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Pillars of Eternity by Obsidian Entertainment (Kickstarter) [Up: Teaser]
- Thread starter duckroll
- Start date
Hold on guys, I have an exclusive scoop on the work-in-progress cover art for the game:
I found a couple of preview screens from the opening animation:
Imp the Dimp
Member
lol no kidding. That's just awful.
SpacePirate Ridley
Member
I found a couple of preview screens from the opening animation:
Nah, those seem fake, they already said that they dont want sex relationships, and that woman sure wants one!
Concept art sets the tone. It directs the imagination of the team, sits in the back of your mind when you're writing for these characters and also completes your visualization when you're eventually playing as them in low poly 3d form. It's very important. It's not there for PE in any capacity.
Look at that comparison above. Wasteland 2 inspires confidence and gets my imagination going. PE looks like a random result from DeviantArt.
exmachina64
Banned
You're right. Seriously, it's two years away.
polyh3dron
Banned
Just looked at my backer email.
This is their concept art? Holy fuck it's bad. Really bad. So uninspired and ugly.
What the fuck did I back.
This is their concept art? Holy fuck it's bad. Really bad. So uninspired and ugly.
What the fuck did I back.
Jibbajabbawockky
Member
Eh, for an IE style game, the final character portraits are the most important thing to me. The actual models can be higher resolution versions of the IE style characters and I'd be content. As for the concept art, it just seems to be from one particular artist who has a more cartoon like, almost Disney like animated style. I'm not crazy about the actual designs but I think even if you had a higher quality or more realistic style rendering, you'd see better impressions. Like if Justin Sweet did art of these same characters, I bet they would look fine.
Those two were very good, I don't get why they switched to the brownscale. I guess it's easier to pump out content with a bit more details? But it just seems so half-assed. I don't think I've ever seen game concept-art without colors.
Truly baffling. Someone tell Dmitri that he's going to the goulag if he doesn't add some colors.
Holy shit at the Wasteland art, i had no idea. They got some talented bastard over there drawing doodles for them. Glad i backed it.
D
Deleted member 102362
Unconfirmed Member
The Wasteland 2 artwork is AMAZING.
I'd buy an artbook with that stuff.
Yeah... I think the art is... serviceable... when looking from isometric perspective, but still way to generic. This is their crack at creating a world/IP that's theirs. A little originality would be nice 
Even forgetting the generic problem, Obsidian should really look at the Wasteland 2 strategy. More high concept art that probably have little to do how the models will look (aside from portraits) but that keep the interest going.
Well, it's Obsidian. Art was never their strong point and was not why I pledged, still.. eeesh.
Even forgetting the generic problem, Obsidian should really look at the Wasteland 2 strategy. More high concept art that probably have little to do how the models will look (aside from portraits) but that keep the interest going.
Well, it's Obsidian. Art was never their strong point and was not why I pledged, still.. eeesh.
Looks like progress to me!
Even with DA:O, if you play it in isometric, the character models are nothing special to look at.
PS:T was kind of an anomaly since you're zoomed in a bit more, and well...Morte.
Planescape: Torment had incredible art in general in its environment and character designs, given a boost through how unusual and beautifully strange the Planescape setting already was. It's also even prettier at higher resolutions when you're zoomed out more and see much more of the environment, creating a cohesive picture. The art is one of its best features, and it would be difficult for any isometric game to top. Icewind Dale had pretty environments but it was still generally stuff you had seen before.
I'm not that surprised by the character concept stuff released so far for PE. I've been expecting that the general world and character-building will be what make the game appropriately unique and bely its generic, Forgotten Realms-esque roots. I don't know if the game itself will be too special to look at outside of some lush environments.
Same.
The only silver lining I'm seeing here is that character art was largely unremarkable in the Infinity Engine games*. Environmental art is much more important and I have more faith on that front.
*although I'm partial to some portraits and Torment character sprites.
electroshockwave
Member
Well, that art is not good but I can't really put my finger on what is. Does anyone have any examples of good medieval fantasy character art (especially from games) as a contrast?
SpacePirate Ridley
Member
Not even in the artist's wild dreams his stuff looks anything like a good animated cartoon or something made by disney.
Its as generic as it gets, and its really bad. It doesnt have any personality, and thats the worst thing of all.
They know the backlash, they have the money, so I hope they have MUCH better artist cooking the real thing, becuase simply, this guy sucks, and im very sorry saying that, but sadly is the truth.
I like how the watermarks are self-trolling. It's almost like they know it looks bad.
Got a kick out of that too ---- a part of me wants to believe that they are releasing this on purpose to pull our legs and that just around the corner, in their next update they will be all like "FOOLED YOU!" before blowing us away with real concept art
Aquamarine
Member
Maybe Obsidian wants PE to be generic and bland?
God I love Sleeping Beauty. Please take a look at The Banner Saga for a new game in a similar style.
The Witcher 2 and Dark Souls are the best modern examples of medieval fantasy art.
The Witcher 2 and Dark Souls are the best modern examples of medieval fantasy art.
Finally free of a license or publisher constraints. No marketing department to tell them to add more cleavage, blood and sexy elves. Their own IP and they can do whatever they want with it.
Decides to make a warrior with leather armor and a sword then a barbarian with an axe. Both without colors and just a brown scale for the shading.
Seriously, I don't get it.
Decides to make a warrior with leather armor and a sword then a barbarian with an axe. Both without colors and just a brown scale for the shading.
Seriously, I don't get it.
electroshockwave
Member
Can't believe I forgot Dark/Demon's Souls. I even have the limited edition of DS that has the little artbook. Maybe I was just thinking of western developed games or something.
Witcher 2's art is a good one too.
Oh if by from games you mean actually in the game, then yeah, those two are great choices.
Like Vernon Roche.
God dammit, I wanted to edit. Oh well, here is some really good stuff from one of the artist that worked on the Witcher 2.
http://bartekgawel.blogspot.ca/
http://bartekgawel.blogspot.ca/
This kind of goes back to my initial impressions of the kickstarter, when all they presented was a generic map that looked like it was made in 3 minutes.
I don't doubt they're taking this seriously. I'm just not gelling with the direction they are taking. On the other hand, every time I see a Wasteland 2 update I am blown away.
I don't doubt they're taking this seriously. I'm just not gelling with the direction they are taking. On the other hand, every time I see a Wasteland 2 update I am blown away.
The AD&D 3rd edition handbook has somewhat more modern artwork than the stereotypical Dungeons and Dragons cartoonesque stuff people tend to associate with that. The art styles are a mixed bag, but here's an example:
(appears in the 3rd edition Epic Level Handbook)
electroshockwave
Member
Alright, the difference between the good examples and what Obsidian is showing is staggering. When I look at that warrior I just see him as being some sort of Kaiden/Carth type character and not someone interesting like you would expect Obsidian to write. And those 80s cartoon villains...
The dwarf ranger was good and I think that Cadegund pic would be much better if it wasn't brown scale.
The dwarf ranger was good and I think that Cadegund pic would be much better if it wasn't brown scale.
Fine Ham Abounds
Member
Man, this OT has been quite the rollercoaster ride...
Art is bland, but we know they have talent on the environmental side. Maybe they're working something out with a character artist.
Still, now I'm even more hyped for Wasteland 2.
Art is bland, but we know they have talent on the environmental side. Maybe they're working something out with a character artist.
Still, now I'm even more hyped for Wasteland 2.
I think some of it goes back to Sawyer saying in that one formspring post that in his experience, people reject the "weirder" fantasy. On the surface at least they went the more all-inclusive and traditional LOTR route with PE, and I assume that's a reason why. One of the points of Kickstarter should be that wide audience appeal is not a necessity, but I dunno.
They do like to subvert tropes so hopefully that's what they'll do, but I certainly expect this to be much more standard Forgotten Realms than anything else. Shatter my expectations, Obsidian.
water_wendi
Water is not wet!
Meh. im not defending it but honestly i dont really care. Even if the renders were final i doubt i would feel differently. Maybe its just how im feeling tonight and ill be worked up about it tomorrow.
I feel you can still take standard fantasy and make it look good though.
The Witcher isn't really full of all sorts of unexpected creatures and crazy settings.
Hold on guys, I have an exclusive scoop on the work-in-progress cover art for the game:
Work in progress? Looks like a finished masterpiece to me!
SerArthurDayne
Member
Haven't lost faith in the game, and I hope they put out some higher quality illustrations/paintings later. So I won't go all ... urr, but that will be a disappointing art book if everything follows this style.
Sorry Polina, not digging it.
Sorry Polina, not digging it.
You definitely can but I don't think they help themselves by choosing a type of setting that has already been done so often. It has more of a risk of coming across as generic because of its instant similarities to popular styles. They end up having to do more to stand out.
I don't think anyone was expecting PT levels of weird. It's hard to beat a talking skull. At the same time, there are ways to have good art without anything weird.
This is just plain bad art. Or if not bad, very uninspired and bland. It's just a question of quality.
While that's true, I still feel that's kind of the onus you put on yourself when you select to make a game in a "safe" setting.
Aye. They didn't do themselves any favors with the general type of setting they went with, but hopefully they'll be able to rise above its tropes. The aesthetic is questionable but at least some of the bits of lore they've released seem pretty interesting. I think that'll be where the intrigue lies, ultimately.
I don't think the only complain here is that it looks generic, but that the quality of art and the overall ambition in the visual look is seriously lacking. I mean if we're talking about "generic" medieval fantasy settings, let's look at some concept art from Tactics Ogre: http://www.parkablogs.com/content/book-review-タクティクスオウガ-運命の輪-art-works-tactics-ogre-art-works
Would anyone be complaining if the concept art so far looked like this? Certainly not. The look is traditional, the sort of armor and equipment characters use here are standard stuff we're all familiar with, but yet the design itself stands out. It looks unique, there is life and detail in every element which seems to say something more. There is thought put into how the characters reflect the world they inhabit. There is nothing so far in the Project Eternity character artwork which feels that way at all.
I raised some of these concerns about the project seeming to be a little uninspired during the kickstarter. These comments did not go over well at that time in this thread. Now I feel like we're seeing what seems to be an unfocused direction for the game.
Wasteland 2 felt very specific and driven with the updates and art they provided. PE provided a lot of information and ideas for game concepts, but as far as art and design I just don't think the vision is there. Obsidian asked for a lot of money and got it, but what I've seen so far has me regretting my pledge.
I could be wrong and I'm not writing it off, but given the negative reaction of others I feel safer to express this now than I did two months ago.
Wasteland 2 felt very specific and driven with the updates and art they provided. PE provided a lot of information and ideas for game concepts, but as far as art and design I just don't think the vision is there. Obsidian asked for a lot of money and got it, but what I've seen so far has me regretting my pledge.
I could be wrong and I'm not writing it off, but given the negative reaction of others I feel safer to express this now than I did two months ago.
EndcatOmega
Unconfirmed Member
Hold on guys, I have an exclusive scoop on the work-in-progress cover art for the game:
At least it's in colour.