Why are combat animations so substandard?

[AnnexedAutonomy]

I was so looking forward to a modern, sci-fi civilization-type game. Unfortunately, the enthusiasm is all gone thanks to extremely basic combat animations, one you would see from the works of a junior animator still in school:

• attacks
• movement
• damage reaction
• movement

There is no flair or detail or weight to anything, ranged weapons firing especially looks very basic. In turn, basic animations make the entire game less pleasurable to play as they serve as their own rewards for research, combat and building your empire.

For example, Might and Magic Heroes VI was released 10 years ago with a similar budget and vastly superior animations that make all the difference!

Since these are canned animations that can be simply inserted into a turn-based game, is there a chance we will see an upgrade so the game becomes much more pleasurable to play?

Thank you! Hopefully, a developer will respond to this, as it is not a minor issue.

 

[Zaskow]

For example, Might and Magic Heroes VI was released 10 years ago with a similar budget and vastly superior animations

"Vastly superior animations" didn't help Heroes 6 to be a good game.

is there a chance we will see an upgrade so the game becomes much more pleasurable to play?

No chances, I'm afraid. Devs are done with the game.

 

[AnnexedAutonomy]

"Vastly superior animations" didn't help Heroes 6 to be a good game.

You are right, they helped it to be an outstanding game!

 

[Sandman25DCSSS]

I wonder what you think about chess. Animations suck in that game.

 

[AnnexedAutonomy]

I wonder what you think about chess. Animations suck in that game.

It's very disheartening when you see people not wanting to elevate basic standards.
Very sad, and ensuring the decline of the gaming industry.

 

[Bookthief]

Honestly wouldn't compare the two games very much. As to the animations, I honestly think they're fine for their purpose. I wasn't expecting or wanting extremely cinematic animations, as that's never been a major focus of the age of wonder series. The heroes series is a bit of a strange comparison as the scale of battles is a lot smaller for it, at least appearance wise. Units are all stacked into a single model to represent them in a fight so you have 400 peasants represented by a single model, compared to the age of wonders series where each unit is its own squad and is shown as such. 6 kirko frenzy show up as six separate squads occupying their own slots on the battlefield. With the heroes series usually only dealing with 12 different models per battle, and 2 heroes to represent potentially 100s of creatures. Planetfall at max your dealing with 36 different units and each of those 36 are their own independent entity on the map. I honestly wouldn't compare the two due to the differences in focus and design, but that's just me.

 

[AnnexedAutonomy]

Honestly wouldn't compare the two games very much.

Yeah, god forbid if we compare two turn-based strategies with an empire layer and a combat layer. It's not as if multiple units within a group already look the same, and their animation cycles couldn't be tweaked for a more randomized appearance.

 

[Sandman25DCSSS]

It's very disheartening when you see people not wanting to elevate basic standards.
Very sad, and ensuring the decline of the gaming industry.

It's very disheartening when people play TBS for animations.

 

[Zaskow]

You are right, they helped it to be an outstanding game!

What about no? Heroes 6 is inferior in all gameplay aspects than previous games. Players' activity says it clearly. Heroes 6 is beautiful but it's not enough (what a surprise).

 

[AnnexedAutonomy]

It's very disheartening when people play TBS for animations.

Curious.
Why do you even have a computer and play checkers instead?

 

[Sandman25DCSSS]

Curious.
Why do you even have a computer and play checkers instead?

Stupid me. If there are no animations, all games are identical indeed.

 

[Bookthief]

Yeah, god forbid if we compare two turn-based strategies with an empire layer and a combat layer. It's not as if multiple units within a group already look the same, and their animation cycles couldn't be tweaked for a more randomized appearance.

Right and if you wanted to actually discuss planetfalls graphics, how to improve them or why you think planetfall is ugly, then they're actually be a discussion. Instead your sounding like the most pathetic fanboy for a different game, that opens discussions by insulting the game this forum is for and getting angry when people disagree with you.

 

[atord/Nordos]

I find the animations to be good enough. Or rather, I use the fastest game speed, so animations aren't a focus for me at all.
I rather have that option than not, for I have played games where the animations are quite long, you can't accelerate them AND they need to be played before something else happens. Imagine a Wrecker slowly walking towards a target, then taking a huge swing that lets stones fly all around - but in return, each step takes a full second. The strike takes over 2.
I would hate it. The speed would ssuffer immensly under it. Battles would take even longer, etc. I am rather satisfied that animation did not play a bigger role than speed in AoW. Sure, I wouldn't mind better animations if they wouldn't hamper any other aspect, but lets be honest: Each action, each improvement, each change has a cost to it. And the cost for 'beautiful' animations would probably too great to bear, similar to how HoMM 6 is ... not amazing. (I played HoMM 6. I played HoMM 7. I actually played all except 1 and 4. I quite prefer 5 over 6 or 7. Even if the animation aren't as polished and 'beautiful'. there simply are more important aspects than the graphics for me.)

 

[Silvanel]

Thats why i dont play Shakran. Deadeye animation is much too long for my taste.

 

[FerrokenFibrous]

Triumph Studios literally only has one animator.

 

[ashbery76]

I think the weapons sounds let it down more.No weight to them.

 

[AtomicArchon]

I would agree with OP up to a point. I enjoy the cinemagraphy of the game and having sharper ,more fluid animations on moves would be a dream.
Right now it DOES feel a little unpolished.
I can appreciated some people play it for only specific aspects like strategy etc... but I (EVEN being a die hard SRPG fan) love the visual hugs of a high tier mods effects. (the launchers come to mind, the slowed down rockets and impact, or the lightning effects of arc attacks in slow mo! awesome).

The option to have a slowed down view (I am on PS4 before PC'ers tell me that can be done) of all the attacks.. would be a good work around so all the visual detail could be appreciated from any angle, imo. Character portraits and cycling animations are absolutely fine.

Thanks

AA