Star Wars: The Old Republic is set to used stylized realism as its artistic approach.
The stylized realism approach has many advantages. For instance, Star Wars: The Old Republic will have a unique and instantly recognizable appearance which will continue to look great as it ages. Being on the bleeding edge graphically is a lot of fun for artists, but as that edge moves forward, games that were once living at that frontier of graphics tend to look dated as technology improves. We want to achieve visuals that look great at the lower-end computers, knowing that if they look great there, they will look great on all machines, both now and in the future.
Go trying playing a game that you used to play on your N64 or old Nintendo, I know it might be a little bit harder to play through. At the time those games were on the edge graphically, but they are completely visually unattractive now. As we approach more and more realistic looking games, it is important to make sure that style is not lost.
Color is a critical component in stylized realism for evoking mood in an environment. The Art Team conducts a color study for each planet to determine its mood and compares it to other planets so that each newly visited planet has a unique feel. This applies to character design as well. The Jedi tend to have a softer, more colorful palette, while Sith gravitate towards darker colors with higher contrast. These colors are great in evoking Light Side and Dark Side affinity in the Star Wars universe.
Most people don't like it when it is gray and cloudy outside. I have noticed that people seem to be less energetic and more depressing on these days. If we take this into account and compare it to more sunny days, then the change is apparent.
Childhood memories are so involved with color that they are indelibly stamped on our psyches forever. We may not even be aware that we are remembering the colors associated with a specific incident, but the tape recorders in our heads are never turned off, and even into adulthood we continue to respond to specific colors in a positive or negative way.
If we combine the stylized realism and the color, we have a picture.
With this picture, we have a predetermined opinion and mood associated to it. The room is cold looking and dark, with the focal point being the generator. It looks just as cold as the rest of the room, but it has a warmth to it that immediately draws our initial attention. With the stylized realism, this picture could tell a story all unto itself and that is what is so interesting and important about this design team's approach.
What do all of you think? Do you like this style or would you prefer another? Does the coloring used by the design team evoke emotion? Do you think that the stylized realism and coloring blend well together?
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Posted 9/27/2009 12:22:25 PMIt's the same in the movies, they also work a lot with colors. Episode IV has lots of yellow and white, creating a light balance, and V is very heavy on the white, gray and blue creating both light and dark settings respectively. Return of the Jedi has green as its main color, giving it a vibrant and lively feeling, fitting with the more childish setting of the film.
Colors do a lot to change one's mood and approach to something. And stylized realism can only aid in this.
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Posted 9/25/2009 1:24:28 PM- View User Profile
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Posted 9/25/2009 6:45:56 PM- View User Profile
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Posted 9/26/2009 10:36:50 AM- View User Profile
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Posted 9/25/2009 10:25:42 AMwhere do u got this from, so i can get a better view on this?
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Posted 9/25/2009 6:48:36 PMHope that helps.
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Posted 9/26/2009 10:37:36 AM- View User Profile
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Posted 9/25/2009 3:18:37 AMI like the 'dark' style of TOR, it's like a cartoon for an older audience. I've seen a bit of The Clone Wars tv series, and TOR looks a bit like a darker version of that - which is brilliant!
A stylised look will last much longer ... SWG is starting to look dated, because it was more realistic. WoW still looks pretty impressive, it has a timeless look.
"Most people don’t like it when it is gray and cloudy outside." I'm not one of these people :P Because I live in a place that's usually hot and sunny, I like it when it's cold, dark and rainy. Makes me sooo excited.
This is why I hope they make Coruscant look a bit more like it does in the movies ... less of the bright yellow, more grey.
(And I hope there are storms in the game)