Will colonists ever look different/more detailed in the future?

[DaPieGuy]

I was wondering if there has been any news or update in regards to the graphics for colonists. In the recent alphas the health system has been changed and new clothes such as pants have been added yet are invisible.

Same as if an arm or leg is blown off the colonist looks the same. Will this be changed in the future as I believe it would flesh out the game a little more seeing a few colonists with some bad bruises and one with a peg leg after a bad raid! 

[JonoRig]

I am pretty sure it has been said the art style is final

[DaPieGuy]

Oh ok. That's a pity, it would have been nice to see the colonists have a little more detail. Well having limbs at least. Would it be possible to mod it so this could be possible?

[Tynan]

The graphics are deliberately abstracted. This helps story generation because it allows your brain to create the images instead of trying to make the game do it. Your brain can imagine much better than any software system.

That, and I'd much rather put more effort into simulating interesting events rather than making more detailed pixels to express the simple events we already have. Lots of games have detailed graphics; almost no games have detailed simulation.

So yeah, the current graphics are final.

You could mod them to be more detailed if you wished, but I think you'd just be walking into a trap and making the game (paradoxically) less engaging.

[woolfoma]

The graphics are deliberately abstracted. This helps story generation because it allows your brain to create the images instead of trying to make the game do it. Your brain can imagine much better than any software system.

That, and I'd much rather put more effort into simulating interesting events rather than making more detailed pixels to express the simple events we already have. Lots of games have detailed graphics; almost no games have detailed simulation.

So yeah, the current graphics are final.

You could mod them to be more detailed if you wished, but I think you'd just be walking into a trap and making the game (paradoxically) less engaging.

personally, I love the current graphics style, it helps me to not overstress my eyes with HD explosions and the like (the hind that shooters and stuff use).
simple but well done artwork > fancy HD up in your face artwork.

[Eleazar]

The graphics are deliberately abstracted. This helps story generation because it allows your brain to create the images instead of trying to make the game do it. Your brain can imagine much better than any software system.

That, and I'd much rather put more effort into simulating interesting events rather than making more detailed pixels to express the simple events we already have. Lots of games have detailed graphics; almost no games have detailed simulation.

So yeah, the current graphics are final.

You could mod them to be more detailed if you wished, but I think you'd just be walking into a trap and making the game (paradoxically) less engaging.

Abstract, and simple, sure i understand how that makes sense for this type of game, and the allocation of limited resources.

But the main issue in my opinion is that over most of the game, it's pretty hard to tell one pawn apart from another.  In the early game before you have hats or helmets, hair does a pretty good job of distinguishing a small number of pawns, but unfortunately hats and helmets replace the hair layer, and the main visual distinguisher is gone.  Skin color could be a way to differentiate one from another, but almost everybody is "white" in my experience.

As you add more colonists and more gear they all start to blend together distinguished only by the 5 body shapes, some of which look pretty similar with certain clothing.  Presumably this will be worse in alpha 9 as gear will have durability, and have to be replaced more frequently, so you have less of a chance to remember a character by it's outfit.

It's a lot harder for your imagination to latch onto an nearly anonymous icon.

[elStrages]

Abstract, and simple, sure i understand how that makes sense for this type of game, and the allocation of limited resources.

But the main issue in my opinion is that over most of the game, it's pretty hard to tell one pawn apart from another.  In the early game before you have hats or helmets, hair does a pretty good job of distinguishing a small number of pawns, but unfortunately hats and helmets replace the hair layer, and the main visual distinguisher is gone.

As you add more colonists and more gear they all start to blend together distinguished only by the 5 body shapes, some of which look pretty similar with certain clothing.  Presumably this will be worse in alpha 9 as gear will have durability, and have to be replaced more frequently, so you have less of a chance to remember a character by it's outfit.

It's a lot harder for your imagination to latch onto an nearly anonymous icon.

So what you are really asking for is not so much a better looking game, but a better system for managing your colonists. something like Eds' mod that put a list on the top of the screen. I would image that Tynan will get around to better colonist management as the game evolves, but there are probably a very large amount of things hat will come before that.
  The faces could maybe use a little tweaking but not much, I really like the way the game is right now to be honest and enjoy the graphics. Although maybe RimWorld faces could go the direction the Prison Architect did.

[DaPieGuy]

I do love the graphics the way they are now and I do believe that a little imagination can go a long way but a little visual help can also do the same, even more so. Such as having an old war veteran with a bionic arm and an old scar would make you wonder how he got them and what he went through or seeing your colonists with amputated limbs would upset you more as you know that they paid the price to survive a tough raid. With some graphical changes I think this could really add some depth to the backstory and emotional attachment to your colonists.

[akiceabear]

I'm quite happy with the graphics as they stand, for the reason Tynan mentioned above. Also pleased that he is prioritize more/better events over graphical issues, which I think is the correct direction to go. I imagine it is possible to mod the pawn graphics, if one desires.

Two things that helped me a lot, at least with initial colonists, is to use the EdBInterface and EdBPrepareCarefully mods - the first to have a bar at the top of the screen constantly reminding me of who has what face, and the later to make sure at least the initially colonists have distinct faces.

[BattleFalcon]

The graphics are deliberately abstracted. This helps story generation because it allows your brain to create the images instead of trying to make the game do it. Your brain can imagine much better than any software system.

That, and I'd much rather put more effort into simulating interesting events rather than making more detailed pixels to express the simple events we already have. Lots of games have detailed graphics; almost no games have detailed simulation.

So yeah, the current graphics are final.

You could mod them to be more detailed if you wished, but I think you'd just be walking into a trap and making the game (paradoxically) less engaging.

I agree with this, the current art style makes your brain image things, which is one of my favorite parts of this game. However, one thing that truly bothers me is the fact that you cannot see what pants a colonist is wearing. Even just having the bottom 1/5 of the colonist have the color of the pants would be great. It would keep the current art style, but you wouldn't have to look at the "Gear" tab to see what kind of pants they are wearing. I think it would be just a bit more aesthetically pleasing as well. 

[StorymasterQ]

Try Sadler's Pawn State Icons mod. Works wonders if you want more detail.

[DaPieGuy]

Try Sadler's Pawn State Icons mod. Works wonders if you want more detail.

Yeah that is a great mod and works wonders when my colonists are going insane and I dont know why  maybe its just me but I guess I just want a little more detail on my colonists, not just so that I can distinguish them more easily from one another but to give them a little more depth as I mentioned earlier. I think I will try making a mod to do that. I don't have much experience but I've been wanting to try modding for a little while now and this may be what I will try doing.

[Eleazar]

So what you are really asking for is not so much a better looking game, but a better system for managing your colonists. something like Eds' mod that put a list on the top of the screen.

That's not what i'm asking for here.
I think EDb GUI mod makes a huge improvement to the game but doesn't really address what i'm complaining about. Too many similar looking pawns is still an issue when they are put up along the top of the screen in a row.

However, one thing that truly bothers me is the fact that you cannot see what pants a colonist is wearing. Even just having the bottom 1/5 of the colonist have the color of the pants would be great. It would keep the current art style, but you wouldn't have to look at the "Gear" tab to see what kind of pants they are wearing. I think it would be just a bit more aesthetically pleasing as well. 

I agree with that.  It is a wasted opportunity to make pawns look different.

Not that i'm demeaning the work that's been done so far.  But i don't think the graphic do everything they could with the stated constraints and goals.

[Tynan]

Doesn't the name attached to the pawn make it clear who is who?

[elStrages]

Doesn't the name attached to the pawn make it clear who is who?

I would have thought so.
Maybe people need moustaches freckles and thicker eyebrows to play properly.