I'm not even really sure how to reply to you, because there seems to be a complete lack of common ground here. Let me try again.
Garriot programmer. Garriot not artist. Garriot no choose art direction. Garriot just want to make program. Garriot just use whatever model laying around on hard drive.
No, it's not strange to create prototypes without choosing an art direction. Games are typically products of real substance. They aren't your random Rails+Illustrator startup making something flashy and pretty, banking on everyone being distracted by their "elegance" long enough to make a few bucks before the users realize they offer nothing of real substance. Art in a game is content. You can substitute any content into the game and the gameplay will be unaffected. If the game can stand on its own with unattractive content, then it will be even better with pretty content. If a game needs pretty content to catch your attention, then it's probably not a good game.
And that is where game projects fail, when they don't offer anything of substance. My point about Minecraft was that your point about "exploring on your own" not being a good concept for a game didn't hold water. A game concept can be anything, if you make it substantial.
Yes but surely Garriot isn't completely naive as to think we won't judge the graphics and the game poorly as a result, as he doesn't choose to mention or confirm that said graphics are placeholder.
I think the graphical engine they're using, the shading, the models, are trite, including the UX design - and it sucks, because if it doesn't improve the game won't be worth most peoples time. Runescape, graphically, in 2013 doesn't seem too appealing!
Right, the big words "PROTOTYPE" didn't confirm that they are placeholder graphics.
Jesus Christ, remind me to never post a work in progress on HN. If someone as big as Richard Garriott can't get some basic respect, what chance do the rest of us have?
I'm not even really sure how to reply to you, because there seems to be a complete lack of common ground here. Let me try again.
Garriot programmer. Garriot not artist. Garriot no choose art direction. Garriot just want to make program. Garriot just use whatever model laying around on hard drive.
No, it's not strange to create prototypes without choosing an art direction. Games are typically products of real substance. They aren't your random Rails+Illustrator startup making something flashy and pretty, banking on everyone being distracted by their "elegance" long enough to make a few bucks before the users realize they offer nothing of real substance. Art in a game is content. You can substitute any content into the game and the gameplay will be unaffected. If the game can stand on its own with unattractive content, then it will be even better with pretty content. If a game needs pretty content to catch your attention, then it's probably not a good game.
And that is where game projects fail, when they don't offer anything of substance. My point about Minecraft was that your point about "exploring on your own" not being a good concept for a game didn't hold water. A game concept can be anything, if you make it substantial.