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What do you think about the stylistic change? (Patreon)

Published:
2015-12-05 23:09:16
Imported:
2020-10

Content

http://strawpoll.me/6188389


So, many of you have probably seen the new sprites by now. If you haven't, check out the attachments.


A few months ago our original sprite artist grew busy with life and we had to move on to something new. Howly, the writer, became interested in a more expressive, cartoony style. His reasons are that the characters are antithetical, innocent to the world they live in. It's a polarizing choice, but it's there for a reason. We've had some good feedback, but some bad as well.


So we wanted you, our patrons, to give us your opinion on how you feel about this style. Also, we're not saying this will bring about any big change, so please don't manipulate the poll like we've seen in the past. We just want an honest overview on the feelings of our patrons.


If you want to expand on your decision, please leave feedback in the comments! We can definitely work on issues you might have if it pertains to coloring, expression, or posing.

Files

Straw Poll

Comments

Sign Dhole

I don't know how you did it, but you managed to achieve the effect you were looking for AND have the looks fit into the feel that Echo gives. I'm definitely voting positive.

Anonymous

I just started supporting the game about 2 days ago so I never really got used to the old sprites. But I do like the new sprites. Carl doesn't seem like he's large enough for the way the other characters make fun of him, although that could be the baggy clothes... All in all I like the new sprites! Edit: I'm saying that I like the art style of the new sprites. If the expressions were going to stay like this throughout the entire game then no, it doesn't work with the atmosphere. I'm assuming, however, that the characters will have different expressions for different scenes later on down the road and I'm hoping that the sprites will look a little more somber and dark for these encounters. But for the happy fun scenes I do like the new sprites and all in all I like the art style. It gives them more personality rather than having stagnant characters that only seem to have one emotion. And these happy sprites will make the intense scenes quite a bit more emotional if they change expressions from happy and playful to sad/confused/angry/ect... So again, I do like the art style and as long as the expressions become dark it works for what you're trying to go for.

Anonymous

First time to see them. Sorry, voting negative because out of all the offered potential artwork from the various artists, this is the most meh-worthy. People complained in the past about how "cartoony" the other ones were, and none of the others really bothered me. I would've been fine with any of other artists previously shown. I voiced approval for some of them even. I'm not even attached to the originals because I knew upfront their designs were just placeholders. But this is frankly by far the most cartoony looking batch to me, to an almost absurd degree that I wouldn't take any somber bits of the story seriously. Jenna's bug-eyed chihuahua look just made me laugh. Same with Leo's dementedly manic rocket raccoon-esque look (which doesn't emit a single inkling of 'strength' despite being the jock of the group), Flynn's comically wide head, and TJ's overly emaciated appearance. Carl was the only one not immediately to cause snorting scoffs of derisive laughter and even then, it just evoked an uncaring 'eh' as the juxtaposition with the overly cartoonish look of others just makes him a big old pile of blandness even if there's nothing extremely wrong or offputting about it.

afoxbutt

I voted negative. I don't even mind the shift in art direction, I just feel that these sprites in particular just seem wonky to me. As mentioned before, I doubt that I would be able to take them while going through the game. I'm not sure if it's just me, but the faces on them just seem kinda... off? Especially TJ, whose eyes look really creepy, and it kinda looks like he has a broken jaw. I actually like Leo's sprite, but the others really bother me. Butthatsjustmyopinion.

Anonymous

I'll be completely honest with you guys - I hate the new sprites. A lot. Now, before I go on, I will be extra sure to note that this is not because the art is bad, or anything like that. I rather much like the art on them, but I think that they're entirely opposite to what I've gotten from the game thus far, despite thinking that the art is decent. Seriously, I can't stress enough how strong this feeling is. I understand the reason for the stylistic shift, and it makes sense within the context of the game - but if you want innocence in a character, I feel the best way to create it is in them, not in their look. Don't try to show us innocent so that we think they're innocent to their world. Actually GIVE us innocent - in their words and actions, something you've already done with some of them. These new sprites, frankly, just look cartoony and completely out of place. I fell in love with many of these characters almost instantly when I played the game for the first time, the art style being one of the definite reasons for that. I can't abide by a single one of these new sprites, to be completely honest. They just don't work for me, at all, and I think they, despite the quality of their work, (especially in the shading) would prove a serious detractor to the fantastic game you've created. As a quick side note to all of this, I must add that I absolutely loved the two sprites posted on FA by Leone, the ones for TJ and Flynn. Contrary to my opinions about the new sprites, I felt these ones could not possibly have been more perfect for the look of both the game and characters. They were not distracting in the slightest and felt so very naturally expressive. There was also a certain dark undertone to each, even the TJ one, that was amazing to me, considering that both had somewhat silly poses. My strongest recommendation to you would be to use the current sprites of TJ, Flynn, and Chase that have been done by Leone, and have him make further sprites for Leo, Jenna, and Carl to round out the art style. Regardless, I love the game you've created, and can't wait to see where you'll go with it, even if you use sprites that I find wholly unfitting for the game.

Joseph Goldthorp

I don't want to be mean or devalue the artists and their work, but I dislike these styles. I guess I'm not a fan of Howly's contrast idea. Like I've said (ad nauseum), I'm a big fan of the original sprites. I personally think the original styles present in the current demo are the best and the true OG Crew. They're the ones I've known from the beginning and they don't stick out against the background. I agree in parts with T Shizzle and Kalan. I think this more exaggerated art style doesn't feel serious. I don't think I could take them seriously in the emotional scenes and because they are made to "contrast against Echo," it's like they don't fit in. I'm not sure if I'm explaining this well or just saying the same thing over and over again. The old sprites fit the mold, fit echo, and established the real, occasionally tense atmosphere. I feel like in changing their styles, especially into cartoony renditions, the characters lose what they used to be in their old sprites. If it is to be different from the originals, I think it would be best to retain most design and level-of-realism. Not to mention Carl looks 40, Jenna looks 16, TJ looks creepy, and Flynn looks like a kind-hearted misfit. Sorry, Howly.

Briannon-Faie

I'd like to agree with the afore mentioned criticsm. Flynn definitely has gone for the worse, the cool vibe of sexiness paired with a dose of feigned bravado has gone for a more questionable "thug"-look. Jenna and Carl are acceptable but pale in comparison to the former art, TJ really looks a bit off with the oversized eyes and not nearly as endearable as before; Leo would be the only one having profited from the change, although his more mature aura was swapped for the innocent "jock"-type look. With adjustments here and there this style might grow to the audience, but in general I think the initial versions nailed everybody's expectations nearly perfectly.

EchoGame

Don't be afraid to give you're opinion; we're reading everything that's said.

Richard

Positive. Initially I had reservations with the sprites individually, but as a collective their unique qualities complement each other and counterpoint their strengths and weaknesses well. The style while more "cartoony", honors the original concept of the characters in its own way. The stylistic contrast that occurs between the characters and the backgrounds works to create a dichotomous, surreal feeling that seems to permeate the town, in the way that Echo itself seemingly exists between reality and illusion, where everything you experience is called into question, you wonder if it really happened or you simply imagined that it did. To me that gives more depth to the narrative and a deeper appreciation for the characters experiences and feelings.

Anonymous

It was close for me, but I voted positive. I was wavering between that and indifferent. I think one of the things to keep in mind is that these are intended to be the neutral sprites. It's not like they will appear like this for the whole game; they'll change based on the scene and situation. That said, there's some comments to be said for each of them. From top to bottom: 1) Flynn- I never really liked his original sprite. It certainly fit the "more realistic anthro" style that was used on everyone else, but it seemed kind of awkward and out of place next to the other sprites. It could just be that he's a lizard, but it seemed like the original one would have a hard time being expressive enough to make me care about the character. Given that he seemed to have some of the strongest emotional swings in the story, I felt it contrasted with his sprite. That said, I'm not 100% sure about his new sprite, but it could be that I'm not sure about it being a "neutral" sprite. It'd probably be okay for a happy one. 2) Jenna- Again, I didn't really care much for her original sprite. She pranks multiple characters, gets into an impromptu footrace because she's so competitive, and kind of hits on Chase in the content so far. Yet her original sprite seemed kind of withdrawn and bitchy. Didn't really seem appropriate for her default setting. 3) Leo- I like this sprite a bit. His old one looked honestly out of place with how muscular he looked, and he seemed significantly older than everyone else. The eyes are maybe a bit too big, but other than that it seems alright. 4) Carl- I like this one too for the most part. The face in particular is pretty good. Like some of the other commenters, I always pictured him as a bit more husky given the in-game dialogue. Honestly, if the muscle definition on his arms was softened a bit, and about 20 lbs was added to his torso, it would probably be fine. As is, the head looks just a little too big for his body. 5) TJ- This about the only one I don't really like. I definitely prefer the more cautious, shy posture from the original sprite, as it seemed to fit the character a bit more. This sprite seems a little bit too eager and outgoing for TJ, who was fairly reserved compared to his friends. Also, it's subtle, but I think he might have a bit too much muscle definition compared to before. The character is an athlete, but he does hiking and track, whereas his sprite looks like he definitely doesn't skip arm day at the gym. It's not bad per se, just not quite what I imagined. It looks more like TJ's cool older brother or something. Overall, none of the sprites are horrible, and while I think TJ's could use some work, I think there are improvements in the sprites for everyone else. I'm alright with the change in aesthetic, but I do definitely understand someone being put off by it as well, particularly given the dark turns it looks like the game will have. Perhaps this can be used to communicate how Echo affects them by using other "darker" sprites as the story progresses? Either way, it doesn't break the game for me.

Anonymous

Negative. I feel like this style is a bit "cartoony" and thus a bit goofy. I really don't like the earrings on Leo's left ear, and Carl's face seems too chiseled. The only design I like better than the original is Jenna's. I feel like the artist who did the CG of Leo and the MC from the first demo has the strongest art style we've seen on the project thus far and would be a great sprite artist.

Mechwarrior

I really don't like the new sprites. The old ones had their own flaws but they fit the characters and actually had an aesthetic that fit the game. Why go for a Looney Tunes style? Why does Carl look like a jock? Leo and Jenna come off as oblivious and goofy. Flynn's kind of fits him but the shape of his face is just really weird and flat. I really preferred the monitor lizard head he had before. And TJ? What happened to him? His entire head is tilted sideways, his snout is pointed to his right, and he has this creepy death stare like he's supposed to be looking into the viewer's soul or something. Everyone except TJ is looking to their left or at the ground for some reason. You say they're supposed to be antithetical to Echo but that can be and was accomplished with writing rather than making them look like they belong in a different game entirely. Maybe if the game was supposed to be about some teenagers screwing around where consequences aren't a thing like Morenatsu then the style would make sense but Echo has a serious tone. The original sprites, maybe with the exception of Flynn, were expressive. The new ones rely on anime eyes and giant eyebrows to get their point across. I don't think that dragondrawer would make a decent sprite artist for Echo. I don't say this to be mean but the expressions in his art just rely too much on exaggeration. Apart from Blackgate's sprite artist, who I don't know anything about outside of their work, I don't know enough sprite artists to suggest one for Echo. I just think that the more cartoony a character is supposed to look, the less real they become, and the less they're supposed to be taken seriously. Anyway that's my opinion on the matter. If you want I can talk about what issues I had with the original sprites. Also I have no idea how to do line breaks in this, so sorry about the big wall of text.

Drakenxz1

I don't mind the way Flynn looks but the rest I would go back to the drawing board I still favor the old sprites

Anonymous

Voted negative, I do not know if anybody noticed this but the new sprites have somewhat weird shapes symmetric-wise and the color looks very unsaturated. I thought Leo looks almost good but I do not approve the big eyes in all of them. Honestly, I know the old sprites are not perfect but they are SO MUCH more appealing than the new ones. So far that is what I see from my perspective.