What needs to change(graphically) and why.

[ZealotPowerade]

So like a lot of people around here I have problems with some of the graphical decisions blizzard has made concerning the Terran units. While I love the overall look of the game and the game play (from what I've seen) looks amazing! It really does seem to capture the essence of the original in many ways.

I realize there have been many threads about particular units looking terrible and that they should be changed. But when I used the search function I didn't find any threads discussing a general outlook on what still needs to change. My hope is to consolidate all such matters into this thread.

We're in beta and I kind of realize that the chances of units getting full redesigns are slim to 0 but hey I figured I can still tackle some basic problems that I feel are still plaguing star craft II.

I don't feel as though the Terran structures and (some) units have captured the essence of their original counterparts and a lot of them look like they were built with Duplo blocks(The larger and harder to swallow counterpart of Legos for younger children). A friend of mine described their base as looking like a "comic book" and an overly cartoony one at that. I think this pretty much sums up my feelings for the Terran buildings. Where is the industrial metal gone to? It seems like they just paint random parts bright yellow for no reason now too :P I'm all for the red and black warning stripes but the yellow just doesn't feel right. Where have the brushed metal and all the pipes gone? Last but not least, why in the world does the new engineering bay look like its wearing the ghost's face visor?

So I've decided to stop thinking to myself about these things and start doing something about it, I've made some paint overs of a couple units to start out and will probably do more in the future so keep this thread alive! Lets bring it to blizzard's attention that although the game looks great there are still some things they can change to make it even better. I know the chances are slim buy hey I gotta try. :P

First up is the Terran command center and the medivac. I have to say I love the medivac model but primarily what I'm trying to point out is how industrial polished metal look has been lost.

Lets hear it, what do YOU think still needs to change?

-ZP


EDIT: added starport paintover to front page for easier viewing.

[Crazy_Jonny]

Nice edits man. I'm pretty happy with the graphics atm, but your edits definitely give off that metallic shine the Terran buildings lack a little. You also made some proportional edits on the CC which look pretty sweet. If your in the beta you should consider posting these in the battlenet beta forums

[Alterran]

I like the changes you made

[Genopath]

The hellion needs to change in someway, it just sucks. Also I would to have the old brood lord model.

[Kaiser]

Love the edits, I think the Terran buildings should look like that.

[ZealotPowerade]

Nice edits man. I'm pretty happy with the graphics atm, but your edits definitely give off that metallic shine the Terran buildings lack a little. You also made some proportional edits on the CC which look pretty sweet. If your in the beta you should consider posting these in the battlenet beta forums

Overall I'm pretty happy with the graphics as well. The lighting and environments feel great. Aside from a few units the Protoss as a race look like a more developed version of what they were in sc1. Kind of taking the best of what was there and pushing it forward. But the Terran seem to have branched off into a completely different direction. The buildings don't feel like the Terran I saw in sc1. Marines, marauders, siege tanks, the new addons and even the ghost academy I believe do feel like an extension of and more developed version of what was depicted in the original starcraft. While things like the starport look like some sort of snail that has big nose and small stubby feet. :P (see below) The landing gear make the starport look like it can get up and start walking around. It needs to look like a building, not a creature. :P


Image source is dragoonx's unit closeup thread and all credit goes to him for it!

-will be doing a paintover of the starport soon I think.

[Nicol Bolas]

I've made some paint overs of a couple units to start out and will probably do more in the future so keep this thread alive!

It is easy to draw something to make it look good. Drawing entails human interaction at every step of the process.

Rendering does not. Rendering has to be bound to rules, not arbitrary whims, especially if it is to look realistic. The rules of lighting do not suddenly become different just because you're looking at a different part of the model, which is what your drawing suggests should happen.

Drawing takes place from one angle; rendering is angle independent. How does your drawing look when it is rotated? When it is viewed more from the top than from the front?

In short, how would you integrate these drawn-in additions into the rules of a 3D rendering system?

[SebiAlex]

It is easy to draw something to make it look good. Drawing entails human interaction at every step of the process.

Rendering does not. Rendering has to be bound to rules, not arbitrary whims, especially if it is to look realistic. The rules of lighting do not suddenly become different just because you're looking at a different part of the model, which is what your drawing suggests should happen.

Drawing takes place from one angle; rendering is angle independent. How does your drawing look when it is rotated? When it is viewed more from the top than from the front?

In short, how would you integrate these drawn-in additions into the rules of a 3D rendering system?

Well, they should revise their shaders, play around the specular and gloss levels, or with the maps for those shaders. They did that for the zerg , they can do it for the terran.

[ZealotPowerade]

To be honest, I don't have any experience with blizzard's engine but I do work with 3d quite often. My paint overs aren't meant to be accurate but instead are meant to convey an idea. Unreal III has some very nice examples of the kind of texturing I am talking about. I realize that we probably can't compare SC2's engine to that of unreal III as they are built for completely different game types but I would think that the creative minds who sit around and rewrite the code for self shadowing on trees (as tweeted about a few weeks ago) can probably cook something up to generate this sort of effect.

Also, another thing is that my changes aren't done to the model so much as they are done to the textures. The proportion changes made to the command center would be quite simple to make as well. However this doesn't account for the animations currently tied to the command center. That would be a little tougher. If I worked at blizzard I would probably be begging to spend my free time making these kind of changes. :P

I work in the video game industry so as I make these changes I do try to think about what is and isn't possible with 3d. Of course since I don't know blizzard's pipeline I could be completely wrong about what is and isn't possible. But they have said in the past that it is very easy to get new art into the engine.

-ZP

[GRUNT]

Those are some very skillful paintovers, and they certainly look good :]. However, I kinda like the way Terran stuff looks at the moment. I feel that the dull metal look suits Terrans and that the shinier stuff should be left to the Protoss .