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Marumaro for the WIN !!

Since 1040 Days

2007-02-20 23:24:52 In reply to Jollipop (2007-02-20 23:12:35)

Posted by Jollipop

No thats not true, it depends how you use them (polys) Bioware have always been about emotion, and now instead of just words they have the means to convey the emotions they want too via facial expressions and the eyes, to pull us more into the story.. to me realism rules as i want feel like im playing a part in a movie, not a cartoon!, but to each there own..

szaromir

Since 936 Days

2007-02-20 23:27:50

And what RPGs aside from Planescape Torment convey emotions?

Since 1063 Days

2007-02-20 23:37:20

Um most of the FF series since 10 have had decent facial animaton.

And DC my point was that by making something more realistic it is easier to find fault with it, ie a realistic human model with akward animation.

When playing a Cartoony style RPG animation doesn't have to precise because you know from the look of it that it isn't trying to be realastic.

Take CGI for example, I remember watching a program a few years back explaining that no matter how advanced graphics become CGI could never take the place of a real actor because of animation and such, and as something becomes more life like we try to find fault with it.

I think there is a point when CGI/realism starts to become creepy, the Rain tech demo kind of proved it.

I say creepy because our brain becomes confused by what it is seeing.

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Marumaro for the WIN !!

Since 1040 Days

2007-02-20 23:43:48 In reply to Jollipop (2007-02-20 23:37:20)

Posted by Jollipop

to you maybe, but not to me or alot of other gamers.. i want better realism/animation/AI/gameplay and thats what i'll pay for, cartoon type games are not my thing...

Optimusv2

Since 1072 Days

2007-02-20 23:55:37 In reply to dcdelgado (2007-02-20 23:43:48)

I hope Mass Effect really does an amazing job of this facial expression thing. Like you read about this stuff enough y ou seriously don't even bother with Elder Scrolls anymore.

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Hironobu Sakaguchi is coming back to reclaim the throne :)

October 20th 2007 (A good day)

Since 1040 Days

2007-02-20 23:58:01 In reply to Optimusv2 (2007-02-20 23:55:37)

Posted by Optimusv2

I hope Mass Effect really does an amazing job of this facial expression thing. Like you read about this stuff enough y ou seriously don't even bother with Elder Scrolls anymore.

a good job will do me...

Since 1063 Days

2007-02-21 00:01:17 In reply to dcdelgado (2007-02-20 23:43:48)

Posted by dcdelgado

to you maybe, but not to me or alot of other gamers.. i want better realism/animation/AI/gameplay and thats what i'll pay for, cartoon type games are not my thing...

LOL um, missed my point again, I give up.

Anyways I hope this game turns out well.

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Marumaro for the WIN !!

Since 1040 Days

2007-02-21 00:08:18 In reply to Jollipop (2007-02-21 00:01:17)

Posted by Jollipop

LOL um, missed my point again, I give up.

Anyways I hope this game turns out well.

not missed, ignored ;p

lumzi23

Since 1165 Days

2007-02-21 10:35:59 In reply to Jollipop (2007-02-20 23:37:20)

Posted by Jollipop

The rain demo was creepy simply because it was a poor job of animation. With uncanny valley it is supposed to be difficult to tell what's wrong. In that vid, it was like being hit over the head with a mallet.

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"It is such a quiet thing, to fall. But far more terrible is to admit it." ~ Kreia in Kotor2

GriftGFX

He can also
ban your ass! GriftGFX - He can also<br>ban your ass!

Since 1180 Days

2007-02-21 12:10:53 In reply to dcdelgado (2007-02-21 00:08:18)

Jolli has a point. Shit--look at Zelda. Twilight Princess is much more detailed and generally more "realistic" (sorta) looking than Wind Waker--but wind waker easily has much better animation. More polygons don't always make something more convincing.

But it can go the other way too, because having more detail can lead to better animation--there's just generally more work involved. It really depends on the overall style / art direction. Detail can be put to good use--but if it's ignored it actually winds up making the final product more stiff/lifeless.

I actually sorta liked the Rain demo. I can't wait to see that turn into a real game.

Some of the facial expressions I've seen in screenshots of Mass Effect look very good. If they really give equal attention to all of the games characters and npc's in that regard, I can see it really adding to the overall immersiveness.

Good shit.

Since 1110 Days

2007-02-21 13:00:36

I agree with Jolli and I think Delgado you're missing the point. if you want to understand what jolli is saying go play Dragon Quest 8 - journey of the cursed king or Final Fantasy X or Blue Dragon for that matter and see for yourself how great the facial animations look on cartoony characters and how they convey the message qiote nicely without the need for ultra realism!
This is not saying I dont like the stuff in Mass Effect ... Im really glad some developers are taking so much time doing this stuff, it certainly is pushing the envelope.

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Blue Dragon & Lost Odyssey FTW !

kenshin2418

Junior Detective kenshin2418 - Junior Detective

Since 1155 Days

2007-02-21 13:41:55

It's all in the eyes

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This is my December

Since 1040 Days

2007-02-21 15:27:37 In reply to alimokrane (2007-02-21 13:00:36)

Posted by alimokrane

No you dont understand what i'm saying!!! I'm not saying that joli's wrong about the games he has played conveying good emotion with less poly's, i'm saying just because a developer chooses to push alot of poly's in there game dose not mean they cant get good emotions and animations, Bioware are a stella developer and they choose to push the envolope of rpg's by using what they call Digital Characters to emerse you in what seems like an action sci-fi movie, and i and many others cant wait for it!

Since 1063 Days

2007-02-21 18:25:24

I never said that more polygons = less animation though, however i feel that dev's need to focus less on detail and more on animation. (not pointing fingers at bioware)

I just don't think that emotion is all about facial expressions and eye balls, some of it is yes.

But body movement and hand gestures, the way a character stands or moves his/her head when talking to someone it all helps to create a beleivable conversation.

I mean look at Shu when he talks to that chick and is staring directely at her hooters now that's emotional stuff. :P

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Marumaro for the WIN !!

Since 1040 Days

2007-02-21 20:12:52 In reply to Jollipop (2007-02-21 18:25:24)

Posted by Jollipop

of course its not just facial animations and eyes, Bioware are also concentrating on hand gesters and movement along with the scripts and story... other developers ur right may concentrate to much in one area, but bioware dont..

Since 1110 Days

2007-02-21 21:45:29 In reply to dcdelgado (2007-02-21 20:12:52)

Posted by dcdelgado

So according to you, Bioware will absolutely do no wrong eh ? I hope so but from time to time you have to see outside the box you know :) I guess this sort of sums up that there is no way of arguing with you ;)

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Blue Dragon & Lost Odyssey FTW !

Phaethon360

Mr Pantsies Phaethon360 - Mr Pant<s>s</s>ies

Since 1025 Days

2007-02-21 22:49:04

Ah, dcd, leave Jolli alone. It's bad enough he has to suffer with an inferior RPG experience. Don't give him an inferior forum experience too :P.

And BioWare hasn't done any wrong. Jade Empire was probably the best looking RPG of the last gen. KOTOR the best playing :D! Take that, take that, take that...*does the Diddy step*

Since 1040 Days

2007-02-21 22:49:45 In reply to alimokrane (2007-02-21 21:45:29)

Posted by alimokrane

pls read through this thread and tell me were i said bioware can do know wrong?
of course they will have faults, but like GOW the game will overall be so freaking good it wont matter...

Optimusv2

Since 1072 Days

2007-02-21 22:57:19 In reply to Phaethon360 (2007-02-21 22:49:04)

Posted by Phaethon360

!!!!!!!!

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Hironobu Sakaguchi is coming back to reclaim the throne :)

October 20th 2007 (A good day)

Since 1110 Days

2007-02-21 23:10:27 In reply to dcdelgado (2007-02-21 22:49:45)

Posted by dcdelgado

pls read through this thread and tell me were i said bioware can do know wrong?
of course they will have faults, but like GOW the game will overall be so freaking good it wont matter...

It's what I got from this

ther developers ur right may concentrate to much in one area, but bioware dont..

sure yo were talking only about the matter at hand but making such a bold statement makes people think that. No offense mate ;) /hugs

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Blue Dragon & Lost Odyssey FTW !

Since 1040 Days

2007-02-21 23:14:22 In reply to alimokrane (2007-02-21 23:10:27)

Posted by alimokrane

sure yo were talking only about the matter at hand but making such a bold statement makes people think that. No offense mate ;) /hugs

LOL you got that i stated bioware can do no WRONG from that!! haha thats put a smile back on my face, thanks for that ;)