Would the Character Models Graphically Improve?

[LordJulian]

  Ok, as a newcomer in the forums, I'd have little idea with what was discussed, but I'm just figured something that bugs me in the game. As much as I prioritize gameplay over graphics, some added visual aesthetics and animations of said models would greatly improve the look of the game.

  As far as I know, the character models all look like blobs. Blobs. Floating blobs with invisible tools and arms. Heads look like skin-coloured beans. A squirrel can just mistake a nude colonist for a giant bean and naw on it's imaginary legs.  Certainly better looking than Dwarf Fortress, but if this is a game that stands out as something people would buy, I'd thought there would be more effort graphically modelling the characters out.

  But I digress, the game is still in Alpha and certainly an unfair judgement of the direction of the game. The question I have to ask to the community and Tynan, as the game development progresses, are we going to see character models that would have more detailed and full body parts and even better yet, be animated in the game?

[Haplo]

If I remember correctly at first Tynan wanted to give RimWorld another look and this was only a placeholder. But over time it grew to be just how RimWorld was. The graphics is not about details, because the game  is about a story. A story of some stranded colonists. A story that grows in your imagination. And to not limit your imagination the graphics is rather easy. There are no arms and no feets, but you can easily imagine them there. And now the whole graphic set is build on this principle: not that detailed, so your imagination can run wild.
Personally I really like the simplified graphics and wouldn't want it to change
And as far as I know, there aren't any thoughts about changing it.

[Shinzy]

In my opinion the simpler the graphics the more it feeds your imagination
which is a huge part of what the game's about

and I really find the current artstyle real charming =P

[Tynan]

I think this graphical style is optimal. Adding more details wouldn't improve the play experience. It would just

-Rob the player's mind of the ability to imagine stories deeper than what is shown on the screen. More abstract graphics enhance storytelling because they give the player's mind - which is a much better story generator than any computer - room to make things up.
-Make the image of the game harder to understand and thus more cognitively stressful to look at. It would be more likely for players to miss important details since there would be more noise on screen.
-Slow down our production, reducing the amount of actual stuff you can do (see Spacebase DF-9, Unclaimed World, Clockwork Empires, etc - graphical detail is incredibly time-consumptive to produce).

[daft73]

I think this graphical style is optimal. Adding more details wouldn't improve the play experience. It would just

-Rob the player's mind of the ability to imagine stories deeper than what is shown on the screen. More abstract graphics enhance storytelling because they give the player's mind - which is a much better story generator than any computer - room to make things up.
-Make the image of the game harder to understand and thus more cognitively stressful to look at. It would be more likely for players to miss important details since there would be more noise on screen.
-Slow down our production, reducing the amount of actual stuff you can do (see Spacebase DF-9, Unclaimed World, Clockwork Empires, etc - graphical detail is incredibly time-consumptive to produce).

These are great thoughts and I personally enjoy the simple art style. Not only do I believe it looks nice, but this can help those with lower-end 'puters. An alternative way to see it as well is the fact that this game has a massive mod community. The graphics and look of the game can be altered, and I'm sure as time goes on there may be mods that alter such things.
I have played the game from October 2013 onward, and even though the game was is in its infancy it was great to play. The game then, believe it or not, was even simpler.  Great work Tynan

[LordJulian]

  Hmm, certainly the idea that I should have expected though, but I agree on what you all have said. Certainly having a lack of detail would mean that players can leave up to their imagination to think about their story in the game. I could be one of the few that have gripes about at least having some basic visual identity (limbs to hold stuff) and such.

  But if it's not something that can be done, then guess I'm going in the modding bandwagon for graphic models.

[Damien Hart]

I do like the style of the art itself, but personally I feel it lacks variation. To quote the longsleep revival briefing:

On natural adaptations

Beyond the technological diversity of our species, there is also a broad biological diversity. -snip- Some are dark; others pale as snow. Some are hairy like animals; others perfectly smooth.

On genetic engineering

Fashion-driven genetic modifications are often applied during later life instead of prenatally, and are most often cosmetic and skin-deep. Variations in hair and skin color are common. More exotic modification add shining crests, color-changing skin and eyes, reshaped or elongated bodies, and colored nails, feathers, or fur.

I'd like to see simple variations like unnatural skin colours, or bodies covered in fur, feathers or scales; heads with horns, or a feathered crest instead of hair.

Even some animalistic head sprites (albeit rare) - for example on a world where genetic modification is common, someone (probably even multiple someones) decides they want to have fur, and a snout, and subsequently, generations of their descendants end up looking like they're part dog. Even this still fits within the scope of RimWorld's fiction.

I'm not looking for a deep level of detail here - after all, all of this can be accomplished within the current art style - I just want to see more variation.

[daft73]

I do like the style of the art itself, but personally I feel it lacks variation.
I'm not looking for a deep level of detail here - after all, all of this can be accomplished within the current art style - I just want to see more variation.

I can agree with this statement. Well put, a few mods do the trick..but it would not hurt the vanilla game to add some variations and such.

[Zeta Omega]

*facepalm* its the games art style DEAL WITH IT I swear if people don't like the game why do they buy it...

[Tynan]

*facepalm* its the games art style DEAL WITH IT I swear if people don't like the game why do they buy it...

Be nice. It's a reasonable question. Or don't post if you're not going to add anything meaningful.

[LordJulian]

*facepalm* its the games art style DEAL WITH IT I swear if people don't like the game why do they buy it...

Let's see, should I 1) Swear and rant like a moronic troll, 2) Try to talk like some educated-witless person, or 3) go nuts?

  Now, if I were a dumbed down console sucking graphics whore, I would have bomblasted this place, get beaten down by social justice groups, before copping out with a sayonara at the end for failure to inspire misery and grief on this forum. But come to think of it, I don't think I'll ever get here in the first place because I would be sucking a corporate sausage playing the latest call of duty game. It is a reasonable question that I'm asking.

  I'm only asking if the graphics are placeholders for better art quality. Do I look like I'm asking for Tynan to make this a 3D game? Well, actually, I like the 2D style, keeps it simply artistic that way.

[Tynan]

Flame war danger detected. Question answered, not much more to say.

Locking.