|
On October 29 2011 04:42 svefnleysi wrote: Anyone else's eyes hurt from looking at the screenshots in the OP? I know in-game there is a brightness slider. Couldn't this be toggled by gamers themselves for those maps?
|
from a design perspective, this addition would be great, i love how it actually looks realistic! but from a gamers pov, it's going to be harder on the eyes and differentiate units during battle. there really is two side to this, but blueish green maps are easiest on my eyes and after hours of playing its best i don't strain it anymore lol
|
On October 29 2011 03:12 _Depression wrote:Show nested quote +On October 29 2011 02:43 Sighstorm wrote:On October 28 2011 15:17 VaultDweller wrote: As a product designer I'm sure you don't only pay attention to how things look but also how they function, right? You can't design this amazing looking thing if the shape or colors or wtv affect it's functionality. Everything about starcraft was made with e-sports in mind, and it may look bland at times or there might be only one type of lightning but that makes perfect sense, I wouldn't want my game to look significantly different on various maps... Imho it has to be consistent no matter what, for both players and spectators. I 100% agree with this post and i'm a product designer as well. Simplicity and consistency are important requirements for an eSport and should be prevailing over aesthetics in this case. The options to change the lighting are available in the editor, so people can have fun with this in custom games. But it doesn't add any value to competative maps IMO. As much as I agree with this, we also have to remember that there is room for variance within the "consistency" that eSports needs. For example, college football. The prevailing color scheme of fields is green grass with white lines denoting yardage, but then we see Boise State University's field which has blue turf. It's a variance from the norm, but it doesn't stop the game from being playable. In a similar way, during winter months there can often be covered in snow and yet the game will still be played. So I think we can see variation in maps, within reason of course. I do agree there should be variance, but in IMO this should be done with the tile sets, not lighting. I've seen a competative game played on a map that had different lighting (darker), i think on ESV KOTH, and the caster(s) were talking about how everything looked different instead of the match that was going on.[/QUOTE]
The casters were probably talking about it because the show features new maps, and also because the idea of better lighting and aesthetics got them excited. That probably means fans and players would get excited too.
|
On October 29 2011 05:33 fauxreal wrote: from a design perspective, this addition would be great, i love how it actually looks realistic! but from a gamers pov, it's going to be harder on the eyes and differentiate units during battle. there really is two side to this, but blueish green maps are easiest on my eyes and after hours of playing its best i don't strain it anymore lol Just teach gamers eye-strain prevention. Every 15 minutes, you look at something further away or close your eyes for 15 seconds.
The color is a different variable than the brightness.
It is hard to extrapolate these things before testing. We'll have to try it and see what players say.
|
those map pics seemed so warm that my eyes started to burn... but yes, it does capture a different feel to maps that i feel were lacking (that's one of the reasons i loved the regular bel'shir beach, the white sands were something you didn't see in other maps)
|
On October 29 2011 05:40 theMiNUS wrote: those map pics seemed so warm that my eyes started to burn... but yes, it does capture a different feel to maps that i feel were lacking (that's one of the reasons i loved the regular bel'shir beach, the white sands were something you didn't see in other maps) Thanks. I think we can capture this feel without making maps too bright for player eyes.
|
going a little off topic, but i noticed in the blizzcon video that they were making creep actually invade and creep up on enemy buildings now. It looks fabulous :D, since one of the new directions in HotS is to make it prettier than Wings, im not too worried about the future of SC2 art. I just wish they would work to beef up the sounds.
|
|
My only question now is: you say this is the first topic of several about suggested visual improvements - what's next? :D
|
On October 29 2011 06:41 Railxp wrote: going a little off topic, but i noticed in the blizzcon video that they were making creep actually invade and creep up on enemy buildings now. It looks fabulous :D, since one of the new directions in HotS is to make it prettier than Wings, im not too worried about the future of SC2 art. I just wish they would work to beef up the sounds. Yes, especially Protoss. I like the creep getting on enemy buildings. I DON'T like how creep kills foliage though. It is much too WC3/undead. Zerg are symbiotic, they change what they assimilate, they don't kill it.
|
On October 29 2011 06:59 Hairy wrote: My only question now is: you say this is the first topic of several about suggested visual improvements - what's next? :D Maybe map layout and terrain and doodad aethetics. Unit art design is probably next. I might get into sound and interface if I think I can avoid being redundant. Loading screen aesthetics. Racial identity as it relates to colorways. I'd also like to address game and map mechanics from a design / spectator's perspective....maybe.
|
Holy crap, that's really sexy.
How'd you do this, via the editor?
|
On October 29 2011 07:15 cosineInfinity wrote: Holy crap, that's really sexy.
How'd you do this, via the editor? All I did was adjust the lighting angle to feel like mid-day and tone down creep shininess.
|
|
good stuff, i really like this idea.
i play on low low settings, but even watching the gsl and such i am slightly put off by the overly consistent lighting, regardless of environment
|
I remember watching most of it. Maybe I'll review so I can address specific shortcomings based on their own goals, as well as disagreements with some of their goals.
|
I'm with you so hard. The tilesets now are all so ugly and dark, it's depressing.
|
On October 29 2011 08:11 MShaw006 wrote: I'm with you so hard. The tilesets now are all so ugly and dark, it's depressing. Yes. Well at least not all of them should be dark. Variety is the spice of life, as well as the spice of Starcraft.
|
On October 29 2011 08:11 MShaw006 wrote: I'm with you so hard. The tilesets now are all so ugly and dark, it's depressing.
The tilesets are as they always have been. The maps however, are having a trend towards the dark, but I you use the map section of TL, you'll find some pretty bright works of art there.
|
It is very unfortunate that all of the maps that blizzard has introduced with the desert tile set have just been... shitty maps? The graphic of them, I thought, was always pretty cool. The maps themselves are what made people dislike them, not so much the tile set.
The aesthetic changes won't do anything to hinder the top gamers' performance, as the top cream of the crop will 90% of the time play everything on the lowest of low settings anyways. Shadows are usually disabled, since it just adds clutter. What visuals DO aim for, is pleasing the more casual players and spectators. I don't think the competitive echelon of players will complain about the subtle nuances that make spectators' eyes gleam with excitement being enhanced and polished. From a viewer's perspective, I would definitely like to see a bit more variety. From a player's perspective, I have everything turned way down and disabled, so it won't effect what I am comfortable with.
These types of things, to me, can only be good. It adds dynamic for the casual player and viewers, and wont disrupt gameplay for the performers.
|
|
|
|