[FILLED] Looking for artist(s) to develop new style for A Valley Without Wind.

[x4000]

Two revisions from studio H: one of #6 and one of #1, based on feedback from the forums here.

[Mick]

Those samples make very nice paintings, but I'm inclined to think that such a style would not look very good in motion. The background is very nice to look at, but is very busy, and the character doesn't seem to stand out enough. Of course, this is just concept art.

I think for the most part that all the "painterly" samples from the studios match the right style, but the better test will be how they all look animated with the background panning quickly, while monsters and spell effects fly around everywhere.

It's far to easy for a graphic style of be wonderful in screenshots, and then become a complete disaster once everything starts moving around.

[zebramatt]

If the game ended up looking like destroyed_city_sketch9.png, well, that would just be super!

[eRe4s3r]

If the flowing hair would actually flow and the trees actually sway in the wind and dust blow by... then yes ;p

[Stx11]

I think the best thing I'm seeing here is all the artists are *definitely* stepping up their game - which makes me think any of them will be able to deliver some nice high-quality art assets to accompany the high-quality game that AVWW is 

[Martyn van Buren]

Yeah, I think now I'd be happy with any of the three options.  I'm right to assume that the new stuff is still a draft and if we go with them the final product will look more like an ordinary video game and less like a watercolor?  I'd support watercolor but I imagine that would be pretty difficult to pull off.

[Brise Bonbons]

Been away a while traveling, but good to see new images (and lots of discussion) in this thread.

To make a brief - if belated - statement of support in light of the Steam sale situation: Arcen's work is far too amazing and you all are just too smart and hard-working for this to be anything more than a minor bump in the road. As a consumer, I feel like I've gotten far more support and responsiveness for AVWW than I ever would have expected (and certainly more than I've experienced with any other game), so if the company needs to focus on other things for a while, do so without any hesitation. My group of friends will probably be happy to see updates slow down, if anything; we all found it difficult to keep with with the rapid changes to the game.

It probably helps that I'm very impatient for an AI War expansion!

*

As for the art, I hate to say it but I feel like wheels are spinning until we see some characters in motion. I think the stuff we've seen is all high quality work, and give or take an issue here or there with tone or details, any of the studios could do work that would fit AVWW pretty well. In short, they are close enough together that the quality of animation - and how the art looks in motion - seems like it will trump anything we see in these concept pieces. I know that's not a very informative stance to take, but I just don't feel like I can say anything else about these samples other than "well I like X more than Y and Z, so  blah."

I still think H feels like the best fit for AVWW, even though the work from the other studios has more pop and flash. I think H captures the eclectic but naturalistic feeling of the game, whereas the other studios evoke a sort of comic book/cartoon world of 2D archetypes. That said, if I can speak frankly as someone who studied art at university, many of the samples from H do not impress me with their drawing/painting fundamentals. Now let me walk that back and make clear that I'm not saying they're bad artists - they are clearly talented, hard workers; I understand that a lot of game art programs these days focus on other areas, such as 3D work and the tech side of things, leaving people with limited time to practice drawing. But it makes me nervous about the quality of the finished work, and reinforces the feeling that I need to see some finished work in motion to offer a proper opinion.

It's just a really tough call to make. While I prefer H personally, I find myself second guessing that choice and trying to predict what "the market" will like based on some cliches and stereotypes about "the common PC platform gamer". Maybe a punchy, vibrant style like K/G's would sell better, even if it didn't fit the game perfectly? Maybe maybe maybe.

To anyone at Arcen: Are we likely to see any animated samples before a studio is chosen, or is that part of the process going to wait until one style has been settled on?

[tigersfan]

To anyone at Arcen: Are we likely to see any animated samples before a studio is chosen, or is that part of the process going to wait until one style has been settled on?

That depends on how close a call it is with the studios. However, Chris has seen animations from all three studios on unrelated works and they are all quite competent animators. The goal of this process at the moment is really more related to overall style versus integration complexity and technical constraints, plus costs and ability to hit our target timeline (e.g., available manpower).

[eRe4s3r]

To be fair, there is only 1 animation I care about, that is the running animation of a character we see it 70% of the game /19% jumping/10% attack and it should look appropriately. That's also where you can see how well they can really animate stuff.

That, and transition animations ,p

[Mánagarmr]

K's latest = OMGWTFPWNBBQAWESOME! (Still kinda partial to G's latest, but dayum, K is now definitely in the game. That was MAD awesome!
H's latest = No. Just...no I can't stand the blurriness of it. A game shouldn't look like an impressionists painting. I want to see what the balls is going on. Clear it up :/ Call me superfiscial, but I just hate the style.

[Brise Bonbons]

The more I see H's stuff the more I like them. They have such a broad range of stylistic options at their disposal between their different artists, and I think they are all simple and clean enough to be easily understood in chaotic battles - all while finding a good balance between exaggerated fantasy and organic naturalism.

While G and K both produce some really slick work, I just don't feel they mesh as well with AVWW. I.e. the latest from K is very cool, especially the wasp, but I'm afraid the style isn't clear enough to function given how hectic combat can be. Maybe for the point and click adventure sequel?

While I think G's style could definitely work for AVWW, it feels less quirky and organic to me; more polished and plastic, especially the character and monster art. That is a good match for some games, but personally I think AVWW feels sort of meaty and funky and odd (in the best way), and I think H is the best match for that.

This is all just me rambling to try to offer useful feedback, I certainly don't intend to insult or demean the work of any of these studios. They all seem like talented, profession people who do good work.

[Martyn van Buren]

Sorry to repeat my question, but am I right to think K is still more in the stage of concept art than mocking up what the game will actually look like if they do it?  That is to say, if I understand right they're not proposing to make the game look "like an impressionist painting," just drawing impressions of various styles so we can settle on one to mock up.  Although that said I would absolutely vote for a watercolor game.

[BobTheJanitor]

Sorry to repeat my question, but am I right to think K is still more in the stage of concept art than mocking up what the game will actually look like if they do it?  That is to say, if I understand right they're not proposing to make the game look "like an impressionist painting," just drawing impressions of various styles so we can settle on one to mock up.  Although that said I would absolutely vote for a watercolor game.

Like this game? http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/01/21/love-grows-stronger-deeper-cheaper/

Looks neat, eh?

[Martyn van Buren]

That is indeed pretty.  Is it any good?  Academic question, I guess; I have a Mac and it seems to be only PC.

[keith.lamothe]

Sorry to repeat my question, but am I right to think K is still more in the stage of concept art than mocking up what the game will actually look like if they do it?  That is to say, if I understand right they're not proposing to make the game look "like an impressionist painting," just drawing impressions of various styles so we can settle on one to mock up.  Although that said I would absolutely vote for a watercolor game.

Like this game? http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/01/21/love-grows-stronger-deeper-cheaper/

Looks neat, eh?

Would I be shot for saying that I find that game very interesting but it looks like I wouldn't be able to get past the art style?