I'm still super reluctant to go there. I mean I do think it is entirely possible that some of that thinking was at work perhaps, or at work at one point, but if that's the case it would still require some significant extra attention on the developer's part for it to really carry, or to be a worthwhile choice for a visualization in that case. The only way something like that works in my view is if I open the BG3 IMDB page and immediately see a bunch of actual and recognizable actors there, you know what I mean. Or I don't know, say if they set up a temp branch consulting office in La Joya, CA (or if there is a similar place in England?) where they could call in some experts to do the due diligence on that? They could work with the DAAA even for like Mocap stuff to raise that profile (again I'm in the States, I don't what they'd have access too over there across the pond, but probably something through NIH maybe?) And then put in all the same sort of work on that they might for a variant model for the Human archetypes.
I feel like Hasbro and the Wizards would just never touch that though, cause they'd be too afraid of potential fallout on that front. I think it could be done, but to be done well requires a lot more. Main sticking point I think in that instance would be something along the lines of, "did they hook anybody with some work?" Cause if they did, then it's pretty different right. Then the whole script flips. Then the answer is easy. They'd just point to the actors they hired and say, you know what, we took that into account pr at least really tried to and hoped to raise the profile by talking directly to the people we had on payroll. Like in an open casting call sorta deal or in conversation with the people who'd be most invested there. But I just feel like that's not going to happen. It might be cool if it did, but feels unlikely. If it ends up being some kind of game of the year situation, where they could leverage that to actually move the needle on some stuff, then it would probably deserve the plaudits for inviting that more meaningful conversation. As it stands, I'd probably just keep it well within the realm of the fantastical. The same way they approach Tiefs or Githyanki or Dragonborn, as just a completely different sort of concept from the ground up.
ps. oh to the below... I was mainly responding there to my earlier thought in the thread (sorry I always do that) but I meant like if they had hired an achon actor or something to do the mocap with a nod to the actor who portrayed the character carried into the modelling for particular NPCs or something along those line? Since I'm not sure if that might have been the case or not. But I couldn't find any info, and just don't think it was really that. You're right I'm sure I'm drifting too far into intentionality there. Basically if they made Roah into say fantasy race Human as an alt body type, to preserve the current character depiction on certain NPCs, then I still think they need to do a bit more work in the modelling for that to really carry I guess was my thought. Although I think the halfling characters were probably invented rather than roto capped up here as the basis. Although my guesses on the VA work for the custom Tavs were totally off the other day, so now I'd second guess myself on this one too. I think Roah still looks like a fantasy Dwarf though, and she could probably slot in there if they wanted to keep the same basic vibe on everything for her, while totally redoing Halfling Tavs or a Helia companion, to be like way smaller. Or else maybe just shrinking the models for characters like Roah or Arron and rescaling from there? I really think 6 heads tall, or 6.5 might work well enough, with some work on the torso to limb proportions. I'm not sure what we'll get, if anything, but I also haven't seen any mods yet for the Halflings until that Reduce size mod post above, which seemed cool! Much closer to what what I was hoping for with Halflings. Just smaller basically, by a fair bit.
pps. afterthought, again sorry, my thinking is ever sorta disjointed and typing is the same for me lol. But at least with regard to the male halflings, all you really gotta do is put the ridiculous long beard on any of them, and they are instantly fantastic (albeit slightly smaller) archetypal fantasy Dwarves. If you take Arron and put him in some whisker's there is no mistaking that dude for an excellent fantasy Dwarf. Perhaps with a name like Arron Stoneclever of the Woodland Dwarve or something? I mean that could do - and maybe his whole deal is to help shape the stones around the Grove by using the running river water. Maybe he has some Halfling or Gnome great ancestor and sometimes the beard just skips a generation like that. Or maybe he sacrificed his beard in some ritual to Silvanus or whatever. It could probably be easily explained. If he was a Dwarf then it would make more sense how he's sorta hording all the supplies and being extra avaricious in the haggles, cause that's always a hallmark of D&D dwarves right? So it sorta works on a story angle too I think if they went that way. I tried just now rolling up a number of bearded Halflings and every single one makes for a pretty glorious Dwarf, even with the handlebars and the mustachios and such. I mean it's all right there, and they even look kinda cooler as Dwarves to me standing next to larger Dwarves like Nettie. I made one a necromancer and I might keep him around just to cast reduce on Arron and see how that version feels. But at the moment I think most of the Halfling models could basically be switched to Dwarves pretty readily. The heads are just too large for me to buy off on the size small as a Halfling. A Gnome in a helmet feels much the same, but the Gnomes are so well done storywise that I totally give them a pass, like they're fine. Just focus on the Halflings basically, the others are pretty solid. It'd be nice to have more phenotypes for all, but I think the Halfling makes the most sense to dial down.
