Here is Nvidia's beard processing technology demo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7s7UyAVbmU

Would be interesting for different racial and cultural groups to favour a specific type of facial foliage, such as the Saxons with their long flowing mustaches, or Sikh's beards etcetera. Nice little cultural nod.

 

Edit: The barnet as well I suppose.

Edited February 28, 201312 yr by Nonek

Here is Nvidia's beard processing technology demo

 

Yes, that's impressive. It's likely much more detail than PE will actually need for PCs though. But perhaps giant creatures will be large enough to show something closer to that level of resolution.

Edited February 28, 201312 yr by rjshae

The climate of the Dyrwood is Mediterranean shifting to temperate and then continental as you go farther East, but much of Aedyr itself (far to the northwest) is humid subtropical to tropical.  The Vailian Empire (from which the Vailian Republics eventually broke free) had a wide range of climates, but many portions of it had colder seasons than the interior of Eír Glanfath.  The ethnic groups that populated those empires did not necessarily begin a distinct existence in those locations.

 

Here's a thought. If the game takes place on the southerm hemisphere, and the Vailian Republics are more southern than the most of the other nations... then why they have darker skin tones? Shouldn't people living in cooler places have brighter skin, and vice versa? Or, is the *entire* nation based on colonialism?

Edited October 18, 201312 yr by Messier-31

Would a manicured and jewelled beard be a

 

beajazzle?

 

EDIT:

 

Would dwarven women put their beards behind a cloth or metal covering? The equivalent of a male going topless while women generally don't?

 

Making dwarven armour a secondary sexual characteristic?

Edited October 18, 201312 yr by Walsingham

 

The climate of the Dyrwood is Mediterranean shifting to temperate and then continental as you go farther East, but much of Aedyr itself (far to the northwest) is humid subtropical to tropical.  The Vailian Empire (from which the Vailian Republics eventually broke free) had a wide range of climates, but many portions of it had colder seasons than the interior of Eír Glanfath.  The ethnic groups that populated those empires did not necessarily begin a distinct existence in those locations.

 

Here's a thought. If the game takes place on the southerm hemisphere, and the Vailian Republics are more southern than the most of the other nations... then why they have darker skin tones? Shouldn't people living in cooler places have brighter skin, and vice versa? Or, is the *entire* nation based on colonialism?

 

From my understanding, yes the Vailians are all colonials and settled there from elsewhere.

The climate of the Dyrwood is Mediterranean shifting to temperate and then continental as you go farther East, but much of Aedyr itself (far to the northwest) is humid subtropical to tropical.  The Vailian Empire (from which the Vailian Republics eventually broke free) had a wide range of climates, but many portions of it had colder seasons than the interior of Eír Glanfath.  The ethnic groups that populated those empires did not necessarily begin a distinct existence in those locations.

Can we hope to see glimpses of geography (i.e.: maps) beyond the Dyrwood and its immediate surroundings in P.E./the bonus materials?  It's been pretty fascinating trying to figure this stuff out.

Can all races grow beards? In previous games I've had to restrict my character choices (when making male characters) to those that had beard options. It would open up a lot of playing options for me if all races were genetically capable of bearding up.

^ Obsidian must stick to some canons of fantasy, for example elves with beards will be weird. This thread is becoming weird...

Weird, or way more manly and awesome? (It's the second one.)

@FacelessOne: Some of Tolkien's elves had beards.

 

"As they came to the gates Círdan the Shipwright came forth to greet them. Very tall he was, and his beard was long, and he was gray and old, save that his eyes were keen as stars; and he looked at them and bowed, and said: 'All is now ready.'" – ROTK, The Grey Havens

Edited November 2, 201312 yr by PrimeJunta

^ I read Tolkien books (many years ago) and I have problems in recalling Elves with beards,  but this is not an issue here. From what we know PE will have static portraits and it is a good information, at least for me. And in the worst scenario if Obsidian won't put portraits of every creature with beard there is a big chance that players will be able to use custom portraits...

 

There is no solid info about creating characters and appearance customization, there are to many "?". I'm waiting for the big update. And issue of awesome mainly beards is not of my concern, dwarfs will have them, then it is fine with me.

Edited November 2, 201312 yr by FacelessOne

Can all races grow beards? In previous games I've had to restrict my character choices (when making male characters) to those that had beard options. It would open up a lot of playing options for me if all races were genetically capable of bearding up.

 

^ Obsidian must stick to some canons of fantasy, for example elves with beards will be weird. This thread is becoming weird...

 

Pale elves, or Glamfellen in their own language^[1], are an ethnicity of elves. Glamfellen are borderline albinos, slightly taller than wood elves, and the males can (and often do) grow facial hair.

 

Source:

http://eternity.gamepedia.com/Pale_elf

^ OK, than elves will have beards in PE, I should not even start an argument about that, because I really don't give a  .... about beards.

Edited November 2, 201312 yr by FacelessOne

@FacelessOne, as arguments go, I've seen worse.

^ Obsidian must stick to some canons of fantasy, for example elves with beards will be weird. This thread is becoming weird...

 

For me, it's always strange to read this kind of sentiment. Morrowind was the first fantasy game with elves that I've played, and there were many many bearded elves in that game. For me, it's completely normal.

I'm not saying this to brush aside your point of view, not at all. But since I didn't grow up with any "canonical" fantasy settings, I just have a completely different perspective on the necessity of these typical characteristics of a fantasy world. I don't need dwarves that are small and fat and live in mines and grow long beards and I don't need pale long-haired elves that are in tune with nature. In fact, if a world is too much like Middle Earth, I'm a bit disappointed.

 

Which is why I'm very happy with everything I've heard about PE's world so far. Rennaissance instead of Middle Ages, (some) bearded elves and (some) beardless dwarves, soul magic, ciphers and chanting... I think this world will be very interesting and unique enough that people won't feel like some typical fantasy thing is missing.