Ugly.. Oh oh so ugly... Why Portraits and art so ugly!

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by DizzyCrash, Apr 1, 2016.

  1. DizzyCrash

    DizzyCrash Scruffy Nerf-Herder

    So the biggest barrier for me in playing this game is the art... Its just so... Gross, every character looks horrible, if he was trying to pay homage to harvest moon than why not the cute pudgy anime style art? Everything in this game just makes my stomach churn from the aesthetic.
    I dont mind them going with a western art style and veering away from anime, but why cant they still be charming and pleasant? These just sort of creep me out.

    Whats your opinion on the art style of the game? Does it detract from the charm for you too? Or do you personally like it?
     
    • Kezeal

      Kezeal Ketchup Robot

      I like the artstyle. Terraria was always a bit too cheery and cartoony for me. I like more grim and with real-like colors. Also, characters are closer to actual proportions than many other 2D games.
       
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      • DizzyCrash

        DizzyCrash Scruffy Nerf-Herder

        I dunno, those portraits with the rounded noses and uncanny valley faces, something about it doesn't sit right with me.
         
        • Tamorr

          Tamorr Supernova

          ?? Which game? Starbound isn't a homage to HM series far as I know, although... You must mean SDV... ><

          I think you posted in the wrong section. Hence the confusion.

          Anyway, Ugly... no. I don't see it. Unless you are talking about the remarks made by NPCs to the new farmer in town. Which does make sense... Oh you are referring to art/graphics...

          I don't like certain anime styles, but wouldn't go far as calling them ugly unless the characters themselves did something mean. Beauty I do not relate ugly to.

          I personally like the cutesy style the game has. Old & New. The old ones found on the wiki. Seems fine to me. I guess it is just a matter of taste. I may like quite a few Anime styles out there, but there just some that I can not really like. Appreciate yes, but not really like. Art is art. Saying that it has an american cartoony look to it with a touch of realism; considering the bit depth & style. For me each has their own style. And it shows. there is a mod for the style you speak of; although I wasn't quite fond of it due to the way the eyes were made.

          I really like the character put into the cartooning of the portraits. They were drawn well and look the part of what was to be conveyed. The color use was fine, and didn't go with just a few colors through out the game. After all the color depth is quite a bit more than a few colors. It all worked well to bring the idea of stardew valley together in a lovely scenery and lively populous of a small village far from the city. So yes I found the art style appealing. :nuruhappy:
           
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          • Kezeal

            Kezeal Ketchup Robot

            What portraits are you talking about?
            EDIT: Oh, she meant Stardew Valley... Nevermind then.
             
            • Lichen

              Lichen Big Damn Hero

              @mollygos should start making theme separation between starbound and stardew valley

              You know what, i think i'll start suggesting for one
               
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              • Kezeal

                Kezeal Ketchup Robot

                When I go to Stardew forums, it has a different theme. Starbound should get one too.
                 
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                • Jonesy

                  Jonesy Sarif's Attack Kangaroo Forum Moderator

                  Please don't make Stardew Valley threads in the Starbound subforum. Moved.
                   
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                  • Ambaaargh

                    Ambaaargh Hard-To-Destroy Reptile

                    I have found that so far if one isn't really happy with the stardew portraits, the mod community has been in TOP TIER EFFECT about making all sorts of portrait varients in a wide array of styles to suit just about anyone's tastes. If you are having some trouble with the art, I suggest giving the portrait section in the mod subforum a glance cause there are some really nice ones and the portraits are the easiest thing to overwrite-mod-install into your game. :)

                    *edits post to add link to the portrait section just for convenience: http://community.playstarbound.com/forums/sdv-mods-art/ *
                     
                      Last edited: Apr 1, 2016
                      Iffydust, Caudyr, Tamorr and 3 others like this.
                    • tokiri

                      tokiri Big Damn Hero

                      I think that's an opinion of personal preference and some people love the original style where as many enjoy their game with a more anime, dark or even realistic look. There's nothing wrong with that. ( : It's why this game has such a lovely modding community! I personally don't think it's ugly. It may not be cutesy adorable, but it's quite charming in it's own right. ( : It's unique and I think it's appealing, but I've always been more drawn to western inspired cartoon styles.

                      That said, I imagine that somebody worked very hard for a long time drawing those art assets considering it was made by a single developer. You can easily modify the game to fit your aesthetics and enjoy the game your way, without using such harsh and mean words. >___<
                       
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                      • uberlobster

                        uberlobster Void-Bound Voyager

                        I dislike the art and animations as well but at the same time I like them. The chosen style works well for this game and the mod community has created a variety of quality replacements.
                         
                        • zoeevee

                          zoeevee Zero Gravity Genie

                          That's really rude of you. The dev poured his heart and soul into this game. I understand personal preference but if it bothers you so much just get some aesthetic mods instead of insulting the hard work put into this.

                          I personally think the game is adorable. The cows could be more chibi but I am happy with them overall.
                           
                          • zcsnightmare

                            zcsnightmare Scruffy Nerf-Herder

                            The portraits/artwork/character sprites are very nostalgic to me, having grown up during NES and SNES reign. A few portraits of certain NPCs don't really match the theme, such as the wizard, governor, grandpa, and Gus is right on the line.

                            Taste is subjective and while I found the artwork cute and original, I still switched it out with a couple mods that I personally liked better, without straying too far from CA's theme.

                            Click the link Ambaaargh included, ya might find something you like.

                            Having a bit more decorum, especially when it comes to art, wouldn't be a bad move either. ;)
                             
                            • Reddestiny921

                              Reddestiny921 Pangalactic Porcupine

                              I personally really like the art, I'm no Picasso but I can see the beauty in many styles and this one fits just fine.
                               
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                              • Corraidhín

                                Corraidhín Supernova

                                you DO know theres a TON of mods that change the portraits? theres something for you out there buddy, look before you complain.
                                 
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                                • Haebaragi

                                  Haebaragi Weight of the Sky

                                  That's a tad harsh mate, did you mean the art is just not to your taste?

                                  Because it's not to my taste either, but I don't think it's ugly.

                                  There are a lot of mods for you, and I considered it myself, but I like style consistency and matching, so I stay with the original portraits.

                                  To each their own though--hopefully you'll find the mods your heart desires so you can enjoy the game.
                                   
                                  • WolfGT57

                                    WolfGT57 Contact!

                                    I don't see anything wrong with the portraits
                                     
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                                    • Ghostly Fox

                                      Ghostly Fox Heliosphere

                                      I'm going to write off this thread being as being started by someone who was being intentionally inflammatory, specifically because there's already half a dozen or more art replacement mods on the forum.
                                       
                                      • Hexprone

                                        Hexprone Space Penguin Leader

                                        The in-game portraits have a lot more personality and charm than any of the anime-style replacement mods I've seen. And they do a lot to create the "ordinary folks" feel that CA obviously wanted for the game.
                                         
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                                        • SSJLink

                                          SSJLink Master Chief

                                          Nope, can't say I agree, although if you said some of the character portraits USED to be better....then I would. I had to change Maru back to her "in-development" version because she looked SO much better. A lot of people liked the older Elliot (where he looked younger) and Harvey (without the moustache). It really takes two seconds to mod the game if you aren't satisfied.
                                           
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