Totally agreed.

 

People going out of their way to look like hardcore purists when in fact they end up looking quite dumb. Just like the Master of Orion III fans....

 

 

If Elemental would have had graphics like Master of Magic then I would laugh at it, make fun of it and pass on it.

There are certain visual standards that need to be fulfilled. But I'm like 80% certain I won't be disappointed in the graphics. We've also been told that there will be PixelShader 4.0 effects

Look into a mirror first.

It's just a guess, but you probably won't get the discussion back on the topic of graphics (rather than the "dev time should be spend on X" derail) this way.

That said, I agree with you. The current screenies look boxy and lifeless compared to the early concept screenies. I don't think it's the art style as such, it looks more like it's a matter of practicality. The concept screenies were probably mock-ups of what SD wanted the game to look like, but the reality of infinite zoom, tiles, modability and how much various objects have to scale to be recognisable from any zoom level, probably necessitated the difference.

I hope it will change. I doubt it, but I really hope so. The art direction lends itself really well to map-seamlessness &.. I dunno what to call it, visual flow? - The mock-ups definitely had that. They were very evocative, really. The current shots are pretty much the opposite.

Ideally the composition should be such that any screen capture would make an interesting still image. The mock-ups manage that (but then, I assume that's exactly what they were), but I haven't seen anything current that would.

And as for the grognards: I really couldn't care if it's PixelArt, Crysis or something else entirely. As long as the visuals support the interface, the art direction is evocative, consistent and supports the gameplay, and neither visuals nor interface falls apart when windowed or in various resolutions, I'll be perfectly happy with it. Sometimes a single guy can manage that in a month. Sometimes a triple-A game with a multi-million dollar budget, piles of artists & years of development time can't manage it at all. I'm not suggesting text adventures & ASCII games aren't fun, but Elemental is neither. So let's try to offer the kind of feedback that'll make the graphics support the game in the best possible way, yeah?

 

It looks fine to me, the only issues I see is that the ore deposit looks kinda 2d, it doesn't seem to fit in with the rest of the terrain, and the ridge of the hill looks weird, like there's no snow there.  But I'm sure that's only because the graphics are a WIP.

Not that I'm picky about graphics.

Ah, ok, that makes sense, it looks fine, and like I said I don't care much about graphics, I just want fun gameplay.

I find the textures enjoyable. #70 looks good but maybe it shines better in animation as opposed to a still frame. Personally, I see a huge difference in the editor movies we just got and this picture. I will still hold my judgement on good or bad graphics until release and even then I really just don't put that much into graphics.

 

I meant editor movie vs. editor screenshot.

I have from the very beginning felt like the graphics ahd almost a stained glass quality to them. I thought it was a pretty bold move and I personally like it a lot.

Yes you are not going to be able to get as sharp of an image, things are going to be more muted and the coolness factor is in the gutsy move to go with an art look that looks like art, rather than something that reaches out of the monitor and gives your retinas a sugar high.

Certainly those who don't like it are entitled to their opinion. But their opinions sound to me like 6 year olds complaining about a steak dinner because what they really really want is twinkies and soda pop. And I am not even bringing the paramount importance of gameplay into the equation, I am talking strictly art style.

I really really hope the gameplay is there. This game is never going to satisfy those that think graphics that do not strain the capabilities of a 1 Gig graphics card suck. Call me a fanboi, I think the graphics are beautiful and applaud SD for going for something non-conventional. If the gameplay is there, this game is an instant classic. And so far, SD has not disappointed in the gameplay department.

A big part of our objective for Elemental's art style is that in a screenshot you would say "That's Elemental".  So many games go for the "Realistic" art style that it's easy to confuse one with the other.

In Elemental, you are, after all, zooming in from multi continent view down to seeing individual people living their lives in the city. That's a huge scale level that I think pays off as you are building your own world in the game.

Moreover, in a game where there are so many different kinds of "goodie huts", quests, NPCs, creatures, ruins, etc. it's important for things to look pretty but also stand out.

People who want to have a super detail looking world can certainly make that with the tools but that's not the look we're going for in the maps that get generated.

In that Civilization shot, you're seeing flat with some hills with a texture.  In Elemental, because it's illustrative style, the textures are "smooth" with objects on top of it to give it more detail.

While probably being a significant task, if someone really disliked the current art style. Is it possible to mod it to something more realistic?

If it's not an actual "Graphics Option" and assuming that since the art assets are different actual skin and texture files, one of those files/objects it loads up when rendering the object (person, plant, building) would be the "outline" you describe and easily disabled in XML. XML is simple even for people who know nothing at all about code. One modder , or one of the staff when the modding beta comes out, someone will most likely post Detailed, Step-By-Step, instructions on how to "Mod" certain files. Like "options.ini" that controls setting and options and over-rides what you tell it to do through the in-game engine.

As an example of this, earlier today I was looking for a money cheat for Alpha Protocol. I found a bunch of other cheats but the first time I play through a game I don't cheat, Ever (at least not in a way that gimps my enemies). Sometimes I'll give my-self enough money to buy "basic" stuff. In Alpha Protocol money is hard to come by and I wasted a lot of mine so I was looking for a cheat or editor to add a couple hundred grand to my saved game. Here's an example of something I found while looking.

Note: These instructions are Not for Elemental. I'm just using them as a example to show that people on-line will explain things step-by-step for those who aren't familiar with editing code.



As you can see, people will show you exactly how to change a setting that normal in-game options won't change. Taking out the "outline" should be as easy as editing out a "layer" in the engine that adds that layer to all the rendered images.

 

Well said Den!