I think they are referring to textures that look or almost look hand-drawn. For me, what they call "painted landscapes" is just better graphics for 1998, but poor quality ones by today's standards. Then again, maybe look to Pillars of Eternity for more current examples ... even though they don't seem as "painted" as BG3. But it's all so vague and subjective, I don't think anyone really knows.
Huh
I thought they meant that all the backgrounds assets where places by hand or something. I mean, it is obviously assets that are used many many times in different places.
I don't think it refers to the style really. Would be the first time I see that.
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I will try to find information. But the Infinity Engine of BG1/2 uses pre-rendered 2D backgrounds, which are painted with hand-drawn textures. For example, you can see repeating textures in grass, but those textures are hand-painted. You can see that the trees are hand painted 2d artwork that is then painted into the environment with a brush. Then, after the 2D environments are painted, another coder goes around and draws the collision maps which block out the base of trees (you can see this collision map in the "map overlay" think in the EE), or the depths of walls. Then, the "z axis" stuff is layered and opaqued above so that it fades out when you walk "beneath it".
Each "tile" of the map is about one screen size at medium zoom, they painted the maps one "tile" at a time, and every map is a large 2D planar environment with what is called "trompe l'oiel" or trick of the eye to make it seem 3d.
I've studied BG in art history class in university. I am from Edmonton, so I kind of had more direct access to old Bioware before they dissolved and became an E.A. cancer mill.
