Protoss Aesthetic Design Discussion: A Case of Idea Stagnation, aka “everything is circles”
This is a thread to discuss the aesthetics of the Protoss species. This is NOT a discussion about balance, abilities, or mechanics. Blizzard has recently really stepped up in regards to working with the community and testing out different permutations of economy models and specific tweaks to units and their abilities. I hope this type of experimentation continues and I think Blizzard should be applauded for it.
This post will rather discuss the overall design theme Blizzard has decided to apply to Protoss. Personally, I am one of the dinosaurs in the community who has been playing the game and watching events since the olden days. I was drawn to Protoss back in Brood War for no other reason other than this species of high tech aliens looked really cool. Sadly I think the design decisions lately have been weak and unimaginative, which is especially disappointing in what is the Protoss expansion.
To get to the point, the circle theme is getting out of control. The building warp-in sphere, the pylons, the cannon, some of this is classic Protoss design language, and I am not saying this should change, but this theme has creeped up too much into the recent units, which is sad, because Blizzard had a real chance to design some cool looking units.
This lack of ideas began in HoTs, which saw Protoss get a floating sphere (mothership core), a siege flyer that shoots giant photon cannon spheres (tempest), and another sphere-looking flying unit (oracle). Now with LoTV this lack of creativity continues with the disruptor, a giant sphere that detonates, or in the most recent patch, a sphere that launches other spheres that detonate, and the adept, which is basically a zealot with a cape with a LoL-like ability. The “everything is circles” theme is not only seen in units (mothership core, tempest, oracle, disruptor), it is also visible in Protoss abilities, most recently the photon overcharge, be it cast on the Nexus or on pylons in the most recent patch.
I think this is just laziness in design. Blizzard has squandered some great opportunities to make some really awesome units. Ironically, I think most people would’ve been perfectly content if Blizzard had just brought back the reaver and the arbiter, two beloved and much more imaginative units than a ball that shoots exploding balls and a League unit (bringing the Lurker back shows that Blizzard doesn't fundamentally oppose the idea of bringing back old units). A discussion about how the units LOOK is just as, if not more, important than a discussion about their stats and abilities. The way a unit looks tends to be way more set in stone and is much harder to change or tweak, unlike abilities or stats. I am sure there are plenty of designers and artists out there that can imagine much more awesome units which would be better fit for the mighty Protoss. If I were Blizzard I would’ve fired the Protoss lead designer a long time ago, maybe 3-4 sphere units ago.
That was a convoluted way of just asking them to put the old units back in.
Why do you cite photon overcharge for this sphere thing? The projectile is comet shaped, not like the photon cannon or tempest projectiles.
Anyway, the protoss aesthetic has always been yellow metal (or the gray metal for DT stuff) + blue glowy stuff. I think the new units fit into that well. My only problem with the disruptor (the way it looks, anyway) is it spins around too fast.
I think the tempest looks awesome, but I can agree that there's too many sphere units these days. I don't think any of them are particularly interesting looking, save for maybe the mama core.
On September 14 2015 04:51 Cold Warpgates wrote: That was a convoluted way of just asking them to put the old units back in.
Why do you cite photon overcharge for this sphere thing? The projectile is comet shaped, not like the photon cannon or tempest projectiles.
Anyway, the protoss aesthetic has always been yellow metal (or the gray metal for DT stuff) + blue glowy stuff. I think the new units fit into that well. My only problem with the disruptor (the way it looks, anyway) is it spins around too fast.
You missed the point here. This isn't a plea to get the old units back, rather I was saying that compared to the new units and how unimaginative they are, it would've been better to just get 2 old ones back. Now, if Blizzard had put more imagination into these new ones, that may not have been the case.
Additionally, I agree with you, the Protoss aesthetic is more about what materials they use, and a general color scheme which applies to that, which further makes my point, if you're using the right material and colors, it doesn't all need to be the same spherical shape as well, this makes the overall look too dull.
Yes it's quite obvious that the art design team isn't nearly as creative as in BW.
It's obvious with Zerg also. Just because the zerg is called the "swarm" doesn't mean they have to look like bugs. Almost every new unit the sc2 team added is either insect looking or insect themed, when traditionally the only zerg unit that ever looked like a bug was the larva. There have been threads about this, so I'm not being original here, but just to summarize briefly - roach, viper (dragonfly), locusts, zergling insect wings, infestor, etc.
In BW, the zerg unit art was so cool and original, none of the units looked like insects at all (except the larva). Like the hydralisk or mutalisk for instance - it would take a really talented artist to come up with these designs. The hydralisk is like equivalent to Giger's alien imo. One of the greatest alien design concepts ever.
On September 14 2015 04:58 Little-Chimp wrote: I think the tempest looks awesome, but I can agree that there's too many sphere units these days. I don't think any of them are particularly interesting looking, save for maybe the mama core.
I agree, sometimes the sphere theme makes sense, such as in the case of the core. It really is just a case of this theme being used way too much. For me the tipping point really has been the disruptor, which is overall a very poorly designed unit. You just look at it and say, great, another sphere, and oh look, it shoots other spheres...how original.
On September 14 2015 05:03 hitpoint wrote: Yes it's quite obvious that the art design team isn't nearly as creative as in BW.
It's obvious with Zerg also. Just because the zerg is called the "swarm" doesn't mean they have to look like bugs. Almost every new unit the sc2 team added is either insect looking or insect themed, when traditionally the only zerg unit that ever looked like a bug was the larva. There have been threads about this, so I'm not being original here, but just to summarize briefly - roach, viper (dragonfly), locusts, zergling insect wings, infestor, etc.
In BW, the zerg unit art was so cool and original, none of the units looked like insects at all (except the larva). Like the hydralisk or mutalisk for instance - it would take a really talented artist to come up with these designs. The hydralisk is like equivalent to Giger's alien imo. One of the greatest alien design concepts ever.
On September 14 2015 05:03 hitpoint wrote: Yes it's quite obvious that the art design team isn't nearly as creative as in BW.
It's obvious with Zerg also. Just because the zerg is called the "swarm" doesn't mean they have to look like bugs. Almost every new unit the sc2 team added is either insect looking or insect themed, when traditionally the only zerg unit that ever looked like a bug was the larva. There have been threads about this, so I'm not being original here, but just to summarize briefly - roach, viper (dragonfly), locusts, zergling insect wings, infestor, etc.
In BW, the zerg unit art was so cool and original, none of the units looked like insects at all (except the larva). Like the hydralisk or mutalisk for instance - it would take a really talented artist to come up with these designs. The hydralisk is like equivalent to Giger's alien imo. One of the greatest alien design concepts ever.
The protoss sphere theme is out of control. The reaver model is undoubtedly cooler than the dirsuptor model.
And while we're nitpicking the art. Can we bring back the blue fire on hurt protoss structures? Please Blizzard?
Can't agree more with you, it really does seem like that creative spark just isn't there anymore. My first impression of the ravager was, "oh look, it's just a bigger roach." It does seem like the design is too stuck in cliche themes, not just for Protoss. And yes, please bring back the old blue flames on the buildings!
On September 14 2015 05:03 hitpoint wrote: Yes it's quite obvious that the art design team isn't nearly as creative as in BW.
It's obvious with Zerg also. Just because the zerg is called the "swarm" doesn't mean they have to look like bugs. Almost every new unit the sc2 team added is either insect looking or insect themed, when traditionally the only zerg unit that ever looked like a bug was the larva. There have been threads about this, so I'm not being original here, but just to summarize briefly - roach, viper (dragonfly), locusts, zergling insect wings, infestor, etc.
In BW, the zerg unit art was so cool and original, none of the units looked like insects at all (except the larva). Like the hydralisk or mutalisk for instance - it would take a really talented artist to come up with these designs. The hydralisk is like equivalent to Giger's alien imo. One of the greatest alien design concepts ever.
I actually thought it was out of control with the oracle. There are just too many Energy Ball units. Namely I don't like how the Oracle, Core, Archons, and Disruptor are basically all just energy balls that do energy ball things.
The colossus looks cooler than disruptor imo.
I don't think the zerg stuff is the same though. They may be insect-themed, but they don't actually look like insects. Like Roaches don't look like cockroaches that much at all. Overseers, Corruptors, Infestors all look pretty bizarre and freaky. Brood Lords are more like Manta Rays. I also don't like how the Viper has a hydralisk face though (it'd be fine if they evolved from hydralisks which they don't).
There are many things I miss in SC2, when I think about Broodwar. The blue goo when a Dragoon dies, the metallic sounds Zealots make when they attack, the music, the desaturated, sinister color scheme, the sense that space is a dangerous place...
In comparison SC2 seems more cartoony, more "cosy", more cliche.
On September 14 2015 05:41 DoubleReed wrote: I don't think the zerg stuff is the same though. They may be insect-themed, but they don't actually look like insects. Like Roaches don't look like cockroaches that much at all. Overseers, Corruptors, Infestors all look pretty bizarre and freaky. Brood Lords are more like Manta Rays. I also don't like how the Viper has a hydralisk face though (it'd be fine if they evolved from hydralisks which they don't).
Corruptors and BLs are original and cool looking I'll admit. But I don't know how you can say an infestor doesn't look like an obese beetle. Overseer is just a modified overlord.
And yes to the guy above this, I also miss blue goo when a dragoon died.
On September 14 2015 05:41 DoubleReed wrote: I don't think the zerg stuff is the same though. They may be insect-themed, but they don't actually look like insects. Like Roaches don't look like cockroaches that much at all. Overseers, Corruptors, Infestors all look pretty bizarre and freaky. Brood Lords are more like Manta Rays. I also don't like how the Viper has a hydralisk face though (it'd be fine if they evolved from hydralisks which they don't).
Corruptors and BLs are original and cool looking I'll admit. But I don't know how you can say an infestor doesn't look like an obese beetle. Overseer is just a modified overlord.
And yes to the guy above this, I also miss blue goo when a dragoon died.
The BL, aesthetically, is just a modified Guardian...?
The claims of the art team "lacking creativity" are pretty shallow. There is plenty of creativity in the art team for SC2. Blizzard's art teams are some of the best in the business.
The simple fact is that you guys just don't seem to like the conscious choices they made in the art direction.
With the Zerg, I completely agree. The Zerg looked more like reptiles or dinosaurs than insects in SC1. In SC2, the team made a very conscious decision to go with the insect theme, which I don't like.
I don't really see what the problem is with the Protoss aesthetic at all. This "circle" theme is there, but it's rather minor. I actually think it looks really good and gives the Protoss a unique and creative aesthetic.
On September 14 2015 05:03 hitpoint wrote: Yes it's quite obvious that the art design team isn't nearly as creative as in BW.
It's obvious with Zerg also. Just because the zerg is called the "swarm" doesn't mean they have to look like bugs. Almost every new unit the sc2 team added is either insect looking or insect themed, when traditionally the only zerg unit that ever looked like a bug was the larva. There have been threads about this, so I'm not being original here, but just to summarize briefly - roach, viper (dragonfly), locusts, zergling insect wings, infestor, etc.
In BW, the zerg unit art was so cool and original, none of the units looked like insects at all (except the larva). Like the hydralisk or mutalisk for instance - it would take a really talented artist to come up with these designs. The hydralisk is like equivalent to Giger's alien imo. One of the greatest alien design concepts ever.
The protoss sphere theme is out of control. The reaver model is undoubtedly cooler than the dirsuptor model.
And while we're nitpicking the art. Can we bring back the blue fire on hurt protoss structures? Please Blizzard?
the blue flame was cool but it didn't really make any sense
It's a video game about an alien race. Being cool far outweighs making sense.
it's not really that cool though. it's kind of cool and makes 0 sense. if it were super cool and made partial sense that would be different
there's a fine balance between maintaining a rational context for the game and doing what's fun/cool, but buildings burning blue is kind of stupid whether it looks good or not
On September 14 2015 05:03 hitpoint wrote: In BW, the zerg unit art was so cool and original, none of the units looked like insects at all (except the larva). Like the hydralisk or mutalisk for instance - it would take a really talented artist to come up with these designs. The hydralisk is like equivalent to Giger's alien imo. One of the greatest alien design concepts ever.
That's incorrect, at least if you mean more in the sense of 'bug' than specifically insects. The Hydralisk is literally inspired by the caterpillar, and the Queen's look - if you check out the more defined image in the manual, it doesn't really come out in her in-game sprite - was clearly inspired by the spider (the name of her original species is also 'arachnis brood-keeper'). As for the Defiler, it certainly looks bug-like to me, maybe something like a silverfish? And I'm not that knowledgeable about insects, so I couldn't tell you about the rest (though again, the core genus of the Drone is the gashyrr wasp, though I don't really see it).
Anyway, the Zerg have been pretty heavily bug themed from the start.
I will say that I liked the old tailed Sentry design more than the current snowglobe though.
On September 14 2015 05:41 DoubleReed wrote: I don't think the zerg stuff is the same though. They may be insect-themed, but they don't actually look like insects. Like Roaches don't look like cockroaches that much at all. Overseers, Corruptors, Infestors all look pretty bizarre and freaky. Brood Lords are more like Manta Rays. I also don't like how the Viper has a hydralisk face though (it'd be fine if they evolved from hydralisks which they don't).
Corruptors and BLs are original and cool looking I'll admit. But I don't know how you can say an infestor doesn't look like an obese beetle. Overseer is just a modified overlord.
And yes to the guy above this, I also miss blue goo when a dragoon died.
The BL, aesthetically, is just a modified Guardian...?
What? No, they're modified Guardians in their gameplay roles, but aesthetically, the Guardian was a crab and the Brood Lord is a manta ray.
Being inspired by something is fine. Almost copying it is not. Hydralisk/queen look very little like caterpillar/spider. So I'm fine with that. Just like I'm fine with the swarm host looking like a lotus pod/ frog thing. Or ultralisk looking vaguely like a mammoth. I didn't count their legs or body segments, but locusts, infestors, and vipers pretty much are insects.
On September 14 2015 05:41 DoubleReed wrote: I don't think the zerg stuff is the same though. They may be insect-themed, but they don't actually look like insects. Like Roaches don't look like cockroaches that much at all. Overseers, Corruptors, Infestors all look pretty bizarre and freaky. Brood Lords are more like Manta Rays. I also don't like how the Viper has a hydralisk face though (it'd be fine if they evolved from hydralisks which they don't).
Corruptors and BLs are original and cool looking I'll admit. But I don't know how you can say an infestor doesn't look like an obese beetle. Overseer is just a modified overlord.
And yes to the guy above this, I also miss blue goo when a dragoon died.
The BL, aesthetically, is just a modified Guardian...?
You could argue that but I honestly don't see it. Google search the swarm guardian for that model.
On September 14 2015 07:14 brickrd wrote: it's not really that cool though. it's kind of cool and makes 0 sense. if it were super cool and made partial sense that would be different
there's a fine balance between maintaining a rational context for the game and doing what's fun/cool, but buildings burning blue is kind of stupid whether it looks good or not
How doesn't it make sense? I've seen this posted elsewhere so It's a popular opinion, but I don't get it. It's fictional alien technology, why wouldn't it burn blue? There are compounds on earth that burn blue. Maybe it isn't even fire. Who knows.
The BL, aesthetically, is just a modified Guardian...?
Guardians was supposed to be crab-like or lobster-like. Brood Lords are more like manta rays. Corruptors are squid.
Corruptors and BLs are original and cool looking I'll admit. But I don't know how you can say an infestor doesn't look like an obese beetle. Overseer is just a modified overlord.
I think Infestors are supposed to be like mollusks or slugs or something. Like they have a slime trail and a mollusk face. People think infestors look boring?
Obviously the overseer is a modified overlord, but it's pretty cool looking in of itself what with all the eyes everywhere.
Banelings are also awesome-looking, and I have no idea what inspired that look. The zerg units all have a huge amount of variety (even if they were all insects, insects have a huge amount of variety). I think the Protoss have an issue with energy balls doing energy ball things. Specifically the Oracle and the Disruptor.
On September 14 2015 05:03 hitpoint wrote: In BW, the zerg unit art was so cool and original, none of the units looked like insects at all (except the larva). Like the hydralisk or mutalisk for instance - it would take a really talented artist to come up with these designs. The hydralisk is like equivalent to Giger's alien imo. One of the greatest alien design concepts ever.
That's incorrect, at least if you mean more in the sense of 'bug' than specifically insects. The Hydralisk is literally inspired by the caterpillar, and the Queen's look - if you check out the more defined image in the manual, it doesn't really come out in her in-game sprite - was clearly inspired by the spider (the name of her original species is also 'arachnis brood-keeper'). As for the Defiler, it certainly looks bug-like to me, maybe something like a silverfish? And I'm not that knowledgeable about insects, so I couldn't tell you about the rest (though again, the core genus of the Drone is the gashyrr wasp, though I don't really see it).
Anyway, the Zerg have been pretty heavily bug themed from the start.
I will say that I liked the old tailed Sentry design more than the current snowglobe though.
On September 14 2015 05:41 DoubleReed wrote: I don't think the zerg stuff is the same though. They may be insect-themed, but they don't actually look like insects. Like Roaches don't look like cockroaches that much at all. Overseers, Corruptors, Infestors all look pretty bizarre and freaky. Brood Lords are more like Manta Rays. I also don't like how the Viper has a hydralisk face though (it'd be fine if they evolved from hydralisks which they don't).
Corruptors and BLs are original and cool looking I'll admit. But I don't know how you can say an infestor doesn't look like an obese beetle. Overseer is just a modified overlord.
And yes to the guy above this, I also miss blue goo when a dragoon died.
The BL, aesthetically, is just a modified Guardian...?
What? No, they're modified Guardians in their gameplay roles, but aesthetically, the Guardian was a crab and the Brood Lord is a manta ray.
Im okay with mothership core..since usually motherships are round/circle in movies/games. Tempest are okay too. their not circle just like a double curved blade. What I agree on the OP is oracle and distruptor. They could have just make distruptor looked like an improved reaver, so it would make sense lore-wise. Oracle design is just lame and lazy design.
I don't think that the Oracle looks bad, but I would have preferred if it looked similar to Zeratul's ship, the Void Seeker. I like the design of the Void Seeker.
On September 14 2015 05:03 hitpoint wrote: In BW, the zerg unit art was so cool and original, none of the units looked like insects at all (except the larva). Like the hydralisk or mutalisk for instance - it would take a really talented artist to come up with these designs. The hydralisk is like equivalent to Giger's alien imo. One of the greatest alien design concepts ever.
That's incorrect, at least if you mean more in the sense of 'bug' than specifically insects. The Hydralisk is literally inspired by the caterpillar, and the Queen's look - if you check out the more defined image in the manual, it doesn't really come out in her in-game sprite - was clearly inspired by the spider (the name of her original species is also 'arachnis brood-keeper'). As for the Defiler, it certainly looks bug-like to me, maybe something like a silverfish? And I'm not that knowledgeable about insects, so I couldn't tell you about the rest (though again, the core genus of the Drone is the gashyrr wasp, though I don't really see it).
Anyway, the Zerg have been pretty heavily bug themed from the start.
I will say that I liked the old tailed Sentry design more than the current snowglobe though.
On September 14 2015 06:48 FabledIntegral wrote:
On September 14 2015 06:08 hitpoint wrote:
On September 14 2015 05:41 DoubleReed wrote: I don't think the zerg stuff is the same though. They may be insect-themed, but they don't actually look like insects. Like Roaches don't look like cockroaches that much at all. Overseers, Corruptors, Infestors all look pretty bizarre and freaky. Brood Lords are more like Manta Rays. I also don't like how the Viper has a hydralisk face though (it'd be fine if they evolved from hydralisks which they don't).
Corruptors and BLs are original and cool looking I'll admit. But I don't know how you can say an infestor doesn't look like an obese beetle. Overseer is just a modified overlord.
And yes to the guy above this, I also miss blue goo when a dragoon died.
The BL, aesthetically, is just a modified Guardian...?
What? No, they're modified Guardians in their gameplay roles, but aesthetically, the Guardian was a crab and the Brood Lord is a manta ray.
The Defiler looked and moved like a silverfish, so there was at least one other bug-themed unit.
By the time SC2 was made most of Blizzard's art team had basically worked on nothing but WoW, so as a result SC2 uses many of the same design concepts. The experienced members on the team had largely left around the time Burning Crusade came out. WoW players who were active at the time will probably remember the massive drop in quality of icons and gear designs between Naxxramas and TBC, with the first hints showing up during the class reworks.
The "everything is curvy and stylized" look came about as a way to make graphics that looked decent on a broad range of hardware while avoiding the uncanny valley effect that plagued Everquest 2. Unfortunately, when it came time to do the designs and modeling for SC2 there was no one left who knew how to work in any other style, which is why Terran has a severe case of Playskool Syndrome, Protoss lost their more austere Roman aesthetic in favor of the "objet d'art" thing, and Zerg went from disgusting but visually engaging to a more super deformed/cute look (compare the proportions of the BW Hatchery to its SC2 incarnation).
Im not sure if I am in the minority or not.. but it has always bugged me that they've chosen to portray the elite alien race "protoss" with the american indian look to them e.g. the long braided hair for one. From the dark and shaded zeratul in SC1 turning into some tauren sounding prophet from warcraft to zealots with pointy chins and hair!?
Even the unit voices seem so weak compared to the mighty and savage feel of these highly advanced aliens in SC1.
In BW, the zerg unit art was so cool and original, none of the units looked like insects at all (except the larva).
SC univers is a total Warhammer 40k rip off (ok let's be polite and call it inspiration), with Space Marines being Terrans, Eldar/Dark Eldar being Protoss and Tyranids being Zerg.
If you don't believe me just google image Hormagaunt, Trygoon, Ripper, Harpies, Carniflex, the hive mind...
A race allways called "deathball" in a "deathball-game"... made out of giant rotating balls of death?
I give OP some credits, he is right, the design of SC II lacks alot of inspiration and many units just look like a unit we already have in the game: Disrupter, a roling MSC; Adept, a Zelot with cape and shield, the oracle is a flying lightbulb of nothingness. So many stupid rotations (which have no purpose at all) for an ancient alien race...
But remember HERC? A fat SCV... cyclone? a helion which changed its fire gun with some rocket pockets.
And Zerg... why does the ravager just look like a fat roach with some fire. The Lurker does not look like a fat hydralisk with giant spikes. Viper looks seriously ugly, infestor is a straight copy from star ship troopers leader bugs.
On September 14 2015 06:06 CheddarToss wrote: There are many things I miss in SC2, when I think about Broodwar. The blue goo when a Dragoon dies, the metallic sounds Zealots make when they attack, the music, the desaturated, sinister color scheme, the sense that space is a dangerous place...
In comparison SC2 seems more cartoony, more "cosy", more cliche.
I agree with this so much, I especially kind of miss the look of the Broodwar SCV/workers and the sound it makes when it mines minerals
In BW, the zerg unit art was so cool and original, none of the units looked like insects at all (except the larva).
SC univers is a total Warhammer 40k rip off (ok let's be polite and call it inspiration), with Space Marines being Terrans, Eldar/Dark Eldar being Protoss and Tyranids being Zerg.
If you don't believe me just google image Hormagaunt, Trygoon, Ripper, Harpies, Carniflex, the hive mind...
As for the OP, I am not opposed to a ball race
This is also a very good point to make out. I just thought everyone always knew this.
The vaunted "creativity" that the BW team had was actually an illusion when you compare 40k and Starcraft side-by-side. Zerg are almost a 1-1 rip-off of Tyranids.
In BW, the zerg unit art was so cool and original, none of the units looked like insects at all (except the larva).
SC univers is a total Warhammer 40k rip off (ok let's be polite and call it inspiration), with Space Marines being Terrans, Eldar/Dark Eldar being Protoss and Tyranids being Zerg.
If you don't believe me just google image Hormagaunt, Trygoon, Ripper, Harpies, Carniflex, the hive mind...
As for the OP, I am not opposed to a ball race
This is also a very good point to make out. I just thought everyone always knew this.
The vaunted "creativity" that the BW team had was actually an illusion when you compare 40k and Starcraft side-by-side. Zerg are almost a 1-1 rip-off of Tyranids.
which is a complete ripoff of arachnids from starship troopers, which is a complete ripoff of the late 19th century hive minds from science fiction pop culture magazines.
If you hadn't noticed, themes get passed down, you dolt.
On September 14 2015 23:08 DinoMight wrote: Am I the only one who really likes the way Protoss looks?
Seriously I think all the units look so cool.
I would say the same about WoL Protoss(except for the We cannot hold ><). But with disco ball and kamikaze ball(not so kamikaze lately) I kinda cannot unsee it. The only race with balls - Protoss
I love how it looks and feels. I still felt coolness of protoss looks after i took break from sc2 and now when it's LotV they'll probably do even more cool looks in campaign so I wouldn't worry at all from that standpoint.
In multiplayer it's so small it's more like positive minor issue that's funny if you don't liek it.
I like the Protoss aesthetic going into sc2. It has a more sleek design to it, but still distinctly alien. I like it better than what they've done with Terran and Zerg buildings.
Terran used to have this sharp metallic look that was slightly tarnished and rusted, but in sc2 the buildings look plastic with rounded edges, as though they're baby toy versions of their BW selves that you can stick in a newborn's mouth without choking it.
Zerg used to have this bloody, boney, fleshy look, but in sc2 they feel more rubbery and gooey. I'd probably puncture or cut myself if I tried to hug a BW building, but it feels as though the sc2 buildings could safely be a dog's chew toy.
These aren't deal breakers, but they're annoying. The art style in Blizzard games have felt homogenized over the past years, whereas earlier the universes were more distinctive in aesthetic.
Yeah I'd like Terran to look a little bit more metallic and rugged. I like Zerg design for the most part, but the Lurker is bad. The Brood War Lurker was so awesome. I'd like to see the LotV Lurker look a bit more Hydralisk-y rather than just a weird ball of spines.
Starcraft isn't Warhammer 40k. They're both inspired by the same sources. Protoss are based on "Grey Aliens" while Zerg is based on Swarm Hivemind Aliens. But the lore is all pretty damn unique and fun. It's not as if Warhammer 40k is totally original by any means, and it's not supposed to be.
Warcraft is obviously based on high fantasy like LOTR. But at the same time, it does do its own thing.
On September 15 2015 03:48 Garmer wrote: the only thing that i really hate is archon with armor, it looks awful
Yea I always thought they were pure energy hence the 350 shields and 10 hp. Seems like they would be wearing a turtleneck or a scarf or something (jk) but the armor is strange. After all 2 templars merged together, i dont think "armor" in the conventional sense really fits with that
Yeah, in BW they were just a shadow and a bunch of neon lights. Looked mysterious and awesome. You could feel their power just from the visuals, that was a unit you dont mess around with.
This isn't a Protoss issue, this is a "units released after WOL" issue. And it's not just about appearance, it's about a general lack of personality.
Liberators, Swarm Hosts, and Vipers are the exceptions. Everything else, released and unreleased, looked and sounded pretty shit. WMs? Shredder mines? Warhounds? *shudder* Cyclones? And on the Protoss side we have MSC, Oracle, Replicator (remember this bad boy?) and Disruptor, which all look and sound basically like the exact same generic Protoss ball of ballness. Tempests get a big MEH from me, their unit design is all right, but their attack and voice acting are both supremely bland.
And then there's the Ravager, which I can only hope is a placeholder model...
On September 15 2015 09:12 pure.Wasted wrote: This isn't a Protoss issue, this is a "units released after WOL" issue. And it's not just about appearance, it's about a general lack of personality.
Liberators, Swarm Hosts, and Vipers are the exceptions. Everything else, released and unreleased, looked and sounded pretty shit. WMs? Shredder mines? Warhounds? *shudder* Cyclones? And on the Protoss side we have MSC, Oracle, Replicator (remember this bad bo?) and Disruptor, which all look and sound basically like the exact same generic Protoss ball of ballness.
And then there's the Ravager, which I can only hope is a placeholder model...
yeah most of the units added after LotV felt pretty unneeded. I still think HotS was a step ahead from WoL, because broodlord infestor basically killed the last 6 months, but would I say HotS is an improvement over WoL with infestor nerfs + pheonix range ? Not sure.
LotV will be a radically different game so it's impossible to make any definitive statement. Many meh HotS units could become awesome in LotV context, that's impossible to know right now.
On September 14 2015 18:55 rockslave wrote: I'm more annoyed by the fact that all Protoss units have knight-like armors and braided hair and speak like medieval monsters.
Oh, and zealots are ninjas. Give me back my zealots that look like the son of Baraka and Robocop!
their armors were basically the same as in SC1 lol,, just more detailed since graphics technology has evolved. Their hair was there too , you might have missed it. I only agree on the voice. Blizz should have sticked to the old deep protoss voice. The latest cinematic was like being narrated by Optimus Prime
Also wtf people are hating on infestor design? for me it is one of the coolest unit designs in Zerg. And obviously Overseer and Ravager would look like Overlord and Roach respectively because they morphed from them.. The only thing I dislike in Zerg is Ultralisk.. BW ultralisk looks more boney and scary.. SC2 ultras look like a pokemon.
And also +1 on the blue flame on damaged protoss buildings. or make it like electricty or something
Oracles are basically a reskin of the Star Relic unit from the alpha which eventually got replaced by what would become the Sentry, so I can't fault them for reusing a much older design.
I do think they went overboard with reusing the Replicator aesthetic in both the MSC and Disruptor. One is OK, but not both.
Funny that you are complaining about protoss. I would say that protoss is the one that at least looks somewhat decent. Zerg's just become awful.
I couldn't find a picture comparing more relevant units (I'm also not going to make this post into an entire collage of pictures) but maybe you see the trend. Brood war's units look more visceral or savage. Starcraft II's are too "cute" and too polished.
I agree with the general sentiment, there are just too many orb/spherical looking units. I get wanting to ship new units with the expansions, but it feels like they ran out of ideas for design (MSC, oracle, disruptor, tempest). Makes me hope someone figures out a build with all of these units together, just for the novelty of an all orb protoss army lol.
I'd rather they just do away with some of these units and have some cooler older units absorb those functions. Like phoenixes are a quick/swoopy looking harass units with a cool ability(lift), doesn't this unit fit the design of an oracle? It looks way better and is more visually distinct than an oracle. Why the heck is a floating orb so goddamn fast, it doesn't even feel right. Give revelation to observers or something, with an upgrade maybe. It suits them much better. Just spitballing here.
Or with adepts, doesn't the psionic transfer ability fit dark templars better? They're already ninja like and invisible and they look fucking cool. Maybe for balance you just make them temporarily visible/vulnerable during the transfer part; introduces an element of risk, opponents can react and see where they're headed or possibly kill them. Now you can make choices between dark templars kiling stuff and then booking it out of there, or maybe you try to get into the base with it instead, doesn't that sound fun? You'd have to balance this obviously, maybe make it an upgrade, but if you could keep your DTs alive maybe you see more stable DT builds that aren't just cheese or desperation.
Anyway just wanted to rant a bit. I just feel like there's so much potential and they're squandering it by making so many niche units that look kind of samey.
I agree on the orb issue, they even scrapped another one in HOTS, that replicator thing. I have no idea who's responsible for it, but they really need to widen their mind a bit. However, I'm far more bothered by the design direction they've gone with in regards to armour. It's the same stupid shit as in WC and Diablo, for no reason at all.
I mean, what the hell is their fetish with pointy hats: + Show Spoiler +
Well, artanis was kind of an exhibitionist compared to other protoss. You just picked the most naked guy they had in the entire game. But your point is still valid though.
On September 14 2015 17:55 YyapSsap wrote: Im not sure if I am in the minority or not.. but it has always bugged me that they've chosen to portray the elite alien race "protoss" with the american indian look to them e.g. the long braided hair for one. From the dark and shaded zeratul in SC1 turning into some tauren sounding prophet from warcraft to zealots with pointy chins and hair!?
Even the unit voices seem so weak compared to the mighty and savage feel of these highly advanced aliens in SC1.
Gonna quote this because even though its not really relevant to this topic (talking about aesthetics here). I think its still a perfect example of the design U-turn the SC2 team made, and one that wasn't necessarily a good one. I for one would respect the protoss more if they sounded like bad-asses instead of crybaby blue space elves crying about the loss of their home world. In general the storytelling approach, the art, the atmosphere feel very, shallow and watered down compared to their predecesors (not only talking about SC btw, I mean all their franchises like WoW compared to WC3 and D3 compared to D1 and D2).
I do not love the sphere unit design... sphere attacks are fine. But yeah, too many spheres in general has always been not preferred to me.
Well I don't necessarily dislike all the new stuff, except maybe the way the disruptor works just doesn't make sense for how it looks. Well OK, the reaver in BW looked 100 times cooler, I can't lie. But at least the colossus looks awesome. I do miss the old looks and audio, no doubt, but I can handle most of the new. Phoenix and Tempest are cool. Sentries were awesome before the put on the bubble in the old beta. I guess it was called the Nullifier back then, I had forgotten that:
Except the one glaring thing that makes me crazy. Protoss colors look really bad with the green and red that you have in 1v1 ladder. The blue is fine, but I hate dealing with 1 out of 3 good looking colors. Terran on the other hand look great in red, good in blue, and OK in green. Zerg sort of suffers from red and green looking crazily bad on ladder, too.
I agree on the sphere thing, Protoss has to many units that look kind of similar/bigger versions of each other. Disruptor, Sentry, Oracle and MSC are more or less the same unit designwise, it's some ball in the middle with some spiky plates covering a bit of the ball.
I think they could have used some more spiky elements for toss and maybe some more geometrical forms. Some tubes or stuff like that. To many P-Orbs flying around.
I also agree on the sissy protoss, but that's a decision they wanted to push through bc of their (bw) story. I'm not sold, but it does make sense.
I think some of you guys see bw a bit to much through the rose colored glasses. The old zerg queen always was a colored blob for me and i had no idea what exactly that even was supposed to be. The reaver is a freaking golden spitting slug, it looks terrible.
I dont think the tempest looks that bad, nor that the insectoid style has done much damage to zerg. I dont like the roach, but that's the only unit i really dont like in terms of unit and race design for Zerg and I mainly dont like it because it doesnt fit the swarm style as a tanky high supply unit that you can mass. That's like playing tyranids and play genestealer only. I really dont like the super polished Terrans, but that's a different story.
Overall though I think that Blizzard did a really good job with Sc2's unit design. Someone will always dislike some design or wish that his favorite unit would look a bit cooler.
EPT![[image loading]](http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2013/070/5/3/zerg_guardian_by_phillgonzo-d5xrdji.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/starcraft/images/e/ee/BroodLord_SC2_Rend1.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20110212030028)
![[image loading]](http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/starcraft/images/8/8c/BroodLord_SC2_Head1.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20100401045409)
![[image loading]](http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/starcraft/images/8/85/Guardian_SC1_Head.png/revision/latest?cb=20080315203307)
![[image loading]](http://orig07.deviantart.net/9ab2/f/2013/069/e/9/zerg_compare_by_phillgonzo-d5xjxg9.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/fMeA0Fg.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100113224633/starcraft/images/1/16/Artanis_SC1_Art2.jpg)
