SwSh Why are people saying the graphics are "bad"?

[Blockhead Pippi]

It probably has to do with new textures.

That could be the only reason.

No because textures barely make a drop in the bucket.

All textures are is basically paint to a model. Textures do not take up a huge chunk of space on their own, and if they are a little too much, they can either be compressed or their quality downgraded. The textures themselves have no bearing on a Pokemon's animation. That's determined by a string of code that moves the model, and the more animations there are, the more code is needed.

All of which can be compressed anyway.

 

[AngryBinacle]

No because textures barely make a drop in the bucket.

All textures are is basically paint to a model. Textures do not take up a huge chunk of space on their own, and if they are a little too much, they can either be compressed or their quality downgraded. The textures themselves have no bearing on a Pokemon's animation. That's determined by a string of code that moves the model, and the more animations there are, the more code is needed.

All of which can be compressed anyway.

They had to make better ones and they're more complicated than in the other games (look at the effects on the textures, for example). Some people analyzed that troubles with textures could be the only plausible thing.

Because: The models are old, textures are the only new stuff.

 

[PkmnTrainerV]

they're more complicated than in the other games (look at the effects on the textures, for example). Some people analyzed that troubles with textures could be the only plausible thing.

People also found out that a single simple effect was the new thing placed on textures.

Spoiler: Reddit post, might take up space on mobile

View: https://www.reddit.com/r/pokemon/comments/c4vk6v/they_dont_need_more_time_to_model_or_do_any_heavy/

 

[AngryBinacle]

People also found out that a single simple effect was the new thing placed on textures.

Spoiler: Reddit post, might take up space on mobile

View: https://www.reddit.com/r/pokemon/comments/c4vk6v/they_dont_need_more_time_to_model_or_do_any_heavy/

There are more shaders applied and the textures are of a slightly higher resolution than the 3ds games.

This can be the only reason.

An actual analysis here: r/pokemon - Long Post warning! An actual technical analysis of the whole reused model situation.

 

[Joker901]

Even if It's just an effect at least they spent 5 minutes on the textures...I wish they spent 5 more minutes on the lighting which is just awful. I like shining pokemon, but in the original sense.
The models may be good even if they are 7 years old but really needed to be animated properly. Considering they won't include all pokemon, making two more animations for the remaining pokemon should have been a must.

 

[Almonds]

There are more shaders applied and the textures are of a slightly higher resolution than the 3ds games.

This can be the only reason.

An actual analysis here: r/pokemon - Long Post warning! An actual technical analysis of the whole reused model situation.

It's interesting that they chose to credit everyone individually without mentions of their affiliation or employment. That seems to explain the confusion regarding "who from where worked on what" and "which team works on what" being misinformed from time to time.

 

[SeanWheeler]

Man I wish their excuse for cutting the National Dex wasn't such a big fat lie. That process of adding an effect to the texture means that they could be done with all the missing Pokémon today if they decided to add them in this morning! And with four months to spare, they can add the National Dex at the last minute without having to delay or make a Day 1 update.

 

[swiftgallade46]

Man I wish their excuse for cutting the National Dex wasn't such a big fat lie. That process of adding an effect to the texture means that they could be done with all the missing Pokémon today if they decided to add them in this morning! And with four months to spare, they can add the National Dex at the last minute without having to delay or make a Day 1 update.

I highly doubt this is true. While I’m sure the process of getting all 1000+ Pokémon models into SwSh should have been more than possible, I don’t think we should let our frustration and cynicism that it didn’t happen lead us to make exaggerated claims like this.

 

[SeanWheeler]

Okay, maybe a Day 1 Update would be needed. But they should be able to put all the Pokémon on the card and the update should be for some finishing touches and bug fixes. It would conserve more space on the Switch's memory if the whole National Pokédex is on the card. After the way LEGO Dimensions filled my Wii U up with a sequel's worth of content in Year 2, I think more should be on the game and less should be in an update. So while they are fixing up the graphics, they should at least keep all the Pokémon in the code. Even if they give us the National Dex in a DLC pack, the Pokémon for that National Dex pack should already be in the code. Just put more priority around the graphics for the stuff meant to be in the base game and we're good.

 

[godiego]

Okay, maybe a Day 1 Update would be needed. But they should be able to put all the Pokémon on the card and the update should be for some finishing touches and bug fixes. It would conserve more space on the Switch's memory if the whole National Pokédex is on the card. After the way LEGO Dimensions filled my Wii U up with a sequel's worth of content in Year 2, I think more should be on the game and less should be in an update. So while they are fixing up the graphics, they should at least keep all the Pokémon in the code. Even if they give us the National Dex in a DLC pack, the Pokémon for that National Dex pack should already be in the code. Just put more priority around the graphics for the stuff meant to be in the base game and we're good.

they're not going to add the pokemon into the game. they're done with that. they're pulling off the band-aid.

 

[Stratelier]

Man I wish their excuse for cutting the National Dex wasn't such a big fat lie. That process of adding an effect to the texture means that they could be done with all the missing Pokémon today if they decided to add them in this morning! And with four months to spare, they can add the National Dex at the last minute without having to delay or make a Day 1 update.

I'd guess that 1 of those months is reserved for physical manufacturing and shipping so that stores can actually have it in-stock in sync with release day, and the 1 month prior is probably reserved for the final push of QA testing where nothing is actually developed, just final bugfixes before finalizing what gets sent off to manufacturing.

People forget that large projects tend have a HUGE latency between where the project actually is vs. what the public sees in release trailers, media coverage, etc.

 

[SeanWheeler]

I'd guess that 1 of those months is reserved for physical manufacturing and shipping so that stores can actually have it in-stock in sync with release day, and the 1 month prior is probably reserved for the final push of QA testing where nothing is actually developed, just final bugfixes before finalizing what gets sent off to manufacturing.

People forget that large projects tend have a HUGE latency between where the project actually is vs. what the public sees in release trailers, media coverage, etc.

Okay, so two months. They could import all of the Pokémon in less than thirty minutes.

 

[swiftgallade46]

Okay, so two months. They could import all of the Pokémon in less than thirty minutes.

Why do you think this lol like what are you basing this off of?

 

[Stratelier]

Okay, so two months. They could import all of the Pokémon in less than thirty minutes.

That's not counting the QA time needed to check that it imported correctly, didn't break anything, gets the director stamp of approval, etc.... You clearly have no idea how large-scale coordinated projects work.

 

[SeanWheeler]

That's not counting the QA time needed to check that it imported correctly, didn't break anything, gets the director stamp of approval, etc.... You clearly have no idea how large-scale coordinated projects work.

The reviewing process may take longer, but I'm sure they could still finish on time. And if they don't, they could have a day 1 patch. And if they couldn't put them in a day one patch, then they should at least consider them for DLC. If they continue this stance that Sword and Shield and future games will not have the National Dex, they are going to lose fans. The Pokémon HOME service is going to lose money because nobody would want to trap their Pokémon in something with the only way of getting them out being a game that only has half the Pokémon coded.

 

[Stratelier]

The reviewing process may take longer, but I'm sure they could still finish on time. And if they don't, they could have a day 1 patch. And if they couldn't put them in a day one patch, then they should at least consider them for DLC.

Okay, that reasoning I can agree with. It is just not happening, though....

Besides, continuing to support the National Dex is a burden that grows progressively heavier with each new generation. One thing that might not get considered much is that they can't "just" copy and paste old designs into the new game, because then they effectively have to keep using the same engine (and look what that ultimately did to Traveler's Tales). Of course this isn't to say that they can't upcycle old designs for a new generation running on a new engine, but then somebody has to spend time evaluating what needs to change vs. what can stay the same. And again, it's a task that only grows larger as each new generation adds more and more to Pokemon canon.

There is ultimately a limit to how far a developer can go with "everyone is here." Smash Bros. and Super Mystery Dungeon both made a point of it (as did Marvel's Avengers), but we will probably never see it again.

 

[TechSkylander1518]

One thing that might not get considered much is that they can't "just" copy and paste old designs into the new game, because then they effectively have to keep using the same engine (and look what that ultimately did to Traveler's Tales).

I mean, Pokemon's done it for years, and they became the most financially successful video game franchise, so....don't think it would hurt them as badly as it did Traveler's Tales.

They were also able to reuse models from the 3DS on the Switch, and I doubt those engines are the same.

 

[SeanWheeler]

What happened with Traveler's Tales?

 

[AngryBinacle]

What happened with Traveler's Tales?

Invested a lot in the wrong IP's and tried the same formulae over and over, with lower sales and its disbandment closely after that as a result.

 

[Stratelier]

What happened with Traveler's Tales?

Another criticism was they were so busy cranking out more licensed adaptations (see the above post) that they weren't able to invest in a new engine despite the growing flaws in the one they kept using.