Karaski: What Goes Up... Slavic-Steampunk RPG Unraveling a Plot Onboard an Airship! - by Yakoob
Thirith on 18/2/2015 at 09:11
I definitely can see the visual style working well, but at the same time I have to say the current look puts me off somewhat, and that's not the style so much as the overall lack of cohesiveness. The different elements making up the scene have a different feel to them: the faces come across as Blendo Games-inspired lo-fi (although lacking those games' simple elegance IMO), while the graphic design of the crests and similar things mix elements and fonts that don't fit well, neither with each other nor with the rest of the world. The look isn't a deal-breaker, but I do think the graphics need a pass or two by an artist to come together. It definitely could do with more of a cohesive identity of its own. Right now I come away thinking, "I see what you're going for, but you're not there yet."
Renault on 18/2/2015 at 15:03
One of my thoughts while watching the video was - won't most people think the graphics are too similar to Gravity Bone/30 Flights? "Inspired by" is one thing, but a direct copy is something different. Personally, I like the look, but then again, I'm a big fan of Blendo's stuff.
henke on 18/2/2015 at 16:30
Both the geometry shapes and the way the textures are drawn are different from Blendo's games. I don't think it's too similar. By no means a "direct copy".
PigLick on 19/2/2015 at 04:03
If I saw this on Steam I would buy it right away! Looks good, put my hand up if you need any extra people for testing and whatnot.
Yakoob on 19/2/2015 at 04:38
Quote Posted by faetal
If keeping the graphics simple gives you more energy for tending to the innards of the thing, it'll be better for the game overall and I'm sure that will reflect in reviews of the finished article :)
Exactly. I realized from very early on I will not be able to have anywhere to realistic graphics with my budget so I settled on the style in large parts for feasibility reasons. But It's grown on me and I don't regret it!
Quote Posted by Thirith
I definitely can see the visual style working well, but at the same time I have to say the current look puts me off somewhat, and that's not the style so much as the overall lack of cohesiveness. The different elements making up the scene have a different feel to them.
Aye I think you are completely right, and I think the screens that look best are the ones that appear most cohesive (like (
http://unboundcreations.com/images/karaski/promo/karaski-rpg-game-3-stealth-sneaking.jpg) this or (
http://unboundcreations.com/images/karaski/devblog/karas52_pipehalls.jpg) that).
The current artistic mish-mash is a byproduct of my iterative development. As I created more content I'd experiment with new styles and approaches, trying to figure out what I like best. The idea is to bring all assets up to the same level once the artstyle has been well established, and I think I'm pretty close to it. Though I'm leaving some leeway for the artists I'm (
http://karaski.com/jobs/) looking to hire right now. For example, I loathe the wood textures (tables/doors) but I wouldn't know that until I tried it, and I didn't get a chance to replace it yet.
I'm now having some doubts if I shouldn't have waited with Greenlight until later when I had the time to normalize more assets :/
Here's a little thing I just whipped up:
Inline Image:
http://unboundcreations.com/images/karaski/promo/karaski-rpg-game-iterative-process.jpgQuote Posted by Brethren
One of my thoughts while watching the video was - won't most people think the graphics are
too similar to Gravity Bone/30 Flights? "Inspired by" is one thing, but a direct copy is something different. Personally, I like the look, but then again, I'm a big fan of Blendo's stuff.
Honestly, that is a bit of my worry, people calling me a rip-off. But if you dig around, there's actually a bunch of boxy-cartoony games besides the big guys like 30 Flights or Minecraft (Gregory Horror Show, Blockland, Tiny Troopers etc.). And if you compare them side by side you'll see that, besides the faces maybe, mine have different proportions, non-squre shapes and overall variety (dress, skirt, beards, ponytails etc):
Inline Image:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v474/Koobazaur/30_flighs_of_loving_karaski_zps4d3b4838.jpg(also fugly 1st-pass textures lol.) But you're right. Most people will probably never bother to and just dismiss it as "lazy ripoff" :/
(fun side fact: I actually emailed Brendon Chung early in development telling him he's a big inspiration and asking for some tips!)
Thirith on 19/2/2015 at 07:43
Small detail about the visuals: one thing that doesn't work at all for me is the noses. It's the way they point sideways, which kinda works in a kid's drawing or a cartoon, but I think it looks off when used as a texture in a 3D world. The effect is amplified by some of the noses pointing to the left while others point to the right. It's possible that this will go the way of the dodo, but I wanted to mention it. Perhaps I'm the only one who minds it, though. :p
henke on 19/2/2015 at 08:54
Yeah I don't like the noses either, as I've mentioned in the past. The two characters above look deformed, or like they've been smashed in the face with a shovel.
faetal on 19/2/2015 at 09:33
The guy on the left's nose is fine though.
Thirith on 19/2/2015 at 10:09
If you mean the one in the pink suit, he's by Bendo Games, possibly 30 Flights of Loving.
faetal on 19/2/2015 at 10:13
Yeah. That front-on depiction of the nose works fine. If you wanted to stay with the side-on approach, you could consider going a bit further with it and have the characters look impressionistic, a la Picasso.
