Why are Character Models so ugly? DISCUSS!!!

[DollarSign]

Can anyone tell me why character models are SO FUCKING UGLY? This relates to both Shadowrun and Wasteland 2, and probably Pillars of Infinity/Tides of Numenera/other kickstarted wannabe-oldschool popamoles. Every character or moving creature looks like an oligophrenic zombie etched from a solid block of granite with a dull hatchet. They are also disprortionally large and move as if through jelly. This is especially jarring compared to the stunningly beautiful 2D backgrounds which start to feel like a green screen when you pay attention to the glaringly ugly character models.

Temple of Elemental Evil offered 3D models on 2D backgrounds that looked great together and had graceful animations. What are these new guys doing wrong?

 

[Jaesun]

Joined: Yesterday

 

[Abu Antar]

Can anyone tell me why character models are SO FUCKING UGLY? This relates to both Shadowrun and Wasteland 2, and probably Pillars of Infinity/Tides of Numenera/other kickstarted wannabe-oldschool popamoles. Every character or moving creature looks like an oligophrenic zombie etched from a solid block of granite with a dull hatchet. They are also disprortionally large and move as if through jelly. This is especially jarring compared to the stunningly beautiful 2D backgrounds which start to feel like a green screen when you pay attention to the glaringly ugly character models.

Temple of Elemental Evil offered 3D models on 2D backgrounds that looked great together and had graceful animations. What are these new guys doing wrong?

I'll give you Wasteland 2 and Shadowrun. Models weren't looking good at all. Torment is too far away to judge. Pillars of Eternity characters look decent enough.

 

[Deleted member 7219]

I don't think the character models are a problem at all, but he does have a point. There's a clear difference between the artistically sound backgrounds and the rather low res, flat looking character models. I think it is probably due to them being paperdolls, but fully 3D games like Wasteland 2 also have shitty character models so I would say it is more due to low priorities.

At least with Shadowrun Returns there are very good portraits, so in things like conversations you focus more on those.

 

[rogozhin]

I disliked the character models a lot at first (especially trolls with their cartoonishly large upper bodies) but once you get used to them, they work quite well. It is a beautiful game and I don't think there's more of a divergence between characters and backgrounds than in e.g. the IE games.

 

[St. Toxic]

3d is simply inferior to 2d in trying to capture the human form.

Temple of Elemental Evil offered 3D models on 2D backgrounds that looked great together and had graceful animations. What are these new guys doing wrong?

Not really. You were probably just too distracted by the beautiful 2d backdrops to notice how bad they actually were.

 

[Greatness]

It's just much easier to make static backgrounds than to make animated character models.

Shadowrun's characters are fine though. Wasteland 2's look like shit, but then again you could say the same about most of the art assets in that game. The majority of older isometric games didn't have very good character models either. IE games (other than Torment) were probably the worst offenders, Arcanum's also looked pretty bad and didn't fit the style of their environments, Fallout's looked like exaggerated action figures, all the NWN's were horrible, even the older ones like Darksun looked awkward compared to their backgrounds.

 

[omega21]

We should just go back to sprite based graphics.

 

[Sykar]

Not a big issue for me as long as the atmosphere is decent.

 

[Makabb]

 

[DollarSign]

Inane thread split. The thread is about godawful character models in Shadowrun and Wasteland 2, not general gaming.

I disliked the character models a lot at first (especially trolls with their cartoonishly large upper bodies) but once you get used to them, they work quite well. It is a beautiful game and I don't think there's more of a divergence between characters and backgrounds than in e.g. the IE games.

There definitely is a difference. The models in SR are oversized with disproportionally small legs that walk like ducks.

Blurry textures on TOEE models were not visible, as the characters were proportionate to the environment.

If they were bad, at least the developers concealed their badness with the isometric view. And they had normal proportions and good animations.

Divinity: Original Sin doesn't seem to suffer from this problem. And Wasteland 2 is simply atrocious in this respect. How can games that present beautiful backdrops, awesome portraits, and gorgeous concept art have such terrible 3D models - which is what your attention will focus on 90% of the time! Was there not a single talented 3d model designer among the developers?

 

[Sykar]

Whats that supposed to be? Modern art?

 

[St. Toxic]

WTF IS THIS SHIT

Blurry textures on TOEE models were not visible, as the characters were proportionate to the environment.

I think they just weren't detailed enough to be bad. The unique looks mostly came from eq. sort of like in UO. It's actually a good approach, especially when budget constraints prevent you from doing anything halfway decent.

 

[JarlFrank]

SR and WL2 have fine character models. Nothing wrong with them.

 

[mondblut]

Can anyone tell me why character models are SO FUCKING UGLY?

$$$.

 

[sser]

oligophrenic

Shadowrun does have awful character models. It actually took me awhile to just block out how ridiculous they look. I just find them very distracting as they are put on a backdrop of really well done artwork.

Wasteland 2's actually look fine to me from a distance. The rest of the artwork not so much. And up close the models look like total dogshit but that's not unusual. Never really understood the game's desire to constantly want to zoom in on conversations.

What I don't get is why RTS games like Warhammer or Company of Heroes can have such good looking models when the actual unit is a dime a dozen, but RPGs tend to tote out janky looking things.

 

[Makabb]

Because it's not 90's anymore, therefore anything released today is shit.

 

[:Flash:]

Don't know whether to post here or in 2d/3d thread.

 

[pippin]

I see no problem with all the examples you guys provide.
SRR's models are probably not as cool as the portraits or the scenarios, but even then I'd say it has one of the best art directions of 2014.
On the other hand, there's a charm in playing a wizard with a pointy hat or a monk with a traditional chinese hat. ToEE had many aesthetic clothing which looked cool enough for me not to care about the quality of the models. Plus, the creatures in that game were fucking cool, mostly because the game had the best D&D monster ever, the gelatinous cube.
That said, I do tend to forgive mediocre textures/models is the art direction and/or the gameplay provide more enjoyment. As I said, all the games you guys mention provide enough quality on those aspects.

 

[sexbad?]

Posting in an Andhaira thread

 

[Roguey]

Shadowrun Returns's models are stylistic gorgeousness that hold up even when blown up in the art book. So you're too insecure to like cartoony graphics.

 

[kris]

Can anyone tell me why character models are SO FUCKING UGLY? This relates to both Shadowrun and Wasteland 2, and probably Pillars of Infinity/Tides of Numenera/other kickstarted wannabe-oldschool popamoles. Every character or moving creature looks like an oligophrenic zombie etched from a solid block of granite with a dull hatchet. They are also disprortionally large and move as if through jelly. This is especially jarring compared to the stunningly beautiful 2D backgrounds which start to feel like a green screen when you pay attention to the glaringly ugly character models.

Temple of Elemental Evil offered 3D models on 2D backgrounds that looked great together and had graceful animations. What are these new guys doing wrong?

It is a devious plan to weed out all the graphic whores.

 

[sser]

I want consistent Art Direction™ not beautiful graphics. SRR's blocky, ugly as fuck character models dropped onto a background of well-drawn, 2D art is an aesthetic fuckup. It's never more obvious than when you mess around in the building toolkit, crafting beautiful indoor rooms or neighborhoods, and then drop a blocky POS character model on there making it look like someone gave the Mona Lisa a dirty sanchez.

 

[taxalot]

Shadowrun is the best looking game I have played in 2014.

 

[Baron Dupek]

You forgot about all that junk and details on them for the sake of details.