Mainstream
Dark Souls II vs. Dark Souls: Graphics Quality Will Be Inferior
Recently, I’ve analyzed the most recent batch of Dark Souls II screenshots released by Namco Bandai and I’ve concluded that the upcoming game will have inferior graphics, effects and detail quality. To prove this statement isn’t just an opinion, I decided to create a proper comparison between Dark Souls and Dark Souls II visuals. Note that all the following images presented weren’t edited or improved in any way.
Comparison I: Environment
The first comparison mainly features two environmental scenarios and the difference between the two games is evident. While Dark Souls II presents a flat and poor detailed scene with barely any shadowing, Dark Souls exposes neat effects, refined frame details and proper lightning/shadowing. The characters presented also display huge differentiations. In Dark Souls screenshot, it’s possible to see all the little details in the character’s clothes, hair and accessories. However, in Dark Souls II the same cannot be done, the character lacks quality everywhere, for example the plate boots look like hard leather instead.
Comparison II: Daylight Fight
For the second comparison I decided to pick two daylight combat images from both games and the contrast is abysmal. Once again, Dark Souls II presents a humble scene with blurry shadows, poor detail, no effects and a rusty quality. The ground looks more like 2D, the stones are completely smooth and uniform and the grass around has nearly no detail. The characters are no different, only the shield has a decent level of quality. Now, if you take a look at Dark Souls screenshot the characters are properly polished, every material is well refined and nothing looks flat. The advanced and dynamic lightning/shadowing system is quite noticeable too since it makes the whole scene look more realistic and natural.
Comparison III: Dungeon Fight
Dungeons and indoors locations are probably the most appealing scenes in Dark Souls II, since sunlight effects are inexistent, which means the rendering complexity is inferior. This comparison is not as harsh as the others; however there are still some differences. Dark Souls II clearly stands behind Dark Souls in terms of definition, detail and lightning effects. But in my opinion, the second game becomes graphically more equilibrated in this environment simply because the contrast is less perceptible.
Comparison IV: Elite Monster Fight
Finally, the last appreciation features boss fights and sadly, Dark Souls II graphics are much inferior compared to the first game. First of all, the boss is extremely blurry, flat and undeveloped, there are absolutely no effects and the only way you get to know it’s a boss it’s due to its giant size and supposedly special weapon. In Dark Souls, the boss actually has a proper aura – it’s well shaped, finely detailed with several special and lighting effects. All these visual features crate an accurate sense of virtual reality, which intensifies immersion and engagement.
What would players prefer – a humble, flat and poor detailed game or a realistic, refined and high quality one? I’m not sure why the second game is getting inferior graphics than Dark Souls but it’s quite worrisome and disappointing since it’s a clear sign of regression. Evolution is a standard rule in video games and it’s rare to see a new game with worse graphics than its own predecessor. Dark Souls II will be released on March, which means better graphics won’t be worth hoping for.
Gaming News
Best Usenet Newsgroups for Gaming
Usenet newsgroups may seem old-fashioned to many. In reality, they are the perfect place for players who love the classics but are always open to new games and strategies. These internet communities are also ideal for those searching for gaming material, solutions to issues, or a conversation related to their favorite video games. Whether you are an experienced player or entering this domain for the first time, Usenet holds a ton of resources that could change how you interact with the gaming world.
Understanding Usenet Newsgroups
Usenet newsgroups, which include gaming groups, are like message boards. People can post messages and articles in different categories. Each group is a special place for certain topics – this makes it simple to find the subjects you want to read about most. The unique characteristic of Usenet lies in its decentralized structure. This permits a much more open interchange of details and information than what is seen on regular social media platforms or forums.
Initially, Usenet was utilized only for academic and professional exchanges. However, it soon turned into a prevalent method for communicating among hobbyists and gaming groups. Presently, even though Usenet has been surpassed by newer platforms in terms of popularity, it continues to be an important tool for knowledgeable users who value its special mix of staying anonymous with fast communication. Knowledgeable users also love access to vast archives containing historical information and software applications that are no longer available elsewhere on the Internet.
Top Usenet Newsgroups for Mobile Games
comp.mobile.games
This is a fresh group dedicated to discussions about mobile games and related technology matters within the industry. Here, you can find conversations about the coding aspects of creating games for mobile devices, like new updates in platforms or fresh game engines being used for development purposes.
rec.games.mobile
The perfect place for people who play games on their mobile devices as a hobby. Here, users talk about strategies, tricks and discuss game evaluations. This group is also suitable for those who are not serious gamers but like to connect with others and discuss playing strategies.
alt.games.mobile
In this newsgroup, users often discuss gaming fixes and give each other suggestions. It is also the go-to place for gamers and die-hard fans that wish to find each and every detail of the game they love to play.
Best Newsgroups for Video Game Discussions
Newsgroups such as alt.games.video and rec.games.video.arcade have lively communities where gamers often engage in exchanges and conversations. These forums are not only for resolving gaming issues or writing reviews; they are centers of enthusiastic discussion regarding gaming culture, strategy, and creation process. Be it the latest RPGs, energetic shooters or old-school arcade games – there is always a thread bustling with discussion.
In these threads, not only will you encounter a variety of views from across the globe, but you may also land on gaming tricks and shortcuts that are lesser known. For those who are new, remember that every group has its own tone and rules. Lurking for a while should help you understand community norms and ensure your contributions are accepted.
Specialized Gaming Newsgroups
Specialized newsgroups are designed for particular gaming communities. They provide a discussion environment that is more centered and focused. These groups are ideal for users who really love a particular game and want to explore it in great depth.
The benefit of these specific groups is their collection of very particular details. Gamers who are part of such a group often exchange unique things like custom mods or skins, and offer advice on how to make gameplay more efficient and fun.
Tips for Using Usenet Newsgroups for Gaming
To enter Usenet, you will first need to pick a provider that is well-known for security, high retention rates and fast speed. To make the right pick, it is a good idea to get the rankings for the best Usenet providers. Next, get advanced newsreader software, as this will allow you to browse through newsgroups easily and manage your activities effectively.
Focus on newsgroups related to gaming and participate in discussions matching your interests to find gaming buddies. Also, make sure that you follow the netiquette of each group while doing so. Utilize newsreader software functions like filters and automation to keep things simple.
Conclusion
Usenet, at first sight, can appear as a choice for oldies or people that have not yet acclimated to social media platforms and forums. However, its distinct characteristics make it very useful for all kinds of gamers. If you are searching for uncommon information, looking for detailed conversations or wish to join a community that matches with your specific interests; Usenet is surely the place for you. Jump in to see how Usenet can add another element of fun to your gaming experiences!
Casual
Encouraging Growth and Motivation: Resources for Child Development
Child development is a complex journey marked by critical milestones where each stride forward builds upon the foundation of the previous one. Acknowledging children’s individual needs, pediatric therapy services tailor strategies to foster physical, emotional, and cognitive growth. To support this transformative process, environments that prompt curiosity and engagement, coupled with advanced educational tools, play an instrumental role in shaping young minds. These resources, carefully selected and applied, can significantly amplify a child’s developmental trajectory. Keep reading to learn about the effective ways these tools and techniques can aid in advancing childhood milestones.
Pediatric Therapy Services: Enhancing Developmental Milestones
Pediatric therapy services support children as they reach and surpass developmental milestones. These services, often provided by skilled therapists, address various growth challenges, ensuring each child has the best possible start in life. From speech and occupational therapy to physical and behavioral interventions, these professionals tailor their approach to meet the unique needs of every young patient.
Therapists work relentlessly to motivate children, fostering an environment where milestones are not merely achieved but celebrated. Through personalized, one-on-one sessions, children gain the confidence and skills necessary to navigate their developmental journeys more easily. The trust between therapist and child is a solid foundation for consistent progress and paves the path for lifelong learning and adaptation.
Resource provision is a key component of pediatric therapy, equipping parents with the tools to continue therapy practices at home. Effective communication between therapists and families ensures a cohesive strategy that envelops the child’s daily routine, enhancing the therapy’s impact. It also allows parents to identify subtle progress, reinforcing their pivotal role in the child’s developmental success.
If you’re looking for pediatric therapy in your area, a simple Google search like “pediatric therapy Arizona” will help you find local providers and services tailored to your child’s needs, ensuring they receive the specialized care necessary for their development.
Optimizing Play Spaces: Creating Environments for Learning and Exploration
Optimized play spaces are vital platforms where children engage with their world, build skills, and unleash their creativity. Designers of such areas pay astute attention to elements that promote safe exploration and intellectual stimulation. A thoughtfully arranged play environment serves as a place of entertainment and a crucible for burgeoning development.
Professionals incorporate a variety of tactile and visual stimuli within play areas to cater to diverse developmental needs and interests. Stimulating sensory experiences is central to cognitive and motor skill refinement among younger populations. The intentional selection of colors, textures, and interactive features sparks curiosity and encourages physical activity, which is fundamental to healthy growth.
Accessibility remains paramount in creating play spaces, ensuring they cater to children across all abilities. Including adaptive resources within these environments demonstrates a commitment to inclusive development, allowing every child to participate and benefit from the joy and learning play offers. Such inclusiveness fosters a sense of community and belonging, which is essential for emotional and social development.
Affording children autonomy in their play advances self-directed learning and problem-solving capabilities. When children feel empowered to make choices within their play, they better understand their preferences and abilities, setting the stage for confidence and self-awareness — qualities that are instrumental as children grow and transition through life’s stages.
Additionally, incorporating elements like fake plants or outdoor plants from retailers like Nearly Natural outdoor plants into play spaces can enhance children’s sensory and aesthetic experience.
Interactive Learning Tools: Technology and Resources for Cognitive Development
Interactive learning tools harness technology’s power to solidify children’s cognitive development. These digital resources provide an array of engaging, educational content that aligns with critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Software and applications designed for children’s learning capitalize on the allure of multimedia to capture young minds. Effective education solutions provide children with stimulating challenges that are age-appropriate and aligned with developmental targets.
The discerning use of educational technology in classrooms and homes can reinforce concepts and skills taught through traditional methods. It creates a harmonious blend of instruction and interactive play, thereby cementing a child’s understanding and retention of information.
Providers of such educational platforms are ever vigilant, updating content to reflect new educational strategies and the latest academic research. Thus, children equipped with these technological tools remain at the vanguard of current learning methodologies, all while engrossed in fun and dynamic ways.
Overall, caregivers and educators can provide comprehensive support for children’s developmental journeys by integrating pediatric therapy services, optimized play spaces, and interactive learning tools. These resources nurture their physical, emotional, and cognitive growth and cultivate a lifelong love for learning and exploration.
Features
Why Investing in Academics Is Investing in Yourself
The quest for knowledge and self-improvement through academic pursuits is more than just a milestone in life; it is a cornerstone of personal development and success. Committing resources to further education is not merely an expense; it is an investment with considerable returns that extend far beyond the classroom. Education equips us with the tools required to navigate an increasingly complex world, opening doors to opportunities and fostering personal growth. Keep reading to discover why allocating time and resources to your academics is a decision that pays dividends for a lifetime.
The Lifelong Returns of Investing in Your Education
Investing in education is akin to planting seeds that blossom into numerous opportunities. Beyond financial gains, education forms the bedrock for career success and personal fulfillment. It empowers individuals to pursue their passions, enhances job satisfaction, and boosts self-esteem through academic achievements. Education serves as a catalyst for social mobility, breaking cycles of poverty by equipping people with the skills needed to improve their lives and contribute positively to society.
This ripple effect extends to lower crime rates and increased civic engagement, benefiting communities at large. Beginning with scholarships for high school sophomores can provide the initial support needed to embark on this transformative journey. These opportunities signify a commitment to nurturing future leaders and fostering a culture of lifelong learning and achievement.
Personal Growth and Lifelong Learning Through Education
Education is a vital aspect of personal development, providing opportunities for growth, character building, and discovering passions and capabilities. It fosters resilience and adaptability, which are essential in all aspects of life. A strong educational foundation encourages lifelong learning, ensuring individuals remain relevant and proactive in their professional and personal lives.
Education also broadens perspectives, exposing individuals to diverse ideas, cultures, and worldviews, fostering empathy, cross-cultural understanding, and appreciation for the human experience. It also allows for critical assessment and engagement with the world from an informed standpoint. The journey through academia often involves self-discovery, helping students uncover their strengths, weaknesses, interests, and values, leading to a more fulfilled life with aligned choices and goals.
Expanding Your Horizons: The Social Benefits of Academics
Academic investment in education is about building social capital through interactions with peers, faculty, and industry professionals. These interactions foster communication skills and relationships, which are crucial for life stages. Extracurricular activities in academic settings provide platforms for students to express themselves, learn new skills, and take on leadership roles.
Collaborative projects and team-based assignments teach students the importance of teamwork, compromise, and collective pursuit of goals. Higher education institutions also serve as a microcosm of society, requiring social awareness and finesse to navigate the diverse cultural, economic, and ideological perspectives.
How Academic Achievement Propels Professional Success
Professional success often hinges on a blend of experiences and achievements, with academic accomplishments playing a crucial role. Excelling in academia fosters a strong work ethic and sharp time-management skills, highly valued in today’s job market. Employers frequently use academic credentials to gauge candidates, especially for specialized roles like those requiring an aa in paralegal studies, where in-depth knowledge is pivotal.
Moreover, higher education equips individuals with specialized knowledge and technical skills that are indispensable in complex roles. Critical thinking and problem-solving abilities, nurtured during academic pursuits, further enhance one’s capacity to tackle challenges creatively. The networks formed during academic years often open doors to valuable career opportunities through mentorships and connections.
Leveraging Educational Investments for Career Advancement Opportunities
Investing in education can significantly impact career advancement, as academic qualifications often lead to promotions, leadership roles, and exclusive professional circles. Continuous education can lead to specialized career paths with higher salaries and statuses, especially in evolving fields. Higher education institutions offer career services like resume-building workshops and job placement programs to help students transition from academia to the workforce effectively.
For those already in the workforce, further education can be a strategic move for career change or progression, with flexible online programs and part-time options allowing working professionals to pursue additional qualifications while maintaining their current positions.
Altogether, the investment in academics is a far-reaching decision that impacts not just your immediate circumstances, but your future potential. As you prioritize your academic pursuits, you build a stronger foundation for success in every aspect of life—professionally, personally, and socially.
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E-dogz
January 21, 2014 at 5:28 pm
LMFAO! Dude before you write an article you should probably check the images you use, for starters, both the images of dungeon fighting are both Dark Souls 2 images and the so called boss fight image for Dark Souls 2 isn’t a boss fight, we’ve seen multiple images of this huge knight with maul suggesting he is an enemy type.
Also since you are comparing graphics you obviously were not in the Network Test which did have superior lighting and graphics compared to its predecessor. Next time check your facks before you right a biased article.
E-dogz
January 21, 2014 at 7:47 pm
*facts, my bad spelled to fast to notice my mistake.
Anways another thing I want to point out about this article is that your first point can be chucked out the window as well, you are comparing a night scene with a day scene, of course you aren’t going to be able to tell differences in clothes because it’s freaking dark. Then you try to compare details in hair design when the guy in Dark Souls 2 image is wearing a hood? Come on man, at least try to put effort into the article.
Marta Branco
January 21, 2014 at 11:14 pm
Thanks for your comment. I analyzed many screenshots and I gathered the ones more alike. I couldn’t find any decent day screenshots for DS2, therefore the night scene shot. As for the bosses, it’s irrelevant tot he comparison, normal monsters or bosses, the quality is still inferior.
Markus
January 21, 2014 at 6:35 pm
This article is nothing but biased garbage. Like the other comment left here, I too noticed that the dungeon fight images both come from Dark Souls II. Also, if you didn’t notice, Dark Souls is a 100% completed game. Meanwhile, most, if not all, of these images of Dark Souls II are from an older build of the game. Therefore, its obvious that they won’t be as good. The game wasn’t finished. Also, how can you expect Dark Souls II on the consoles to be all that much better anyway? The PC version this time -will- have better graphics. So amusingly dismissible article. You do, however, get a B for writing style. It works well. F for effort though.
Markus
January 21, 2014 at 6:36 pm
*So this is an amusingly dismissible article.
I get an F for proof-reading. :P
E-Dogz
January 22, 2014 at 3:44 am
Oh please, there are quite a few good day shots, you just wanted to create something bias to be a troll. I agree with Jim. The more I read it the more it leads me to think this is a troll article to just get people talking. You also didn’t seem to answer why you used two shots from Dark Souls 2 images in the dungeon section of the article yet claim one is Dark Souls, shows me you don’t know what you are talking about and again a troll article.
Ghandilol
January 22, 2014 at 8:38 am
Lol “the contrast is less perceptible.” That’s hilarious considering those screenshot are both from DkS2.
Thomas
January 22, 2014 at 2:37 pm
Have to agree that you should have done your research on the images used because they were pretty awful choices you chose for dark souls 2. The dungeons image you list for DkS1 is definitely from DkS2 because i played Dark Souls 1 many times and i never saw a dungeon that looked like that or that enemy type, which looks completely new nor was it from the DLC cause i played that.
Sorry Marta while you attempted to make a decent article you choose terrible images which ruined the credibility of the article you wanted to create not to mention using images of an out of date version of DkS2, E for effort at least :P
Mojo
January 22, 2014 at 3:34 pm
It’s quite interesting, this is the only article talking about THAT particular subject.
I remember the very first returns from “journalists” when the game was revealed : they said the visuals look like the cinematic, almost.
It’s clear now that they were completely wrong.
I think you are wrong nevertheless, the graphics from what I have seen will remain at the same level as Dark Souls, slightly improved :
The environment are still cheap in term of details, polygons and texture quality.
The characters are as detailed as in Dark souls 1, cheap for characters, good for armors.
The only differences will be in animations and lighting / post-process which will increase the overall visual quality, concealing the poorness of the environment details.
And I think Dark souls 2 is just a Dark Souls 1.5, a transition to make us wait and not forget, as they probably are working on the real Dark souls 2 ( whatever they’ll call it ), which I suppose will be Demon’s souls 2. After all, there can’t be other reason why Dark Souls’s dad is not at the wheel here.
Joel T
March 8, 2014 at 5:10 pm
I think one would know better than to write an article about which game people would prefer, when one of the games hasn’t even been released yet. And also making sure not to use two screens from the same game when comparing two games in a category. You’re bashing the game on something that, at the end, isn’t as important as the substance of the game. There are loads of games out there with amazing graphics that aren’t very good. Baldur’s Gate has terrible graphics, but it’s one of the greatest games of all time. I understand that we would like better graphics as a bonus, but true gamers know better than to take a game superficially. Also, it’s not that the dev’s *can’t* make the game better looking, it’s that the PS3 & X360 can’t handle much more. In the end, I disagree with this article, as I as well as several journalists agree that the game looks great. I say to you, Marta, let’s wait for the PC version to roll around. We know how notorious modders are for improving PC game visuals. Then this argument will be totally irrelevant.
Garry
March 11, 2014 at 4:01 pm
Sorry, but this article is rubbish. You’re describing something completely different than in the pictures and you don’t even mention which platform have the pictures been captured from.
Then you say “Now, if you take a look at Dark Souls screenshot the characters are properly polished, every material is well refined and nothing looks flat.”
You’re comparing two completely different sets of clothes and both lighting conditions are also completely different. And “nothing looks flat”? Seriously? Did you at least look at the floor?