Vae on 28/4/2016 at 21:26
I like some of the systems...yet, the art direction is somewhat cartoonish.
Brad Schoonmaker on 28/4/2016 at 22:49
I remember seeing the original Ultima Underworld game and marveling at how realistic (for the time) the game world seemed. The art direction for this one really does lend itself to that vision as Nate Wells implies was his goal. I like that it will project from that original style instead of being a complete re-imagining. The mood set by the lighting in this early demo is amazing.
twisty on 29/4/2016 at 02:11
While at first I wasn't greatly enamoured with the new "authored look" based on some recent stills that they shared on their newsletter, seeing it motion with the lighting and other systems makes it much more appealing. I also love the skeleton's animations including the exaggerated sword swings. I just hope that the devs don't go too far down the playful cartoonish side.
Manwe on 30/4/2016 at 15:55
I'm pretty sure those animations are placeholders as they look godawful. I'm not really sold on their "authored look" either. In this day and age it seems generic as fuck considering every other game has the same look (Bioshock/Dishonored/WoW/Star Wars ToR/every Moba, etc...). If they truly wanted to be original they would have gone for a photorealistic look.
ZylonBane on 30/4/2016 at 16:51
Jesus, the wooden doors in that video. Looks like they were meant to be viewed from much further away, like in an isometric engine. In fact the whole look reminds me of Dungeon Keeper's first-person mode.
Quote Posted by Manwe
If they truly wanted to be original they would have gone for a photorealistic look.
Because nothing says originality like photorealism.
Starker on 30/4/2016 at 19:06
Yeah, it's a very rough work in progress. It's not called a pre-alpha prototype for nothing.
Melan on 30/4/2016 at 20:39
The doors are very accurate depictions of moulded plastic pieces imitating wood in miniature gaming. Here is one from Dwarven Forge:
Inline Image:
http://tbaraban.free.fr/doors.jpgYou can see virtually the same texture. Whether you want that kind of thing in a game or not is another question.
As for the pre-alpha... it is a pre-alpha. Anyone who has made a fan mission knows how rough things can look until right before the end. This game doesn't even have many of its subsystems in place - combat, AI senses, much of the environmental interaction thing - if you watch Fen's video, you can see even climbing stairs is a problem. So yeah, rough.
Vae on 30/4/2016 at 21:59
Stylization, in order to create a unique visual signature, is one thing...yet, it is a mistake to place a phony plasticky coating on objects...Wood has to feel like wood. Steel needs to feel like steel...If it doesn't, the player is subconsciously reminded of that, which creates a break in immersion. This choice runs philosophically contrary to the other simulated systems presented in the demo.
That being said, I understand this is in pre-alpha...and that is precisely the time to provide constructive feedback for the benefit of the project.