Potraits

[kabaliero]

It's actually the same artist. Mike Sass.

 

 

Mass with Sass   

Edited September 12, 2013 by kabaliero

[Prosper]

I have a great portrait to share!

 

http://i.imgur.com/cIKXkej.png

 

 

this portrait has more emotion and fits project eternity better.

 

http://i.imgur.com/U7CXTX2.png

Edited September 13, 2013 by Prosper

[rjshae]

The "snapshot of your character's 3D model face" portraits are definitely a bit lackluster. The 3D model provides little benefit to the 2D iconic quality of the portrait, and they just seem so lifeless and dull. About the only pro is that your portrait looks exactly like your in-game character model, down to all the specific customizations you made. A pro that gets drowned in all the cons, methinks.

 

Yes, a 3D snapshot would still need some touchups by an artist to bring it to life. The potential benefit may be that the process is considerably shorter than creating a quality painting, thereby allowing more portraits to be produced within the same budget.

[Lephys]

There's fundamentally no difference between a 3D snapshot that's touched up by an artist into a finalized portrait and any other drawn-by-an-artist portrait. That's simply a portrait artist starting with a basis instead of a blank page when creating a portrait. Unless they're going to touch up and finalize a portrait for every possible combination of final products from the character creation system, it's not really the 3D snapshotting I was referring to (the NWN 2 kind, where your portrait is literally just a zoomed-in still shot of your character model after character creation).

 

I don't mind at all if they use models as a basis for hand-drawn portraits (whether or not that hand is using a paintbrush or a mouse/tablet).

[AGX-17]

I have a great portrait to share!

[image truncated for the safety of children]

 

this portrait has more emotion and fits project eternity better.

 

[image truncated for the safety of children]

Prosper, you should really branch out, a talent such as yours is wasted if you focus on this forum alone.

 

 

Maybe you should start a Master Class series in trolling.

 

Edited September 15, 2013 by AGX-17

[Fearabbit]

I like the oil painting style from the concept art so far and also from that Justin Sweet guy, but I wonder if it will fit the style of the game. You can say about Planescape Torment's portraits whatever you like, but at least they really fit the style of the rest of the game. I never thought BG2 had very fitting portraits and never liked their shininess and all the over-the-top details (like shiny earrings, scars, tattoos etc.) added to the faces which left no room for imagination.

And, well... I don't like the IWD2 portraits too much, either. But that's mostly because they are much too dark (you can barely make out anything) and there isn't enough face in them. I want a portrait that mostly shows my character's head because that's what I identify with... and because his clothing will likely change during the game.

 

Maybe a style just between BG1 and the current concept art would be good. Strong contrasts and relatively clear lines, but also a hint of oil painting and generally left simple so that there's enough room for imagination. (Also, an empty face is easier to photoshop than one filled with rings and scars and goggles.)

 

Also, definitely supporting the idea of letting the community create variants of the existing portraits for loss of health or paralysis and stuff like that. As long as the devs provide some code to make it possible, the community will take care of the rest.

[Sensuki]

Prosper, you should really branch out, a talent such as yours is wasted if you focus on this forum alone.

 

 

Maybe you should start a Master Class series in trolling.

 

I don't think he's trolling.

 

http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/index.php?forums/prospers-funhouse.56/

[BillyCorgan]

BG2 portrait are beautifull.

 

But, in fact i hope something more for PE. Why not "art animation" when something special as "fear", "rage" etc... appear in the game.

[J.E. Sawyer]

Any word from the devs on whether custom portraits can be used and if so, what are the dimensions?

 

We want to support custom portraits and make it very easy for players to drop in whatever they want.  We're still playing around with portrait sizes but right now they're around 660x850 on the character/inventory screen and get downsampled for use on other parts of the GUI.

[kgambit]

 

Any word from the devs on whether custom portraits can be used and if so, what are the dimensions?

 

We want to support custom portraits and make it very easy for players to drop in whatever they want.  We're still playing around with portrait sizes but right now they're around 660x850 on the character/inventory screen and get downsampled for use on other parts of the GUI.

 

 

Thanks Josh.  Jpeg or TGA or other?

[Sensuki]

 

Any word from the devs on whether custom portraits can be used and if so, what are the dimensions?

 

We want to support custom portraits and make it very easy for players to drop in whatever they want.  We're still playing around with portrait sizes but right now they're around 660x850 on the character/inventory screen and get downsampled for use on other parts of the GUI.

 

What resolution is that on?

Edited September 17, 2013 by Sensuki

[WorstUsernameEver]

 

Any word from the devs on whether custom portraits can be used and if so, what are the dimensions?

 

We want to support custom portraits and make it very easy for players to drop in whatever they want.  We're still playing around with portrait sizes but right now they're around 660x850 on the character/inventory screen and get downsampled for use on other parts of the GUI.

 

Ouch. I was hoping you'd avoid the downscaling solution. Having to make thumbnails might be slightly less user friendly for people wanting to put their custom portraits in, but it allows for stuff like full body portraits that focus only on the face in the thumbnails, etc.

[J.E. Sawyer]

Ouch. I was hoping you'd avoid the downscaling solution. Having to make thumbnails might be slightly less user friendly for people wanting to put their custom portraits in, but it allows for stuff like full body portraits that focus only on the face in the thumbnails, etc.

 

We may still have two separate assets, but for our portraits we will be going for a "head and shoulders" (BG1/BG2) approach rather than the "knees-up" (IWD1/IWD2) style.  The full body portraits are dramatically more time-consuming and much more limiting when it comes to player concepts.  Our "paper dolls" are pretty detailed because they're using the same 3D models of the characters that you see in the game.  The knees-up portraits create more visual discontinuity when you see them next to the game models.

[WorstUsernameEver]

I honestly didn't really care for the "visual discontinuity", and thought that the art of both Icewind Dale titles was a lot more evocative than the art of Baldur's Gate 1 and 2. The fact that faces were painted loosely and were often covered in shadows actually made it easier for me to apply the same portrait to different character concepts.

 

Anyway, I guess I'll just have to use a picture of Dolph Lundgren for my character.

[Jarmo]

I just hope there's a decent variety of portraits showing relatively good looking characters.

Because BG, IWD, NWN, whatever... mostly had about 1 per class I could use without pain.

 

I mean.. diversity is fine as such, but I'm not into 80 yrs old psychopaths or ugly frogs or fat merchants or stuff like that for my hero.

Also, oftentimes you pick the first decent looking character you find and then end up adventuring with your mirror image,

because the portrait selection looks that much grander when all the NPC faces are included.

[StreetBushido]

I really liked the portraits in the Baldur's Gate games, both Icewind Dale games and the first Neverwinter Nights.

 

Basically, I'd like to see something similar in Project Eternity.

 

It would be nice with a decent selection of portraits for each race, gender and class combination so that we don't end up with just one or two portraits for female orlan warriors, or male godlike monks for example. I realize that many portraits will most likely be class neutral, but still.

 

Most importantly, I'd prefer it if the NPC portraits were kept separate from the PC portraits, and unselectable (or at least with some kind of warning). As Jarmo here above mentions, I too found it annoying that you could end up with a party member that shared your portrait.

[lolaldanee]

I honestly didn't really care for the "visual discontinuity", and thought that the art of both Icewind Dale titles was a lot more evocative than the art of Baldur's Gate 1 and 2. The fact that faces were painted loosely and were often covered in shadows actually made it easier for me to apply the same portrait to different character concepts.

 

Anyway, I guess I'll just have to use a picture of Dolph Lundgren for my character.

so true, if anything the icewind dale art did allow for way more imagination - i have to say this is the first time i'm really disappointed by a decision of the team

time for custom portraits then i'd say, i was SO getting my hopes up by looking at the concept art of characters that we have seen so far, really hoped this would be the style of portraits too

Edited September 18, 2013 by lolaldanee

[Messier-31]

 

I honestly didn't really care for the "visual discontinuity", and thought that the art of both Icewind Dale titles was a lot more evocative than the art of Baldur's Gate 1 and 2. The fact that faces were painted loosely and were often covered in shadows actually made it easier for me to apply the same portrait to different character concepts.

 

Anyway, I guess I'll just have to use a picture of Dolph Lundgren for my character.

so true, if anything the icewind dale art did allow for way more imagination - i have to say this is the first time i'm really disappointed by a decision of the team

time for custom portraits then i'd say, i was SO getting my hopes up by looking at the concept art of characters that we have seen so far, really hoped this would be the style of portraits too

 

 

I think that the reason is simple. IwD series was about a whole party of adventurers, that you were able to create fromt scratch. I know they are your characters, but that's just it - no background story, no individual quests, no nothing. BG on the other hand had just one creatable character, others being pre-made characters, a part of a larger story. They had all of this stuff that IwD characters lacked. So, if you are given a ready bunch of characters, they have also their own unique appearance. They just look the way the devs designed them, leaving no room for personal imagination of facial exressions and things like that whatsoever. They are important to the story, so you gotta know what are you looking at.

 

I know there were a bunch of games with important characters looking fuzzy; but this explanation somehow fits in BG vs IwD portrait scheme. Imagine watching a play or a movie with blurred actors.

Edited September 18, 2013 by Messier-31

[Lephys]

It would be nice with a decent selection of portraits for each race, gender and class combination so that we don't end up with just one or two portraits for female orlan warriors, or male godlike monks for example. I realize that many portraits will most likely be class neutral, but still.

I like the idea Shadowrun: Returns went with; Basically making a single portrait, then "re-doing" it to make a bunch of different variants. Basically, you get more variants with less overall time spent (same face and "model" onto which to apply differing details). Of course, they ended up with fewer total portraits than I'd've liked, ideally. But, you know... budgets. 8P. I don't fault them for that.

 

But, yeah, instead of having to choose between THIS particular person portrait, or this OTHER com-PLETELY different person portrait who's more the style I'd want (facial hair, scar, earring perhaps, etc.), it could potentially just be a variant of the same "person," even though it's a different portrait.

 

Think driver's license photo from 10 years ago, versus driver's license photo today. Or... a bunch of portraits of someone's repertoire of elaborate diguises, .

 

Also, I don't like having the companion portraits in the mix, either. But, I'd say as long as that's togglable or something -- or, more importantly, as long as the player KNOWS he/she is choosing a portrait that does belong to another character already coded into the game, and they're going to be duplicates, then I say why prevent people from choosing duplicate portraits if that's what they want to do? Doesn't really hurt anything.

 

It's when you start the game and say "Oooh, I LOVE this portrait!", and you pick it, and 10 hours later, you run into your doppleganger... That's when it's bad.

[Jarmo]

Yeah, variations would be good.

 

I don't actually know what kinds of variations Shadowrun has, but I could imagine doing versions like a character with flowing hair,

then a hooded and hatted versions, then one with a helmet. Plain clothes, leather armor and mail.

[Osvir]

 

 

 

Wanted to go a lil bit further with this, here's an example.

 

This is the only thing Obsidian would need to do. All portraits are "Normal" except for "Dead".

 

 

 

This is what I did, the only thing I used was the Normal portrait and did my own take on it, nothing overly advanced really, I could've worked more on "WEAK" for instance, tried to make him look "Tired":

 

 

 

EDIT:

 

Adding in a couple of more status effects (not drawing them, just ideas):

 

Negative Effects:

- Addicted

- Petrified (Cus it's not the same thing as Paralyzed)

- Blinded

- Silenced

- Charmed

- [sUPER IMPORTANT EDIT] Polymorphed   

 

Positive Effects:

- Berserk

- [insert Attribute Buff] = Juiced (From Spell or Potion)

- Hurrdidurr I can't come up with more. 

 

I realize that the Portraits would require some sort of "Priority" in the code as well. Would it just "tick" cycle through the portraits if you are [POISONED] and you are [HURT]? Or would the game prioritize one before the other?

Edited September 19, 2013 by Osvir

[JFSOCC]

what if someone is both cursed and weakened?

[Osvir]

what if someone is both cursed and weakened?

See the edit. It should be priority.

 

In case of [CURSED] & [WEAKENED], [CURSED] should show, [WEAKENED] could be a Small Icon in the Portrait & if you Pause and check the Records/Biography Tab in the UI. Then when you remove [CURSED], you see the [WEAKENED].

 

Just some top-of-my-head thoughts on priority order:

1. Dead precedes everything. If you are Dead, that portrait is prioritized. 0% Health.

2. Hurt. 25%~35% Health or something.

3. Paralyzed

4. Stunned 

5. Asleep

6. Cursed

7. Poisoned

8. Weak (I am assuming that "Weak" in this context is a status effect, that your character is fatigued and/or isn't generally as strong as usual, [Tired] or low on Stamina). If "Damaged", i.e; 50%~ Health or something, then maybe prioritize higher up.

9. Normal

 

So if I am Poisoned, I know I am poisoned because it shows on the portrait for starters, then I get stunned -> Stunned Portrait takes over and the Poisoned Portrait becomes a small icon on the portrait. And when it is removed, I get the Poisoned Portrait back.

 

If I am Cursed, however, and then I get "Weakened", the Cursed picture should still stick in place, and the Weakened effect is an icon. If I remove the "Cursed" effect, the "Weakened" takes over.

 

EDIT: And if I want to do it super advanced, I could paint all of them in a theme so it goes from one portrait to another fairly "seemlessly". Instead of getting "Yellow" from Paralyze, maybe he just opens his mouth a little bit and his eyes widen etc. etc.

Edited September 19, 2013 by Osvir

[Fearabbit]

Getting complicated. :D

Personally I'd prefer just having different portraits for 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% health. I've never been a fan of overly visualized conditions. Might and Magic was always a bit... campy in that regard?

 

Besides, where do you stop? NWN2 had visuals for most spells too, so the druid companion constantly looked like a wooden blob because of the protection spell she used.

Edited September 19, 2013 by Fearabbit

[Osvir]

Getting complicated. :D

Personally I'd prefer just having different portraits for 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% health. I've never been a fan of overly visualized conditions. Might and Magic was always a bit... campy in that regard?

 

Besides, where do you stop? NWN2 had visuals for most spells too, so the druid companion constantly

I agree and I disagree. Because it'd be up to the Player what they'd want. Let me repeat the idea again and go a bit more into detail.

 

I agree that 0%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% is a simpler method.

I 50-50 disagree, with my own belief, that it is complicated (see question at bottom)

 

This is what I am suggesting for vanilla/release, note that ALL of these Portraits are [NORMAL] except the [DEAD] one:

In other words, Obsidian wouldn't need to spend resources or even make what you see below mandatory, because all Portraits are "Normal" until modified by you or any other Player/Fan/Hobbyist/Artist. In other words, if you'd get Poisoned you'd see the "Normal" portrait just like Baldur's Gate but with a small Poison icon (Minsc has Poison in the upper right corner) on the Portrait.

 

-------

 

Because this^ allows me as both a fan and an amateur/hobbyist artist (and anyone else) to modify it into this, or something else~ I could put joke pictures into each and every one of them as well. Maybe photoshop in some stars when [sTUNNED], maybe just find a picture of a Knee and photoshop in an Arrow on [HURT] etc. etc:

 

Then it is up to whoever to either do some customization themselves or download a pack that someone else has done.

 

The 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, 100% method is simpler of course, but added with Status Effects it is more interesting in my opinion. And I also provide what I think is a simple method. One does not exclude the other either.

 

Maybe there could be a 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, 100% in the same manner in "What Obsidian Could Do" and Status Effects. The point I am trying to make is that it would all be 100% Optional. Maybe you only want the 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, 100% Portraits and no Status Effect Portraits, then you could and should be able to pick out those specifically. 

 

Furthermore, IF (big one) Obsidian would consider doing a 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, 100% method, then they already would have a sort of "Prioritize Code" in-effect in-game regardless.

 

I think this is a very exciting concept and idea, and logically I believe and analyze it as something fairly simple to implement :D

 

@the Devs w/ experience: Is it possibly simple or am I naive?

 

EDIT: I also found this when I was looking for the Baldur's Gate picture, which I think is awesome as well:

Edited September 19, 2013 by Osvir