I think the middle it looks the most Asian and I really enjoyed the Asian architecture used in Vanguard. But I also enjoy the crumbling stone too, I will be able to give a better answer to the Devs as soon as I get my alpha key and can explore them. So I'll keep checking my email today (no rush guys). When you get a chance send it, I promise to download it and run around in it thoroughly, so I can more accurately answer your question. Thanks
The third picture is my favorite of the three posted. My favorite style of structure is the ones built with stones and beams. Not fully polished like they tried to make modern buldings but more like the piles of rocks and stones that pile up to make a home to be proud of. Not like you had it built by a professional.
I really love the mixture of it all. Buildings specific to the area and such. Like in Khagas Sands, you'll have like little adobe huts and such, maybe in cliff sides too. Desert Cities are really pretty I think. I definitely miss adventuring around the maps in games and finding all the cool buildings and creations that were made.
Ruins. Massive ruins left behind by an enormous but wholly unknown species, ruins so large I feel like an ant walking around inside. I also like them when they continue very deep underground.
I'll follow that up with anything made of platforms high up in giant trees. Kelethin on steroids, so far up I can barely see the ground through the mists of the forest. Kashyyyk, Endor.
I cant decide, I like the polish of the tower of reckless magician, I like the mid -decay of the first one as it looks like those pillers were holding up the boulder that was part of something that fell down and efforts to renovate. The ruins on the last one look old weatherbeaten and creepy.
I prefer the style in the second image. It's got some Eastern flare to it.
Of the three visible? The 1st image.
The middle image, the Magician's tower- while beautiful in its detail, I still find quite generic. The pillars are too blocky, the bridges are too perfect, too straight and exact. In fact, most of the graphics in the game come off this way, even the ruins for some strange reason.
I understand this is in alpha, but only so much can be accomplished moving forward. I'm pretty certain most of the geometry is final.
A lot of this reminds me of EQ2. Maybe not bad, but maybe in need of something a little more stylized to make it less fantasy-generic? I'm not asking for anything cartoony. There's a broad line between realism and stylized that I think this game would thrive well in. I'm hoping for something that strongly reminds me of Keith Parkinson's work: https://www.keithparkinson.com/artwork/ -- artist of the EQ box art. Why not go buck-wild with his influence? Push the art style to its limits.
Let's feel like we're exploring one of his fantastic paintings.
Maybe as an homage and thank you for his influence over the years
Detailed environments take a lot of time and patience to fill out, so I'm hoping there'll be a continued effort in environment design as after they finalize more of the gaming mechanics.
I like all of the areas shown. The third one is my favorite though. It looks and feels the oldest, and with age comes secrets that were hidden and long forgoten.
It strikes me as a dungeon area that could have powerful artifacts, long forgoten spells/techniques, and dangerous inhabitants awaiting inside.
VizualAbstract said:Of the three visible? The 1st image.
The middle image, the Magician's tower- while beautiful in its detail, I still find quite generic. The pillars are too blocky, the bridges are too perfect, too straight and exact. In fact, most of the graphics in the game come off this way, even the ruins for some strange reason.
I understand this is in alpha, but only so much can be accomplished moving forward. I'm pretty certain most of the geometry is final.
You have articulated exactly how I feel about some of the locations, especially the Tower of the Reckless magician. To me it's a bit too shiny, and things are a bit too perfect. I feel like a jerk saying it, since I have no artistic ability myself and honestly have no right to criticize, it's just what my eyes see at first glance. Some buildings look like they have been dropped in their locations rather than being actually built there, if that makes any sense. The scenery such as the lakes and forests and mountains are great, I enjoy the screenshots of those types of areas the most.
Of the 3 pics, the third is definatly my favorite, looks creepy and old. The second picture looks nice but that style is really not my thing, looks lived in and bright. If I had to choose what I wanted to explore first it would definatly be the 3rd picture so I could get all the hidden loots before anyone else!
I didn't like The Tower of the Reckless Magician; that one was by far my least favorite because...
1) It was too colorful and looked like made by 3D Model Person (everything looked perfect and clean)
2) The doors/gates/halls were TOO large and too wide, probably made for 3rd person view camera and I really hate those huge areas it makes me lose immersion... I love claustrophobic dungeons :/
My favorite so far is from the two original videos; the gritty dungeons and such. I'm looking forward for a more claustrophobic dungeons like Lower Guk and Sebilis... please do something like it <3
I prefer structures that blend in or match the character of the environs they are in although there is always a time and a place for the "glitz and glamour" of the big city.
One of my favorite memories is of logging into EQ the first time as a woodelf and falling to my death within seconds. At the time that tree town was such a cool thing for me.
