Was the lack of NPC faces a good idea?
- Thread starter Fnool
- Start date
I think they could have gone with a very low quality video link up, just to save time/budget, something a bit like the mysterious girl from Borderlands:
http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/borderlands/images/8/8c/Guardian_Angel_in_Borderlands_2.jpg
that way they wouldn't have to go super high fidelity with the character models and rather than spend loads of time on textures they could focus on making many variations of characters for sheer variety.
http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/borderlands/images/8/8c/Guardian_Angel_in_Borderlands_2.jpg
that way they wouldn't have to go super high fidelity with the character models and rather than spend loads of time on textures they could focus on making many variations of characters for sheer variety.
I think the upside of this decision is that you can imagine how the npc look like. Just like in a book. This can be a more immersive experience than a couple of repeating avatars(no matter in what quality).
Well i don't think anyone would have wanted a couple of repeating avatars, randomisation is a fairly common thing these days, i don't think ultra-high quality would have been required either.
Maybe it will increase immersion, I wouldn't oppose it.
There's some proprietary software out there that'll merge facial features of different people. Using that, random photos of decent mugshots could be used and merged. I imagine people would look a little strange... but then people from the past look a little bit different, don't they?
They'll also need to be 10 feet tall. 'tis the future after all.
There's some proprietary software out there that'll merge facial features of different people. Using that, random photos of decent mugshots could be used and merged. I imagine people would look a little strange... but then people from the past look a little bit different, don't they?
They'll also need to be 10 feet tall. 'tis the future after all.
Persistant NPCs was always the game plan. There's a document about it in the DDA with different tiers of NPC, tier 1 higher echelon characters you can never talk to, tier 2 high level contacts, tier 3 normal contacts and tier 4 like the npcs we have now. Or something like that, I can never find the DDA since they changed the boards.
I do hope they get around to it... The game 'universe' needs them and they'll make a big difference to 'depth'.
I do hope they get around to it... The game 'universe' needs them and they'll make a big difference to 'depth'.
>zynaps
Used to enjoy playing that. Along with Exolon and Ranarama and Uridium Plus that came with it
Agree that 'a few' faces would probably be counterproductive. Several hundred would be better.
Used to enjoy playing that. Along with Exolon and Ranarama and Uridium Plus that came with it
Agree that 'a few' faces would probably be counterproductive. Several hundred would be better.
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Want to see what Aisling Duval looks like fo sho.
Well, if the faces would have been as ugly as in Frontier: Elite II, then yes, it was a good idea.
Strangely I didn't mean 'faces' in the physical sense, just in the persistance sense, I go to meet 'Bob' my contact in Lave.
I prefer no faces, since the only other acceptable implementation would be a near "infinite" gallery of (persistent) faces.
Given that FD had to prioritize the finite resources, while I would have loved faces, I'm happy they didn't spend resources on that.
Given that FD had to prioritize the finite resources, while I would have loved faces, I'm happy they didn't spend resources on that.
It's a good thing we don't see npc faces. Unless FD can do a really good job, I don't want to see ugly plastic fake faces that'll ruin my immersion. If FD can't even do simple random believable npc text messages, can you trust them to do faces? "You fight a good fight!", "You want a piece of me?", "You have no chance to survive make your time."
I'm in the "no NPC faces" camp because it's easy to do badly, as anyone who had the misfortune to buy X:Rebirth knows. Even the earlier X series had some laughably bad NPC faces, especially the cartoon aliens.
It's not as simple as just using an off-the-shelf face generator algorithm either. There are all sorts of considerations for gender and racial balance, and leaving it up to the game's art director to decide what uniforms and hairstyles will look like in the future. "Oh, you didn't know everyone in the Empire wears a Roman toga? Well, you do now!"
I'd rather use my imagination. Frontier can build a larger imaginary framework for the Galaxy, if they don't have to show every little thing in detail.
They'll have to do something in this area when we get to the "walking around stations" DLC. But I almost wish they'd just have everyone wearing space helmets and face-obscuring visors, like the opening of the launch trailer, so I can still use my imagination.
It's not as simple as just using an off-the-shelf face generator algorithm either. There are all sorts of considerations for gender and racial balance, and leaving it up to the game's art director to decide what uniforms and hairstyles will look like in the future. "Oh, you didn't know everyone in the Empire wears a Roman toga? Well, you do now!"
I'd rather use my imagination. Frontier can build a larger imaginary framework for the Galaxy, if they don't have to show every little thing in detail.
They'll have to do something in this area when we get to the "walking around stations" DLC. But I almost wish they'd just have everyone wearing space helmets and face-obscuring visors, like the opening of the launch trailer, so I can still use my imagination.
I have heard this sentiment expressed before on these boards and i must admit, i come from a position where i am confused by it. It could be that my imagination isn't as developed as others, just out of curiousity, are there any in-game features that already inhibit the imagination in your opinion?
Maybe you just haven't seen it done badly. Here's an NPC from X Rebirth, probably the most nightmare-inducing one in the game, but the rest (including your co-pilot) aren't much better:
To answer your question, there aren't any in-game features right now that inhibit my imagination (as long as I can still manage to grit my teeth over the flight model). I think that's because Frontier has done a good job of not overextending beyond their abilities. They're good at modeling star systems, and they're good at modeling 3D spaceship exteriors and interiors. I have no idea if they're equally good at modeling human NPC characters to interact with, and in enough variety to avoid repeats for a Galaxy as large as they're building. For now, I'm fine with imagining what everyone looks like.