Elden Ring does this better than anyone else
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- Опубліковано 30 лип 2024
- How much storytelling can you do with a few yards of cloth? If you're FromSoftware, a whole freaking lot! In Elden Ring and FromSoftware's ever-growing catalog of solemn sword adventures, there's an astounding amount of attention paid to cloth. The shape, the texture, the movement. But why? Polygon's resident man of the cloth Patrick is here to break it all down.
0:00 Elden Ring's secret weapon
1:12 Make, material, and movement
2:20 How cloth makes monsters
3:46 How material tells stories
9:41 How cloth moves
14:16 Getting ready for Shadow of the Erdtree
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#eldenring - Ігри
I, for one, appreciate that you tapped into the long-standing FromSoft tradition of randomly including 'person with a big fucking piece of cloth wrapped around their head' in Simone's bedsheet drip section.
I was WAITING for it and so happy it happened
Xanthus gang for life
XANTHOUS GAAAAAAAAANG
plip plop
splish splash
after the grafted scion screams it immediately pulls the cloth back over it's child's head as if to hide it's face. meaning it probably does feel shame about it's form and considers itself hideous. it's a 1 second animation and you're feeling sad in the middle of going "wtf wtf wtf".
Bonfire VPN doing the good work of showing us what the enemies actually look like when they’re not trying to kill us.
or maybe the small childlike head is its "core" like how Godrick post bossfight stripped of all of his grafting is a torso with a head. it might be so it feels less "exposed" in a relatively weak spot
"Mohg is, in fact, a messy boy who loves drama" - best description of him I've ever heard
He beat the allegations
you should watch Quelaag
He still a messy boy tho
@@MrAcuriteOf1337 He like us, He like us, he like us.
@@Garl_Vinlandalso he still loves drama
Can't believe Pat made it through the video without saying "fashion souls"
I think this video was more oriented towards the Elden Bling though
@@VilasNil It's all fashion souls
@@are3287it’s not all elden bling
Before playing Bloodborne I distinctly remember watching my roommate run around in the crowfeather armor set and being mesmerized by the layers of cloth and feathers waving over each other as he ran. I'm not saying it's the whole reason I decided to play Bloodborne... but it's one of them
There is a good reason there is an in-game emote called Shake Off Cape in that game. 👌
@@pixelbro99i got into the habit of doing that emote every single time I stepped off of an elevator, asserting that I owned this room. Lol
I like to read this as your roommate being a crowfeather cosplayer and actually running around the apartment dressed like that.
Anything that gets someone to pick up and try one of these games is a good reason in my book
we are as one in this lmao
This is why elden ring fashion is so important. If everyone is going to have an awesome costume you can't go around fighting people without one. You have to choose your own vibe too. You have to win.
and it's even better because armor isn't as important in these games as it is in most games. you're gonna die in 4 or 5 hits anyway so who cares if that's 3 or 4 instead, if you look cool as hell doing it? plus light rolling is better than tanking in my personal opinion.
Yes i have watched the ginomachino defense only video, but most players aren't running around with 5 difference defense spells, 4 weapons and only defense talismans, most players are mid rolling with some damage and some defense talismans, with very few temporary buffs.
At the end of the day I'm still going with the weight:poise ratio over style lmao.
My secret amazing outfit will die with me.
Why choose? The black-feathered chestpieces are some of the best single equipment pieces in the game on the lightweight end, and a good amount of others have special effects like aggro-draw, spell bonuses, or silent steps
@@mediumvillainwhatever floats your boat man, but personally I prefer going for style.
I can't believe that I never thought about how in the PS3 era, it was still rare to see people sleeping under sheets because of issues with cloth physics, but now we have the cloth coming off of Godrick to reveal his arms with the cloth on screen pretty much the whole time.
That Godrick scene isnt much physics as its a pre computed and hand animated baked into a texture for the game to read,more complex cloth animation is done this way,for cutscenes and flags for example.
@@lordanonimmo7699 yeah but real time cloth physics are still a lot more possible than they were ten or fifteen years ago.
@@lordanonimmo7699
I figured it was animated rather than procedural, but I still feel like seeing that kind of cloth movement entirely on-screen was rare (at least outside of FMV cutscenes), I think not necessarily because it was impossible, but because it was difficult to make look convincing and not have something like clipping or jagged geometry be fairly obvious.
Welp, I didn't wake up today thinking I'd hear the term "Cartilaginous Wobble", but here we are.
Mine was "flesh spider."
My only problem with that is that skin doesn't contain or isn't made of cartilage
imagine Fromsoft cloth textures applied to Toad. Nintendo would retweet that.
we wish
toad doesnt really have any hanging cloth
I want to see that mushroom head/hat WOBBLE, damn it
And then launch an orbital strike to a child emulating Luigi's Mansion on their mom's laptop.
I can't be the only one who thought Slave Knight Gael would get a mention. His cape in the second phase might not be physics based, but it is a pretty sick idea that a character's cape could be used as a weapon too
That cape is so integral to his design. Gael's second and soft third phase really emphasises the cape and the screaming faces (lumps vaguely face shaped) on it as it spits out red energy and whips around leaving crazy trails. The mass of it really shows his transformation from DLC 1 as a strange but recognisable guide for you into a hunched, giant, man with severe weight on his shoulders, consumed and driven to madness by his one final, violent duty at the end of the world itself.
yes, the whole time i was waiting for my mans Gael to get an honorable mention, but not a peep. poor dude.
I roll a This Thing as my class in every FromSoft game and my starting gift is always something like "Filthy Lozenge"
“A filthy lozenge, desired by none. At the bottoms of the gutters, even a putrid sweet soothes the tongue.”
As an environment artist, you really nailed Fromsoft getting away with stuff because of their intention. Repeating textures (look at the ruined building im Limgrave) identical distant trees in many vistas shots. But we let it slide because if look at the big picture and see how it all merge together, the jank doesnt seem as bad
This is how I feel about the reused assets. When I saw that the riposte animation hadn't changed since Dark Souls (2011), I raised an eyebrow. But, like, how else were they gonna make SO MUCH game? I don't think Elden Ring will age well: once people are spoiled by less jank in the future, it'll be harder to look past Elden Ring's jank. But it's *such* a boundary pushing game *now!*
@@Neuvost Strangely there ARE different backstab animations but the only time they change is with the size of the enemy, against someone smaller like the Imps or the vulgar Militia your first hit is a blow to the skull knocking them to the ground and the second hit is a brutal followup strike whilst they're laying prone. It's also interesting that Demon's Souls and Dark souls both had 'alternate crit animations' because both games had rings which enhanced backstabs/ripostes (and alternate animation for the backstab in Dark Souls 1 is literally just the Demon's Souls backstab animation) and the backstab we see on the smaller enemies in Elden Ring is the alternate backstab animation from Demon's Souls if you had the ring equipped and used a large weapon IIRC.
to be fair, not a single game on earth doesnt have identical trees in the distance or repeated textures, its a common tactic that is applied even to linear story based games.
Man, Pat's analyses are always so on point, and often quite poetic. Love his videos.
What you're describing is part of the overall physicality and tactility that I find exclusively in Fromsoft games. The way that when your weapon connects with an enemy it actually feels like a hit instead of the weapon going through the enemy as if they were made of smoke. The weight of jumps is accentuated by the way the different items of clothing and the weapons you're carrying carry the momentum. It's so satisfying on some basic, physical level, to simply move through Elden Ring's world and engage in combat.
The note about the Godskin is absolutely right… when I first saw one I wasn’t sure what the design/cloth was as I was dodging and running but the way it moved, sorta bounced and.. yes.. flopped.. made it clear that it was flesh. Not leather, or hide… but like.. wet, fleshy skin. Then I started wondering, is it somehow preserved with magic to not rot, or do they just wear flesh and replace it as it rots? It raised all sorts of nasty questions which I love!
I’m glad this video exists to shine a light on something most people ignore! I myself never considered it very much beyond “Oh damn.. my cape looks cool as hell! Fashion Souls babyyy! I got that fresh wizard fit..” haha until the Godskin fight made me really consider how they made the cloth sim show the subtle differences between leather and skin… a processed and normal form of clothing vs a horrifying monster wearing the raw skin ripped from some poor victim unceremoniously. I started paying attention and everything moved differently! I started noticing how little bits of chainmail, feathers, tassels and other small details were all accurate… each type of cloth and material was different, the sheer maiden cloth moves like silk but the armor cloak moves like a thick heavy blanket or almost a rug.
FromSoft truly created a masterpiece with Elden Ring… they put a ton of effort and care into every single aspect and detail of the game. They understood when and where they could take small shortcuts, and which aspects needed the most attention. Elden Ring should be used as an example for other game companies to learn how to make a massive game properly.
I was thinking it maybe has to do with being god skin... like it can't really die.
@@notednuance Same, apparently you’re right. I considered it but didn’t really put too much stock in it because I figured how could mortals kill gods?
But they do.. they were made for that purpose, swaddled in god flesh as babies and given the power of the black flame. They killed and skinned lesser gods that resist the black flame and wear it to kill the other gods. That’s pretty savage… find the only gods who are black flame resistant and make a fire proof suit out of their undying flesh! Then wear that flesh and hunt down their kin while wearing it. Damn.
FromSoft games always have the most insane lore! Haha insane but super cool and interesting.
1:03 Pat, this is a pitch perfect FromSoft guy laugh, i can't stop rewatching it
That exact moment made me go back and rewatch Pat’s bloodborne muppets episode again where that voice makes multiple perfect cameos. Highly recommend!
WAIT I GOT A POLYGON TIK TOK AD IN FRONT OF THIS POLYGON VIDEO???
Same
same
same
I was a bit confused at first
That loooooooooong fingie
Hey, it's the lady who made the bread boy in bioshock! Good to see her again!
what if the monsters didnt have clothes
Yeah, what if that? 🥵
Haha JK... Unless...?
nude
the fire giant solves this by wearing his beard for clothes
What if it was called elden freaky
FromSoft: puts insane detail into cloth physics
Also FromSoft: you're weapon is going to clip through your shield while the shield is on your back and you're going to like it
Was not expecting cloth as the answer. Am super glad.
9:50 "Patrick, what do your gamer eyes see?"
love a video that makes me learn and makes me laugh. congrats on the bedsheet's polygon debut i hope it goes far
Miquella is Mohg's HALF-brother, not step-brother, making it more legitimately incestuous.
And Miquella is cursed with eternal youth. Mohg is a edgy otaku chuunibiyou who stole his genderfluid half-brother who is a 2000 year old child god and said "I'm gonna be his consort so I might as well dress as a royal bishop"
Very catholic maneuver, dress up as a priest when being sus with children@Primalintent
@@MasoTrumoi hey I'm curious whats the source on miquella bring 2000 years old? Not trolling i have just never heard this and want to know more... Like this means malenia is also because they are twins
nah nah dlc lore redeemed mohg
@@bretthake7713 All of the demi-gods are implied to be incredibly old as they all became effectively immortal after Marika sealed the Rune of Death.
The game doesn't really give us an concrete timelines but it's heavily implied The Lands Between has been sitting stagnant for a long time, and as punishment for Marika shattering the Elden Ring, the Two Fingers (the Outer Will) is repeatedly sending Tarnished to The Lands Between to kill the demi-gods, collect their runes, and reforge the Elden Ring.
One thing that points to how long everything has sat stagnant is the sheer number of Tarnished we find and are referenced in the lore, as NPCs like the Tarnished Eater invader are stated to have killed "countless Tarnished".
Dude, theres literal hours of color theory I've seen and could go on and on about. Like just Maliketh alone, like you mentioned, how his coarse robes burn away to reveal his armor. His armor being a deep black, trimmed in gold, black like death, gold like order, with the gold containing the black, he is destined death as contained and vassaled to Queen Marika.
That's not even touching the connections that the game color symbolism has to alchemy. Just a mere example of which being how gold is an element of suspension, of maintaining and preservation.
Honestly it is an absolute rabbit hole to get loat in and the best part is that once you start seeing it, your mind races and sees more and more connections as you go. It explains so much, makes you wonder so much, and adds an entire other layer to the already incomprehensible amount of layers of detail that From puts into these games.
Feat. Simone De Clothfort?
And about FromClothwear
Progressing through all the panels of the Vince McMahon meme throughout Simone's bedsheet fits
Mogh is a theater kid
ohhhh this RULES. i frickn love cloth. it's so important. so few culture-building creative pursuits take as much care as would be *interesting*... this is a GREAT essay subject. i assume it is also a great essay i'm only two minutes in but pat has never disappointed before and this is off to a fantastic start
Gottdammit Pat, Ten/0 has been sold out of that Mokujin sweater in my size since they launched it and there you are looking all good in it.
You're so good at taking things I might not notice about games I might not be interested in and presenting them in a way that draws me in completely.
I want to give props to whomever updated the thumbnail and title to seem less like a spoiler. Thanks for your hard work polygon team!
I was purposefully avoiding this video because I assumed it had Shadow of the Erdtree Spoilers
I can see those Delicious in Dungeon and Daydream Hour books nonchalantly perched on your bookcase, good taste 👀
This level of insight is what we're subbed for. And Simone absolutely SLAYED that sheet. Honestly I see this video starting something in both the video game and fashion industries..
The only reason Simone is in this video is thirst trap. This isn't starting any revolutions.
@@Its_a_Mr_Eh oh ye of little faith..
I think this is the place I can compare Elden Ring's Malenia to Sailor Moon' Usagi in that each gets their most powerful once they ascend to an angelic (but without clothes) form
I love these focused videos that just go hella in depth with one specific facet of a game.
Cloth is in the centre piece of FS's object story telling, but not that much so that you would notice it...
It's almost too perfect.
One of the things that sells Mohg's outfit is the sounds it makes. It jingles and clicks with all the fancy baubles he's wearing. Like and old lady wearing all of her jewelry at once
Tag yourself, I'm @1:37 This Thing
I remember making a PvP build in Ds3 that was all centered around cloth, just used the most flowiest clothiest cloth I could find and a Murakumo or some other spinny weapon. (dont rememeber which one now) It made it super easy to trick people by basically doing a lot of rolls and piruettes, seemed to really mess with people :)
Another banger! Now that you’ve pointed it out, it so obvious how important costuming is to the vibe of a fromsoft game, but I’ve never really seen it because it’s not something I see a lot of people who love games taking interest in. I for sure appreciate videos on fromsoft’s subversive mechanics, but this video is definitely going to have a bigger and more unique impact on how I look at games.
Now apply this analysis to the monstrous sweaters of the one true grafted beast: THE GAME OGRE!
This is why I NEVER alter an armor. Fromsoft's capes are genuinely the best animated ones.
I got a polygon ad before this started and jokingly pressed the skip ad button, and was terribly surprised to see that I accidentally skipped an actual ad
My ultimate gaming dream is for clipping to be banished from character clothing and equipment.
We share a dream
Absolutely. I remember playing Ghost of Tsushima for the first time, being in awe of how beautiful it looks, and then being shattered by how much clipping there is, even in cutscenes 😭
Incredible video all around. Thank you for bringing attention to this great detail.
I always read maliketh in the other direction -- the removal of his robe symbolizing him giving up his humanity to become bestial
i have not thought of it this way. i understand the characters more their feel their stories... youve just open my soul, Thank You
Nice “Yes Madam” poster. Need to do a rewatch
missed the opportunity to have the hollow knight cloth "hua huAAAAA" yell introduce the idea of cloth
Pat, the hair looks REALLY good
This is 100% why Fashion Souls is a thing. Sure I've cared about how my player character has looked in other games, but in Bloodborne and Elden Ring (and other FS games) the cloth and costume are on a whole 'nother level.
“ahahahaha, oh!” - pat gill 2024
8:35 Now that the DLC is out, Mohg has proven his innocence post mortem, he defeated the allegations, he truly did nothing wrong (at least when it comes to kidnappings and unsavory relations with not-old-enough relatives) XD
Dark Souls 2 added cloth physics but everyone loves to dump on that one instead of giving it its due flowers.
DS2 is mentioned in this very video..
DS2 is being dumped mostly in ironical way. Even if you do consider it the worst, being the worst Frosoft game is like being the 10th richest person.
DS2 is king
When playing my first FS game, one of biggest great impressions I had was the way the skirt or cloak bellows upward when riding down the lift in Bloodborne. I thought that was a really cool detail. Thank you for explaining all these so well. I have even more appreciation for the game now.
"She Likes Cloth. That's a good band name."
-- Teen Girl Squad episode 12
Arrowed!!
miyazaki really made cloth secondary motion a boss fight mechanic with Slave Knight Gael
i enjoy these videos that talk about elements of game making and world building through means other than just gameplay and story. i like getting to learn about all the different ways dev teams have to work to create a rich experience.
Patrick your videos are always so polished and well written! Cheers!
You people are great and I hope your life is filled with joy. You deserve it. I was cackling AND learning.
The "dressing like a pimp and kidnapping his step-brother" line had me chucklin
"Kidnapping his stepbrother" - Poor Mohg, even now still well known for something he had no control over.
"This Thing" is the most Fromsoft of all characters Simone showcased!
0:04 absolutely
It's no wonder every dark souls related discord server ALWAYS has a fashion channel ❤❤❤
I truly appreciate the amount of effort they put into the cloth physics.
I grabbed my Nox Maiden set ASAP and I love it. Flowey clothes while dancing around in combat is my jam.
This is something I've appreciated actively but never delved this deep into. Fascinating stuff! Watching the development of cloth throughout the games has been one of my favorite parts. I remember the first time I put on a huge, flowy cape in DS2 and rolled around my jaw dropped. And it only got better! One of the reasons I'm so desperate for a proper ds1 remake.
Mogh's Theatrical outfit (with the context of DLC) alludes to how he is forced by Miquella's powers to do much of his ill-deeds in a display of love for him. Very theatrical indeed.
Very cool subject! 🙌Wasn't expecting it.
The clip of Renalla walking through leyndell got me good
There’s a reason I always pick armor pieces that have a cape or shawl. Using the new Milady with Winged Stance makes me feel like a matador 😁
FromSoftware mastered the art of having intent behind the things you spend your life making. That intent is their way of telling their story - rather than letting a handful of people craft a narrative, every worker’s mastery is put to the test to be able to tell the story - level designers, character designers, even the people who make item icons, all contribute to the story being told. No other developer can even come close.
Also missed opportunity - Renalla and the Carian sorcerers wear blue garbs with red on top - red being the color of Radagon, which is also why Radahn is so obsessed with it. Radahn wears his red proudly. Renalla and her sorcerers wear it as a symbol of the unity between her and Radagon. It’s why her soldiers wear blue and red, too. The garbs symbolize Radagon - and therefore The Erdtree’s - influence over the land. The Carian knights - they do not wear red. Because they were the ones who fought Radagon’s armies, and even if now they are supposed to be joined with him, they chose to keep their pure blue colors.
Eeeyyyugh.. that “ahaha oh!” Was way too damn accurate! Lmao
Reminded me of all times if crept up to a figure wondering if he’s going to try to kill me, sell me something, or just spit depressing lore.
Who do they always giggle and cackle like weirdos?!
What a cool aspect to talk about. I feel like I knew intrinsically everything you said but hadnt noticed that I noticed. Thanks for the spotlight. Cool Vid.
Sad that this video was made before you got the chance to look at Dane's Dryleaf set that almost completely obscures the player with a poncho and robe that excentuates movements through the secondary animation of the cloth, I've never seen anything like it.
oh THAT'S why the dryleaf and Nox Nightmaiden sets are my favourite in the game! i love making flowy character with weapons like duel curved swords, light greatswords and dryleaf arts and those clothes excentuate that even further.
Yeah in the cutscene of Radahn's fight where Miquella came out I was like "they really want to emphasize those cloth movements."
Amazing work, well done sir
I laughed more than i should when you went "ahahah.... oh"
"You put a bedsheet on a flesh spider and you made me sad." Truly encapsulates fromsoftware.
This is so interesting, more people should talk about this.
Really interesting analysis of an often overlooked element of these games. Nice!
new patrick :D
Never thought a video on cloth physics would have me so intrigued.
Meanwhile Let Me Solo Her went the opposite route with an iconic lack of clothing. In a world of elaborately designed armor sometimes the one to fear most is he who uses none at all.
Literally never thought of this, but it’s SO true. Nice callout!
For the cloth design at least, they used Marvelous Designer - in which you actually construct garments with pattern pieces as you would in the real world.
1:03 ah hahahaha- oh~
1:38 THE LOATHSOME DUNG EATER
impossible to focus on the video when there is a 'Yes Madam !' poster in the frame, it's gorgeous
beautiful stuff!!
Textiles! Great video
Polygon of all places. Probably should keep this dude. Nice.
straight out the gate w the grafted scion given all the implications of shaman flesh from the dlc is crazy
Oh great, one of those things that was subliminally affecting me but now that's been pointed out to me I'll constantly notice is everywhere
From's art direction and their commitment to maintain the integrity of the concept arts in the game proper is truly one of the best in the industry. We wouldn't get most of the uniqueness of the cloths and materials in game if they didn't pursue perfection on this aspect in each of their games.
Excited to see if this means the potential return of Patrick's Blood Buds
This is only tangentially related, but Lords of the Fallen (The original, not the remake) has some of the best cloth physics and feel that I’ve ever seen in a game. My jaw fucking dropped when I was standing on a windy bridge watching the cloth of my wizard robe fold and roll over itself naturally.
watching this waiting for shadow of tha erdtree to download, brought tears to my eyes. ive been playing Fromsoft games for so long and i never thought to be impressed by this. great video!!