Major graphics update needed

[ZorinW]

I just came across some original World of Warships models from 2015 (see below) and that again reminded me how badly this game needs a graphics update. I mean the whole selling point is the ability to build your own ships and they are an absolute visual letdown and would have been 7 years ago.

For starters, the scaling of the hull models in game falls on the spectrum of either being completely wrong or utterly inconsistent (just look at the lifeboats and anchors).

Also the method of making the bridges, for example, bigger when their tech upgrades. Why? Screws again with the whole proportions.

The textures are also rudimentary at best.

This doesn't, btw, have anything to do with the need to keep it simple so we can modify the hulls as all we can actually change are the hull's dimensions in a very limited way.

Regarding displacement, this only means adding length to the middle of the ship, which is always done in adding whole sections and is not linear, so you just insert a pre-made section.

Then we come to draught and beam, where draught is already implemented wrong and which scales the 3D model wrong as a result.

Quote

The draft or draught of a ship's hull is the vertical distance between the waterline and the bottom of the hull (keel). 

In game, the draught simply increases or decreases the entire hull height, but this time in a linear way, when it should do it, same should apply to beam, in increments of say 50 cm. Those increments could also be properly modeled and textured to not screw up the proportions. 

Just compare these two USS Smith (DD-17) models.

The original ship and the WoW model, is 293 ft 10 in (89.56 m) long and 26 ft 5 in (8.05 m) wide (skipping draught as that is nonsense in UAD). The closest you can get in UAD is 91.4 m long and 9.4 m wide. I mean, where do we even start?!

Edited September 8, 2022 by ZorinW

[Sapphire]

To be fair, UAD doesn't nearly have the amount of money Wargaming has for hiring artists. In addtion this game is in early access 

[ZorinW]

4 hours ago, Sapphire said:

To be fair, UAD doesn't nearly have the amount of money Wargaming has for hiring artists. In addtion this game is in early access 

a) WoW was also in early access when I joined and as shown above already looked better then UAD does today

b) I didn't have to pay a single cent for WoW unlike UAD

c) UAD should have allocated their funds towards hiring more 3D artists, because better visuals would draw a bigger crowd to keep funds coming in

[kjg000]

25 minutes ago, ZorinW said:

a) WoW was also in early access when I joined and as shown above already looked better then UAD does today

b) I didn't have to pay a single cent for WoW unlike UAD

c) UAD should have allocated their funds towards hiring more 3D artists, because better visuals would draw a bigger crowd to keep funds coming in

You have a point certainty.  However, and with the caveat that I have not played World of Warships, in UA:Dreadnoughts you can design your own ship (albeit with too many limitations). In WoW, as I understand it, you are using predefined ships. It is much easier to make a detailed model for a predefined and static model than for a dynamic and variable model. They would need to make a hull version for every unique hull etcetera. So I'd say this is a meaningful but not quite fair comparison. 

I do think Games  Labs will need to revamp the graphics as by the time they get to a reasonable full release the current graphics will be outdated but I'd say they have more pressing things to fix right now.  

Two things the Devs are not good at are the UI and communication with people trying to help them. 

[Sapphire]

47 minutes ago, ZorinW said:

a) WoW was also in early access when I joined and as shown above already looked better then UAD does today

b) I didn't have to pay a single cent for WoW unlike UAD

c) UAD should have allocated their funds towards hiring more 3D artists, because better visuals would draw a bigger crowd to keep funds coming in

War gaming is rich compared to Game labs.... hence better graphics. I'm sure at somepoint UAD will get better graphics 

[Stormsword]

UA:D is a game that's being developed by a small team, and doing graphics takes a lot of time and resources to get right. One must remember that this is still in beta testing - they're focusing on getting the basic gameplay loop right before they move on to the aesthetics of the thing in full.

[Commander Corgi]

I don't think that anyone is against any game looking better, but personally I would consider this low priority compared to the work Game-Labs is doing on the gameplay.

[UnleashtheKraken]

22 hours ago, Stormsword said:

UA:D is a game that's being developed by a small team, and doing graphics takes a lot of time and resources to get right. One must remember that this is still in beta testing - they're focusing on getting the basic gameplay loop right before they move on to the aesthetics of the thing in full.

Gamelabs calls this a Beta but this is very early pre-alpha certainly.  It's a 'Beta' so that you can play the unfinished version of upcoming additions/changes using the Beta tab in Steam. 

In reality this is a pre-alpha product.  Major features aren't even implemented, all of the factions are not present in campaign.  The next major update (1.09 as I type this) is set to actually introduce minelaying and minesweeping functionality, as well as submarine and antisubmarine warfare as an abstract in the campaign.  The list of new features, as well as revising and reworking and adding to the tech tree, is fairly large. 

A game is in Beta when all major features are implemented, and is the time for tuning, tweaking, and optimization of said features.  I understand WHY UA:D is stated to be in Beta but let's separate Steam functionality from the actual meaning of the terms in software Dev.  I can't wait to see what this thing will look like when it's ACTUALLY a beta.

[Tycondero]

I would love better graphics and I think they are actually pretty much required too. The textures especially could use a polish. While we're at it, I would also like better sound. There are no engine sounds as far as I noticed. 

However, as some others mentioned as well, first we need to have a functional product. Features are still added and on the to-do list. I would rather have to invest time and resources in getting the game up and running right now and make sure that AI is much improved than have a photo-realistic ship generator. Again, I would love them devote their attention to improving the graphics, but first let them build the fundamentals.