The Great
Choco Monster
Ghendar
Warlord
11197 Posts
    
The Dark and Forbidding Lands of The Necromancer.
 | | 09/15/2007 6:31 AM |
| Posted By Nyarlathotep333 on 09/14/2007 10:23 AM
Weapon size doesn't bother me too much. After all, one of the biggest Fantasy themed influences of my early gaming years was Conan the Barbarian. There's a guy who has no problem with axes as big as he is!
Yeah, but there are real world "big" weapons and then there are outrageously nonsensical "big" weapons. There is a difference.
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Ghendar - Bringin' the snark!
Champion of the Spider Eater with rider.
I actually love to be swallowed. - Posted By gss_000 on 09/04/2007 2:32 PM
How many times in life do you get to eat your own Cthulhu? - Posted By Pedro on 03/31/2008 2:29 | |
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Master of the
Awesome Sauce
Teflon Jeff
Warlord
7146 Posts
Idaho. Yes, we have Gamers in Idaho.
| | 09/15/2007 7:52 AM |
| Posted By Ghendar on 09/15/2007 6:31 AM Posted By Nyarlathotep333 on 09/14/2007 10:23 AM
Weapon size doesn't bother me too much. After all, one of the biggest Fantasy themed influences of my early gaming years was Conan the Barbarian. There's a guy who has no problem with axes as big as he is!
Yeah, but there are real world "big" weapons and then there are outrageously nonsensical "big" weapons. There is a difference.
True. I hope they stay in the former, not the latter...
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Official Delegate, Wizards of the Coast
Against The Giants Called Shot: Huge Green Dragon
Icons Called Shot: Gargantuan Prismatic Dragon
"Rejoice, for bad things are about to happen." | |
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Knight of Argenis
Corim Danex
Warlord
6614 Posts
West Valley City, Utah
| | 09/16/2007 12:11 AM |
| | I don't just hope they stay in the former, I won't support products that gear toward the latter. If the minis line heads in that direction, I will change to singles purchases. If 4th edition goes that way, I am confident that I won't be buying it. It's that simple. | |
"Look to God and live." Alma 37:47
Vindicated Champ of Hippogriff (Arcadian Hippogriff) and Uncommon Horse | |
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Bert the Troll
Commander
3840 Posts
Adelaide
| | 09/16/2007 7:57 PM |
| Posted By FriendlyAlienist on 09/03/2007 2:45 AM
>>>R&D articles no longer readily available to view ):
Try the "Printer Friendly" button down the page...
That works a treat! Hope it lasts.
Thanks  | |
"Mutton yesterday, mutton today, and blimey, if it don't look like mutton again tomorrer." Bert the Troll - The Hobbit
Semi-Secret sig business: "Does this rag smell like chloroform to you?"
Champion of Epic Lolth, Orcus, & Demogorgon and bring us Asmodeus! | |
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Nyarlathotep333
Warrior
282 Posts
Alaska
| | 09/17/2007 10:49 AM |
| Posted By Ghendar on 09/15/2007 6:31 AM
Yeah, but there are real world "big" weapons and then there are outrageously nonsensical "big" weapons. There is a difference.
Well, I'll agree that for the most part Conan keeps his weapons semi-believable, but I can recall quite a few times where the artist had him wielding weapons that probably weighed half what he did.
I'm not saying I'd want my current minis that way, but it doesn't bother me too much. I'm more concerned with the scale of the minis as a whole. Guard of Mithral Hall was just too damn big for a dwarf & it would bother me a bit if all of the DDM line suddenly was out of scale compared to the majority of other minis on the market.
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Demonweb Called Shot: Myconid
Feywild Called Shot: Wolf
Champion of the Zombie Black Dragon
- N333
The major difference between a thing that might go wrong and a thing that cannot possibly go wrong is that when a thing that cannot possibly go wrong goes wrong it usually turns out to be impossible to get at or repair.
- Douglas Adams, Mostly Harmless
To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of the women!
- Conan the Barbarian, on what is best in life
My Website - Be sure to check out my painted minis gallery!
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The Great
Choco Monster
Ghendar
Warlord
11197 Posts
The Dark and Forbidding Lands of The Necromancer.
| | 09/18/2007 4:39 AM |
| Posted By Nyarlathotep333 on 09/17/2007 10:49 AM
Well, I'll agree that for the most part Conan keeps his weapons semi-believable, but I can recall quite a few times where the artist had him wielding weapons that probably weighed half what he did.
There is always going to be individual artistic license when it comes to illustrations. The idea is for the company to have an artistic vision for the entire product line. I have no idea if art ever gets rejected by WotC if it does not "fit" what they are looking for. | |
Ghendar - Bringin' the snark!
Champion of the Spider Eater with rider.
I actually love to be swallowed. - Posted By gss_000 on 09/04/2007 2:32 PM
How many times in life do you get to eat your own Cthulhu? - Posted By Pedro on 03/31/2008 2:29 | |
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Nyarlathotep333
Warrior
282 Posts
Alaska
| | 09/18/2007 10:17 AM |
| Posted By Ghendar on 09/18/2007 4:39 AM
There is always going to be individual artistic license when it comes to illustrations. The idea is for the company to have an artistic vision for the entire product line. I have no idea if art ever gets rejected by WotC if it does not "fit" what they are looking for.
True. I guess my point is that the occasional mini with an oversized weapon won't bother me. If the entire product line takes that approach as a standard, however, then I'd probably just quit buying boosters and only pick up the singles I'm interested in off eBay. | |
Demonweb Called Shot: Myconid
Feywild Called Shot: Wolf
Champion of the Zombie Black Dragon
- N333
The major difference between a thing that might go wrong and a thing that cannot possibly go wrong is that when a thing that cannot possibly go wrong goes wrong it usually turns out to be impossible to get at or repair.
- Douglas Adams, Mostly Harmless
To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of the women!
- Conan the Barbarian, on what is best in life
My Website - Be sure to check out my painted minis gallery!
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minatoman38
Underboss
1344 Posts
Minaniuonuma-shi, Japan
| | 09/19/2007 5:32 AM |
| | If I had my way Jim Holloway would come back to do all the art work. I loved the way he drew characters...everybody looked a lot more like people and not superheroes. | |
Robert Rosehart
Champion of the pixie
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The Great
Choco Monster
Ghendar
Warlord
11197 Posts
The Dark and Forbidding Lands of The Necromancer.
| | 09/19/2007 5:44 AM |
| Posted By minatoman38 on 09/19/2007 5:32 AM
If I had my way Jim Holloway would come back to do all the art work. I loved the way he drew characters...everybody looked a lot more like people and not superheroes.
Yeah, I liked Jim's work. Liked Roger Raupp too. All one needs to do in order to see what art style I would prefer would be to look at Dragon Magazine covers from the mid/late 80's & early 90's. | |
Ghendar - Bringin' the snark!
Champion of the Spider Eater with rider.
I actually love to be swallowed. - Posted By gss_000 on 09/04/2007 2:32 PM
How many times in life do you get to eat your own Cthulhu? - Posted By Pedro on 03/31/2008 2:29 | |
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Wyzdum
Sergeant
399 Posts
Long Island, NY
| | 09/20/2007 6:48 PM |
| Hi All, I don't usually comment on many topics, but I feel I should this time. It seems a lot of people are giving Wayne Reynolds (WAR) a bad rap. I have had quite a bit of communication with him and I have purchased several of his sketches and they are amazing and life-like.
However, he creates images for companies (or individuals) based on what they want. So, when you see his artwork in WOTC stuff, most of it has been altered to their liking. He will typically be commissioned to draw a figure and upon completion be told to change several parts until they get the "feel" they're looking for.
In fact, some of his artwork is better than any Elmore or Caldwell piece I've seen (and I also own some of their original sketches too), so please give him the benefit of the doubt.
If any of the artwork in 4E or on the WOTC website is ugly, it is usually not the fault of the artist, but rather the people in marketing trying to attract the audience they feel will want what they see.
Which brings me to one final point; all change in a company is in hopes to reach a larger buying base. Let's face it, we are already D&D players/collectors. We will gripe but keep playing one way or another. But, WOTC wants to attract new kids and anime is what's hot now. If they can increase sales by switching up artwork, then they're going to do it. | |
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Knight of Argenis
Corim Danex
Warlord
6614 Posts
West Valley City, Utah
| | 09/20/2007 6:59 PM |
| | Well, I won't continue buying it if that is what they do. So they lose a current customer that spends hundreds of dollars a year to net some kids who like anime. Whatever. | |
"Look to God and live." Alma 37:47
Vindicated Champ of Hippogriff (Arcadian Hippogriff) and Uncommon Horse | |
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minatoman38
Underboss
1344 Posts
Minaniuonuma-shi, Japan
| | 09/20/2007 8:08 PM |
| The bulk of the current artwork has been fine. A bit too overly super heroic for my tastes but I admit that is what the bulk of players want...look at the success of the uber-hero forgotten realms books...and I imagine the new work will look similiar.
One thing I have really enjoyed though have been the covers of the 3 and 3.5 edition hard covers and I hope these styles stay. The cover artwork has been very eye catching and really suits the themes of the game.
As for how important the artwork is for me....meh...I've been playing and buying these books since 1st edition and the artwork has little or no impact on buying and play pleasure. Some I like better and it fits my definition of what it is all about and some doesn't but the art doesn't make the game for me. | |
Robert Rosehart
Champion of the pixie
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minatoman38
Underboss
1344 Posts
Minaniuonuma-shi, Japan
| | 09/20/2007 8:16 PM |
| Roger Raupp was another one with a real human touch to his work. Another one I'm rather fond of is Timothy Truman. He really captured the grittiness of the world the heroes faced. | |
Robert Rosehart
Champion of the pixie
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Duke of Spoils
greyhaze
Warlord
5804 Posts
| | 09/20/2007 8:19 PM |
| Posted By minatoman38 on 09/20/2007 8:08 PM
One thing I have really enjoyed though have been the covers of the 3 and 3.5 edition hard covers and I hope these styles stay.
Wow, different strokes indeed... I hate 3.5 covers, and loved 2nd ed. I think 3.5 MM covers are lame and cheap looking. | |
Greyhaze's DDM Spoilers
Champion of a Medium Dog & then a Darkenbeast , Raistlin Majere, Nightmare WDQ25/60, Warduke WD60/60,
Anti-Champion of Guns, "Knight of Bugbears", and Joke Champion of Venger.
Called Shots: Frost Giant in Demon Web, Darkenbeast in Feywild. | |
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Knight of Argenis
Corim Danex
Warlord
6614 Posts
West Valley City, Utah
| | 09/20/2007 9:22 PM |
| | I prefer the covers of the 4e books over any covers in 3.0 or 3.5 on rulebooks. Fortunately, they put cool covers on several adventures. | |
"Look to God and live." Alma 37:47
Vindicated Champ of Hippogriff (Arcadian Hippogriff) and Uncommon Horse | |
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Knight of Argenis
Corim Danex
Warlord
6614 Posts
West Valley City, Utah
| | 09/20/2007 9:24 PM |
| | As far as concerns for artwork...the art of the books being anime spilling over into minis made that way is what would affect me the most. Like Pentifex Monolith. | |
"Look to God and live." Alma 37:47
Vindicated Champ of Hippogriff (Arcadian Hippogriff) and Uncommon Horse | |
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Fun Guy from Yuggoth
Cthulhufnord
Warlord
10787 Posts
Umass Amherst Baby!
| | 09/20/2007 9:41 PM |
| War.... why does that sound so familar. Oh wait, I've got a bunch of his non-family friendly stuff on my computer.  | |
Pathetic Earthlings. Hurling your bodies out into the void - without the slightest inkling of who or what is out here. If you had known anything about the true nature of the universe - anything at all - you would have hidden from it in terror. | |
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PaSquall
Underboss
1395 Posts
| | 09/21/2007 10:53 AM |
| Posted By Wyzdum on 09/20/2007 6:48 PM Hi All, I don't usually comment on many topics, but I feel I should this time. It seems a lot of people are giving Wayne Reynolds (WAR) a bad rap. I have had quite a bit of communication with him and I have purchased several of his sketches and they are amazing and life-like.
However, he creates images for companies (or individuals) based on what they want. So, when you see his artwork in WOTC stuff, most of it has been altered to their liking. He will typically be commissioned to draw a figure and upon completion be told to change several parts until they get the "feel" they're looking for.
In fact, some of his artwork is better than any Elmore or Caldwell piece I've seen (and I also own some of their original sketches too), so please give him the benefit of the doubt.
If any of the artwork in 4E or on the WOTC website is ugly, it is usually not the fault of the artist, but rather the people in marketing trying to attract the audience they feel will want what they see.
Which brings me to one final point; all change in a company is in hopes to reach a larger buying base. Let's face it, we are already D&D players/collectors. We will gripe but keep playing one way or another.
Very true.
But...
But, WOTC wants to attract new kids and anime is what's hot now. If they can increase sales by switching up artwork, then they're going to do it.
...Then they are 10 years late. Anime was really hot from mid-nineties to the beginning of the 2000's, quite less now.
But I've been foretelling an anime campaign setting for D&D (for quite a time now), and it looks I could end up being right... | |
Vindicated Champion of the PSEUDODRAGON
(Unhappy) vindicated champion of the DRYAD
Against the giants called shot : huge cloud giant female
Demonweb called shot : ghost | |
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shoesan
Warrior
263 Posts
Beaufort, SC
| | 09/21/2007 1:35 PM |
| I personally would love it if all the artwork for 4.0 resembled Dragonlance artwork. I think most of the dragonlance art is just amazing (Elmore) and is true fantasy artwork to me.
Shoe
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Shoe (the other one) | |
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Duke of Spoils
greyhaze
Warlord
5804 Posts
| | 09/21/2007 2:07 PM |
| | I'm cool with the upcoming cover art I've seen so far, but I don't like the changes to the green dragon, assuming that's what it is. I like the current 3.5 green dragon. | |
Greyhaze's DDM Spoilers
Champion of a Medium Dog & then a Darkenbeast , Raistlin Majere, Nightmare WDQ25/60, Warduke WD60/60,
Anti-Champion of Guns, "Knight of Bugbears", and Joke Champion of Venger.
Called Shots: Frost Giant in Demon Web, Darkenbeast in Feywild. | |
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The Great
Choco Monster
Ghendar
Warlord
11197 Posts
The Dark and Forbidding Lands of The Necromancer.
| | 09/21/2007 3:29 PM |
| Posted By minatoman38 on 09/20/2007 8:16 PM Roger Raupp was another one with a real human touch to his work. Another one I'm rather fond of is Timothy Truman. He really captured the grittiness of the world the heroes faced.
LOVE Truman's work. I bought the cover for the module Blizzard Pass of him a couple years ago. Great piece. | |
Ghendar - Bringin' the snark!
Champion of the Spider Eater with rider.
I actually love to be swallowed. - Posted By gss_000 on 09/04/2007 2:32 PM
How many times in life do you get to eat your own Cthulhu? - Posted By Pedro on 03/31/2008 2:29 | |
|
The Great
Choco Monster
Ghendar
Warlord
11197 Posts
The Dark and Forbidding Lands of The Necromancer.
| | 09/21/2007 3:30 PM |
| | I don't mind Wayne Reynolds and some of his stuff I genuinely enjoy. My only gripe with his stuff is that it can be too angular at times. | |
Ghendar - Bringin' the snark!
Champion of the Spider Eater with rider.
I actually love to be swallowed. - Posted By gss_000 on 09/04/2007 2:32 PM
How many times in life do you get to eat your own Cthulhu? - Posted By Pedro on 03/31/2008 2:29 | |
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