Author Topic: A Lack of Hats  (Read 4809 times)

Offline Nodor

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A Lack of Hats
« on: August 17, 2012, 11:09:29 am »
I have 3 concerns about Ancient Shadows. 

1. If I am looking at one unit for a 30-40 hour multiplayer game I'm going to want it to look good. (And they do)
2. I will not want it to look like the other champions my friends have.  (Not so much)
3. I am running out of friends to give AI War to...   which makes it difficult to have excuses to support AI War.

I would like to propose that Arcen consider making available alternate skins for the champion units as DLC.  Not sure how feasible this is, but being able to customize the singular ship I will be staring at for HOURS would be nice.   

Thanks,
Nodor

Offline keith.lamothe

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Re: A Lack of Hats
« Reply #1 on: August 17, 2012, 11:23:02 am »
Regrettably, a massive interstellar Hatology conference was in session on Earth the very day the AI struck, and the art of hat-simulation was lost to humanity.

That said, there are a few things that should hopefully help them already not look the same:
1) There are 4 different "forms" of the shadow ship, each from a different race (and different sizes of each of those 4, though presumably everyone will use the largest available to them most of the time), and those look very different.  The different forms have different advantages, though that's still in progress (only 3 of the forms are implemented at all at this point)
2) The far-zoom icons for all of them use your player color heavily.

Personally I'd be happy to add some visual customization, but I don't think Chris can spend a lot more time on the art for the expansion.  In theory some kind of paid-DLC could work for that, but it seems weird to distribute the art to everyone (which we would have to for it to display correctly on everyone's screen in a multiplayer game) but only enable the interface option of choosing them for people who've got the DLC.  They could instead just copy the new asset over the old one if they really wanted to see it, rather than paying for it.
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Offline chemical_art

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Re: A Lack of Hats
« Reply #2 on: August 17, 2012, 11:33:04 am »
In theory some kind of paid-DLC could work for that, but it seems weird to distribute the art to everyone (which we would have to for it to display correctly on everyone's screen in a multiplayer game) but only enable the interface option of choosing them for people who've got the DLC.  They could instead just copy the new asset over the old one if they really wanted to see it, rather than paying for it.

While I get what you are saying, but doesn't virtually every kind of game with alternative looks do that?
« Last Edit: August 17, 2012, 11:45:34 am by chemical_art »
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Offline keith.lamothe

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Re: A Lack of Hats
« Reply #3 on: August 17, 2012, 11:50:06 am »
In theory some kind of paid-DLC could work for that, but it seems weird to distribute the art to everyone (which we would have to for it to display correctly on everyone's screen in a multiplayer game) but only enable the interface option of choosing them for people who've got the DLC.  They could instead just copy the new asset over the old one if they really wanted to see it, rather than paying for it.

While I get what you are saying, but doesn't virtually every kind of game with alternative looks do that?
In many of them, in multiplayer, trying that can cause anti-cheating mechanisms to detect a "hacked client", leading to some negative hilarity.
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Offline Nodor

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Re: A Lack of Hats
« Reply #4 on: August 17, 2012, 11:54:32 am »
In theory some kind of paid-DLC could work for that, but it seems weird to distribute the art to everyone (which we would have to for it to display correctly on everyone's screen in a multiplayer game) but only enable the interface option of choosing them for people who've got the DLC.

I am expressing an interest in paid-DLC for skin customization of champion units.  The business/feasibility assessment is beyond my ken.


Offline platinawolf

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Re: A Lack of Hats
« Reply #5 on: August 17, 2012, 12:00:53 pm »
Oooh, what a lovely idea! But I'd much rather they keep implementing new units and new types of champions :) *Imagines a tier 10 champion and cackle's at the mayhem*

Offline LaughingThesaurus

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Re: A Lack of Hats
« Reply #6 on: August 17, 2012, 05:01:11 pm »
Oooh, what a lovely idea! But I'd much rather they keep implementing new units and new types of champions :) *Imagines a tier 10 champion and cackle's at the mayhem*

This.
Unless Arcen has an artist who just has nothing to do, which I don't get the impression of, wasting time on paid cosmetics is a waste. It seems like programmers do art if anyone, aye? The only time I really approve of cosmetics is if the game's free to play, or if the artists just didn't have anything to do and all the art assets were already finalized and they would just be twiddling their thumbs otherwise. But, as long as the programmers are free, and free updates come often, why not spend that time on stuff like that?

Offline tigersfan

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Re: A Lack of Hats
« Reply #7 on: August 17, 2012, 05:24:24 pm »
Oooh, what a lovely idea! But I'd much rather they keep implementing new units and new types of champions :) *Imagines a tier 10 champion and cackle's at the mayhem*

This.
Unless Arcen has an artist who just has nothing to do, which I don't get the impression of, wasting time on paid cosmetics is a waste. It seems like programmers do art if anyone, aye? The only time I really approve of cosmetics is if the game's free to play, or if the artists just didn't have anything to do and all the art assets were already finalized and they would just be twiddling their thumbs otherwise. But, as long as the programmers are free, and free updates come often, why not spend that time on stuff like that?

Arcen does not have an artist on staff at all. Chris has few tools that he uses to do most of the art for AI War. He, Erik and I used all kinds of art assets from a number of sources for AVWW, and we've hired a studio to do the art for the new game, Shattered Haven (the same studio doing the re-skin of AVWW). So, no, we don't have any artists not doing anything. :)

Offline LaughingThesaurus

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Re: A Lack of Hats
« Reply #8 on: August 17, 2012, 06:02:11 pm »
Yep, that's the impression I got.
Well then keep doing that programming you guys do best. I don't want optional cosmetics... because I know those took away programming time. :)

Offline Draco18s

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Re: A Lack of Hats
« Reply #9 on: August 17, 2012, 06:53:47 pm »
I'm sure you could hire Robin Walker to do a few hats. :P

Offline keith.lamothe

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Re: A Lack of Hats
« Reply #10 on: August 17, 2012, 07:07:47 pm »
I'm sure you could hire Robin Walker to do a few hats. :P
I'd love to, I'm a huge fan, but with the recent outbreak of Mann Vs Machine I think there's entirely too high a chance that our working on the AI could be construe-*(sound of someone barrel-rolling through the window, loud explosion, silence)



;)
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Offline Draco18s

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Re: A Lack of Hats
« Reply #11 on: August 17, 2012, 07:15:04 pm »
I'm sure you could hire Robin Walker to do a few hats. :P
I'd love to, I'm a huge fan, but with the recent outbreak of Mann Vs Machine I think there's entirely too high a chance that our working on the AI could be construe-*(sound of someone barrel-rolling through the window, loud explosion, silence)

;)

ROBOT SAXTON HALE GUARDIAN!?!?

Offline Ozymandiaz

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Re: A Lack of Hats
« Reply #12 on: August 21, 2012, 04:29:42 am »
Fortunately for me, I use far zoom 99% of the time and hats do not affect me :)
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Offline LaughingThesaurus

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Re: A Lack of Hats
« Reply #13 on: August 21, 2012, 03:55:19 pm »
Dude. Champions should get unlockable hats.
Wait. I said some nonsense about not putting in hats to prevent wasting time.

...um... um... Darn.