Oversized Hilts

[Pwnzor326]

Does any of the overly huge lightsaber hilts bother anyone else but me....

http://www.joystiq.com/photos/star-w...lic-2/1113629/

[Ultimate Vader]

Hey, you avy's cool. Long live the Mandalore!
Doesn't look huge to me.

[SW01]

It's not just you. They are hideous. And ridiculous looking. But, hopefully that's just a working concept, like the rest of the comic-book cartoony graphics. Also, note that the hilts look exactly the same. Hopefully that will vanish in favour of a more streamlined, more compact, and more individual set of models in due course.

[LordOfTheFish]

I think it's just the art style. Doesn't really bother me...

[Pikmin]

The team is still trying to find the right balance between making the lightsabers big enough to be noticed but not so big that they're distracting. Whatever they settle on, they're firmly committed to the idea that you ought to be able to read a character or a scene in just a glance.

from day 3 of the exclusive IGN info.

[SW01]

So they're going for something in-between TSL size hilts and the 'Pringles-can'? Seems fair - Just thinking back to the OT - the hilts there were relatively big, though the PT versions may not have been...

I'm looking forward to seeing some updated screenshots as the months (please not years) pass in development.

[True_Avery]

They are attempting to create a weapon that can been identified immediately when you come in contact with the person. As in, there will be multiple lightsabers that do different things and different damage and knowing what you are up against is needed to survive.

Now, while they might have gone over the top, I get what they are trying to do. Its why you see so many exaggerated weapons in MMOs: You need to know what is going on.

I appreciate the thought, but the execution needs work.

[Tommycat]

Originally Posted by True_Avery

They are attempting to create a weapon that can been identified immediately when you come in contact with the person. As in, there will be multiple lightsabers that do different things and different damage and knowing what you are up against is needed to survive.

Now, while they might have gone over the top, I get what they are trying to do. Its why you see so many exaggerated weapons in MMOs: You need to know what is going on.

I appreciate the thought, but the execution needs work.

Yup agreed. I don't want to wonder if he's carrying a lightsaber or a mortar launcher.

[Fredi]

Man they are horrible!, but well, what can we do? lol.

[Scars Unseen]

Originally Posted by The Padawan

Man they are horrible!, but well, what can we do? lol.

Use a blaster. Random? Maybe. Clumsy? Maybe to jetiise scum. They sure do get the job done though.

[Fredi]

Originally Posted by Scars Unseen

Use a blaster. Random? Maybe. Clumsy? Maybe to jetiise scum. They sure do get the job done though.

Hmmm yeah, I'm switching, I'm going to use the blaster.

[DarthParametric]

Having spent some time of late doing hilt mods for KOTOR, my guess is the motivation behind this is they plan on customisable hilts and thus want you to actually be able to see it. In KOTOR the hilts are so small that custom hilts are pretty much a waste of time as you really can't appreciate the detail. They've taken it a tad too far with the vacuum thermos-sized hilts though.

[Sabretooth]

Strange, I didn't notice that. Well it doesn't seem to be too much of a problem, and as Avery says, it must be for gameplay reasons. They may even put it into the canon in some way, maybe something like when exiled to Tython, the Jedi started constructing a different sort of lightsabers.

[Mav]

As someone who used to make models for KotOR, these hilts in the concepts don't please me at all, there are other ways to make hilts recognizable beyond turning them into Maglites...

[Web Rider]

I agree that there is no excuse to make them the size of the guy's thigh. I'd like to see them at half that size at most. I don't really care if you can tell that it's "Frutiy McNutters Saber of Smashing" or "+1 Saber of Overcompensation", I find fun in the surprise.

[PaintOnASign]

Yeah, no point bashing art style or 3D models yet. This is all early concept stuff. Not saying that it WILL change, but the odds are definitely in your favor.

[adamqd]

Originally Posted by LordOfTheFish

I think it's just the art style. Doesn't really bother me...

I'm not trying to be an ass, but I hear a lot of "It doesn't REALLY bother me" or "I can live with that". I want a complete game, an awesome game, the best it can be, while in this early stage we need say exactly what we want, because something as permanent and important as the graphic style, will not be changed when it's released, lets not beat around the bush, the cartoony superhero style, bites... so bad, it's not even funny

[Tommycat]

Originally Posted by PaintOnASign

Yeah, no point bashing art style or 3D models yet. This is all early concept stuff. Not saying that it WILL change, but the odds are definitely in your favor.

Actually now is the best time to point out that we dislike something before it becomes locked in. Graphical stylings like this are going to be hard to change(if not impossible) after this goes live. The saber... seems like someone is compensating for something....

[SW01]

I think it would create some amusing situations if they were harder to see - get some trainee Jedi out to level up by killing other players, thinks he's come across a bounty hunter or soldier, and get royally beaten by a higher level Sith, all because he didn't take the ime to look for the sabre hilt!

Obviously, that won't happen with an oversize novelty sabre...

[Ctrl Alt Del]

Originally Posted by True_Avery

I appreciate the thought, but the execution needs work.

Completely. One would think that the distinct coloured beam atop the hilt makes a lightsaber easily recognisable, though.

Originally Posted by adamqd

I'm not trying to be an ass, but I hear a lot of "It doesn't REALLY bother me" or "I can live with that". I want a complete game, an awesome game, the best it can be, while in this early stage we need say exactly what we want, because something as permanent and important as the graphic style, will not be changed when it's released, lets not beat around the bush, the cartoony superhero style, bites... so bad, it's not even funny

Amen. Let's please stop accepting mediocrity already.

[sarpedon2]

The size bothers me but still if its early stuff then I expect it to change. I just want to see archaic lightsaber. The ones with power packs (for nostalgia purposes)

[Ctrl Alt Del]

Originally Posted by sarpedon2

The size bothers me but still if its early stuff then I expect it to change. I just want to see archaic lightsaber. The ones with power packs (for nostalgia purposes)

But it wouldn't make much sense, would it? After all, even during KotOR they already used standard lightsabers.

[John Galt]

Originally Posted by Ctrl Alt Del

Amen. Let's please stop accepting mediocrity already.

QFE

I was hoping for an art style that was pretty much identical to KotOR and TSL; it's as much a part of the franchise as the "cartoony" appearence is a part of the Warcraft universe.

[True_Avery]

Originally Posted by Ctrl Alt Del

Amen. Let's please stop accepting mediocrity already.

What can I say? I'm a cynic. I have never and will never have high expectations for a game, and am willing to ignore things that would otherwise hinder my experience in the game.

WoW, on hindsight, is a pretty poor game. I just ignored most of the flaws in favor of what I liked and enjoyed, and came to terms with things that I'd like to see happen but were unlikely.

I'd like to see a graphics change, but if the game turns out to be fun I can ignore the style and focus on the parts of the game that suck me in.

[Jeff]

I hope they will be changed by the time the game is shipped, but I did not think about the fact that they need to be recognizable. Weapons are very oversized in WoW and it makes it easy to identify each weapon without having to look at it's name.

[tKon]

They're alpha shots, I'm pretty sure they won't stay that way. People get way too worked up over such small things.

[adamqd]

lol, it's kinda a big thing, people will be playing this because it's KotOR related, so "The graphics are cartoony and crap, and have no relation to the great style of K1+2, but the community and housing are great" Is irrelevant to a lot of people.

[Miltiades]

Originally Posted by tKon

They're alpha shots, I'm pretty sure they won't stay that way. People get way too worked up over such small things.

They won't stay that way, no. The developers, however, will make the lightsabers big enough to be noticed. I hope they find the balance.

[jonathan7]

Originally Posted by Miltiades

They won't stay that way, no. The developers, however, will make the lightsabers big enough to be noticed. I hope they find the balance.

QFT - Lightsabers are such an important start of Star Wars, this project does look very interesting; but so much of it is about getting balance right - even to small things like this.

[tKon]

Maybe for you guys, I won't be going Jedi or Sith for the obvious rush of them at launch. Hopefully I can be some sort of brawler w/ a vibro lance.

[Miltiades]

Originally Posted by tKon

Maybe for you guys, I won't be going Jedi or Sith for the obvious rush of them at launch. Hopefully I can be some sort of brawler w/ a vibro lance.

Of course. And that's the cool part of it, people choosing different classes except Jedi & Sith. But like J7 said, balancing is needed in every aspect of the game, and the smallest thing can influence how we play or see the game. I'm also sure that the artistic style of the games isn't restricted to lightsabers, but will find it's way to Vibroblades and other melee and ranged weapons, too.

[playloud]

Originally Posted by Tommycat

Actually now is the best time to point out that we dislike something before it becomes locked in. Graphical stylings like this are going to be hard to change(if not impossible) after this goes live. The saber... seems like someone is compensating for something....

Absolutely. Now is the best time to voice our thoughts, and I wouldn't stop with forum posts. I would send emails to Lucasarts and Bioware (just like lots of fans emailed Fox to keep T:SCC on the air, and succeeded). If they don't get their inbox flooded, they will just read posts from the few people who like the new stupid look, and say "we have received mostly positive reactions", which of course is BS. What they need now is a good splash of ice water in their face. Star Wars fans are PICKY! They must realize this. We know what lightsabers look like, and that's what we want. We are the people you are going to be selling this game to. When we say we want a true SW look, we mean it. It breaks the immersion to do it any other way.

Originally Posted by True_Avery

They are attempting to create a weapon that can been identified immediately when you come in contact with the person. As in, there will be multiple lightsabers that do different things and different damage and knowing what you are up against is needed to survive.

Now, while they might have gone over the top, I get what they are trying to do. Its why you see so many exaggerated weapons in MMOs: You need to know what is going on.

I appreciate the thought, but the execution needs work.

This is Star Wars. The size of lightsabers has long been established. We had have 6 movies. We have even had two games in the OR time period. We know what they look like. Any attempts to alter their size to make them distinguishable, will just make them look... WRONG!

In K1 and K2, it was what was on the INSIDE (crystals, etc) that counted.

Looking at the size of your opponents lightsaber is a stupid way to gauge his strength. Who had the smallest lightsaber in the movies? Yoda did. Judge him by his size, do you?

[MBCommander]

Well put, playloud ;p

[Pwnzor326]

I don't mind the art style but man those hilts are so clunky looking it looks like hes getting ready to fight a Sith with a wiffle bat.

[Miltiades]

Originally Posted by RobChestney

BioWare is strongly committed to its community and we look at all the issues brought up consistently in the forums, including the size of the lightsabers. At this point, the screenshots are a really limited representation of both the characters and the weapons in the game, so if you keep checking back you'll get a better idea of what the game looks like.

Again, we are reading these forums, and your concerns will be discussed, but I should point out that the blog this thread refers to twisted Jeff Dobson's words a bit. Jeff did say lightsabers would be customizable and that higher level weapons should look cooler than lower level weapons, but nowhere did he suggest that the paradigm for how to make lightsabers look cooler was as simple as making them larger.

The spirit of the Star Wars movies is important to us, and we're not going to just ignore that. Arguably, one of the coolest lightsabers in the movies was Count Dooku's with the curved hilt. I'm not sure if it was smaller than average, but it certainly wasn't larger. We want higher level lightsabers to look better aesthetically. We'll make an effort to show you what we're talking about as soon as we can.

Comment in the SWTOR Community. As some of you may know, R. Chestney is a former member of the design team and a senior writer, now part of the Moderation team.

[Nedak]

I would just like them to release new screenshots to put my mind at ease..

[Miltiades]

Originally Posted by han sala

I would just like them to release new screenshots to put my mind at ease..

We all, mate. I'm not sure our minds will be put to ease, though. They already stated their aim was to have large weapons (not only lightsabers). Let's hope it stays to a minimum.

[Nedak]

Originally Posted by Miltiades

We all, mate. I'm not sure our minds will be put to ease, though. They already stated their aim was to have large weapons (not only lightsabers). Let's hope it stays to a minimum.

After reading the quote you posted I think they were saying they wanted them to look unique, not bigger.

[plokoon87]

Yeah looking at the screenshots from the websites, they do look very big, and rather cartoonish as some have already pointed out. One would think that Bioware would have learned from KOTOR 1 and Obsidian's TSL that the hilts included in those games were BORING! They were ALL THE SAME HILT! Of course thank goodness for FileFront, where people can share better hilts with the rest of us. I know this game is in the development stages and I do hope that they fix that, and I'm sure they will. I just hope that they use a Jedi Outcast/Academy type combat system, and that the game is not expensive to play, i mean c'mon, most of us wanted a KOTOR III, including myself, but you know what? This game looks good, this game looks sweet, and I hope we don't have to pay an arm and a leg in access fees. I personally think that it is stupid to charge access fees anyway, but then again, I am not the designer...

[M@RS]

What the... Those are huge, if they want the hilts to be noticeable, why not paint them in neon colors, don't make them the size of 3 Soda Cans stacked on eachother...