#0 - May 2, 2011, 11:34 p.m.
I would like to formally request a broad set of attack animations for various weapons. That seems like a vague, meaningless, or even obvious request, but I actually have a point buried in here somewhere.
Throughout the history of western game development, certain pillars of design are traditionally upheld firmly, and as well, certain corners are traditionally cut. Western design likes to focus on "fun gameplay" for the most part; having a core game that is just fun. Eastern design tends to focus less on gameplay and more on using to an existing core to accomplish something cool and new. This is why we get innovative mechanics out west, while Eastern games tend to be mechanical throwbacks dressed in gorgeous art design and story direction. This difference means that eastern developers tend to spruce up certain things, that western developers tend to ignore or gloss over, and likewise eastern developers for things the western developers focus on.
One of these things is art direction, in general, but ultimately the biggest difference can be typically be observed in two places: Animation and Effect design. Western developers tend to animate as absolutely little as possible; An axe will swing with the same animation as a sword, which will swing with the same animation as a mace, which will swing with the same animation as a dagger. This results in silly things like people getting stabbed with a mace, or daggers that don't actually connect with the enemy they just "hit." You get semi-automatic rifles that suddenly and mysteriously become fully automatic during a cutscene because that's how the scene was scripted.
What I'm requesting, of Blizzard, is not that they take their focus off the gameplay, but to remind them of these little touches that make a dramatic difference.
Here are some potential solutions I foresee with animation as it pertains to Diablo III, unless Blizzard has/does rectify the issues already:
-Animate one-handed maces and axes identically.
-Animate one-handed swords and daggers identically, but animate the dagger first.
-Animate two-handed axes, polearms, and maces identically.
-Animate two-handed swords uniquely.
-Animate all spears uniquely.
-Animate staves uniquely.
-Animate short bows uniquely. (Are these in Diablo III?)
-Animate long bows uniquely (Same question.)
-Animate crossbows uniquely, specifically in that a bolt is a different size/shape than an arrow. (If applicable)
All in all, I believe Blizzard would be best benefited by animating each and every weapon class uniquely. However, if Diablo II, WoW, Warcraft III, or any of their other games are any indication, one art asset they LOVE to recycle is animation. While I'm not condemning this frugal practice in and of itself, I think that they should bear an awareness that many of their players will be spending dozens, even hundreds, or (in some rare cases) thousands of hours with their characters, and any distinction that can be made should be made.
Thank you.
Regards,
Lambent_Fox
