Why do so many ED Characters not have an Image?

Why do so many important characters of the ED lore not have a profile image yet? Is Frontier too lazy to permit an artist to draw 2D artwork? Or will they add 3D models with the next expansion? There are so many things of the lore that lack any visual reference.
 
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I have come to believe that FDev's design approach to Elite Dangerous is not systematic, but rather more of a chaotic nature.
So sometimes things get done, sometimes not, and not even the devs really know why, or why not.
I do think though that characters we players have regular contact with (like the engineers) get prioritized, which seems reasonable.
 
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I don't think the 2D artistry that created the power play portraits comes cheap, I can understand why more were not commissioned.

Potentially the same mechanic that creates faction contacts could be used, maybe with a different set of clothing for news articles?


I quite like some of the clothes & accessories the faction contacts have. I'd like to see some of those made available to players in the shop :)
 
Looking at that list and for a quick example Freya Taine is CEO of corporate minor faction Zende Partners. If you visit Zende Partners home starport no doubt you'll see her picture in station services, it just hasn't been added to the elite wiki. Probably because the phots that have been added you can look up on google as Frontier have published them for one reason or another, easy to link to. The wiki isn't complete only because it would mean databasing all the faction contacts, visiting each one, screenshot / crop / post and host online to add to the wiki. Be our guest OP.
 
Why do so many important characters of the ED lore not have a profile image yet? Is Frontier too lazy to permit an artist to draw 2D artwork? Or will they add 3D models with the next expansion? There are so many things of the lore that lack any visual reference.

Because lore is now dead, and that ED lore was mainly via text to begin with. The leaks in beta builds might indicate more of these characters getting visuals.
 
The other question and one of my personal wants is to convert the Powerplay leader portraits into 3D avatars (with themed clothes). The advantage then would be you could monetize it (Mahon slacks 500 Arx! Archon pirate coat 600 Arx!) and that avatars can be happy / sad / angry / pleased at your powers performance for that cycle.
 
Why do so many important characters of the ED lore not have a profile image yet?

I'd wager it has something to do with the following image which I am posting thusly.
poppin.jpg
 
The other question and one of my personal wants is to convert the Powerplay leader portraits into 3D avatars (with themed clothes). The advantage then would be you could monetize it (Mahon slacks 500 Arx! Archon pirate coat 600 Arx!) and that avatars can be happy / sad / angry / pleased at your powers performance for that cycle.

Well the bobble-heads for them were seen in silhouette back in the day - they just never made it to the store.

It annoys me that these uber-powerful people (the powerpants ones) have only got a single image - really stupid, sloppy design choice.
 
Why do so many important characters of the ED lore not have a profile image yet? Is Frontier too lazy to permit an artist to draw 2D artwork? Or will they add 3D models with the next expansion? There are so many things of the lore that lack any visual reference.
Looking at that list, the first "important" character I recognize was Admiral O'Brian... who was "important" about 200 years ago, when the war criminal led Federation troops to seize the world Emerald, which the Empire had previously terraformed. I'm not sure why a character mentioned only in two places: A Frontier: Elite II gazetteer, and a tourist beacon in Elite: Dangerous, would rate a portrait... especially when there would be no way of viewing it, short of a history book from Emerald.
 
I don't think the 2D artistry that created the power play portraits comes cheap, I can understand why more were not commissioned.

Potentially the same mechanic that creates faction contacts could be used, maybe with a different set of clothing for news articles?


I quite like some of the clothes & accessories the faction contacts have. I'd like to see some of those made available to players in the shop :)
You made me think that they should hire a 2D artist which job is to only design stuffs for Galnet news, new characters artwork, etc. The game is so static right now...
 
You made me think that they should hire a 2D artist which job is to only design stuffs for Galnet news, new characters artwork, etc. The game is so static right now...

Yeah ;)

I had more angles of some of the same characters in mind too :)
 
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