Larian Studios
Posted By: Muslim Character portraits & Dual-swordsman - 04/04/14 09:16 AM
The game is heavily changed and become much more pleasant to the eye for you thank you so much ...

But here are two things do not give me no rest :

First : it does not fit the profile and image of my fighter , looks very uncomfortable when I create a white-haired character with a mustache and a portrait for it does not correspond. It is very uncomfortable looks visually , whether you plan to add more portraits to the game ? Although to be honest it would be ideal to see your character portrait that I 'm not talking about the animation or change the avatar ( put on a helmet and helmet appeared on avatar ) , but at least after creating a character to make it as an avatar picture ... then playing with a friend is visually it is clear that this one redhead barbel now says ... I think it adds character perception .

Second : I still do not know how things are going with dual-swords. For me it's the perfect character , and I really hope that I will have the opportunity to create dual-swordsman shoot lightning . I've seen that so many people believe the same forum so I think making such a possibility you will please many of his fans. (and I would also like to clarify that there are projects that make a stub, creating dual-swordsman giving only use two daggers, I'd like to see in your project is the use of dual swords)

Please do not post my questions without attention ... thank you for what you do ...
Posted By: motoko Re: Character portraits & Dual-swordsman - 04/04/14 09:28 AM
To be honest it was really too hard for me to understand your second point (english is not my native language so that could it be). So I only can comment on your first point.

And I agree with it. hehe Yesterday I created my two chars and I couldn't find a fitting portrait. I would love to see the technic from other games like World of Warcraft or Guild Wars 2 (I know both MMORPGs ^^) here in D:OS. A 3D-rendered picture of my actual character. If its to much of a workload to do a live picture with equipment a simple screenshot at the end of character customization would be enough for me.
Posted By: Muslim Re: Character portraits & Dual-swordsman - 04/04/14 09:42 AM
For me, too, English is not their native language, I hope the developers will understand the second question.
I wanted to say that I wanted to create a character who can use two swords.
Posted By: Chaotica Re: Character portraits & Dual-swordsman - 04/04/14 09:52 AM
same same about the portrait, it is really odd
Posted By: ForkTong Re: Character portraits & Dual-swordsman - 04/04/14 09:58 AM
We still need to add more portraits, don't worry smile

Dual wielding is not planned for release.
Posted By: Muslim Re: Character portraits & Dual-swordsman - 04/04/14 10:07 AM
Originally Posted by ForkTong
Dual wielding is not planned for release.


I was very upsetting frown actually it looks very strange, because if you look at one blow with a dagger in his hand hitting the animation is how double strike, although in the end is only one weapon ... for me it is not very understandable.
Posted By: motoko Re: Character portraits & Dual-swordsman - 04/04/14 10:17 AM
Originally Posted by ForkTong
We still need to add more portraits, don't worry smile


So it will still be the painted portrait method?

(Attention: made up numbers! ^^)
Say we have 15 skin tones, 8 face types, 12 hair types and 14 hair colors, that would mean we need 15*8*12*14 = 20160 portraits to have one for each combination. That would be a lot(!) of portraits. hehe How will you handle this (because I don't believe you will paint 20160 portraits *g*) circumstance?
Posted By: Muslim Re: Character portraits & Dual-swordsman - 04/04/14 10:23 AM
Originally Posted by motoko
Originally Posted by ForkTong
We still need to add more portraits, don't worry smile


So it will still be the painted portrait method?

(Attention: made up numbers! ^^)
Say we have 15 skin tones, 8 face types, 12 hair types and 14 hair colors, that would mean we need 15*8*12*14 = 20160 portraits to have one for each combination. That would be a lot(!) of portraits. hehe How will you handle this (because I don't believe you will paint 20160 portraits *g*) circumstance?


It is for this than to draw portraits less similar to most of that user can create a lot easier to charge after the character generation of programmers to create a screenshot of the face and put it in place avatars.
I myself am a programmer and understand what I'm saying, it's not technical problems or routine work, it is only a matter of do or not.

It seems to me that such a small function is extremely endorsed by all the fans of the game
Posted By: Tabeha Re: Character portraits & Dual-swordsman - 04/04/14 10:37 AM
I think the decision of going with painted portraits was a bad one. I'd rather have them remove it and display only the name than forcing one to follow a specific look, simply because there is not the right picture for your desired appearance.
The whole character-creation-editor-thing is weird and lackluster.
Posted By: Fanest Re: Character portraits & Dual-swordsman - 04/04/14 10:49 AM
Originally Posted by Tabeha
I think the decision of going with painted portraits was a bad one. I'd rather have them remove it and display only the name than forcing one to follow a specific look, simply because there is not the right picture for your desired appearance.
The whole character-creation-editor-thing is weird and lackluster.


nah i dont agree with u, what they could do to avoid doing all avatars is that they simply take a pic of your face in character creation window and replace it with avatar pic - similar to NWN2
Posted By: Tabeha Re: Character portraits & Dual-swordsman - 04/04/14 10:59 AM
Originally Posted by Fanest
Originally Posted by Tabeha
I think the decision of going with painted portraits was a bad one. I'd rather have them remove it and display only the name than forcing one to follow a specific look, simply because there is not the right picture for your desired appearance.
The whole character-creation-editor-thing is weird and lackluster.


nah i dont agree with u, what they could do to avoid doing all avatars is that they simply take a pic of your face in character creation window and replace it with avatar pic - similar to NWN2


Wouldn't that break the style of the game? Isn't it kind of odd when the player characters have 3D models as avatars while everyone else is stuck with painted ones? It's more of a soft push to have only the names displayed.
Posted By: Muslim Re: Character portraits & Dual-swordsman - 04/04/14 11:05 AM
Originally Posted by Tabeha
Wouldn't that break the style of the game? Isn't it kind of odd when the player characters have 3D models as avatars while everyone else is stuck with painted ones? It's more of a soft push to have only the names displayed.


3D character models will look out of place. Avatars must be 2D that would not spoil the overall style of the game, they read must be established on the basis of established character and not be selected separately.
Here in this request only
So far, all 3D character portraits to me look... off and ugly.
I much prefer a stylistic drawn portrait over that dreck, even if it may vary slightly from my chosen look.
Posted By: Fanest Re: Character portraits & Dual-swordsman - 04/04/14 11:28 AM
if u take a screenshot of face in character building window u get 2D so u dont really need 3D animation in avatar.
Posted By: Tabeha Re: Character portraits & Dual-swordsman - 04/04/14 11:39 AM
Originally Posted by Fanest
if u take a screenshot of face in character building window u get 2D so u dont really need 3D animation in avatar.


That's not the point. We're not talking about actually animating the avatar but the fact, that a screenshot next to a PAINTED picture is completely different in appearance and feeling. I agree with Hassat here that it looks off and ugly.
Posted By: motoko Re: Character portraits & Dual-swordsman - 04/04/14 01:52 PM
For me (and I can only speak for me smile ) it is out of question: I like the painted Portraits a lot more than the 3d rendered. My concern is that it is a lot of work to paint 50 portraits. And it is a lot of work during the character customization to click through 50 Images to find the matching. And then again with 50 (just a number I imagined :)) Images you won't get every possible combination of Skin tone, hair color, face type and hair type. Even (becuase of similarity) if you reduce skin tones to 5, hair color to 8, faces to 4 and hair types to 4 you get 640 combinations.

So at the end I like the painted more. But if that means I can't find the matching portrait for my customized char then I would prefer 3d rendered Pictures. smile But as said at the beginning that is only my preferation.
Posted By: Gyson Re: Character portraits & Dual-swordsman - 04/04/14 03:02 PM
Originally Posted by Tabeha
Originally Posted by Fanest
if u take a screenshot of face in character building window u get 2D so u dont really need 3D animation in avatar.


That's not the point. We're not talking about actually animating the avatar but the fact, that a screenshot next to a PAINTED picture is completely different in appearance and feeling. I agree with Hassat here that it looks off and ugly.


I don't really understand this complaint as your actual avatar (and the environment) is in 3D, and yet still manages to fit the look of the game.

Doing a handpainted avatar of every possible hairstlye, hair color, skin color, face choice, and beard combination is a crazy amount of work. A screenshot of your head from character creation would be a lot easier, and a lot more accurate. If the artists have done their job in make sure the artwork for the 3D avatars fits the look and feel of the game (and they seem to), then there shouldn't be a problem. Especially if the game does some post processing on it to give a more painted look.
Posted By: Tabeha Re: Character portraits & Dual-swordsman - 04/04/14 04:22 PM
Originally Posted by Gyson
Originally Posted by Tabeha
Originally Posted by Fanest
if u take a screenshot of face in character building window u get 2D so u dont really need 3D animation in avatar.


That's not the point. We're not talking about actually animating the avatar but the fact, that a screenshot next to a PAINTED picture is completely different in appearance and feeling. I agree with Hassat here that it looks off and ugly.


I don't really understand this complaint as your actual avatar (and the environment) is in 3D, and yet still manages to fit the look of the game.

Doing a handpainted avatar of every possible hairstlye, hair color, skin color, face choice, and beard combination is a crazy amount of work. A screenshot of your head from character creation would be a lot easier, and a lot more accurate. If the artists have done their job in make sure the artwork for the 3D avatars fits the look and feel of the game (and they seem to), then there shouldn't be a problem. Especially if the game does some post processing on it to give a more painted look.


All the portraits in the game are painted and it might look out of place if the player characters are not.
But whatever, if they put some effort in it and make it look similiar to the rest of the avatars then I'm fine with it.
Posted By: Muslim Re: Character portraits & Dual-swordsman - 07/04/14 10:02 AM
Good afternoon again staff "Larian Studios", my question was lost in Topeka and bugs remained unanswered, but I would still like to have that answered my question is the official representative of "Larian Studios".
First I want to apologize for my English , my native language is Russian .
I also paid to play very little time paying attention only on the mechanics and appearance, all because he did not want to deprive yourself of pleasure and enjoy investigating the history of the world in a place with my boyfriend after the official release of the game.

First, is that today I have not found a way to use two weapons simultaneously. Even two daggers can not pick up even one hit animation when it looks like a dagger shot two guns .
I would very much like to see a fight with two swords , and that would not spoil and do not adjust to fit his balance , I offer you this arithmetic :
Greatsword is (approximately ) 150 % damage from hitting the same level of one-handed sword.
Let using two swords - the second sword does only 50 % damage and then get about the same for the balance . But give rampant player dreams ( like me) to create combat mage with two swords ...

Please, I would like to see a small comment Representative "Larian Studios" that if we can expect this in the future? if there are problems then what are they? balance? engine? Animation? I would at least what may be the answer to get from people who know ...


Second, it is still the case for avatars . And this problem is much more important as creating two characters I have to remember that when dialogues Behold this avatar bald man with tattoos - actually belongs to my red-haired and bearded fighter , but this is short - cropped black hair on the avatar - in fact my mage with long white hair ...
This is not terribly comfortable and looks stupid if to regain its role in the game as unbalanced psycho avaricious character , the first psychosis begins at the stage of their own avatars which clearly has nothing to do with my character smile

Being a programmer and a little understanding of your kitchen studio, I would like to ask you to do the automatic creation of avatars means screenshot created character . It actually raise immersion in the game and facilitate understanding of dialogues ( who owns what dialogue ) .
I note that your game has the ability to connect to a stranger and help the player to play the role of his running mate . Only here at the first dialogue , any player may hang trying to figure out who owns the avatar ...

Please do not leave my questions unanswered, really looking forward to comments from your employees , and very grateful to you for your work . You create a really great game that I look forward to.
Posted By: Mikus Re: Character portraits & Dual-swordsman - 07/04/14 10:39 AM
Muslim: Larian did already answer your first point; dual-wielding (i.e. combat with two swords) will definitely not be in the game:

Originally Posted by ForkTong
Dual wielding is not planned for release.


Have to admit I'm a little disappointed myself, but not surprised - adding such a balance-changing feature at this late stage would be a lot of work.
Posted By: motoko Re: Character portraits & Dual-swordsman - 07/04/14 10:42 AM
And they answered your second point as well:
Originally Posted by ForkTong
We still need to add more portraits, don't worry smile


I still see some problems with it (not a matching portrait for every combination), but it's a valid answer. smile
Posted By: Muslim Re: Character portraits & Dual-swordsman - 29/04/14 10:17 AM
new update came out but unfortunately I have not seen any steps to solve the problem avatars.
Can you tell if you have plans to solve this problem? or your solution will just draw some unneeded avatars by hand?
Posted By: Fedayin Re: Character portraits & Dual-swordsman - 29/04/14 05:04 PM
Cant they just filter out the haircolor? For example you have a certain portrait which matches the character, but you changed the haircolor/skincolor, and the the color of the hair/skin in the portrait changes. I mean this would need probably some photoshoping to get a template per character, by just cleaning up the current ones and than apply a color filter on the hair/skin ?

ps : I prefer the portraits above 3d faces.... For example Spellforce 2, didn't like that.
Posted By: LordCrash Re: Character portraits & Dual-swordsman - 30/04/14 01:55 PM
Will it be possible to bring own portraits to the game? I think it shouldn't be too difficult to add the possiblity and it would be a nice addition to the already great set of functionalities. smile
Posted By: Muslim Re: Character portraits & Dual-swordsman - 30/04/14 02:28 PM
Originally Posted by LordCrash
Will it be possible to bring own portraits to the game? I think it shouldn't be too difficult to add the possiblity and it would be a nice addition to the already great set of functionalities. smile


it will not solve problems in the confusion of characters, and to connect to your game is not understood which of the characters belongs to a flag or a spoon on the avatar.
In my opinion the only correct solution - to a screenshot of the character when it is created.

Originally Posted by Fedayin
Cant they just filter out the haircolor? For example you have a certain portrait which matches the character, but you changed the haircolor/skincolor, and the the color of the hair/skin in the portrait changes. I mean this would need probably some photoshoping to get a template per character, by just cleaning up the current ones and than apply a color filter on the hair/skin ?

ps : I prefer the portraits above 3d faces.... For example Spellforce 2, didn't like that.


my English is not giving me to understand what you wrote frown
Posted By: LordCrash Re: Character portraits & Dual-swordsman - 30/04/14 02:50 PM
Originally Posted by Muslim
Originally Posted by LordCrash
Will it be possible to bring own portraits to the game? I think it shouldn't be too difficult to add the possiblity and it would be a nice addition to the already great set of functionalities. smile


it will not solve problems in the confusion of characters, and to connect to your game is not understood which of the characters belongs to a flag or a spoon on the avatar.
In my opinion the only correct solution - to a screenshot of the character when it is created.

Which confusion??? Pre-made avatars work since the Infinty engine games. I don't understand the problem after all...

Posted By: Muslim Re: Character portraits & Dual-swordsman - 30/04/14 03:13 PM
Originally Posted by LordCrash
Which confusion??? Pre-made avatars work since the Infinty engine games. I don't understand the problem after all...


The problem is that you need to understand what a game "Divinity".
This game not "Diablo 3" and there is no target level up your character as quickly as possible and stronger.
Game "Divinity" mimics table games , so here aim to play your character, and therefore should be full immersion .
But when you are plugging into the game the other person who created two characters ( Knight and Witch ) and they are avatars (one " hippopotamus " and the other "city " ) in this circus to understand who says what and who your character?

All decisions of the studio "Larian" must start not from the infinite functional , and the idea of the game is aiming ...
Posted By: LordCrash Re: Character portraits & Dual-swordsman - 30/04/14 03:22 PM
Originally Posted by Muslim
Originally Posted by LordCrash
Which confusion??? Pre-made avatars work since the Infinty engine games. I don't understand the problem after all...


The problem is that you need to understand what a game "Divinity".
This game not "Diablo 3" and there is no target level up your character as quickly as possible and stronger.
Game "Divinity" mimics table games , so here aim to play your character, and therefore should be full immersion .
But when you are plugging into the game the other person who created two characters ( Knight and Witch ) and they are avatars (one " hippopotamus " and the other "city " ) in this circus to understand who says what and who your character?

All decisions of the studio "Larian" must start not from the infinite functional , and the idea of the game is aiming ...

I still don't fully understand your point I fear but I will try to answer to it nevertheless...

First, I don't speak about Diablo, I speak about Infinity engine games. If you don't know what that is please look it up. There is a big difference between them. D:OS is in fact much like the classic Infinity engine games in many aspects....

Sceond, my suggestion to be able to include own portraits would add more flexibility and immersion without sacrificing the artistic look and feel of pre-painted portraits. You could just create your own portrait in photoshop fitting the character you created at the beginning of the game or took one from various sites on the internet or even from other games (like the mentioned Infinity engine games...)

And of course in co-op you have to take whatever portrait the host created for his avatars (that's just one of the effects of the hop-on, hop-off co-op concept). The only option to prevent that is to start the whole campaign in co-op together which allows you as the one not hosting the game to choose your own character and fitting portait.
Originally Posted by Fedayin
Cant they just filter out the haircolor?


Please not... I rather find a nice portrait... doesn't matter if it matches 100% with the ingame avatar.
Posted By: Fedayin Re: Character portraits & Dual-swordsman - 02/05/14 10:27 AM
Originally Posted by Hassat Hunter
Originally Posted by Fedayin
Cant they just filter out the haircolor?


Please not... I rather find a nice portrait... doesn't matter if it matches 100% with the ingame avatar.


Quality of the portrait should remain the same if done correctly
Posted By: warg Re: Character portraits & Dual-swordsman - 02/05/14 11:18 AM
Originally Posted by Fedayin
Originally Posted by Hassat Hunter
Originally Posted by Fedayin
Cant they just filter out the haircolor?


Please not... I rather find a nice portrait... doesn't matter if it matches 100% with the ingame avatar.


Quality of the portrait should remain the same if done correctly


Hm I think this would mean too much work for a little cosmetic advantage. If I can choose it is better to be able to add our own avatar and we make it look how we want.
I'm not only talking about quality, I am talking about that I might not even *want* the portrait and avatar to look the same.
Something all suggestions here would make impossible.
Posted By: LordCrash Re: Character portraits & Dual-swordsman - 02/05/14 12:39 PM
Originally Posted by Hassat Hunter
I'm not only talking about quality, I am talking about that I might not even *want* the portrait and avatar to look the same.
Something all suggestions here would make impossible.

Not mine!

If you were able to import own avatars in a certain format you would have all the freedom like before just with even more possibilities! smile
Posted By: Fedayin Re: Character portraits & Dual-swordsman - 02/05/14 03:38 PM
On the bright side of all that work, they could license the code to others
Yup... I like it like that, LordCrash... same way Pillars of Eternity will work, just like the old Infinity Engine games (Baldur's Gate, IceWind Dale).
It really looks extremely better than 3D portraits I can't imagine anyone actually *wanting* that...
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