Nightshape

OK. +1 I enjoy a bit of spam from time to time. Like with eggs, bacon and spam or spam, spam, spam, eggs and spam. I write you a considerate post and you ignore me. GAH!

I doubt it, but I've yet to meet a single concept artist that wasn't infuenced by that guy in some way... Seriously, the man's a legand. Shame he's dead really, but just look at Justin Sweets work and you can see Frank in it, you can see it in any concept art to be honest.

Gothic 3 didn't look amazing...

Performance anxiety I suppose. Let me help you guys with getting into the right mood. NSFW -> ?

Give the guys a break, eh? iPhone is sometimes the only platform start-ups can afford to even attempt development on.

And the DA:O art team succeeded admirably. As I understand it, it's more complex than that though as I know there were three project leads. First guy wanted a sort of 'Conan' feel, which why Ferelden was described as backwater and barbaric. The early concept art is from that time. Then they went to 'generic/LotR' style, which is where most of the work was done with the gothic plate and very earthy color tone. Lastly, Mike came on and wanted to make it darker, edgier, which is why you got the massive blood splatters, the blood dragon logo, the MM This is the New Sh*t theme, and the finishing animations. Mike has been the lead for all of DA II. See, what did I say?

Hunters is a game being made by a small iPhone/iPad developer called Rodeo Games. http://toucharcade.com/2011/02/22/hunters-...nds-on-preview/ It looks kinda neat, and I know a bunch of you folks enjoy your turn based gaming so I thought I'd share, see what you people think... I may even buy an iPad for it.

I'm just going to keep telling myself its pretty... That should make it acceptable, because it plays badly.

I think you were suggesting getting into casual game development. Which might be helpful, or not. All studios have "minimum of two years experience working on AAA title" I had no issue's because I constantly blow them away with my awesome. I've never specialised which makes me very flexible, I'm basically a generalist, with a slant towards rendering, and systems coding. I'd gone the extra mile, developed alot of stuff on my own, and worked at Canalside Studio's for a year - I still code stuff in my spare time, are you still doing art? Building an awesome portfolio? I also know that while I was at codies, they hired one environment artist who was a junior (so it does happen). The thing about artwork is that alot can end up outsourced nowaday's, with some guys cleaning it up when it comes back from the outsourced hell hole. This is except for specifics, such as car, weapon, and character art, lets face it, they're so few jobs in those specific area's that you've got to be really good. Hell the weapon lead on Bodycount worked on Black, and Bad Company, and that was after spending years of his life working at Criterion. Most artists end up modelling buildings, crates, and rocks... Some of them get the joys of props. If you can show technical knowledge of how 3D Studio Max, or Maya work then that can only help. The thing is, there are jobs out there, its just smaller developers, hell, the Hello Games guys are just four people, and Joe Danger is an excellent game that's done very well. A good small studio could really set you up skills wise for life. I'm lucky, but I sure had to bust my balls to get where I am, and I'll have to keep doing that to get where I want to be. What kinds of jobs have you been applying for?

Not really worth a mention,

Dragon Age II Visuals: Some excellent artwork, these guys have done an amazing job to pull the rendering this far ahead of what DA:O was. This is one pretty game, with some excellent artwork. I like the character redesign they've done for Flemmeth, but it also shows how wrong they got DA:O. Something tells me that, while happy, there was maybe some art misdirection on DA:O. DA 2 is consistant, and its very nice to look at. Story Impression: Could be good, but its got such an offshoot vibe to it, I estimate that the legacy of DA:O's development was swept to the side by someone. The demo itself just gives a taste, but its the usual Bioware cinematic affair, with extra cheese as required. Gameplay: I think its gone backwards, particularly on PC, they've totally raped the camera, and it's not a good thing. The combat to me just felt like more of the same, delivered with a broken camera, it sucks. The whole tactics thing is some bizzare crap pseudo AI scripting bollocks that needs to f*** off. The character progression is pretty much the same deal as before, except they've added a tiny bit of progression to the skill tree's. That's the problem with DA in general though, it isn't for stat crunches, that said it isn't worse off for it. Personally, I'd say the DA 2 has been dumbed down somewhat. Did I mention I hated the fracking camera? Audio: Voice acting seems worse, stale, its not the same kind of quality as seen in say ME, other than that the audio is what I'd expect from a tripple A title, crisp surround sound. In brief: Its a prettier version of DA:O, with a KOTOR camera, its alot more like ME than BG. They spent most of the budget on rendering tech, and art.

*yawn*

That's right Kaften, don't address my point... Did I ever have a point?

LMFAO! Damnit... I was just trying to help big K

Yeah, they wouldn't let you in through the front door because you've got rabies... This is normal, as you're Swedish. Are you even willing to leave Sweden? If you're good, you should be able to find something. Sometimes you have to let your principles slide, I mean seriously, how much professional art experience do you have, be it movies, games, tv... Advertising? Lower ye standards a little, nobody walks in on a project straight off the street.

Is it because you felt you could have done just as poor of a job? I would have done a job on it, alright. FINE! I'll stop picking on him... That's right, get out of the kitchen cause the heat's too much for ye. You bleedin wuss! Collateral damage Kaftan, we're obviously disturbing the natives. I'm sure you would have been excellent and adding more "Yellow" to Alpha Protocol. Remeber folks, yellow isn't an art direction its just crap. Now I know that the amount of work in Sweden is minimal... Well actually next to none, but have you really seriously looked for a job, I'm sure there are some iPhone developers that would pay you a wage. Maybe even a couple of gameboy or PSP dev's, have you thought about the joys of "Environment Art", and the fate that will lead you upon. You should atleast join a modding team, and stop being so slack.

How about I don't, for her sake, poor lass.

FINE! I'll stop picking on him...

Both Overlord games. Published by, but not developed by. I know the external producer who worked on 'em though, really good friend of mine, he moved down to Guildford to work on Bodycount... His projects were always the ones to make money. *ahem*, like Overlord.... Psh, external producer. You find me the lead designer or Terry Pratchett's daughter, then we'll talk. I was meaning more that it made money, hence, popular and percieved as a good product.

Both Overlord games. Published by, but not developed by. I know the external producer who worked on 'em though, really good friend of mine, he moved down to Guildford to work on Bodycount... His projects were always the ones to make money. *ahem*, like Overlord....

Is it because you felt you could have done just as poor of a job?

It's going on the list.

Console gamers. Or in other words people who burrow into a game like a tick into a dog's neck. HA! Doubt it. I've never witnessed a single desicion like that being made because of a dev team, or console gamers... Usually its some retarded exec going "I'm confused, I don't play games, you need to point this out to me" I think those days are long gone. Probably more likely to be a focus group of morons, or as I now christen it a 'monkey palace' approach. Sadly, I can confirm, those days do still exist, like it or not.

Console gamers. Or in other words people who burrow into a game like a tick into a dog's neck. HA! Doubt it. I've never witnessed a single desicion like that being made because of a dev team, or console gamers... Usually its some retarded exec going "I'm confused, I don't play games, you need to point this out to me"

I guess shiney, and happy is what such a bitter man as yourself requires in life. Seriously, I f'kin HATE, Mario Kart, give me Guitar Hero, Rock Band or Sing Star any day of the week, hell... Anything but Mario Kart.