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New Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion screens
- Thread starter Wario64
- Start date
Vark said:
yeah, thats true. i'm assuming though that a lot of these demos are actually from a game in progress, gears of war. i could be mistaken on that.
what was shown was playable though, and did have collision for the vehicle that was controlled at least.
EternalDarko
Member
the only 'new' pic there is the 1st one.
The gfx are decent, nothing super special, however it's the gameplay that counts, and I just loved Morrowind to death. That game consumed so much of my life at one point, i'll gladly give up the same time on this next one. And from the sounds of it from all the developer interviews and such i've seen, this one is gonna be amazing. I really can't wait. It's top of my list for next PC game
The gfx are decent, nothing super special, however it's the gameplay that counts, and I just loved Morrowind to death. That game consumed so much of my life at one point, i'll gladly give up the same time on this next one. And from the sounds of it from all the developer interviews and such i've seen, this one is gonna be amazing. I really can't wait. It's top of my list for next PC game
Spider_Jerusalem
Member
Not even it, I already took it somewhere else, maybe from a magazine scan.EternalDarko said:
SteveMeister
Hang out with Steve.
I'm not sure why some people are so convinced the creature designs are "horrible"... we have a lot of very experienced and very talented artists working on this game -- the team is *much* larger than Morrowind's. I think the troll (the three-eyed thing) is pretty cool, and while a fur shader would look nice on it, I don't see what's wrong with it without one. I think it's a unique and interesting-looking troll, rather than yet another Tolkien-inspired one.
It doesn't bother me if people don't like Elder Scrolls games. I'll be the first to admit they're not for everyone, and that Morrowind wasn't without its flaws. But I just don't see anything in the screenshots we've released for Oblivion that is actually "bad" or "horrible" artwork.
It doesn't bother me if people don't like Elder Scrolls games. I'll be the first to admit they're not for everyone, and that Morrowind wasn't without its flaws. But I just don't see anything in the screenshots we've released for Oblivion that is actually "bad" or "horrible" artwork.
CrimsonSkies
Member
The skeleton and humanoids above look really good to me. I just don't like a few of your creatures like the one which is featured in the screenshot above. I'd personally take this as great feedback on your game to take back to the team working on the game. Anything with fur I've seen on Oblivion has just looked off. Maybe it's something that can be fixed. If not then I'm very happy with the look of the game myself in every other area.
SteveMeister said:
As much respect as I have for the morrowind team, and think their artists are pretty decent...
it seems like they miss some of the finer points of character/monster designs; which GAF members can spot but rarely able to articulate on.
For example look at that; most people here will tell you that's bad art. I'd be inclined to agree.
For starters, that bit of brownish leather below his neck, well it doesn't match the rest of the armor; in fact looks like open skin, makes the armor look a bit 'sexy'... at least with female characters. Problem is that guy is ugly. Ugly like trailer trash. Ok, maybe not, but he bears striking resemblance to robert from Everybody Loves Raymond.
Also note the helm... it just doesn't go with that face... but ignoring the face, what's with the part that covers his cheek? What is that? a metallic beard? It could be finer, thinner, with more filligree pattern, which would fit in with the rest of the medium/light look of the armor.
The horns also look kinda dorky...
the sad thing is that, there's a good amount of that design that's actually decent... but its these small details that ruin it, making it look out of place, or mediocre from a design stand point.
Also, for the most part, people are heavily drawn to good looking, if not good looking then archetypal, and charismatic characters. The few characters shown while realistic in some sense, don't have any of those qualities. Comprimising on that would bring in a lot more customers; with much better looking publicity shots. For reference, see EQ2 america and the redesigned EQ2 asia. It doesn't have to be that extreme... but you'll see more people receiving the asian version, regardless of where they're from.
My advice is to start looking for another art director... maybe a character/creature art director.
other stuff like this... ignoring the bland looking nature of the character, see how she stands. I mean, ok fair enough if the animation is situational and she's supposed to look nervous like she doesn't know how to hold the bow... but if that's the standard animation for shooting a bow, you'd better be one that's nervous. Compare that to the animations found in WoW; a NE female stands tall and straight, confident and self assured in her stance. We don't know any better, but they look good shooting a bow like that. Then the details of the animation also impress; zoom in and you see the night elf raise one eyebrow while closing the other, releases the arrow, and both eyes return to normal.
And what seems to be the focus of everyone's ire... turd eater.
Well... what is it supposed to be? A variant of an abominable snowman? It's kinda ugly... looks more like a large gollum type creature, with misshappened limbs and an ungainly, frankly retarded look. It also looks somewhat like an ant-eater.... bred with a gorilla, that's been dropped into a vat of acid.
Scary in a way, but not in a good way.
If you're gonna call it a troll... well those have relatively established imagery; see warhammer and world of warcraft for reference. It's a bit like calling a short sword a cutlass... what's the point?
Sure, the bow stance looks really awkward, hopefully she's in the middle of some sort of strafing manuever and that's not the normal stance. I'll also give you that the turd monster doesn't really make me want to play the game. We can agree on that.
What I can't agree with is your ridiculous analysis of the armor and the guy's face. Guess what, ugly people may not exist in Japanese concept art, but they do in real life! Are you suggesting every NPC should look like a GQ model? And how outrageous is it to suggest that every piece of armor be customized to the faces of every character? The helmet doesn't blend with the guy's face? Do you suppose the iron helmets of the middle ages were flattering the the wearer's features? Can you picture a medival warrior rumaging through his armor closet and saying "Oh my, I haven't a thing to wear to tonight's pillaging. This helmet simply does nothing for my cheek bones. And this leather underarmor? PUH-LEASE!"
:lol :lol :lol
Something tells me that the dude would have been more concerned with whether or not the helmet would stop an axe blade, rather than whether or not it made his ass look fat.
What I can't agree with is your ridiculous analysis of the armor and the guy's face. Guess what, ugly people may not exist in Japanese concept art, but they do in real life! Are you suggesting every NPC should look like a GQ model? And how outrageous is it to suggest that every piece of armor be customized to the faces of every character? The helmet doesn't blend with the guy's face? Do you suppose the iron helmets of the middle ages were flattering the the wearer's features? Can you picture a medival warrior rumaging through his armor closet and saying "Oh my, I haven't a thing to wear to tonight's pillaging. This helmet simply does nothing for my cheek bones. And this leather underarmor? PUH-LEASE!"
:lol :lol :lol
Something tells me that the dude would have been more concerned with whether or not the helmet would stop an axe blade, rather than whether or not it made his ass look fat.
Slo said:
The issue isn't how practical the armor looks. It's a fucking game after all. But the guy looks like a bit of a normal guy. The armor on the other hand looks like panzy elven filligreed armor. The color is effiminate and so is the design.
For a consistent approach, tha kind of armor would be native to races that didn't look like that... would rather better suit a panzy looking elf or something.
Not every NPC needs to look like a GQ model. OTOH, they haven't released a single shot where the NPC does actually look better than... an average looking person.
SteveMeister
Hang out with Steve.
Point one: The technology we're using allows us to easily make character faces look like ANYONE. Literally. Fanciful or not. Beautiful, ugly, plain, young, old, whatever. That applies across all 10 races in the game. There's a *HUGE* variety of character faces, pretty much limitless. If you want every character in the game to look like a fashion model, go in and mod it to be that way -- but we're going for variety.
Point two: It's a troll. In Elder Scrolls Lore, going back as far as Arena, which was released in 1994, trolls in the Elder Scrolls games have been three-eyed simian creatures. Personally, I think it's good to be different. While Oblivion is going more towards traditional fantasy than the very alien landscape and bestiary of Morrowind, it's still an Elder Scrolls game, and the creatures are going to be within our own lore.
Point three: Art's always subjective. Fans will always nitpick over the details. There's a hue and cry about the fact that none of the screenshots have shadows -- but shadows simply aren't in the game yet. The game will be refined, polished, and tweaked until it's ready to be released. And while I don't necessarily disagree that some of the details might be BETTER, I still don't think it's HORRIBLE.
And Zaptruder, I don't think we have anything to be "nervous" about.
Point two: It's a troll. In Elder Scrolls Lore, going back as far as Arena, which was released in 1994, trolls in the Elder Scrolls games have been three-eyed simian creatures. Personally, I think it's good to be different. While Oblivion is going more towards traditional fantasy than the very alien landscape and bestiary of Morrowind, it's still an Elder Scrolls game, and the creatures are going to be within our own lore.
Point three: Art's always subjective. Fans will always nitpick over the details. There's a hue and cry about the fact that none of the screenshots have shadows -- but shadows simply aren't in the game yet. The game will be refined, polished, and tweaked until it's ready to be released. And while I don't necessarily disagree that some of the details might be BETTER, I still don't think it's HORRIBLE.
And Zaptruder, I don't think we have anything to be "nervous" about.
SteveMeister
Hang out with Steve.
Zaptruder said:
Actually this is an astute point. That IS elven armor, being worn by a human. It'd be much more likely worn by a high elf.
Steve: While you're here, please take a request. The ability to remove the HUD? Leave it in. Better yet, give us several levels of translucency for the HUD. I'm sure the game will be several hundred hours long, and those of us playing on projection TVs would like to play it without burn-in. Thanks.
SteveMeister said:
I assume, you mean the animation was situational rather than standard then. Well that's good.
Variety is good. But the baseline should lean towards attractive; moreover, attractive doesn't mean lacking in variety. Also like I said, it would help the publicity shots some to use good looking characters rather than... unassuming ones.
That said, that's awesome to hear about how moddable the faces will be.
CrimsonSkies
Member
:lol
eso76
Member
Zaptruder said:
This man's face looks quite realistic; realistic is beyond good or bad art.
You think the armour doesn't suit ? well, if you've played morrowind you'd know you can have any race and any character in the game wear every armour; it can't suit anyone; the leather part doesn't have to suit, actually that's probably the clothes this character is wearing underneath the armour, which probably are exchangeable as well.
Only thing about this picture is, the helm looks too small for this guy's head to fit inside. on the other hand, if it was bigger, people would think his proportion are not 'attractive' (head would be too big compared to shoulders, rest of his body).
That 3 eyed troll is not bad either, well, apart from looking like the serious version of Mighty poo
no, seriously, it's not bad but it actually looks like it's made of shit but i think it will work just fine in-game.People here often mistake 'good art' for 'good looking characters'.
I'd really love to see what someone here considers good art. Better yet, i'd like to see their attempts as art directors/designers.
Dont get me wrong that is amazing what you built with ES4 but this is not one those situations where GAF are be jaded and over whiny, those models are extremely odd. It would go long way just get one book artist on staff there to give you guys some better ideas (Tod Lockwood as small example)
Hitler Stole My Potato
Banned
Steve, if you want to get GAF interested in Oblivion might I make a few artistic suggestions:
If that doesn't work, just slap Mizuguchi's name on the box.
If that doesn't work, just slap Mizuguchi's name on the box.
SteveMeister
Hang out with Steve.
op_ivy said:
The only thing Bethesda has officially announced is that Oblivion is being developed for PC and "next-generation consoles". Nothing specific beyond that has been announced.
And lol@Hitler Stole My Potato's pics
Of course a monster that lives in a sewer looks like poo..duh..
I really want to see some Oblivion water, the Morrowind water is still some of the best ever so I really have high hopes for the H20 in Oblivion.
But even if the water would like diarrhoea It's going to be an awesome game, probably The Game of the Next Generation for me.
I really want to see some Oblivion water, the Morrowind water is still some of the best ever so I really have high hopes for the H20 in Oblivion.
But even if the water would like diarrhoea It's going to be an awesome game, probably The Game of the Next Generation for me.
SteveMeister said:
I'm wondering why your team is fixated on advancing the graphics of the series, while ignoring the broken gameplay -- interchangeable npc interaction, collect-a-thon fetch quests, and a lifeless world.
While I think Morrowind arrived on a wave of potential, what culminated was 20 minutes of a fascinating idea that soon degraded into a huge bore.
Redbeard said:
Well, considering all that's been discussed is the series' facelift, what else am I supposed to ask? I do hope that they discuss more substantive changes to the series. I will say that Gothic 2 beautifully realized what Morrowind attempted, and I'd like to see the Morrowind series take pointers from that exemplary achievement and amend its broken gameplay.