An interesting question came up on Stratics,posted by Belmarduk

I have asked a few times but no official answer sofar so i am starting a thread about it:

Is it possible to make UOKR real 3D ?
eg:

Now the camera is fixed but if the camera could be swung round we would have the equivalent of a REAL 3D client.The gamebryo engine is a REAL 3D engine.

For houses etc the camera could swing back to the default angel and be locked - also people could have the option of locking the camera permanently (people who DONT want real 3D)

I think this is a VERY important issue - There are worlds between having a old game with a new isometric client and having a REAL 3D client (possibility)

IF UO could be advertised as having a 3D client the subscription numbers would rise again - of that I am very sure !

Am I the only one who thinks that a 3d-client option would be important???
This COULD be a easy way - but I would like a official statement if its possible atall.
Greetings Belmarduk


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NinjaClaw addedd his approval to the question

I agree with you Belmarduk. I think your question is a valid one and deserves attention.
I think that in UO stygian abyss or maybee after that, it would be good to see a
UO KR expansion where the camera would be unlocked and free roaming around the
player to point any direction as you say. So that when we are in those worlds of that
expansion The KR clients camera could be able to free float & zoom at the
players choice. and only return to classic overhead locked position when returning back
to old Britannia. I hope that the KR client is built capable of this for the future but
for now lets just hope they can make it work speedily & cleanly without crashes.
Like the snappy 2D client does so well. ) Thats all people really want,
a clean & speedy snappy client regardless of 2D vs 3D. So get snappin! ^^

signed,
NinjaClaw
UO 126 month Veteran

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Many gave their own views on the topic,but it was all in vain as TheGrimmOmen showed

Belmarduk,

While you are quite right that the Gamebryo client is a 3D client, UOKR is still a 2D game with sprites and everything. We take advantage of a 3D client with things like the particle systems, but everything in UOKR is still 2D. If you were able to swing the camera around, it would look as though you were looking side-on at an image painted on a sheet of glass. Converting UO art from "2D" to "3D" would be a fun, but extensive undertaking. Sadly, there's no 2D/3D switch that can be flipped to turn everything to 3D.

-Grimm

JP "TheGrimmOmen" Harrod
Associate CG Supervisor, EA Mythic
EA Mythic
http://www.uo.com

I'd have just about zero interest in playing UO if it were a "real" 3D client. 3D games make me dizzy, and while switching to 3D might bring in some new blood, I have a feeling many vets would run for the hills, preferring the 2D world view that makes UO... well, UO.

I think an engine which let you zoom out to the 2D perspective and in for a 3D perspective would have been the best idea. This is something you can do in some RTS games.

IMHO 2d games are easily just as immersive and entertaining, if not more so, than 3d games. I can honestly say that a true 3d version of UO would not interest me in the least. 2d has a certain indescribable charm, a sort of archaic feel that brings back fond memories of old side-scrollers and rpg's (Landstalker: The Treasures of King Nole and Sword of Vermilion come to mind ).

Unfortunately you can't simply "turn the camera" and add an entire dimension. I don't believe many people understand how much work is required to create a true 3d client. I'm certainly not saying it can't be done, or that EA can't afford it, but with UO's current budget and manpower it simply won't happen.

Just my two copper bits on the matter.
*walks off hugging and making baby talk to his Sega Genesis*

This is sad! I hoped for the same als Belmarduk. It would have been great if they had shown some foresight and build the new objects for KR in real 3d (the had to redraw the graphics anyway...), thus keeping the possibility to go full 3d someday. Because as stated, that gamebryo engine is quite powerful (see oblivion).

*UPDATED*

Belmarduk,

While you are quite right that the Gamebryo client is a 3D client, UOKR is still a 2D game with sprites and everything. We take advantage of a 3D client with things like the particle systems, but everything in UOKR is still 2D. If you were able to swing the camera around, it would look as though you were looking side-on at an image painted on a sheet of glass. Converting UO art from "2D" to "3D" would be a fun, but extensive undertaking. Sadly, there's no 2D/3D switch that can be flipped to turn everything to 3D.

-Grimm

JP "TheGrimmOmen" Harrod
Associate CG Supervisor,
EA Mythic
http://www.uo.com

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Allthough I was hoping not to hear THIS answer

Thankyou very much for an answer.
Greetings Belmarduk

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Yew News had thoughts on the subject too.

I don't see why. That has little to no real effect on playability. Even in games that do allow camera rotation I never use it and find it awfully annoying if I slip up and end up with the camera pointed in a way I'm not used to. To me it seems more fluff than anything else.

Maybe I'm just getting old or something....

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while Thopas said

Well, it would be nice to be able to get down low and see through the trees, as an example. And not everyone likes the isometric perspective that was so popular when UO was originally released. With true 3D, you could change that, np.

I was surprised to see that KR used 2D for the background. There was so much emphasis given to having "standards compliant pipelines" for adding artwork; why wouldn't that extend beyond player and mob models to the backgrounds?

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which brought this reply from Grimm

Well, actually, we use 2D art for... everything.


-Grimm

JP "TheGrimmOmen" Harrod
Associate CG Supervisor,
EA Mythic
http://www.uo.com

This really was settled a long time ago when they decided against UO 2, etc. They have a niche place in the market, now a very competitive market. It was decided they would split their customer base, ala Tram/Fel as diehard 2d players would never make the move and both games would actually suffer/fail.
The technical part was said that the whole game would have to be rebuilt. So in essence, one could say they had some foresight (I hate to be Devils Advocate for this).
They keep UO thriving and more importantly, running profitably and by buying Mythic they actual do have a true 3d game coming out .

Warhammer® Online: Age of Reckoning. :-P

UO needs something new.. something intressting and a better costumer support..