Smirk's personal monthly complain about the resources thread

[DaviddesJ]

Sheep and lambs are related; why shouldn't they look similar? I think the concept of the resources should drive the art, rather than deciding what new resources to introduce based on whether the art is similar.

Note that goats and sheep have exactly the same game effects, as do lambs and menudo. So it's not important to be able to distinguish the goats from sheep. Only to distinguish goats/sheep from lambs/menudo.

 

[rabies]

I think it is no coincidence that the basic art that comes with the game are unique. There is no mistaking cows from deer from wheat, etc. Different colors, different shapes...and generally 'simpler' graphics. It is completely the task of the artist to come up with graphics that are easily discernable. I think whoever the artist was here did a pretty good job, but trying to squeeze 6 seperate resources from the same 2 basic sets of graphics is too much to ask for.

As for myself, I've just gotten used to right-clicking on the graphics to determine what they are in this game.

 

[Txurce]

In hindsight, it might have been simpler to have goats and sheep, make the goats lean and give them spots and horns, then give the sheep lots of wool. This would provide two basic, culturally accurate, more easily identifiable resources.

But I've had no problem with it, as it becomes basically irrelevant after the QSC period.

 

[DaviddesJ]

Originally posted by Txurce
In hindsight, it might have been simpler to have goats and sheep, make the goats lean and give them spots and horns, then give the sheep lots of wool. This would provide two basic, culturally accurate, more easily identifiable resources.

But I've had no problem with it, as it becomes basically irrelevant after the QSC period.

I don't understand. It's irrelevant even in the QSC period. Sheep and goats have exactly the same in-game effect.

Brownish goats with spots, and fuzzy sheep, would be good for distinguishing sheep from goats. But we don't need to distinguish sheep from goats, because they do the same thing. We need to distinguish sheep from lambs, and that seems harder to do via the artwork.

 

[Txurce]

DaviddesJ, we agree that it may be easier in the end if there were only two, rather than four, of these beasts. I picked goats and sheep because they look different - but I'd give them different traits.

What I meant about the QSC period is that after that, telling them apart becomes no longer matters, because the tiles are worked and in use for the rest of the game.

 

[DaviddesJ]

Originally posted by Txurce
DaviddesJ, we agree that it may be easier in the end if there were only two, rather than four, of these beasts.

No, I didn't say that, and I don't agree with you at all.

 

[Txurce]

Originally posted by DaviddesJ


No, I didn't say that, and I don't agree with you at all.

At least that's clear.

 

[samildanach]

Smirk I think borg assimilation is little bit too strong a term for GoTM staff taking over the running of the tournament I prefer cultural flip myself. I am sure they will all be happy in time once Cracker has them hooked up to the luxuries of the GoTM.

 

[Bamspeedy]

The resources are great IF they were in the game separately. Having just sheep, or just lamb instead of both would have been great. Sheep/lamb weren't that hard to tell the difference, but the goats/menudo were, probably mostly because of the terrain they were on. I think having just goats and sheep (or just lamb and menudo) would be better if any other maps need these things. Having just 2 resources with one of them giving 2 food, and the other 2 food/1 shield and just expand the terrain options for both of them (so you wouldn't need 4 resources) would have solved all of these problems.

 

[Smirk]

Originally posted by DaviddesJ
Sheep and lambs are related; why shouldn't they look similar? I think the concept of the resources should drive the art, rather than deciding what new resources to introduce based on whether the art is similar.

I agree, this is why they are confusing. Cows are used for many purposes, milk, meat, leather, but they still only represent one resource in the game.
I see the major reason this number were done was because they were used heavily on the map, and had there not been 4 different ones it would have looked really uniform and maybe odd because of that. I don't mind that so much, I consider the duplicates a variant of the other with different art and I approve and enjoy that sort of complexity.
The biggest problem is the contrast, the number of the resources only increases that problem, but the number in of itself is *not* the problem IMO.


But a general response to your statement is that both of those points are part of the "design" process for all things, be it a computer game or a doritos package. The problem with game mods in general is the real feeling of a patched together collection of many varied elements. The art style alone is the hardest thing to keep consistent. For example the gallaes from a few months back followed the art style and was consistent with civ, the azap infantry does not. The later also didn't colorize based on the civ color which made it stick out even more.


Edit:
As I said above, I don't think the root problem is figuring out what each of them is, its the automatic process my brain and eyes do when seeing them, trying to find the pattern and recognize the shape. Because of the low contrast this is hard, thats my complaint. A harder (darker) edge around the sheep would solve that problem is a heartbeat, while still allowing white sheep.

 

[Green Light]

No offense, but i find all this complaining silly, when just by right-clicking the resource or by using the resources with blips, the problem is solved easily.

 

[Civillain]

While I had no trouble telling the different resources from each other, it really didn't matter, as I was beaten so quickly that I never had a chance to utilize any of them. Well, maybe it wasn't quite that bad...