What if Riot created a cartoonish graphics setting for low end computers?

Fallie·Dec 16, 2014·1 votes·564 views

Like I have a load of things I need to save up for right now and sadly i cant put a new pc very high on that list. I personally would love to see a graphics setting that, instead of low quality textures and faint blurry particles, has very plain maybe even cartoonish effects that look clean and still get the point across as to what someone or something looks like. I hope we can build around this idea to make a equal and attractive playing setting for players with low end computers.

12 Comments

Cale017Dec 16, 20142 votes

Do you REALLY want them to have to start working on a completely new set of visuals for every character in the game when some are still waiting to get their VUs from the style changes more recently?

FallieDec 16, 20141 votes

{quoted}

Do you REALLY want them to have to start working on a completely new set of visuals for every character in the game when some are still waiting to get their VUs from the style changes more recently?

yes

FallieDec 16, 20141 votes

{quoted}

yes

It could look like smashbros for the DS maybe?

Cale017Dec 16, 20141 votes

You mean the surprisingly detailed, condense but still heavily textured, Smash Bros DS? I can pretty much guarantee you that if your computer has a hard time running League with champs set to high quality, you wouldn't be able to use it to run a 3DS emulator if one were available right now with much success either.

Keep in mind that this game used to be very cartoony. Pizza feet galore. But they're trying to make the game look a lot more modern, and comparing that to Smash Bros, which is very kid/family friendly, using characters that most have grown up with knowing and loving, doesn't work all that well.

FallieDec 16, 20141 votes

{quoted}

You mean the surprisingly detailed, condense but still heavily textured, Smash Bros DS? I can pretty much guarantee you that if your computer has a hard time running League with champs set to high quality, you wouldn't be able to use it to run a 3DS emulator if one were available right now with much success either.

Keep in mind that this game used to be very cartoony. Pizza feet galore. But they're trying to make the game look a lot more modern, and comparing that to Smash Bros, which is very kid/family friendly, using characters that most have grown up with knowing and loving, doesn't work all that well.

smashbros has a pretty simple art style. thats all i was getting at. youre really just trying to take what im saying out of context and start an argument while I am trying to come up with ideas on how we could incorporate more 2d particles and effects into the game without making it look awful and using art styles that are as timeless as nintendos. but yea thanks for being an ass about it.

Cale017Dec 16, 20142 votes

Not really. I'm trying to point out that the art style for Smash is deceptively simple. It's actually still pretty up there in terms of texturing, the 3DS has a lot more power than you're giving it credit for. I'm not being an ass, I'm pointing out something that you've simply overlooked.

This game's art style isn't MEANT to be timeless. Nintendo is cashing in on nostalgia, which is why they can safely go for that sort of a timeless look for most of the characters that they're using, while still modernizing the ones that need to be like Link or Samus based on recent games. They can mix and match aspects because they're pulling from a much larger well of source material and even if someone doesn't like the way a champion looks they're still going to play them anyways.

Riot doesn't quite have that sort of a legacy to lean on. What you're asking for is for them to entirely redo every single champion, not just their base models but their skins as well, so that they look like something that you feel is a more fitting art design, or one that you think would take a lesser toll on older or more run down computers or laptops. There are WELL over a hundred champions in the game, and with an average of 4 skins per champion you're basically asking them to entirely redesign four hundred models and particle effects.

That isn't something that can be accomplished overnight. It isn't even something that can be done within the span of a few months, or half a year. That kind of a process is incredibly slow going, there's constant bug testing to be done with visual alterations, on top of the preliminary design process. And, again, that's on top of the visual updates they have yet to do for older champions in the game that would need to be finished first before they could start trying to retrofit models based on whether or not different computers can run it at different levels.

And on top of THAT, remember that using a different art style changes the overall proportions of the champion models. So by making them more cartoony you end up with champions that take up slightly more space, or are more round overall by being somewhat condensed on the screen, which changes their hitboxes and how their abilities have to be calculated for the purposes of range. Abilities that are done based on champ edge to champ edge wouldn't work the same.

There's a lot more to this that you aren't seeing, and while I can understand why you're asking for this it just isn't realistically possible to do in any feasible amount of time, even if you disregard that it goes counter to their design choices moving forwards in the game's overall look and design.

FallieDec 16, 20141 votes

{quoted}

Not really. I'm trying to point out that the art style for Smash is deceptively simple. It's actually still pretty up there in terms of texturing, the 3DS has a lot more power than you're giving it credit for. I'm not being an ass, I'm pointing out something that you've simply overlooked.

This game's art style isn't MEANT to be timeless. Nintendo is cashing in on nostalgia, which is why they can safely go for that sort of a timeless look for most of the characters that they're using, while still modernizing the ones that need to be like Link or Samus based on recent games. They can mix and match aspects because they're pulling from a much larger well of source material and even if someone doesn't like the way a champion looks they're still going to play them anyways.

Riot doesn't quite have that sort of a legacy to lean on. What you're asking for is for them to entirely redo every single champion, not just their base models but their skins as well, so that they look like something that you feel is a more fitting art design, or one that you think would take a lesser toll on older or more run down computers or laptops. There are WELL over a hundred champions in the game, and with an average of 4 skins per champion you're basically asking them to entirely redesign four hundred models and particle effects.

That isn't something that can be accomplished overnight. It isn't even something that can be done within the span of a few months, or half a year. That kind of a process is incredibly slow going, there's constant bug testing to be done with visual alterations, on top of the preliminary design process. And, again, that's on top of the visual updates they have yet to do for older champions in the game that would need to be finished first before they could start trying to retrofit models based on whether or not different computers can run it at different levels.

And on top of THAT, remember that using a different art style changes the overall proportions of the champion models. So by making them more cartoony you end up with champions that take up slightly more space, or are more round overall by being somewhat condensed on the screen, which changes their hitboxes and how their abilities have to be calculated for the purposes of range. Abilities that are done based on champ edge to champ edge wouldn't work the same.

There's a lot more to this that you aren't seeing, and while I can understand why you're asking for this it just isn't realistically possible to do in any feasible amount of time, even if you disregard that it goes counter to their design choices moving forwards in the game's overall look and design.

This isnt about smashbros. Itw as an example of a simplistic art style. Im trying to come up with ideas to combat the problems that many players face with low performance computers. How about instead of trying to sit there and trash my ideas, which are still perfectly valid btw, you try to come up with some other ideas to fucking help find a solution. Jesus christ and if it wasnt obvious this is SUPPOSED TO BE COMPLETELY VISUAL. what im trying to get at is it's still completely possivble to dumb down the graphics of the game and still keep the gameplay the same. Im not saying we need to replace all the current art styles or the champion models or any of that shit. all im saying is that we could use an ALTERNATE GRAPHICS SETTING that allows players to play in a somewhat minimalistic enviroment while still playing the exact same game. This is why I can't stand to use the forums. You hardly get any replies when you try to do anything constructive, and when you do, instead of people working together to create ideas and share information everyone just tries to bash on eachother in the most immature and rediculous ways. Sure you can right a whole fucking essay but you still managed to miss the entire point of the thread so that you could try to assert your alpha male position or whatever the fuck youre trying to accomplish. How about instead of just saying no i dont like this idea for x reasons, you try to refine the idea to help find a solution to the problem I'm trying to combat or gtfo of the thread??

Cale017Dec 16, 20142 votes

You're right, it isn't about Smash Bros. It's about you complaining that your computer has an issue running League. So does mine, but you don't see me bitching about it. Using Smash Bros as a reference, however, brings up the small point that you aren't considering that a game that looks as good as Smash Bros, however simple the art style may seem, is actually taking quite a bit more power to render out than you seem to believe it does. It looks cartoony but it isn't.

There is a solution. You put the game on low settings. This might come as somewhat of a surprise to you, unless you computer is upwards of 5 years old, chance are that it can run League of Legends just fine. There are very few computers that can't. It's why saying "I can run League of Legends on high settings" isn't something to brag about because, all in all, it doesn't actually take that much to accomplish. I play with it on low settings and even though my crappy laptop has issues with overheating if I try to play anything else, and I can run Diablo III on low settings at a whopping framerate of 20 fps, I can run League at 60 fps provided that I keep my settings low.

The graphics do get dumbed down if you turn down the video quality. Put an image of a champion set to very low, and a champion set to very high, and you can actually see a pretty pronounced difference in how the two of them appear.

There is an alternate graphics setting. It's called "very low."

You aren't saying they need to replace all of them, no, but what you're saying is probably worse. You want them to rebuild an entire game around these sorts of cartoony graphics but you clearly have NO idea what all that entails. You're asking to have two separate sets of models for the exact same skins for every single champion in the game. You're asking to double the size of the game on player's drives, and you're asking them to make alternate models for every champion that also retain the exact same proportions and hit boxes.

You're asking them to essentially design an entire game all over for your, or whoever else who can't run it on high's, benefit.

I am giving you constructive advice. Just because it isn't what you want to hear doesn't mean that I'm being overly negative or trying to bash on you. I understand the point that you're trying to make perfectly well, but as someone who's actually studying game design currently I also seem to have a much better view of the entire process it would take to accomplish something like this, and it's no small undertaking. In most ways it's actually just flat out impossible to do.

Are you going to ask Diablo III to be more cartoony so you can play that?

What about Final Fantasy XIV?

Or possibly Titanfall?

From the way you're talking it should be simple to make a game appear to have that cartoony "timeless" style.

I'm very sorry, but it isn't. Turn your settings on very low like the rest of us that don't have super recent computer models or rigs that we've built ourselves, and stop putting your hand towards Riot and expecting them to placate to you just because you don't like that you can't run the game the way you'd like to. It isn't Riot's job to make an entirely different set of character and environment models to cater to people with shit computers like us, it's their job to make a standard set of graphics that have a sliding scale based on performance versus quality, and to try and optimize it as best as they can. In that regard, Riot's done their job just fine. They've picked a design theme for how they want their game to look, and all we can do is accept that.

You're QQing because your computer sucks, and no amount of alternative models for champions based on graphics settings is going to change that. They could make it whatever style that they wanted and it still wouldn't help you computer run it on a higher setting.

FallieDec 17, 20141 votes

{quoted}

You're right, it isn't about Smash Bros. It's about you complaining that your computer has an issue running League. So does mine, but you don't see me bitching about it. Using Smash Bros as a reference, however, brings up the small point that you aren't considering that a game that looks as good as Smash Bros, however simple the art style may seem, is actually taking quite a bit more power to render out than you seem to believe it does. It looks cartoony but it isn't.

There is a solution. You put the game on low settings. This might come as somewhat of a surprise to you, unless you computer is upwards of 5 years old, chance are that it can run League of Legends just fine. There are very few computers that can't. It's why saying "I can run League of Legends on high settings" isn't something to brag about because, all in all, it doesn't actually take that much to accomplish. I play with it on low settings and even though my crappy laptop has issues with overheating if I try to play anything else, and I can run Diablo III on low settings at a whopping framerate of 20 fps, I can run League at 60 fps provided that I keep my settings low.

The graphics do get dumbed down if you turn down the video quality. Put an image of a champion set to very low, and a champion set to very high, and you can actually see a pretty pronounced difference in how the two of them appear.

There is an alternate graphics setting. It's called "very low."

You aren't saying they need to replace all of them, no, but what you're saying is probably worse. You want them to rebuild an entire game around these sorts of cartoony graphics but you clearly have NO idea what all that entails. You're asking to have two separate sets of models for the exact same skins for every single champion in the game. You're asking to double the size of the game on player's drives, and you're asking them to make alternate models for every champion that also retain the exact same proportions and hit boxes.

You're asking them to essentially design an entire game all over for your, or whoever else who can't run it on high's, benefit.

I am giving you constructive advice. Just because it isn't what you want to hear doesn't mean that I'm being overly negative or trying to bash on you. I understand the point that you're trying to make perfectly well, but as someone who's actually studying game design currently I also seem to have a much better view of the entire process it would take to accomplish something like this, and it's no small undertaking. In most ways it's actually just flat out impossible to do.

Are you going to ask Diablo III to be more cartoony so you can play that?

What about Final Fantasy XIV?

Or possibly Titanfall?

From the way you're talking it should be simple to make a game appear to have that cartoony "timeless" style.

I'm very sorry, but it isn't. Turn your settings on very low like the rest of us that don't have super recent computer models or rigs that we've built ourselves, and stop putting your hand towards Riot and expecting them to placate to you just because you don't like that you can't run the game the way you'd like to. It isn't Riot's job to make an entirely different set of character and environment models to cater to people with shit computers like us, it's their job to make a standard set of graphics that have a sliding scale based on performance versus quality, and to try and optimize it as best as they can. In that regard, Riot's done their job just fine. They've picked a design theme for how they want their game to look, and all we can do is accept that.

You're QQing because your computer sucks, and no amount of alternative models for champions based on graphics settings is going to change that. They could make it whatever style that they wanted and it still wouldn't help you computer run it on a higher setting.

youre just trying to demonize me for some fucking reason. I have this problem and i know a lot of other people do too. This is the kind of replies i get when i try to come up with ideas to help myself and others i guess. fuck you. not even worth talking to. youre just cancer on the community. I don't see how thats bitching especially in the way i asked and the way i worded the original post. please just fuck off. youre not any help and your precense on the forums isnt useful in any sort of way other than to find out how shitty the community can really be.

Cale017Dec 17, 20142 votes

Trying to demonize you for some reason? Let's try and keep straight who it was here that started accusing whom of "being an ass" several comments back, and shortly thereafter adding on that I was apparently trying to "assert your[my] alpha male position or whatever the fuck youre trying to accomplish".

I made a calm, well reasoned post explaining why exactly what you're asking for isn't feasible and instead of stopping to consider how much goes into the design and maintenance of a constantly evolving online game you instead started slinging insults and making assumptions about my character as a whole because I wasn't placating to your need to be told that you're right and that Riot is the big, bad wolf trying to blow your metaphorical house down because your laptop isn't able to run the game on high settings. I said nothing insulting, and only provided insight on what all making an entire new set of graphics would entail, and the reasons that it wouldn't work as much from a gameplay perspective as from a just flat out time and labor perspective.

I'm not the problem with the community. I'm a reasonable, sane (or at least semi sane) individual who came here to address your problem and offer up the reasons why a solution that sounds so simple actually isn't, and you demonized me far before I said anything cross towards you. Fact is, based on this conversation, you're actually the problem.

Cale017Dec 16, 20142 votes

Methinks he knows not that which he queries after.

FallieDec 16, 20141 votes

and i get that this isnt something that can be done overnight and i never said it could be something that could be done overnight so i don't see where youre trying to get with that either, but the idea is that these would be minimalistic and simplistic designs. i seriously doubt they could be that difficult to implement into the game.