I 100% agree that non-verbal language took a Grand Canyon-sized fall when the transition was made.
Look at Final Fantasy VI and Final Fantasy VII. Sure, there were some huge technical leaps in the latter, but if you consider the facial expressions of VI, the physical reactions.. 3D games just don't tend to have it.
The sad thing is that it isn't a technical issue. It is a matter of crafting. Often many studios do not take the time and money to craft the added emotion into the 3D animation that would bump the quality of a game up at least one or two notches. Most companies, for some reason, just do not think it is worth it.
I'm truly hoping that there will be more middleware available for future generations of games that specifically addresses this. That way, you can just drop in the module and half the work is done.
Let's not forget the infamous 'group room' in Final Fantasy VII. The district of Wall Market in Midgar had the Honey Bee, which was a voyeurous locale. (Even more amusing was the quest to dress up Cloud as a woman in order to successfully fool some enemies.)
I was introduced to Settlers of Catan just last night, and I cannot get the experience out of my mind. It is absolutely wonderful. I cannot recommend this game enough.
Slashdot Mirror
I 100% agree that non-verbal language took a Grand Canyon-sized fall when the transition was made.
Look at Final Fantasy VI and Final Fantasy VII. Sure, there were some huge technical leaps in the latter, but if you consider the facial expressions of VI, the physical reactions.. 3D games just don't tend to have it.
The sad thing is that it isn't a technical issue. It is a matter of crafting. Often many studios do not take the time and money to craft the added emotion into the 3D animation that would bump the quality of a game up at least one or two notches. Most companies, for some reason, just do not think it is worth it.
I'm truly hoping that there will be more middleware available for future generations of games that specifically addresses this. That way, you can just drop in the module and half the work is done.
Let's not forget the infamous 'group room' in Final Fantasy VII. The district of Wall Market in Midgar had the Honey Bee, which was a voyeurous locale. (Even more amusing was the quest to dress up Cloud as a woman in order to successfully fool some enemies.)
I was introduced to Settlers of Catan just last night, and I cannot get the experience out of my mind. It is absolutely wonderful. I cannot recommend this game enough.