Big portfolio update : PS2 Demo Game

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  Asthane polycounter lvl 18

  Sep 2007

  My first impression: You're trying to hard to be 'edgy' and 'unique'. Calling your game 'The Woman Harvest' and plastering a near-naked man on the screen (Whose ethnicity is 'native african, only they're aliens and have white skin so people aren't offended') just makes me roll my eyes. These may not be the reasons you made those decisions, but it's still the impression I get. All the good intentions in the world will do you no good if the viewer doesn't see the same things you do in your work.
  
  Personally, I commend you for getting the whole thing done in such a short time, though are your screenshots off a PS2? They look rather crisp.

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  raphick

  Sep 2007

  Thanks for your reply
  Well, I guess, with detachment, that it is easy to misunderstand these decisions.
  They weren't thought that far actually. The concept was just a little civilised ethny fighting for their descendants. The intention was to be innovative, not rude at all with african, what's more, it would be too stereotyped and suicidal to do that.
  
  Anyway, thanks for the commendation
  
  And finally, yes,the screenshots are from PS2. They were taken by an engine command.

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  Asthane polycounter lvl 18

  Sep 2007

  It's understandable that you just made what came to mind-- even if other people might find it a little strange. I'm certainly not unfamiliar with making people go o_0 at my ideas sometimes
  
  On the other hand-- not to sound too 'fine arts'-ish, but-- it's good to sometimes take a step back and ask yourself: "What does this setting and art direction say to the viewer? Is it a metaphor for singleminded middle-management, or a more simple depiction of the male ego?" It may sound like all the bullshit people use to sell paint-splatters and blank canvases at your local gallery, but that sort of thing wouldn't exist if the basic question of what the art 'means' wasn't a valid one.
  
  Similar to composing a scene, where you use contrast in shapes and color to draw the viewer's eye to the elements that are important: a new item, an exit, etc. When you compose a game design, you draw the user to certain feelings and ideas through gameplay decisions. Devil May Cry, for example, removes the threats of environmental damage, ammo management, etc, in order to communicate to the player a more epic setting, instead focusing on character interaction through a complex combat system which encourages knowledge and skill (speaking specifically of the first Devil May Cry, where you would record individual creature habits, tactics, weaknesses, etc in your log).
  
  There's no social commentary or implications in that example, just your average mood and feel of a game as communicated by design elements, but it shows the general idea of the embedded narative which can be applied to many different aspects of a game from art style and direction to how accurate your health meter is. Similarly, the messages those things can send: from mood and tension to emphasizing more refined topics as slavery or canibalism-- or specifically glossing over them if they're not deeply related to your narative.
  
  Certainly most of this is instinctually obvious and honestly, many games either lack overarching narative and direction such as this or come by it incidentally in the process of simply making a good game. I only mention it because what I see feels like it has intentional meta-narative, but it's not clear what it's saying (Though admitedly, I have not seen enough to judge it as a whole, it's rather moot since you say it wasn't meant to have any deep meaning )
  
  Anyway, just something to think on whenever you do art, not specifically critisizing anything. I don't claim to actually know what I'm talking about, so feel free to ignore me

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