Saw the teaser releases today centering around character creation. I was left with an impression that was pretty powerful, so I wanted to share it with the creating artists. I realize this is early days yet, but what struck me forcefully about the heads and faces I've seen so far in the teaser portraits was that every single one of the characters either looked miserable & very unhappy with his/her lot, or else pouty (bottom lip protruding) like maybe a spoiled brat unused to being told "No!" or with a distinctly childish attitude. What both my wife and I noticed about the characters right off was that a dull sort of general unhappiness/misery seemed to pervade them. Thing was they were *all* that way...;) I know that BG3 is going to be dark, and that's fine--preferable, even--to a story that's so bright it hurts at times and doesn't seem real. But I hope the characters will look as if they have some life in them--some enthusiasm for their fortes or their abilities specialties. Take the dwarf, as an example--I thought the artwork was really great, btw--but there was no amused "sparkle" in his eyes or expression, as if he was singing within himself a work tune that only dwarves might sing--ribald good humor. A zest for life that dwarves are reputed for, etc. No liveliness.
The faces I saw were flat--dull, boring, and uninspiring frankly. Character creation should in my view not be a purely mechanical process like Dr. Frankenstein adding dead limbs to his monster. Giving these characters *depth* and dimension is needed badly--the whole being more than the sum of its parts, etc. Not everyone has to look angry, mad at the world, depressed (let's leave "bi-polar" and "manic depression" in
this world...;)) and so on. A few of those characters beside a few positive personalities would present a great and lively contrast--adding in much more of that all-important "suspension of disbelief" that Bacon wrote about...
But, anyway, I know this is an Early Look and all of this may already be on tap to do. But it was a powerful impression my wife and I both had and so I thought I'd pass the suggestion on!
Really looking forward to BG3...
