Update #64: Developer Q&A with Kaz

[Galomtala]

 

 

 

 

Thanks for the interesting Update with some nice art and a very special thanks for my new Wallpaper

[Kaz]

Hello, my name is Kazunori "not a vertical slice video" Aruga and I'll be answering some of your questions!

 

I think I speak for everyone in that we're very happy to have you on the Project and I have loved every piece of your concept art I have seen so far.

The area/city art has been my favourite so far.

Hopefully the portraits are up there with IWD and fight the minimalists for a larger portrait size in the UI 

 

Thanks! I like to think portrait work as the ice cream waiting for me when I finish my UI vegetables. Not to say I dislike UI, but I'm fairly new to it and there is a learning curve I'm working to overcome. It doesn't mean portraits will be a cakewalk either, but it is one of my favorite things to do and I'm very much looking forward to getting started on those. 

 

 

Dude, you need to be more aggressive with the whole coffee machine thing. Claymores, barbed wire, mebbe wire it up to a car battery.

 

Basically, make like a coffee prepper.

 

I don't think we can have live claymores in the office. I'll check with HR on that one.

 

 

However rude it may sound, but I was expecting something more special for the anniversary too...

 

 

Anyway, Heyo Kaz; what areas are the images on the 2x2 split picture from?

 

 

Those were sketches I did to establish the general mood for the various districts in Defiance Bay. Someone had asked how long they took, and the answer to that is two days each, six days in total.

 

 

...

 

Don't worry about making the UI minimal or trendy, make it something we have never seen before, and never knew we wanted. I loved the menus in the IE games, but more than a decade later, it is time for something more.

I'm sure the UI is well on its way to completion, and I understand that some of what I mention is easier said than done, but it would be nice to see a developer take this mini-game approach to building a UI that not only gets the job done, but is a hell of a lot of fun to experience while doing it.

 

 

Thank you for the ideas. It's important that I work within the scope and time frame set by the project, but I always appreciate these types of suggestions.

[agris]

 

Interesting, first 'shot' of the inventory. Was it public knowledge that PE was going to have inventory paperdolls? Also, wonder what the badges in the lower-left are.. abilities? Resists? Too bad my CSI image enhance technology is circa 1993...

 

 

 

Kaz is working on the inventory UI.  The icons below the portrait are "mine" (i.e. just placeholders) and represent (top) Stamina, Health, Main Hand Accuracy, Off-Hand Accuracy and (bottom) the four defenses: Deflection, Fortitude, Reflexes, and Psyche.  Of course, it's still a work in progress.

 

 

Cool, thanks. Heh, are the left and right hand icons L / R mittens?

[Lephys]

Cool, thanks. Heh, are the left and right hand icons L / R mittens?

They appear to be fists. Mittens would be so much cooler, though.

[Falkon Swiftblade]

Kaz, can you speak as to the scope of the world you guys are creating how big it is in relation to BG one or two? Also, as far as the paper doll inventory, could you guys try to create something like this only cropped in on the characters so it looks like they are standing on something and not arbitrarily floating in space? By the way I'm so glad to see some art you created that shows true foreground, mid-ground, and background in it, something the old I.E. games surely lacked. I hope you're able to achieve that same perspective in the final product.

 

[J.E. Sawyer]

 

 

Cool, thanks. Heh, are the left and right hand icons L / R mittens?

 

 

They're fists, though one of them will likely be replaced with a breastplate and the character's Damage Threshold.  The main/off-hand Accuracy stats will wind up stacked on one "fist" if the character is dual-wielding.

[LadyCrimson]

Anyone who likes dual wielding cats is ok in my book.

 

Nice to "meet" ya, Kaz. Some good/fun Q&A and like all the drawings/pics. And your angled monitor/drawing pad thingie. I'm so technically savvy, can you tell.

 

*still chuckling over "Puddy Tat."

[Silent Winter]

Can't wait to slay those dragons.

Poor lil hatchlings

They're just looking to take a little bite...

 

---

 

Thanks for the update - I like the artwork shown (and that little sneak-peek of the WIP inventory).

Good to know you're a BG fan too

Edited September 18, 2013 by Silent Winter

[Lephys]

Anyone who likes dual wielding cats is ok in my book.

I'm very curious now... Do you find the damage to be comparable to the two-handed cat? Do you need to take some Talents to get your off-handed cat effectiveness up to 100%? What kind of penalties do you suffer in rain? Do you use items such as Catnip Grenades?

 

[LadyCrimson]

Catnip Grenades!! :lol:

 

Lephys, sometimes you slay me.

[Gumbercules]

Nice to meet you, Kaz! I've really liked your PE art that I've seen so far, especially the orlan detective and the illustration of the different cultures' clothing styles.

 

In the area concept art shown in this update, I'm guessing the top left is the rich part of Defiance Bay, the bottom left is the flooded ruins of the old city, and the bottom right appears to be a nearby quarry. What's the top right illustration? It reminds me of a park, yet it also appears...swampy?

 

We've seen the clothing styles of the four main human cultures in game, but can you talk more about the architectural styles of those cultures? We're slowly getting a sense of the architecture of the Dyrwood, but I'm interested in the Aedyrans in particular, since they're supposed to live in a much warmer, more humid environment than what appear to be their closest real-life inspirations.

[curryinahurry]

I like the progress with the Scripted Event art and frame; definitely an improvement over the first.  

 

Also, the concept art for Defiance Bay is very nice.

 

Cheers

[Gyges]

Long live brother. Long live.

[Messier-31]

*some*

 

Yeah, same to you ;]

"I'm sure some people would disagree"

 

 

This was probably the most anticipated update so far. One year has passed after the end of kickstarter campaign and all we got is this lousy dissapointing and boring Q&A with some bloke. What about the fullfilment site? What about news? Or a whole-year summary at least... the only interesting thing in this newsflash are pictures at the end.

 

I find it weird you were expecting an update on the fulfilment site when your post in the fulfilment site thread was asking why it's so important for everyone and why time and resources should be wasted on it. http://forums.obsidian.net/topic/64139-fulfilment-site/?p=1369082

 

Thank you for your accuracy, though some time later I posted something more in that matter. Didn't read it, did you? When my question has been answered, I had more intel about the subject - thus me complaining about fullfilment site.

 

I apologize for making someone feel bad emotions because of me - I overreacted. Still, I think that J. Sawyer post in the portraits thread had more update-related information than this last Q&A. "This is Kaz, he works for us". I really am happy for this, but is that all that was there to say?

 

PS. I don't like pizza.

[Hiro Protagonist II]

<stuff>

 

I've replied to your post in the fulfilment site thread as this is getting off topic.

 

A lot of people including myself like to know who is working on the project and what they do. I like to hear stories from the dev's. Programmers, artists, and other people in the many fields of game development. I wouldn't mind seeing a music update as well. Perhaps ignoring certain updates if they bother you so much.

Edited September 18, 2013 by Hiro Protagonist II

[Walsingham]

 

Long live the glorious PC gaming master race. *lets out a nerdy war cry and bangs mouse and keyboard together*

 

Made me laugh.

[Jajo]

However rude it may sound, but I was expecting something more special for the anniversary too...

 

 

Anyway, Heyo Kaz; what areas are the images on the 2x2 split picture from?

 

 

Those were sketches I did to establish the general mood for the various districts in Defiance Bay. Someone had asked how long they took, and the answer to that is two days each, six days in total.

 

Follow-up question: May we get higher resolution ones

Otherwise we'll be stuck with waterfall lithography backgrounds.

[Jajo]

It has also come to my attention, that You (and not Polina) is the one behind this:

 

I am now sooooo incredibly glad, that you are the one making portraits.

[MasterPrudent]

Just wanted to thank our posting overlord for putting/letting Kaz put some of his art in this update. It almost makes up for not letting Polina post her spiders and drakes

[C2B]

I am now sooooo incredibly glad, that you are the one making portraits.

AFAIK, they both will be doing portraits.

[Sensuki]

 

I am now sooooo incredibly glad, that you are the one making portraits.

AFAIK, they both will be doing portraits.

 

http://forums.obsidian.net/topic/64095-update-59-developer-qa-with-polina-hristova/page-5?do=findComment&comment=1351624

 

It's not set in stone but I believe Kaz will be doing most of the portraits =) That's said though, it will ultimately come down to how much time we have and who's available

[AW8]

Long live the glorious PC gaming master race. *lets out a nerdy war cry and bangs mouse and keyboard together*

 

  Hail, PC master race!

[Nonek]

Will Eternity really have such gratuitous chest shots, if so I may have to inform the Sarkeesian Death Commando's of this blatant demonstration of misogyny and the patriarchy!

 

 

[Zed]

I am an angry old conservative when it comes to UI design. I think presentation and 'feel' takes precedence of everything else, even 'usability' (at least to the point where it's not bad). I probably won't be a huge fan of any UI design.

 

That aside, I think the art in this update is fantastic. I love the look of Defiance Bay, and I also like the CYOA art.

 

I'm also looking forward to seeing what approach you guys take with the portraits. I think IE games have always had great portraits (even if BG used a more airbrushed/digital style and IWD a more painterly style). An exception would be IWD2. The portraits themselves were fine but the UI mangled the portraits into small square boxes. I think portraits should be portraits in the true sense: very visible and really show character.

[Osvir]

Hello!

Nice to meet you Kazunori "not a vertical slice video- but no worries, is awesome & great" Aruga.

 

Update by Kazunori Aruga, Concept Artist, and Brandon Adler, you-know-what-I-do

 

Q: Existential question of the day: Who are we and why are we?

We're just here, man. There's no why, everything just IS. You feel me?

Yes

I like the update too! These updates are great, they show off the great people who work on the game.