Minecraft Graphics.

[Hummmy]

Alright, Alright I know. This is quite a common conversation, but not one that I've really had.

So, as everyone says "graphics are not everything". Which is true.. But they're not nothing!
I often see people saying that Minecraft wouldn't be Minecraft without the 16x16 "blocky" look to it. (I'm aware we have higher res texture packs but they're still blocks)

But... Imagine if it had realistic graphics.
In my internet searching today I found a little internet game I'd never even heard of before called "The Hunter". Now this game itself isn't anything like Minecraft really, as the name suggests, it's a hunting game, like shooting deer and elk.. And shit.

But the thing that really caught my attention about this game is it's graphics or really.. How realistic the world looks. Have a look!: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jU67itA0mH4

Now I've seen better graphics sure, but they are still insanely good for this relatively "small" game! Which brings me back to my original point;

What if Minecraft had realistic graphics like that? Do you think it would be good? Do you think we'll ever get a game like Minecraft with this kind of detailed world? Surely a more detailed environment makes it a lot easier to immerse yourself in?

And I know that it hugely increases the demand on your computer and not everyone who can play Minecraft could play this, but technology is flying really.. In a few years processing power will be way more powerful than what we have today and it probably won't even be a hassle to run things like this. (this is my theory, yes.)

Anyway, yeah. Just wanted to see what you guys think about this.. Thanks!

TLR; Would Minecraft game with a realistic environment be good?

 

[Pat8u]

ONCE AGAIN I HAVE TO STATE

minecraft graphics are actually decent those things you see aren't pixels those were intentionally put there by notch as an asethectic* approach this is why you can have texture packs
*can't spell that word!!!

 

[orangeban]

I don't actually think so. There's a time and a place for ultra-highrez graphics (preferablly the time being at the point where I can run it on a computer that didn't cost me a lung) and there's a time and a place for other kind of graphics.

Minecraft has a charming lego type feel to it, which I think partly comes from it's blocky graphics. Also, the game is already quite demanding (enormous procedurally generated world isn't easy on processors) so better graphics could bugger things up a bit.

 

[Daystar Clarion]

No.

Minecraft is about blocks.

Blocks are everything.

 

[E-Penguin]

I think that the 16x16, or 32x32 compliments minecraft's blocky look. I've seen some of the "ultrarealistic" mods and they look strange, as they don't really fit in with minecrafts blocky design.

 

[AndyFromMonday]

I don't see Minecraft being doable without blocky graphics. Those blocks aren't there just because Mojang didn't feel like implementing realistic graphics. They're a core part of the gameplay and essentially what allows you to build whatever you feel like building.

 

[KefkaCultist]

No, because in a realistic environment the blocks would be extremely small, so to build even a small shack would take THOUSANDS of blocks and the fun of the game would turn into tediousness even faster than it already does.

 

[Hummmy]

I know. I completely understand why and how Minecraft looks the way it does. And I'm a huge fan of the game. (this is in no way Minecraft hate)

I'm just wanting to see what everyone else would think of a realistic "Minecraft".

 

[Palademon]

Yes, let's put a realistic look in a world made of cubes!

GENIUS!

edit: Anyone want realistic green exploding dicks?

 

[Spectral Dragon]

I rather doubt it. I like to think of Minecraft as lego. You couldn't make the simple structure of everything with more advanced graphics. If you had it better, mining etc. could feel just flat out WRONG, given that it's almost realistic.

It's the simplicity of minecraft that makes it great. Like a lot of things, it's better if you only have the limit of imagination.

So short answer: No, it was created with a purpose, and that was not to have realistic graphics.

 

[No_Remainders]

Minecraft wouldn't be Minecraft without the 16x16 "blocky" look to it.

So, essentially, what you seem to be implying is having a fully realistic version of Minecraft, without the blocks?

That idea is just pure silly.

 

[AmrasCalmacil]

Lern2Texture Pack.
My Minecraft looks great.

See? Even my Godswood is awesome.

 

[Culinus]

Well, the poor graphics are intentional as already stated. The sandbox nature of the game relies upon being square, and the low resolution textures are most likely put there for consistency. It would just look even worse with really realistic wood textures when they all have to be in big squares all the time. They could easily make characters and creatures look a lot more realistic, but having them all be square is part of their aesthetic design for this game and gives it a certain charm in my opinion.

As for if we'll ever see a Minecraft clone with better graphics; most definitely. Minecraft is one of the most successful games ever made, especially considering that it's not even officially released yet. There are a lot of people who are going to try and ride its success by doing a similar thing with higher graphics, and I'm guessing that a lot of those games are going to be huge flops.

 

[rokkolpo]

Yes, let's put a realistic look in a world made of cubes!

GENIUS!

edit: Anyone want realistic green exploding dicks?

GONORRHOEA ATTACK!
SSSSSSSSSSsplotch...

Ewwww

OT: The option is nice, with the texture packs and all, but seriously, I wouldn't appreciate Minecraft as much if it looked ''good''.

 

[Dunkhelzahn]

If you want better graphics, then go and play WURM.

 

[No_Remainders]

So, essentially, what you seem to be implying is having a fully realistic version of Minecraft, without the blocks?

That idea is just pure silly.

This is one reason I hate asking questions which require some thinking to a large audience;
Cause I get people like you.

Your question essentially boiled down to "would minecraft work without blocks?"

Or else, you actually think that you could have realistic graphics with blocks, which wouldn't really make sense, because it'd still be blocks, and would therefore be ridiculous.

It has to look like blocks, otherwise you won't really know where one ends and the next begins. I suppose you could just have a nice fun game of "guess where the next part goes"?

 

[Hummmy]

Your question essentially boiled down to "would minecraft work without blocks?"

Or else, you actually think that you could have realistic graphics with blocks, which wouldn't really make sense, because it'd still be blocks, and would therefore be ridiculous.

It has to look like blocks, otherwise you won't really know where one ends and the next begins. I suppose you could just have a nice fun game of "guess where the next part goes"?

Well no... Really my question was if we'll get a Minecraft style game with realistic graphics and not if Minecraft will get realistic graphics.

What about.. Realistic terrain, but when you look at a piece it's got an outline of the 'cube' that the terrain fits into? And when you break the block it turns into a universal dirt block?

 

[viranimus]

Im sorry, I am going against the grain here. I can see a need for better graphics.

Personally I dont find the blockyness charming. I personally find it distracting.

Thats why I play with the photorealism texture pack.

http://www.fileplanet.com/219188/210000/fileinfo/Minecraft---LB-Photo-Realism-256x256-Pack-Mod

Honestly without it applied I wont play minecraft any more. Theres just such a disconnect without using at least moderately decent graphics when there is no real excuse not to.

Now as for having it down to the level of modern graphics such as the cited video. I think its unrealistic to expect that. However, I would love to see Minecraft shrink the blocks down to allot blocks 1/4th the size of a full size block to better allow for design control. Cause really one full block (or half tall block) is unrealistic and ends up screwing up a lot of designs.

Just like if you want to build a 15x10 house, but you want the inside walls to be something other than the outside, then your looking at really a 13x8 house which is dramatically smaller on the inside than what you were intending. Imagine having half blocks that went vertical as well as ones that could go horizontal. That way within 1 block size, you could have an interior face and an exterior face.

But smaller than that? na... really not needed. though it would make the sky celing more impactful and keep everything from having to be oversized.

 

[Jacob Haggarty]

Not actually playing ot being a fan of minecraft, i'm still going to have to dissagree.

Simply from a functional stand point, in that if you want hyper realistic graphics, you can't have cubes, or else it will look wierd. Can you imagine realistic textures on a 2x2x2 block? Or leaves that are extremely detailed, but square?

The only alternative then would be to remove the cubic theme. The only problem is that creates a pretty big problem for the building mechanic, because minecraft as it is relies on eveything fitting together regardless of material. And i don't think that balancing a hand full of gold onto a roughly cylindrical log would be quite as easy as the building blocks approach, where everything is alloted the same amount of space.

Not to mention, with realistic graphics comes hand-in-hand the un-spoken need to introduce realistic PHYSICS to make it all move properly, and that would cause some problems with things like sand.

The graphics aren't even that bad as they are, they're just themed. The squares are used for adding a small amount of simplicity to an otherwise exceptionally complex game.

 

[The Epicosity]

Your world wouldn't be randomly generated if it had "realistic" graphics. Your buildings would look absurd if it had "realistic" graphics. The whole game would be absurd with "realistic" graphics, unless Notch put in major changes. Another thing that would happen would be there being next to no mods that added new things, sooo, about half, at least, of the mods that exist for the game.

Trust me, the block format serves a purpose.