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Will we ever get an SRPG with high production values?
- Thread starter banshee150
- Start date
I'm actually not convinced three houses production values are even that low, it's just that most of the money went into the ludicrous amount of voiceover work rather than the graphics
Yeah even some NPC are fully voiced, which is incredible. Better graphics would be nice but good voice work is also great.
I'd honestly be interested in seeing if anyone could actually calculate the precise length of all voice work if played consecutively (and preferably do this for all languages involved), because I fully expect it would add up to dozens of hours which is insane
For a Japanese SRPG I think Three Houses production value is impressive. as for the graphics not everything is because of lack of money. it seems like the developers are not very good with visuals. still, it is more than good enough.
I imagine a Front Mission SRPG in 2019/2020 would pretty much be it by default, given the history of the series.
I've always believed that's why Square Enix benched the series, because they had no faith in sales justifying the projections of ballooning budgets.
"DAMMIT", my soul screams.
I've always believed that's why Square Enix benched the series, because they had no faith in sales justifying the projections of ballooning budgets.
"DAMMIT", my soul screams.
At the time, Shining Force 3 seemed like big budget game (3 disks, 3 scenarios, a bonus disk, voice acted spells/attacks)
Valkyria Chronicles, Divinity 2, and XCOM seem like the best current candidates
Valkyria Chronicles, Divinity 2, and XCOM seem like the best current candidates
I don't even need RDR2 graphics, my dream is a Tactics Ogre game for PS5 that looks like this image:
And with the environments being all small, static and blocky they could even use raytracing to get that perfect diorama look.
And with the environments being all small, static and blocky they could even use raytracing to get that perfect diorama look.
Or basically this.
Considering the sheer amount of voice acting in this game it's very clear it's a deliberate choice.
Not to mention that the plot actually uses Beylth's general quietness as several chracters point out they're stoic and softspoken.
I have a feeling that the next FE on the Switch will look absolutely fantastic. Three Houses has already laid the groundwork.
Wait until the next gen switch. I'm sure sometime in future it'll be cheaper to develop an strategy RPG that looks as good as Horizon.
You might have to wait 5+ years though. 🤣
You might have to wait 5+ years though. 🤣
Three Houses does have good production values though. Just not in the graphical department.
It all went into the gameplay/story/world with oodles and oodles of character interactions, voice overs, animated cutscenes, and an ambitious, split narrative across four routes with different outcomes and events.
Those aspects will carry the game much farther than just some pretty graphics. Even Valkyria Chronicles has maps that don't particularly look all that pleasing compared to your typical "AAA" game.
Game development is always a big give-or-take.
It all went into the gameplay/story/world with oodles and oodles of character interactions, voice overs, animated cutscenes, and an ambitious, split narrative across four routes with different outcomes and events.
Those aspects will carry the game much farther than just some pretty graphics. Even Valkyria Chronicles has maps that don't particularly look all that pleasing compared to your typical "AAA" game.
Game development is always a big give-or-take.
Fire Emblem could certainly aspire to production values on the level of, say, the Xenoblade series, which would be a big step up. The limiting factor is probably know-how and experience more than budget, since FE is a much bigger IP at this point.
Speaking of which, what I wouldn't give to see Monolith handling the environments for the next FE. If they do remake Genealogy they're gonna need way bigger maps than they had in 3H.
You mean OG series SRW.
The only way for that to happen realistically is if they jump to 3D on licensed series.
Or if they scale back the series in the game.
Meaning prolly Just Gundam, Mazinger, Getter and maybe, like, Daitarn 3 and Zambot 3.
Square Enix isn't even interested in strategy RPG anymore. Recently they kind of made one, but only for mobile. You would think Left Alive is a successor to Front Mission, nope just another third person shooter.
Well, you saw FETH's budget balloon compared to the 3ds games. If FETH measures up to it and sells 5M+, then you can expect further investment into the franchise. If growth continues to exist, then budget is quite possibly going to increase as well. Fire Emblem is your best bet for such a AAA SRPG, and FETH does not necessarily represent the most Nintendo is ever going to spend on it. That investment will be as big as for HZD is doubtful, but I don't think FETH is the ceiling in terms of SRPG budget if sales grow to the 5M level.
Based on the trajectory of the FE games (and the ... subterranean trajectory of Valkyria Chronicles), I think future installments of FE are your best hope. They clearly just didn't prioritize graphics this time around (probably because they made the game 1000 hours long)
But there's not really anything right now. FFT was at the time, I guess.
But there's not really anything right now. FFT was at the time, I guess.
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Thanks for the recommendations and I will try out some of those games (I did see some of them on YT) but none of them have the production values I mentioned.
VC4 artstyle is nice but it looks just like VC1 did in 2008 and the production values are lower than Three Houses.
I thought Project Sakura Wars looked nice until they revealed that it became a generic action game.
VC4 artstyle is nice but it looks just like VC1 did in 2008 and the production values are lower than Three Houses.
I thought Project Sakura Wars looked nice until they revealed that it became a generic action game.
Not really sure I'd be interested in an SRPG that looked like western AAA games. I don't find that style of art direction very interesting at all. FETH had some pretty questionable environments for sure, but the cure here definitely isn't making it look like a Rockstar game. Really what I would have wanted if they had a bigger budget was to commit more to the design aesthetic and go full cel-shading with its environments and models. Something more similar to Breath of the Wild than God of War.
Also, Valkyria Chronicles is not really an RPG. It's pretty much pure strategy/tactics.
Also, Valkyria Chronicles is not really an RPG. It's pretty much pure strategy/tactics.
How about a new Final Fantasy Tactics in Final Fantasy XV or VIIR visuals?
Nah, I'm good...
If there's gonna be a new high budget Tactics game, I'd definitely prefer Yoshida, Minagawa, or Minaba art direction.
The problem is that the FE developer would spend more money on the relationships and conversations cutscenes and writing.
They are already annoying because most of the time they don't add to the story or characters. And don't even start with the dumb tea parties. The SRGB part becomes more and more minor in FE games anyway, in a few years FE games will probably be only about socializing with other characters.
That's a shame because I enjoy the fighting part of FE very much. If FE developers would just concentrate on this and not the sometimes creepy "pick your love interest part" the games could be so much better.
I'm loving Three Houses but yeah... it ain't a looker. I would like them to go full cel-shaded art style for the next title. The characters look fine, but they are contrasted by a bland world with a totally different art style. Especially if they are going to push the roaming aspects outside of battle, they need to make the hub area visually appealing.
Honestly, probably not. Future installments of Fire Emblem are about as close as you are likely to get.
There's not much of a leap from SRPG's as you would know them to things like XCOM and Shadowrun, though. Or even something like Battletech. Shadowrun for more RPG, Battletech for more tactics/strategy.
There's not much of a leap from SRPG's as you would know them to things like XCOM and Shadowrun, though. Or even something like Battletech. Shadowrun for more RPG, Battletech for more tactics/strategy.
They can't sell as much as GoW so they won't have the GoW budget
It is quite simple.
The fact that Three Houses has almost triple the content that a normal Fire Emblem should have affected the budget. And honestly I prefer that to have only 40 hours but with better graphics.
It is quite simple.
The fact that Three Houses has almost triple the content that a normal Fire Emblem should have affected the budget. And honestly I prefer that to have only 40 hours but with better graphics.
Is Three Houses budget low to begin with?
Budget is more than graphics. The game has a ridiculous amount of dialogue and every single line is voiced. You have four different paths to take in the story and each one is at least 50 hours long. There are a ton of different characters, mechanics and systems at play. And the graphics aren't even that bad.
Budget seems pretty decent to me. It's just that it was spread over many aspects instead of just dumping most of it in graphics.
Budget is more than graphics. The game has a ridiculous amount of dialogue and every single line is voiced. You have four different paths to take in the story and each one is at least 50 hours long. There are a ton of different characters, mechanics and systems at play. And the graphics aren't even that bad.
Budget seems pretty decent to me. It's just that it was spread over many aspects instead of just dumping most of it in graphics.
FE has sold just as well as Divinity. And it has certainly sold more than Battletech.
Nintendo can afford to have similar production values but leans heavily in the direction of maximizing profit than producing polished efforts these days.
Do you have any proof of both budgets? Apart from the fact of being on different platforms and such.
Might be a stretch, but FF could go this direction after VII Remake. A fully turn-based version of what VIIR is doing would basically be exactly what OP is asking for.
i dont get the "no self insert silent protagonist" complaint, most FE protagonists are defined, speaking characters. the few that aren't still speak. havent touched 3H yet but if its silent there then its actually a first from all FE games ive played