Interview The Art of Decadence

[denizsi]

Yes, well, I don't suffer from nostalgia.

Nostalgia? Ok, here's a more critical comment: some of the new textures have way too much contrast which make me appreciate the older look.

Grooves/flutes of the columns and other ornamental details are all literally black and it looks particularly bad in the comparison screenshot where it's like a concentration of lines in perspective. Likewise with roof tiles and the ground stone pavement. They don't look bad when seen from afar but I prefer the plainer look of the old scene, not that the old one doesn't have flaws.

More or less the same deal with old games, especially 2D games before 3D games with blocky shit models using shitty eyesore textures took over. It has nothing to do with nostalgia.

It's good that VD could afford to have a more detailed look. I'm just saying, more details != good.

 

[Naked Ninja]

 

[Achilles]

[Perception] Some people like bitching for no reason.

The screens look great, especially the second one with the dead people.

 

[thesheeep]

The screens look great, especially the second one with the dead people.

Location: Greece

... just kidding. Actually, that's also my favourite.

 

[Serious_Business]

Yes, well, I don't suffer from nostalgia.

Nostalgia? Ok, here's a more critical comment: some of the new textures have way too much contrast which make me appreciate the older look.

Grooves/flutes of the columns and other ornamental details are all literally black and it looks particularly bad in the comparison screenshot where it's like a concentration of lines in perspective. Likewise with roof tiles and the ground stone pavement. They don't look bad when seen from afar but I prefer the plainer look of the old scene, not that the old one doesn't have flaws.

More or less the same deal with old games, especially 2D games before 3D games with blocky shit models using shitty eyesore textures took over. It has nothing to do with nostalgia.

It's good that VD could afford to have a more detailed look. I'm just saying, more details != good.

How about shutting the fuck up

 

[denizsi]

You disagree? how

Alright, those black lines are probably just paint, not really flutes, right? That's what they look like, after all.

How about shutting the fuck up

Oh, did I hurt your anus indie-vein or something? Codex cannot into criticism. After all, for the average Codexer, criticising graphics of an indie = saying "Crysis looks better, u suck lol".

 

[Razz]

Another day at the codex, another thread turning into a whine about graffix.

 

[Lomm Cuz]

Yes, well, I don't suffer from nostalgia.

Or lack of good taste.

In reference to the serious stuff, those pictures truly looks great but, will we have a chance to see any concepts? That would be

 

[Vault Dweller]

http://www.irontowerstudio.com/forum/in ... l#msg16963

^ Some concept art

 

[Lexx]

I am happy about AoD's graphics.


Always funny when people claim that graphics don't matter in a good game and an hour later whine about how shitty xy looks like.

 

[Lomm Cuz]

http://www.irontowerstudio.com/forum/index.php/topic,341.msg16963.html#msg16963

^ Some concept art

As I said before, that was There are some pretty kick ass concepts there, I suppose that closes the insinuations and questions about

 

[Pablosdog]

Looking real forward to this game. They ship to canada right?

 

[Silellak]

Fwap fwap fwap fwap fwap fwap fwap.

Also, are people still butthurt over that piece of Dead State concept art? For fuck's sake let it go.

 

[Elhoim]

Looking real forward to this game. They ship to canada right?

VD in Canada, so that's for sure.

 

[DraQ]

I kind of like the older scene on the left better :shrug: It's talking to me late 80s/early 90s graphics and the only thing it's missing is parallel projection instead of perspective dork age of early 3D. God, I almost managed to forget how horrible it was.

Fix'd.

Also, is it thursday yet?

 

[zeitgeist]

http://www.irontowerstudio.com/forum/index.php/topic,341.msg16963.html#msg16963

^ Some concept art

Which specific pieces on that page have been drawn by the "art director" of Dead State, the one this article is supposed to be about?

 

[Brother None]

Which specific pieces on that page have been drawn by the "art director" of Dead State, the one this article is supposed to be about?

Huh? Why would an art director draw up concept art, especially the kind of concept art suitably for PR? Different jobs, y'know?

 

[Vault Dweller]

Since when does art director do concept art?

 

[Shadowdrinker]

I loved the art direction, hope the gameplay and the story is also good, looking forward to this game.

 

[Kosmonaut]

And no, I didn't do it.

As the "art director" of the game, what are your thoughts on that piece? I'd love to hear a brief analysis.

Also, was it chosen as the only piece of "concept art" to be released to the public because you felt that it best represented the mood/atmosphere of the game, because you wanted to show off the technical proficiency of the concept artist, because it was the best concept art piece you had at the time, or for some other reason? What happened to the author, is he still working as a concept artist for the game, or in some other capacity?

And finally, will we see any of your work? The interview seems heavy on the words and light on the art, to say the least.

This. We have to hear the story behind that piece of outside art. Please.

 

[Wang Lo]

I kind of like that concept art in some twisted way. I like the looks of horror on the faces but t rex arms aside what I really don't like is the bizarre perspectives that are not even consistent. I guess the window area was some other pic that got twisted in photoshop or something? But yeah I am baffled at using this for concept art, or really for the need for concept art like this. Are the players going to have facial animation? If not it is just a press piece and as a press piece it is pretty scary in nongood way. But overall progress seems good for so short a time.

 

[Vault Dweller]

:'tis a mystary:

 

[zeitgeist]

Which specific pieces on that page have been drawn by the "art director" of Dead State, the one this article is supposed to be about?

Huh? Why would an art director draw up concept art, especially the kind of concept art suitably for PR? Different jobs, y'know?

The interview on your site led me to believe there are in fact no artists working under this "art director". Have you read it?

Oscar: Despite what the name implies, I’m practically the whole art department, except for animations and character models.
In AoD, I have quite a few tasks on my back: creating concepts for the locations, modeling, texturing and level design.
Furthermore, I work on the GUI and all the icons in the game.
Strictly speaking about art, I take care of the whole mood the world conveys, through visual and sound means.
In Dead State I’m focusing mostly on the purely art stuff, doing the whole pipeline for it
GB: With the ITS-concept being "one of each" (programmer, artist, designer), how do you stay sharp and inspired without other artists to bounce ideas off of?

To put it bluntly, I'm trying to determine if anyone who's actually involved in the production of the game, especially art direction, concept art, and so on, can draw at all, or if it's just a case of commissioning a few pieces from outside sources for the sake of PR, and 3D modelers and texturers giving themselves silly titles for interviews. The interview heavily implies, if not outright states, that this person is the sole "art guy" for Dead State, yet we still haven't seen any of his art - the only concept art released being that one single piece by an unknown author. Isn't that kind of strange?

Overall it seems that "concept art" is not being regarded as something that has anything to do with the actual process of game development, but just as these images a developer commissions to put on the game's website to placate the masses for a while.

 

[Vault Dweller]

Which specific pieces on that page have been drawn by the "art director" of Dead State, the one this article is supposed to be about?

Huh? Why would an art director draw up concept art, especially the kind of concept art suitably for PR? Different jobs, y'know?

The interview on your site led me to believe there are in fact no artists working under this "art director". Have you read it?

Have you?

"In Dead State I’m focusing mostly on the purely art stuff, doing the whole pipeline for it, although Brian participates as a level designer as well. Also, we are getting help from some contributors doing some props and weapons, and a character artist who is working on the human and zombie models. In their case, I work closely with them and give them guidelines on the art style and technical specifications."

To put it bluntly, I'm trying to determine if anyone who's actually involved in the production of the game, especially art direction, concept art, and so on, can draw at all...

Yes.

... and 3D modelers and texturers giving themselves silly titles for interviews

Makes you angry, doesn't it?

The interview heavily implies, if not outright states, that this person is the sole "art guy" for Dead State...

You may want to read it again.

... yet we still haven't seen any of his art - the only concept art released being that one single piece by an unknown author. Isn't that kind of strange?

What kind of "HIS art" would you like to see and why?

Overall it seems that "concept art" is not being regarded as something that has anything to do with the actual process of game development...

Based on one piece?

 

[Brother None]

The interview on your site led me to believe there are in fact no artists working under this "art director". Have you read it?

What...what an odd question.

yet we still haven't seen any of his art - the only concept art released being that one single piece by an unknown author.

I'm honestly puzzled here. Does it stop being art because it is in-game? The guy who drew the backgrounds for Azteca, should he not be titled artist because they are used as background drawings?

I think you might be really confused about what the titles "artist", "lead artist" or "art director" mean in the context of gaming.

Overall it seems that "concept art" is not being regarded as something that has anything to do with the actual process of game development.

Overall I do hope you understand that concept stands for conceptual, and that the "conceptual" stage of a game is usually pretty early in its development, and thus a part of one specific stage of development, not of the entire development cycle.