Art Direction Concerns

[JP32]

I've been following both Roller Coaster Tycoon World and Planet Coaster since I first heard about them. It seems to me that the developers of Planet Coaster seem to have a better grasp on what they are doing, but I do have one major concern with what I've seen so far.

It seems like Planet Coaster is very cartoony. I don't mean just the people, in fact, I think they look really good (Maybe a little too hipster-y, but whatever). I'm concerned with the rides, buildings, etc. From the 3D models on the website, the flatrides look like cartoons, not real machines. Similarly, the concession stands in the Dev Diary are the same cartoony, food-shaped stalls from RCT3. I really want this game to be as realistic as possible. That means that rides, buildings, stalls, roller coasters, everything, should look like it could be in a real theme park. I'm worried that the developers don't share my thoughts.

To be clear, I think some style can be really useful. As I said before, the peeps look very good. They are realistically proportioned and they move in a realistic way, but they're not photo-realistic. This approach should carry on to the rest of the game. Flatrides shouldn't be crazy, cartoons. They can be colorful and simple, but they should look like they wouldn't be out of place in the real world.

 

[Angelis1]

I'm 100% NOT AGREE with you !

I dont want any photo-realistic. I think exactly the opposite of you.
I think the artistic director did a fantastic job here, and this "pixar" style is EXACTLY why i'm in love with this game.

It's like telling Pixar "it's good, but I find your movies not quite realistic" !

The style is just amazing, and I REALLY dont want they change something on this aspect.

Planet Coaster is being developed primarily for PC, though discussions about other platforms are ongoing. The pair bristle slightly when I observe that its stylised aesthetic could be described as 'console friendly'. "It's far from a console-friendly game," laughs Denney. "I always hate the way the word 'cartoon' is used as a perverse insult half the time," adds Laws, and that 'console friendly' [tends to] mean simplistic. If anybody told me that Mario was a kids' game... my child cries playing Mario. It's a tough game! I mean, Planet Coaster looks immediate, it's got a friendly face. But I don't see that as a problem. Like, when we made LostWinds, we had hard- core gamers thanking us. It showed you can present something which is accessible but on a gameplay level is really deep and very detailed. It doesn't follow that it shouldn't be sophisticated."

A quote from an interview with John Laws (Art Director) & Sam Denney (Lead Technical Artist)

 

[RandyChimp]

Oh come on, this game looks adorable! If it had realistic graphics, the game would lose it's charm.

 

[TRG86]

I'm 100% NOT AGREE with you !

I dont want any photo-realistic. I think exactly the opposite of you.
I think the artistic director did a fantastic job here, and this "pixar" style is EXACTLY why i'm in love with this game.

It's like telling Pixar "it's good, but I find your movies not quite realistic" !

The style is just amazing, and I REALLY dont want they change something on this aspect.

I am on the same page with this one, photo-realism is not ideal for this game or this game genre in general. The Pixar style graphics is one aspect that gives these type of games their character and charm, honestly if it looked too real I think I would find myself getting bored with it faster. The art direction is very colorful, vibrant and gives you that welcoming, happy feeling. That is something that would be completely lost if it was photo-realistic.

Additionally, these types of games need to be able to run smoothly on a mass variety of different computers that have different power capabilities, to make a photo-realistic game would wipe out half of your potential market from being able to run the game by assuming everybody has the computer power to run it.

 

[Angelis1]

Oh come on, this game looks adorable! [...]

Yes !

 

[wesleyjoseph]

Photo-realistic visitors? That sounds uncanny. The art direction feels welcoming and unique. It doesn't feel outlandish at all either, a lot of the flatrides in the concept art look as if they could be found in real-world parks. Ultra-realism just doesn't work... Look at Theme Park Studio, it's boring. I think Frontier will make this game a good mix between fantasy and the real world. Mods will come in handy for people who'd like to go for realism though.

 

[JP32]

It seems like you didn't read my post at all. I said I didn't want it to be photorealistic, I just want it to be believable. Those food-shaped stalls don't resemble anything that you would actually exist. There should be stalls that resemble real stalls, but have that same style as the people have. The same goes for the rides and the buildings. They don't have to "look" like they are real, but they should at least be built like real things.

 

[RandyChimp]

It seems like you didn't read my post at all. I said I didn't want it to be photorealistic, I just want it to be believable. Those food-shaped stalls don't resemble anything that you would actually exist. There should be stalls that resemble real stalls, but have that same style as the people have. The same goes for the rides and the buildings. They don't have to "look" like they are real, but they should at least be built like real things.

Every major Theme Park sim has had food stalls that look like the food they're selling.

 

[JP32]

Every major Theme Park sim has had food stalls that look like the food they're selling.

But no real theme parks have those types of stalls. I just want buildings that are "based in reality". That doesn't mean they have to "look" like they are real. They just have to basically resemble the real thing. There should be style put on top of it, but stalls, rides, etc shouldn't just be made up from the developers imagination. They should be similar to their real-life counterparts.

 

[wesleyjoseph]

It seems like you didn't read my post at all. I said I didn't want it to be photorealistic, I just want it to be believable. Those food-shaped stalls don't resemble anything that you would actually exist. There should be stalls that resemble real stalls, but have that same style as the people have. The same goes for the rides and the buildings. They don't have to "look" like they are real, but they should at least be built like real things.

I see what you're saying now. But have you seen the concept art? Most of the assets are built like real objects. I'll admit you wouldn't find food stalls like that in real life and I think there's a reason behind that. You also need to remember that this is a theme park management game and not a real theme park, why does it need to parallel every aspect of one? Cities: Skylines is great but I think there's a handful of aspect to it that you wouldn't find in a real city. Let Frontier take Planet Coaster in whichever direction they want, they know what they're doing.

 

[SydVic]

But no real theme parks have those types of stalls. I just want buildings that are "based in reality". That doesn't mean they have to "look" like they are real. They just have to basically resemble the real thing. There should be style put on top of it, but stalls, rides, etc shouldn't just be made up from the developers imagination. They should be similar to their real-life counterparts.

The rides look incredible, the details are amazing and they are indeed "realistic". I love the artstyle, there's so much charme, it's incredible...and do you really prefer boring, rusty boring stalls, which all look the same???

And for example - a stall, you say "non-existing in real world" shot in an amusement park

 

[RandyChimp]

But no real theme parks have those types of stalls.

No, but as I said, every theme park sim so far has had those types of stalls, so it fits the genre.

 

[JP32]

I see what you're saying now. But have you seen the concept art? Most of the assets are built like real objects. I'll admit you wouldn't find food stalls like that in real life and I think there's a reason behind that. You also need to remember that this is a theme park management game and not a real theme park, why does it need to parallel every aspect of one? Cities: Skylines is great but I think there's a handful of aspect to it that you wouldn't find in a real city. Let Frontier take Planet Coaster in whichever direction they want, they know what they're doing.

I just have concerns, and I want to voice them. I do have a really good feeling about this project, but I don't want a Thrillville type game. I want to make a real, working park that feels like it can really exist. I think Frontier's Zoo Tycoon game finds an absolutely perfect balance between realism and style. Imagine a game that looks like that but gives you the freedom of RCT3.

 

[Angelis1]

It seems like you didn't read my post at all. I said I didn't want it to be photorealistic, I just want it to be believable. Those food-shaped stalls don't resemble anything that you would actually exist. There should be stalls that resemble real stalls, but have that same style as the people have. The same goes for the rides and the buildings. They don't have to "look" like they are real, but they should at least be built like real things.

Ohhhh !
I thought you were talking about rides and guests, because they look fantastic for now.

But if you talk about those awful stalls, with a big plastic hamburger on the roof, then yes, it's ugly as ***** ! They look like : old, artificial, and (really) ridiculous. And, for some reasons (that I still dont understand), the two "Theme Park" games under development now, absolutely want that ... A big lack of inspiration I guess, I dont know.

I dont want that in the game too.

But if they are listening the community, they will remove this joke, and give us real restaurants (at least, in addition to the "food stalls")

 

[RandyChimp]

We talked about this in the stalls thread though, we can have both. I thought that was a great idea, having varying sizes of stores, ranging from a cart selling food up to a restaurant. The classic burger/pizza/drink stalls have their place in the genre and it would be a shame to get rid of them.

Edit: Come on...

How can you not like this?

 

[Angelis1]

We talked about this in the stalls thread though, we can have both. I thought that was a great idea, having varying sizes of stores, ranging from a cart selling food up to a restaurant. The classic burger/pizza/drink stalls have their place in the genre and it would be a shame to get rid of them.

Yes, you right, they have their place in the genre, but it's 2015 now.

- Real Theme Park have few stalls, and many restaurants.
- Theme Park Games for now have : only stalls ...

Find the mistake !

"Simulation Evolved" they said. So I wait the innovation ! And JP32 is right about this specific aspect. The restaurants have never evolved for now.

 

[wesleyjoseph]

Yes, you right, they have their place in the genre, but it's 2015 now.

- Real Theme Park have few stalls, and many restaurants.
- Theme Park Games for now have : only stalls ...

Find the mistake !

"Simulation Evolved" they said. So I wait the innovation ! And JP32 is right about this specific aspect. The restaurants have never evolved for now.

Did you not read his reply? "we can have both."

 

[JP32]

Did you not read his reply? "we can have both."

Regarding the stalls. I just want the option, like in RCT3, to have generic stalls. If some people want the other kind, they can have them, but I want my park to be realistic. I want to be able to make a Disney/Six Flags/Universal Studios type park, with realistic paths, scenery, restaurants, and rides. I think that should be a major focus. Once again, this shouldn't be Thrillville. It shouldn't be "Let's make rides that would be crazy and cartoony". It should be "Let's take real rides and put our spin on them so they fit the style of the game".

Again the art direction of Zoo Tycoon was perfect. The problem with that game is that everything is prebuilt. If Planet Coaster takes that art style and gives it way more freedom, it will be amazing!

 

[Marvin1]

I agree about the stalls part. I'm hoping we get more realistic/generic looking ones. For example, this pizza stall would be perfect if it didn't have the huge pizza on the roof. It just looks out of place, honestly. I think the "Chief Beef" stall is clever though. I'd like an option for both types.

 

[Angelis1]

We talked about this in the stalls thread though, we can have both. I thought that was a great idea, having varying sizes of stores, ranging from a cart selling food up to a restaurant. The classic burger/pizza/drink stalls have their place in the genre and it would be a shame to get rid of them.

Edit: Come on...

https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.ne...=b6057d5f002529c8f91eb9436192fc71&oe=56BE0751

How can you not like this?

Okay, dont get me wrong

I have NOTHING against stalls.

But i'm afraid that they (Frontier) think that "Stalls" are the most important, and "Restaurants" as a secondary element of the game. When it's exactly the opposite.
"Restaurants" are the most importants when we talk about places to eat in theme parks, and "Stalls" (which must obviously be present in the game) is a sort of bonus (when you have no money, or the time to build a restaurant, or you have a small area to be filled, etc ...)

For now (I hope to be wrong), from what I saw in the trailer (and your picture above), I'm afraid they think "the stalls are the only sources of food and drinks"


And to answer : No I dont like this "Big hamburger stall" that give me the impression of having seen a million times. Like i said, this is a big lack of inspiration.
Sorry, I would have preferred be in agreement with you, but this two stalls here, are the only two things I did not like. (but it was already the case in RCT3)