Update #77: Art in Alpha

[Shadenuat]

Making funny "roman" straps on hips out of metal seems like a waste of material. They just ask for a spear thrust or an arrow to go there.

 

New areas look fantastic.

[ManifestedISO]

mmm ... a beach shack at the Compass. A fine place to hang the helm and manage the harem. 

 

So close to Alpha, god, I can't wait to play! Thanks very much. 

[Falkon Swiftblade]

I have to give your art team props! (ha you see what I did there?! ) You guys have the best ground and floors in a game especially an IE type of game I've seen. I don't know if that's painted or a 3d texture or how that works out but it looks believable – and well grounded haha! The lighting is coming along really well too. Maybe we're finally done with artificial fantasy lights and faking it into oblivion finally thanks to technology.

 

You mentioned one key word that I understand you might not be able to tell me, but realistically can you guys elaborate on the scope of variety in the game? Will we see the same 3 armor types dropping for 30-60 hours, or will there be distinguishing marks from one variant to the other? Specifically will something like a sword +2 look like a sword +1 etc? Will the armor have a naming convention other than say leather armor, or leather armor +1/ fine leather armor+1, or will it be something like leather armor of the bunny, because it gives bonuses to dexterity or dodging or something, but it it were to give bonuses to strength it would be leather armor of the bear...? Also if at all possible can ya try to make the npc's not look like the same character over and over 12 times in the game? give them different clothes, hair, boys and girls, etc. Some games put props in to fill space I think. I'd rather have 12 unique npcs in the whole game, than have a bunch of the same things just to fill a spot.

 

Keep up the good work!

[Keyrock]

All the art looks great.  I particularly like the beach area, it looks so lovely.  

 

I'm really excited for the next update as both Priest and Chanter are near the top of my list for first character to make (I'm leaning toward Priest at the moment).  I'm fully expecting Priests to be extra awesome, just for me (and the other players too, I guess).

[Frenetic Pony]

Those two interior shots are exactly the high resolution Infinity Engine style environments I was imagining, great job!

 

Also that beach scene looks a lot better than the mostly average and kind of bland wilderness environments mostly already shown. See if that's the kind of work for a wilderness environment would typify I'd have been much more supportive of the proposed extra stretch goals a while back.

[Barothmuk]

 

Anslog's Compass.

This piece looks especially great.

[Boox]

Wow! Everything looks really great, both the armor types and the areas. I can't wait to see more. This game is shaping up to be something special. Also, thanks for the extra information, Brandon!

[Bryy]

Programming is nearing feature complete. We are tracking to be feature complete in a couple of weeks. This means that we are feature locked and most of the programming team will be diverted into bug fixing, feature polish, demos, etc.

 

Narrative will have a full pass done in a few weeks, as well. We are almost completely finished with the first pass on our crit path narrative.

Golf claps. 

But don't need narrative done before programming?

[rjshae]

Very nice. I love the level of detail in these shots.

 

I hope you'll have some grungy, low quality armor types as well.

[anothername]

I love the areas. They scream "Explore me now!" :D

 

The armors... they do look fine but... kind of very down to earth for such a high fantasy game.

 

edit:

*ponders* no fancy badges for paypal backers?

Edited April 30, 2014 by anothername

[IndiraLightfoot]

All those screenies are great, but that beach is extra, extra fabulous!

The sand textures and paint over? in itself is brilliant, and then that water and the surf. I feel a Beach Boys tune coming on:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ChADh1zt5I

[AndreaColombo]

Simply amazing.

 

Every new update makes me all the happier to have backed this game.

[Lephys]

Golf claps. 

But don't need narrative done before programming?

No way, man! Maybe for amateur-gramming. These are pros. u_u

 

 

Okay, seriously though, I think the programming there is feature programming. Finishing the narrative might involve further dialogue implementation and content tweaks/additions, but it doesn't seem like it's really feature additions.

 

I mean, I don't know exactly what they do and do not have done in the narrative, but, it sounds like maybe they've got the whole main skeleton of the narrative set up? ("cutscenes" and all that jazz), so the rest is "just content"? *shrug*. It'd be nice to hear officially, I suppose. I'm gonna call you Pique-a-chu, 'cause you've piqued my curiosity.

[Tuckey]

I must admit I do fancy a dip in that sea.

 

   If there is no quest involving Susie Selling Seashells by the Seashore then get out. 

[Sensuki]

Don't ya just f'n love 2D backgrounds.

[teknoman2]

Great short update tells and shows a lot.

 

 

Update by Rose Gomez, Associate Producer

 

Sometimes, a visiting anamfath will take residence in the hall when visiting the city.

This caught my attention, in a "in-between the lines" type of way...

 

Specifically the "Sometimes" in that sentence. Does this mean that there will be people in the world that appear at various locations at various times? I.E. an anamfath might be in the Hall of Heroes when I get there the first time, but for another Player there is no anamfath the first time they get there.

 

Or am I just reading into it?

i interpret it as

there will be an anamfath companion that you can get in the hall

[WorstUsernameEver]

Looking good. By the way, did the areas shown in the update already get a paint-over pass or is it going to be done later in development? Also, the beach looks great. IIRC Josh said the team was still looking into ways to make the characters stick out less from the environment, any development on that front? To be honest, I was pretty okay with how they looked in the teaser, but it'd be cool to know if there's been further progress (or not).

[IndiraLightfoot]

 

there will be an anamfath companion that you can get in the hall

 

 

Heh! I just read this as "there will be an 'I am fat' companion that you can get in the hall".

Edited April 30, 2014 by IndiraLightfoot

[Sensuki]

Programming is nearing feature complete. We are tracking to be feature complete in a couple of weeks. This means that we are feature locked and most of the programming team will be diverted into bug fixing, feature polish, demos, etc.

Did dynamic cloth and hair end up making it in?

[Osvir]

 

Great short update tells and shows a lot.

 

 

Update by Rose Gomez, Associate Producer

 

Sometimes, a visiting anamfath will take residence in the hall when visiting the city.

This caught my attention, in a "in-between the lines" type of way...

 

Specifically the "Sometimes" in that sentence. Does this mean that there will be people in the world that appear at various locations at various times? I.E. an anamfath might be in the Hall of Heroes when I get there the first time, but for another Player there is no anamfath the first time they get there.

 

Or am I just reading into it?

i interpret it as

there will be an anamfath companion that you can get in the hall

Maybe so, maybe so.

 

This is what an anamfath is by the way, for those curious:

http://pillarsofeternity.gamepedia.com/Aedyran

[Spike Spiegel 28]

 

Oops... I messed up. We are going to do one in two weeks - not next week.

You aborted that launch sequence before that missile fired, haha.

 

Not quite yet. In the update it still says

 

Come back next week for a thorough update on chanters and priests by Josh Sawyer.

 

He might want to change that or else everyone still will belive that they get an update next week . Other than that so I love the artwork. I have rarely seen (if at all) so much details in one of the recent 3D games or any games at all for that matter. Granted there might be some (The Witcher 2 and Bioshock Inifinite comes to mind) but those are few far and between. Now if olny your web monks and wizards would crank up their research so we can finally modify our existing orders than I am more than happy to give you a lot more gold coins .

[Endrosz]

The armors... they do look fine but... kind of very down to earth for such a high fantasy game.

 

... and many backers, including me, are relieved that they look down to earth, with no Blood Bowl spikeball pauldrons and Final Fantasy surfboard swords (which are fine in their own game!). Arms- and armorwise they were shooting for midcore-realistic looks, and they're delivering on that.

[Gorbag]

Ok, the beach screenshot caught me unprepared. THAT water... (just to get this out of the way, 3D acceleration turns it green, right?).

Seriously, I'd also like to know if the areas we've seen are painted over and complete, or if there is any further work to be done.
 

(edit: typo)

Edited April 30, 2014 by Gorbag

[Starwars]

The areas look great. Would love to go on a vacation on the beach area. Though to nitpick, I think the rock in the water in the upper right looks kinda... weird. Doesn't seem to fit in as well as the other stuff. Might just be me.

 

Fantastic stuff!

[Karranthain]

Love the new areas. Here's hoping we'll be seeing more equipment art too, looks pretty cool.