Update #68: ART!

[BAdler]

What are the criteria that determines if an area is appropriate to outsource, versus creating in-house? Does OE have to provide the props for the outsourced area, or are the props generated by the contractor also, and available for use in other (non-outsourced) maps?

We have been outsourcing wilderness exteriors. The process is slightly different every time, but we usually do a quick concept, hand it off to our parter for a more fleshed out concept, and then spend lots of time collaborating about the area.

 

We share all of our wilderness props with the partner and anything they create can be used in wilderness areas we make on site.

[BAdler]

 

What are the criteria that determines if an area is appropriate to outsource, versus creating in-house?

 

 

So far we know that (most) Wilderness areas are being handled by outsourcing. Hector did the Vertical Slice ones AFAIK.

 

At 3 weeks per wilderness area that is two wilderness areas per production milestone. However they also may do propping and unique asset creation for existing areas.

I meant man weeks, not calendar weeks. Also, multiple areas can be done at the same time.

[BAdler]

The hunching is an indication that the troll model was built from Skuldr assets as it has a similar size, look and stance. A while back they were talking about the re-use of assets especially in the rigging and animation areas, and this is the result.http://forums.obsidian.net/topic/63395-update-43-pretty-and-technical/ 

Then there is this nifty rig that was discussed a little bit, a couple updates ago — fricken’ Adam (PE's Executive Producer) always stealing my thunder! I think we call it the “stretch rig”. As he mentioned, it allows Dimitri, our dutiful Character Lead, to scale, even non-proportionally (with volume adjustments) meshes with the export rig already weighted. This way we can make a human character mesh, rig him to a human-proportioned skeleton, animate him, then take that same character and deform him to a new size and proportion, export him and use the same animations that were created for the human on this newly scaled/deformed mesh. This is a very useful asset multiplier, which allows us to leverage costly armor set and animation development across the spectrum of our races.

Even Character models hunch over at idle.

This is incorrect. The trolls are not on the Skuldr rig. The trolls are sharing a rig and animations with other creatures but still need to have their pass for tweaking and creating new anims.

[Sensuki]

Is there a chance we might see the UI in the big update screens? It's been quite a while since our last (first, actually) glimpse.

prob see it in the Gameplay video which will go live with the website - which will be next week or the week after most like.

 

This is incorrect. The trolls are not on the Skuldr rig. The trolls are sharing a rig and animations with other creatures but still need to have their pass for tweaking and creating new anims.

Is the hunch thing a carry-over from the 'stretch rig' or something.

Edited November 27, 2013 by Sensuki

[WorstUsernameEver]

Thanks Sensuki, but I'd prefer to hear a definitive answer from a dev.

[Sensuki]

Wouldn't we all.

[StrangeCat]

all your pictures in your updates so far look dead.  That must be super super pre alpha right?

I will have to wait till your farther along to see something special.

[Vampero]

Nice artwork.

The game is looking very good !

[Hiro Protagonist II]

I agree that the Drake bones look too new, it looks like someone raided a museum and laid the bones out. As someone who grew up in rural areas it's not how bones deteriorate. Just google 'dead cow carcase' or some other animal and you'll see how bones deteriorate over time.

[Lord Weh]

I agree that the Drake bones look too new, it looks like someone raided a museum and laid the bones out. As someone who grew up in rural areas it's not how bones deteriorate. Just google 'dead cow carcase' or some other animal and you'll see how bones deteriorate over time.

They'll add details of deterioration, cracks and mould and so on when they get to the paint over 'pass' of the art, which is one of the final stages. Don't worry, I'm sure they'll look less than pristine when we get there in game =)

[Lephys]

Seriously people...

 

They're not claiming to show us a finished product. These are production screenshots. When they specifically say "And this is totally perfect and finished, and we don't think anything else needs to be done to it! 8D!", THEN you can worry about judging the crap out of their design decisions.

 

Constructive criticism is one thing. "I can't believe you think this is what the finished game should look like" when they haven't at all stated such, isn't it.

[SophosTheWise]

I'm curious about the wildlife/countrysides we've seen so far. Are they all from more or less the same area? Because they sure do look like it. I love the style but some of the wilderness pictures look a bit... samey?

[Ulquiorra]

Sorry, but im the only one that thinks that those "trolls" look more like orcs or bugbears with horns ?

 

At least if they where bigger and more "massive" they whoud more risemble "folklore" trolls. I even made a thred about it. Not a big issu but for me those "trolls" are "trolls" only by name

[rjshae]

Excellent! Your artwork is unique and creative. I like the look of the foliage in the area shots; the grass looks rich and the trees in general are a great improvement over the old IE games. One question though: will the foliage be animated? I know that sort of thing could eat up take a lot of disk space.

 

 

Thanks for the update.

[Failion]

The trolls do look like bugbears with horns and covered in green. They should have perma death abilities like turning the players unconscious party members into green goo and eating them. To truly bring out the troll in troll by trolling the player.

[Ulquiorra]

The trolls do look like bugbears with horns and covered in green. They should have perma death abilities like turning the players unconscious party members into green goo and eating them. To truly bring out the troll in troll by trolling the player.

 

Yeah, the troll killing mechanics like "you must use fire or acid unleas it will stand up again" where the best way to trolling a player who did not use those type of elements ... (or did not have them)

[Tamerlane]

Sorry, but im the only one that thinks that those "trolls" look more like orcs or bugbears with horns ?

 

At least if they where bigger and more "massive" they whoud more risemble "folklore" trolls. I even made a thred about it. Not a big issu but for me those "trolls" are "trolls" only by name

It's kind of hard to tell how big something is when there's nothing there to give it scale.

 

Also, how big are orcs and bugbears?

[rjshae]

Well great  artworks except trolls.. As some people already said, they look not enough trolish to me... But they are d&d like, so I'm ok with them...

And I'm a bit disappointed with delay of Backer Portal.

 

Different world, different trolls. Figure-wise, they look threatening enough. There's no reason at all that the designers need to follow the D&D steroeotypes. What bothers me mildly is their cookie-cutter appearance. All three look identical.

Edited November 28, 2013 by rjshae

[karelia]

Great so far, and I'll be especially interested to see how you make the dragon bones less gently "placed" down - a bit more overgrowth/dirt with the art pass, but also potentially the bones should be more seperated. Looking forward to more.

[karelia]

(Sorry if double post - other is waiting approval)

 

I have a question about the "green" environment issue one or two have raised. I don't personally have a problem with many wilderness/semi-forested areas, because I loved the original Baldur's Gate, but I am curious - the world of Eternity seems fairly well developed in places, and even as far back as the middle ages in Europe, most of a country's land - for example in England or France - had been been converted to farm land in some form or other. Will we see areas a bit like WoW's Westfall (agricultural prairie land)? Incorporating human terraforming in a big way into areas (paddy fields and the like) offer many opportunities for distinctive and characterful decoration? All too often the IE engine games had a town or village with an unrealistically small amount of fields scattered around it, and it was surrounded by seemingly fertile grassland that for some reason nobody has seen fit to exploit commercially.

[Falkon Swiftblade]

Nice work Brandon, can you give us an idea roughly how many people at Obsidian are working on this game? At times it sounds like a small team, and other times it sounds like many hands are working behind the scenes. I'm interested in understanding how everyone works on stuff. Can ya give us an idea of how much of the game is feature complete at this point? Also how are you guys coming along for sound design and music so far?

[zenzun]

They  look very nice.

[WorstUsernameEver]

(Sorry if double post - other is waiting approval)

 

I have a question about the "green" environment issue one or two have raised. I don't personally have a problem with many wilderness/semi-forested areas, because I loved the original Baldur's Gate, but I am curious - the world of Eternity seems fairly well developed in places, and even as far back as the middle ages in Europe, most of a country's land - for example in England or France - had been been converted to farm land in some form or other. Will we see areas a bit like WoW's Westfall (agricultural prairie land)? Incorporating human terraforming in a big way into areas (paddy fields and the like) offer many opportunities for distinctive and characterful decoration? All too often the IE engine games had a town or village with an unrealistically small amount of fields scattered around it, and it was surrounded by seemingly fertile grassland that for some reason nobody has seen fit to exploit commercially.

The Dyrwood in particularly is a relatively recently (?) colonized land, and it doesn't help that the locals don't really seem to want their forests and landscapes touched judging by the fact that a war erupted because some stones were moved, so I'd imagine that plays a role in that. That said, I wouldn't really mind if the team decided to be a bit loose with the amount of forest areas: they're certainly more interesting to explore than fields!

[Bli1942]

Sorry, but im the only one that thinks that those "trolls" look more like orcs or bugbears with horns ?

 

There is no definition of what a fantasy creature should look like, if trolls look like that in the PE universe then so be it, though some might not like it. Maybe it could catch on as a new norm

 

So is that green city the other big one? I don't see how a place like that would really fit/work as a huge city, though I ain't a game designer lol

Edited November 28, 2013 by Bli1942

[Aridea]

I think the art looks amazing. Very photo-realistic with incredible detail and at the same time ancient and magical.

I missed something like that in games. Its nice to see it here.

And I actually like the trolls

Thank you