85 réponses à ce sujet

[King Cousland]

There will probably some change in appearance, but Mike Laidlaw stated a while ago that the darkspawn would keep closer to their DA II look.

[Pasquale1234]

DAO darkspawn, please.

And please don't change them again unless there is a valid in-game reason for it, like the species evolving or mutating or something. It would be nice if the game would allow the use of visual cues actually meaning something.

[The Serge777]

I prefer all of the DA2 designs to the DAO's. While the DAO designs look too much like "generic" orcs and goblins (for the Hurlock and Genlock respectively), the DA2 options, particularly for the Genlocks, look substantially different from patented evil monsters. The Alphas in particular were a huge improvement.

The only redesigns I didn't like were the Shrieks.

However, I seem to recall that there were actually earlier descriptions of darkspawn as looking pretty pasty, sickly, and with blood or puss perpetually leaking from their eyes. Again, the DA2 do a better job of capturing that (for the hurlocks especially), but even those designs don't go far enough to making them seem like sickly, horrific mockeries of the species form which they are culled. They need to look more horrifying than they look in either DAO (in which, among other things, they were too robust) and DA2 (in which the hurlocks seemed look 'undead' and the gunlocks a bit too... hulking).

[TKavatar]

Pasquale1234 wrote...

DAO darkspawn, please.

And please don't change them again unless there is a valid in-game reason for it, like the species evolving or mutating or something. It would be nice if the game would allow the use of visual cues actually meaning something.

I wouldn't bet on it. Bioware sucks at visual continuity, how many times have they redesigned key races by now? Heck, they even changed Varric into a brunette. 

[efd731]

sandalisthemaker wrote...

I'm sure most recurring monsters/enemies have been redesigned or at least tweaked a bit.

twerked* a bit

[Red Panda]

Am I the only one that liked DA2's darkspawn?

[Wothen]

OperatingWookie wrote...

Am I the only one that liked DA2's darkspawn?

I can't take them seriously 
I always look at them and think "look at all those hallowen adhd kids, they can't even stop jumping around"
If there was another blight with that design I think I would giggle

They also make me remember the power ranger putty patrols

Doesn't help that they come in spades and are laughably easy to kill
The genlock design on the other hand was spot on, they looked very nice and different

Ogres had a more menacing "gorilla" face on DA:O

I dont remember seein shrieks

Modifié par Wothen, 22 janvier 2014 - 08:28 .

[AppealToReason]

Nuloen wrote...

use any thing apart from this shriek

The Shriek Alpha design is really good. That one just plain lame and looks like he's a chef.

[Sentinel358]

^pretty much an evil pirate chef

[AppealToReason]

Wothen wrote...

OperatingWookie wrote...

Am I the only one that liked DA2's darkspawn?

I can't take them seriously 
I always look at them and think "look at all those hallowen adhd kids, they can't even stop jumping around"
If there was another blight with that design I think I would giggle

They also make me remember the power ranger putty patrols

Doesn't help that they come in spades and are laughably easy to kill
The genlock design on the other hand was spot on, they looked very nice and different

Ogres had a more menacing "gorilla" face on DA:O

I dont remember seein shrieks

DAO they were more intimidating to look at. Dark colours in the skin, sharp teeth, intimidating stances, evil eyes size, looked similar to uncorrupted counterparts enough to see that they weren't just a bunch of weird monster designs. They looked like they wanted to **** you up. In DA2 they just looked... lame. More like ghouls than corrupted humanoid monsters.

I get that they're corrupted and whatnot but in none of the books does it describe them as pale and waddling. Every book talks about dark black/grey/green skin and intimidating size and movements and stuff. Things that make them seem formidable instead of orcs on meth.

[AutumnWitch]

I would assume that everything has to be redesigned just because of the new engine. I am one of the minority who liked the DA2 design better BUT I don't think it matters cuz like I said, everything will get a "new polished" re-design cuz of the new engine.

I will say I do not like the new Varric and Cassandra so I hope they will do better with everything else.

[Sentinel358]

AutumnWitch wrote...

I would assume that everything has to be redesigned just because of the new engine. I am one of the minority who liked the DA2 design better BUT I don't think it matters cuz like I said, everything will get a "new polished" re-design cuz of the new engine.

I will say I do not like the new Varric and Cassandra so I hope they will do better with everything else.

what do you find wrong with them?

[AutumnWitch]

Sentinel358 wrote...

AutumnWitch wrote...

I would assume that everything has to be redesigned just because of the new engine. I am one of the minority who liked the DA2 design better BUT I don't think it matters cuz like I said, everything will get a "new polished" re-design cuz of the new engine.

I will say I do not like the new Varric and Cassandra so I hope they will do better with everything else.

what do you find wrong with them?

First Varric doesnt look anything like he did in DA2 and his face looks so human now. Its like a human head in a dwarf body.  I mean look at him....he now looks some some auto mechanic working at the local 76 Station. Changes are: Lips, brow ridge,eye brows, his hair looks greasy, cheeks are sunken in, forehead slope is different...its just a different person that doesn't have that special "rascal" look about him.




Cassandra looks too thin now, her head went from oval-ish to square-ish, ears are bigger and lower on head, eye brows are totally different, I can go on but she doesnt look as pretty or as interesting to me. Yes scars add character but they just don't work on her like I think they thought they would.

[Sentinel358]

 @autumnwitch too be honest, the only difference i see in varric is that he has facial hair and he looks sad (due to the moment though" 

As for cassandra:


theres no way you can say she looks too thin compared to her old design, she has a wider jaw line, longer hair and scars. No sign of being "too thin" its cool if you dont like the redesign but your reasoning is wrong in terms of her being thinner

[AutumnWitch]

Sentinel358 wrote...

 @autumnwitch too be honest, the only difference i see in varric is that he has facial hair and he looks sad (due to the moment though" 

theres no way you can say she looks too thin compared to her old design, she has a wider jaw line, longer hair and scars. No sign of being "too thin" its cool if you dont like the redesign but your reasoning is wrong in terms of her being thinner

I guess we will have to agree to disagree.

[Vortex13]

I really hope that the Darkspawn lean towards a DA:O appearance over the DA 2 designs. Darkspawn are supposed to look like corrupted versions of the races that they turn into Brood Mothers; now granted the Ogres in DA:O/DA:A did not look at all similar to the Qunari, but the Ox-man redesign explained that nicely.

DA 2's take on the Darkspawn really didn't make any sense, especially when considering that they are supposed to be twisted versions of the races of Thedas; again the Ogre is the exception (though I want to know why BioWare decided to give all of them baby faces for DA 2 when their Origins counterparts looked much more terrifying).

The DA 2 genlocks, why do they look like gorillas? First time I saw a Genlock Alpha I thought that he would start chucking barrels at me. They look more like baby Ogres instead of corrupted dwarves.

The emissaries make no sense either, why are they suddenly a separate species of Darkspawn, when we had examples of Hurlock and Genlock emissaries in the first game?

The Hurlock Alphas looked pretty silly as well, why do they have a bag over their heads again? Plus if we were ever to see Awakened Darkspawn in DA:I (which I hope we do) I would hope they would be something that I can see the face of, not listen to the muffled speech of the Messenger with a bag on his head.

[Sentinel358]

Vortex13 wrote...

I really hope that the Darkspawn lean towards a DA:O appearance over the DA 2 designs. Darkspawn are supposed to look like corrupted versions of the races that they turn into Brood Mothers; now granted the Ogres in DA:O/DA:A did not look at all similar to the Qunari, but the Ox-man redesign explained that nicely.

DA 2's take on the Darkspawn really didn't make any sense, especially when considering that they are supposed to be twisted versions of the races of Thedas; again the Ogre is the exception (though I want to know why BioWare decided to give all of them baby faces for DA 2 when their Origins counterparts looked much more terrifying).

The DA 2 genlocks, why do they look like gorillas? First time I saw a Genlock Alpha I thought that he would start chucking barrels at me. They look more like baby Ogres instead of corrupted dwarves.

The emissaries make no sense either, why are they suddenly a separate species of Darkspawn, when we had examples of Hurlock and Genlock emissaries in the first game?

The Hurlock Alphas looked pretty silly as well, why do they have a bag over their heads again? Plus if we were ever to see Awakened Darkspawn in DA:I (which I hope we do) I would hope they would be something that I can see the face of, not listen to the muffled speech of the Messenger with a bag on his head.

100% agree

[TK514]

King Cousland wrote...

There will probably some change in appearance, but Mike Laidlaw stated a while ago that the darkspawn would keep closer to their DA II look.

Good.

[In Exile]

Pasquale1234 wrote...

DAO darkspawn, please.

And please don't change them again unless there is a valid in-game reason for it, like the species evolving or mutating or something. It would be nice if the game would allow the use of visual cues actually meaning something.

Like how genlocks were gremlins, but hurlocks were zombies, even though they were meant to represent the same thing? Because their original designs looked like they were meant to represent than Bioware copied the design of two completely unrelated fantasy creatures from popular culture. 

[AppealToReason]

Sentinel358 wrote...

Vortex13 wrote...

I really hope that the Darkspawn lean towards a DA:O appearance over the DA 2 designs. Darkspawn are supposed to look like corrupted versions of the races that they turn into Brood Mothers; now granted the Ogres in DA:O/DA:A did not look at all similar to the Qunari, but the Ox-man redesign explained that nicely.

DA 2's take on the Darkspawn really didn't make any sense, especially when considering that they are supposed to be twisted versions of the races of Thedas; again the Ogre is the exception (though I want to know why BioWare decided to give all of them baby faces for DA 2 when their Origins counterparts looked much more terrifying).

The DA 2 genlocks, why do they look like gorillas? First time I saw a Genlock Alpha I thought that he would start chucking barrels at me. They look more like baby Ogres instead of corrupted dwarves.

The emissaries make no sense either, why are they suddenly a separate species of Darkspawn, when we had examples of Hurlock and Genlock emissaries in the first game?

The Hurlock Alphas looked pretty silly as well, why do they have a bag over their heads again? Plus if we were ever to see Awakened Darkspawn in DA:I (which I hope we do) I would hope they would be something that I can see the face of, not listen to the muffled speech of the Messenger with a bag on his head.

100% agree

yes

[Kallaroth]

AutumnWitch wrote...

I will say I do not like the new Varric and Cassandra so I hope they will do better with everything else.

As do I. I'm worried to see how other charatcers will look. I do like Morrigan's new design more than her original design.

[nightscrawl]

Well it depends on what their design goals are for the darkspawn.

Matt Rhodes, lead concept artist, posted this (pics included) on this blog regarding the DA2 darkspawn:

Controversy again.

The Darkspawn redesign. Some people like them, some people hate them so much it probably hints a serious underlying medical condition. Here’s my thought process.

You only every know how to design your game when it’s done. That’s just the reality. We’re fortunate on Dragon Age to have the freedom to correct or finesse designs according to what we’ve learned in the past. At the end of the day, Concept Art is about telling the story of the game and we felt that the original design of the Darkspawn wasn’t doing the story justice.

Our goals were:
-We wanted to show that the Taint hadn’t just lead to pointy-teeth monsters, but that it was a sickness affecting people who used to be Human, Elven, Dwarven and Qunari.
-We wanted to show the brain-decay the disease caused by making their armor far less sophisticated (The Origins Darkspawn armor was more complex and intricate than most human armor)
-We wanted to show that it was the same disease effecting all members of the Darkspawn (We felt the Darkspawn in Origins were a bit too hodgepodge in their appearances)

This was an early pass that went too far. We didn’t want to go full horror show on it, but it acted as a starting point for the discussion. The strong reaction we got internally showed us we were on to something. By making them more recognizably human, it triggers your empathy more strongly.

Another aspect of the Darkspawn we considered was their roll in combat. They could appear in almost any environment so we wanted to make sure they were readable. The original design tended to blend into the background too easily. So, we designed the sickness and armor to create a high contrast design. The skin became pale and the armor was darkened. This way you could always spot them, and animators wouldn’t have to fight as hard to telegraph their attacks and movements.

Here are the design principles applied to the Hurlock and the Ogre. Both a little closer to their races of origin (though we had more restrictions with the Ogre), both following the same high contrast color scheme and primitive aesthetic. That was the intent. Execution is something else. But it’s all a learning experience and each step gets us a little further.

Reading that, I can appreciate the changes more and the thought that went into them. However, I don't think they were executed well by the designers responsible for making the actual 3D models for the game world; they ended up looking skeletal, rather than diseased humans and dwarves. I will say though that I really liked the armor redesign. I had always felt that the DAO armor was too sophisticated, and the DA2 armor style also gives them a distinctive look.

So, considering the criticism of the DA2 darkspawn, I wouldn't be surprised if they did a similar thing they are doing with the elves, and that is make them more of a blend of DAO and DA2 darkspawn.

Modifié par nightscrawl, 22 janvier 2014 - 11:32 .

[Orian Tabris]

I want shrieks to return, and I want genlocks to be redesigned again, because I felt they looked a bit stupid in Legacy.

Why is it that the darkspawn version of humans look basically the same, but the darkspawn versions of dwarves, kossith and elves look like monsterous beings with few similarities to their non-darkspawn counterparts?

[Iron Star]

Orian Tabris wrote...

I want shrieks to return, and I want genlocks to be redesigned again, because I felt they looked a bit stupid in Legacy.

Why is it that the darkspawn version of humans look basically the same, but the darkspawn versions of dwarves, kossith and elves look like monsterous beings with few similarities to their non-darkspawn counterparts?

Because hurlocks wants to resemble the glorious human master race as much as possible.

[The Serge777]

As I wrote in my previous post, I think they should have gone more "horror" with the darkspawn to escape the generic "orc/goblin" look.  Matt Rhodes was absolutely right in his perspective on the darkspawn in DAO.  The image below on the right is what I hope they steer more closely to in DAI because the image is far more disturbing, far more evocative, and far less than traditional "bad-race" images in most high/popular fantasy:





As an aside, I think the earlier designs for Flemeth were far more interesting than what they ended up (and I actually liked the redesigned Flemeth, even if it was DRASTICALLY different from the character we meet in DAO.

*Edit: I meant to write "image on the right" as being preferable to the image on the left, which is not really a Hurlock, but a Disciple.

Modifié par The Serge777, 23 janvier 2014 - 05:28 .