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If I could have made this a poll, I would have.

As the previews have indicated, this game will be driven a lot by the character interactions between the two main characters, and how they relate to each other.

Despite what everyone wishes for, time and money are always going to be factors in allocating resources. My question to you, the forum reader is this:

If you had to make a decision, would you prefer to see:

A) a wider variety of static portraits for the two main characters, so you could customize the appearance of them to your liking? (Greater customizability)


or B) One basic character design for each character, but a wider variety of expressions (happy, angry, joking) so the characters seem more alive? (Greater expressions)


Personally, while it's nice to have options for different faces, I would vote for B, because it would help me connect to the characters more. What do you think?

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A - The characters are going to be at best a couple inches high, anyway, and unless there is an option not to display helmets, hair and faces will be mostly irrelevant. There might as well be customization for the few times you actually see your characters up close, like maybe in the equipment window.

Option B would make sense if there were a lot of closeups during conversations (not the case in what I have seen so far, and I'm not sure if zooming in would work well) or cutscenes.

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I'm not sure what do you mean? DOS features isometric camera and PoV for the viewer/player, you can't really see aspects of their expressions and emotions. Unless you are talking about character portrait during dialogs? Like in jRPG/visual novel games - the tone of the dialogs/sentence being reflected/supported by one-moment emotion?

Last edited by Kein; 28/10/12 01:23 PM.
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I vote for option B smile

In dialogs you can place a miniature picture by each dialog option with different expressions so you can have "an idea" about the outcome of that dialog option ...
I believe Stabbey has something like this in mind ... wink




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Originally Posted by Kein
I'm not sure what do you mean? DOS features isometric camera and PoV for the viewer/player, you can't really see aspects of their expressions and emotions. Unless you are talking about character portrait during dialogs? Like in jRPG/visual novel games - the tone of the dialogs/sentence being reflected/supported by one-moment emotion?


Yes, the character portrait during dialogue. The expression on the 3D model isn't likely to be seen and doesn't matter much.

The previews for this game suggest that dialogue with the other character is frequent and that will also affect the ending, which is why I think different expressions would help connect the player to the characters they control better.

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I like the couple of main characters so I will not change them. Which means it is option B for me. Furthermore, because great part of the game is based on social interraction, the game immersion will be better !


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depends on what the game targets.

If it is single player based (2-4 coop included), it doesn't really matter. More portraits/models win as I roleplay as my character looks like (as she looks like as she lived before).

If they choose to go NWN1 way to access DM tools as NWN has (and that's why NWN servers are still running and filled by RP players), well, stances is what counts. By "expression" you can't imagine just smile but whole body stance. I would point to Runescape as it is also isometric but it can express MANY moods by character posture.

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Angry face in the dialog box when angry replies are avvailable etc. ? Sounds imho good.



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From what I see OS is more like the Infinity Engine games (Baldurs Gate, etc.) when it comes to character representation and interaction (via portraits) so facial expressions are a non-factor.

As for NPCs having as many unique portraits as possible, sure that'd be great.

Last edited by Jean-Luc; 08/11/12 05:42 PM.
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Agree. I personnnally think the variations of characters representation maybe a 'plus'.

As I am playing with a woman avatar, I guess the most valuable improvement maybe, more than the appearance of the NPC character or there facial expressions when talking to you, that the replies may took a little more in consideration the gender difference.

Many people interact with us and when you read many women NPC adressing you in a 'seductive' way, as you are playing a woman yourself, it's sometimes quite fun ! I felt sometimes in a wait that the NPCs took finally account of the fact that my character is a woman...

Ok, Sassane called me 'Mistress' - including in the vocal form - that's good ! One told 'Dame' (Lady), and so on. But the differences are tiny and do not avoid Evelyne (Aleroth) to take her soft caressing and seductive voice to explain how 'I' - my dear warrior-girl - makes her fool... Ahem !
That sounded truly funny.

For example, when visiting the very private masculine club of the 'Hippocampe Fringant', there was an occasion to change the dialog. For example, if Thomas the tomato had welcome my character with a kind of expression, like, maybe : 'Oh no ! A woman again ! How may I trust one more of you, tricky sorceresses !' or something like that, it would be a piece of fun !! Hehe...

Maybe there could be a little improvements in that way. hehe

Oh, and I profit to welcome the work of the translators (as you guessed, I'm playing a french version). The voices and the quality of the texts are a delight. Thanks and respects to the staff !

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Oh, and huh... Well ! Talking about the NPCs characters, one point more... Some of them are more often encountered and, maybe, could benefit of a little more richness of the available dialogs. For example : Sassane, in the War Tower. I often regret I cannot exchange a little more with her.

If, for example, I had been able to make something for her and influence eventually the way she salutes the return of my character in the Tower, that had been interesting. Even if that had no consequences on the game itself.

It's an idea hehe



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Got an idea...

In the war towers, among the helpers... Could be fun to have a fourth 'seeker', along with Tom, Dick... This fourth one maybe a girl (to change) and this one could be sent to search for formulas.
She would find them not by 'conquest' but in a more seductive way and would have no armor.

This character could replace or extend the dancer, that is not very useful.

For example, we may ask her for an enchantment OR a potion formula.
And we had to give her gold. The more gold we give, the more chance she would have to find the stuff.
When she turn back to the tower, she would have (or not) found the searched item (may be a randomly choosen item, either a formula or an enchantement).

That should improve the use of all the helpers, cause we would spend more time sending the other helpers to search valuable stuffs (for example : diamonds) in order to sell them on the market and get more gold to pay the enchantment/potion seeker.

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This leads me to a thought : 2 companions, which follow the main protagonists, marrying at one point in the game ...


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"Interplay.some zombiefied unlife thing going on there" - skavenhorde at RPGWatch
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Hm? What is the point of the companions marrying each other? wink

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Story. wink
Bantering. wink


When you find a big kettle of crazy, it's best not to stir it.
--Dilbert cartoon

"Interplay.some zombiefied unlife thing going on there" - skavenhorde at RPGWatch
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Oh, oh, are we talking about Dragon Age!?

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Originally Posted by AlrikFassbauer
This leads me to a thought : 2 companions, which follow the main protagonists, marrying at one point in the game ...

Khalid & Jaheira?

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Having both (several faces with expressions) in game would be ideal, of course, but since a vote is required, I'd pick option B.

Maybe could other faces be modded in at a later time ?

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Depends on how visible they'll be and how fully the characters are fleshed out. If they're fleshed out very well and it can be said that they have a set personality and history that doesn't require the player to fill in the blanks on their own, then having a set face and a range of expressions is clearly the way to go. If instead the character is more of a blank slate, then many different faces is the way to go.


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