Idea for unit portraits

[Pandonetho]

Actually I said don't bother adding it because hardly anyone's going to notice it. 'Don't bother', not 'why bother', there's a difference there.

Dude, same thing. Why bother adding it? No one's going to notice. No one's going to notice, don't bother adding it. Same meaning.

Saying about that now won't make a difference because it's already in. This isn't in yet, so I can still hold an opinion on it.

Right then, so I'll just accept that if a topic was brought up about the Hydralisk's melee animation before it was added in, you would've been against it, and it would have been added anyway.

[MattII]

Dude, same thing. Why bother adding it? No one's going to notice. No one's going to notice, don't bother adding it. Same meaning.

Actually, no it's not, 'why bother' means you don't care whether it happens or not, 'don't bother' means you do care, but disagree with it, if you can't tell the difference you need to learn it.

Right then, so I'll just accept that if a topic was brought up about the Hydralisk's melee animation before it was added in, you would've been against it, and it would have been added anyway.

Something like that, yes.

[Sheliek]

This argument is pointless, and is a waste of space.

[Triceron]

Pando

If I asked you if Strawberry flavoured Ice Cream was your favourite, and you said no, that means you hate it?

You're using that same logic right now.

[Pandonetho]

You're using that same logic right now.

Hm? I could've sworn you were against these background animations because it would be apparently to you a waste of time and not worth the effort.

I think small things like these are worth the effort, and make the game more enjoyable.
Like a Hydralisk's melee animation.

[Triceron]

Yet you're using binary logic, thinking that if they can be added, they should be.

It's not as easy as a 'yes' or 'no'.

[FaceHead]

Effort put in to the game pays off, despite your minuscule opinion regarding it's 'inferior' position in the game.

"Pointless" things in-game, which have nevertheless improved the game-play experience:
Map doodads (many of them)
Multiple unit voice replies for the same action
Animated unit-portraits
Different GUIs for each race
Critters

This list could go on.

If Blizzard were to get their graphics guys to spend a day merely changing the lighting style and weather effects, nobody would complain that the inclusion was unnecessary, yet many nods of approval from those who agree with additional detail, would ensue.

[Triceron]

Yet I can tell you from experience that such changes can not be done in a day.

I speak with the knowledge of what it takes to get what is being asked of and represented in game, from both professional and modding experience. I've set up cameras for portraits for units in Warcraft 3, Dawn of War and more.

To set up a dynamic background that is dependant on the map tileset for units that have a background, is already a chore. Factor in that some units are static while others are moving (mutalisk), and you will have to make a custom animated background for those, meaning twice the work. Rinse and repeat for each tileset. This isn't something you can half-ass either. If you add a custom background for one unit portrait, you will have to apply it to ALL applicable unit portraits. We know well enough Blizzard won't put in a feature if they don't get it right.

The time it takes to do all of this could well be spent in other areas of the game that could use attention.

To put it simply, you're changing the upholstery in a car when it needs a new paintjob.

[FaceHead]

Yet I can tell you from experience that such changes can not be done in a day.

I speak with the knowledge of what it takes to get what is being asked of and represented in game, from both professional and modding experience. I've set up cameras for portraits for units in Warcraft 3, Dawn of War and more.

To set up a dynamic background that is dependant on the map tileset for units that have a background, is already a chore. Factor in that some units are static while others are moving (mutalisk), and you will have to make a custom animated background for those, meaning twice the work. Rinse and repeat for each tileset. This isn't something you can half-ass either. If you add a custom background for one unit portrait, you will have to apply it to ALL applicable unit portraits. We know well enough Blizzard won't put in a feature if they don't get it right.

The time it takes to do all of this could well be spent in other areas of the game that could use attention.

To put it simply, you're changing the upholstery in a car when it needs a new paintjob.

I believe you've got the wrong impression on what this idea is. Adding a variable to the lighting of the scene is no heavy task. Having experience myself with 3D modelling and rendering, I can say that it is not too difficult to create a few different scenes (same camera) with different light settings. Orange-ish for desert, cyan/white for snow, etc. The background would not be animated, obviously that would be far too much effort for a small square of screen space. Again, changing a few parameters which vary in dependence to the map-style, would not be such a time-consuming task.

[n00bonicPlague]

I, for one, fully appreciate the space backgrounds in many of SC1's flying units' protraits.