The New Look for Circle of Thorns
By
A Musing Mage,
Posted on: 2011-08-08 10:57 in Developers' Corner
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Yeah, that's precisely why I liked the female models that were posted. It's always seemed weird that the Circle just snatched bodies left and right, and despite that, were always old men.|
Originally Posted by Felderburg
Ooh, I'd like to see this. Plenty of CoT rooftop victims are female, stands to reason a body is a body when you haven't had one for thousands of years...
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The new costumes, I do think, seem baggy and image-obscuring enough that while they're clearly using the game's male skeletons, most of them look like they could pretty easily be either gender, though, so I won't have a huge cow if we lost our Thornettes.
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Because what was shown in that one pic encompassed the whole enemy group? |
Originally Posted by Golden Girl
Well, although it was fuzzy, it still clearly showed a lack of robe-like coverings for their buff butts - and their faces weren't hidden like these new ones either
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I'm going to have to disagree; while this is considerably better than the first revamp it's still not up with the original. The mobs are way too buff, the spiky bit is overdone and the armored tutu just looks silly IMO. Still, it's unquestionably better than the first new look and at least it looks "mystical" now, if not CoT.
Cut down on the spikes, lower the muscular definition and loose the armor in favor of loose clothes and you've got something. That spiky tutu just really doesn't work. A thigh length robe similar to but slightly longer than the martial arts robe would work much better. They're mages, not warriors so they use their magic instead of their muscles. They'll be slender or slightly overweight but they aren't going to be ripped and cut.
COH has just been murdered by NCSoft. http://www.change.org/petitions/ncso...city-of-heroes
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Well, it showed buff butts and uncovered faces - those were the things that caused the most problems, and those are the things that have been corrected in this new update |
Originally Posted by VoodooGirl
Because what was shown in that one pic encompassed the whole enemy group?
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@Golden Girl
City of Heroes comics and artwork
I like these, but not as much as the original old ones. I know that sounds a little nitpicky but considering I absolutely abhorred the other "new" CoT... I'm fine with this.
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I think this is all that matters at this time; The head Dev loved the new spike look so I doubt it will go away but atleast now they look more mystical.|
Originally Posted by Call Me Awesome
Still, it's unquestionably better than the first new look and at least it looks "mystical" now, if not CoT.
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Edit:
I would have loved to see Blast_Chamber's designs in game but once the boss decides on something all we can do is hope for a compromise and I think we got that.
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Except they can steal whatever bodies they want. If they can pick and choose, they are going to pick Captain America over the 90 pound weakling that Steve Rogers was. I am sure they are going to go for the bodies that can run through those caves, and up those stairs as opposed to the one that breaks a sweat getting off the couch.
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Originally Posted by Call Me Awesome
I'm going to have to disagree; while this is considerably better than the first revamp it's still not up with the original. The mobs are way too buff, the spiky bit is overdone and the armored tutu just looks silly IMO. Still, it's unquestionably better than the first new look and at least it looks "mystical" now, if not CoT.
Cut down on the spikes, lower the muscular definition and loose the armor in favor of loose clothes and you've got something. That spiky tutu just really doesn't work. A thigh length robe similar to but slightly longer than the martial arts robe would work much better. They're mages, not warriors so they use their magic instead of their muscles. They'll be slender or slightly overweight but they aren't going to be ripped and cut. |
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Thanks for putting the skirt on all of the different models, and I hadn't seen the shorter skirt (guess thats new?) and blanking out the faces on the minions was really needed.
Funny, given that almost all these pieces existed before the anti-revamp flared up. All it took was a little shuffling around of existing pieces.
They still look a little too much like escapees from another game to me, in all honesty... But they're better then the first batch.
@Brightfires - @Talisander
That chick what plays the bird-things...
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Personally I hope there's just a little nod to it in NPC dialogue. Something like a newspaper guy shouting, "Tsoo missing from Steel Canyon! Circle of Thorns have new threads! Coincidence?"
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Originally Posted by VoodooGirl
No.
There doesn't have be a "story" for every small change. |
Kinda reminds me of the evil samurai armor found in some niche horror, anime and power ranger bad guy rosters.
Apparently, I play "City of Shakespeare"
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*awards you 1 Steelclaw point*
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Originally Posted by Psychoti
Personally I hope there's just a little nod to it in NPC dialogue. Something like a newspaper guy shouting, "Tsoo missing from Steel Canyon! Circle of Thorns have new threads! Coincidence?"
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Maybe it's just me, but the "muscular" look of the costumes to me just looks, well, like it's part of the costumes. The Archer-style minion is the only one who where it looks like the costume is contoured to the skin; the lieutenants and bosses all seem to be wearing what looks more like armor. It's not so much that the mages themselves are all that buff as they where buff looking clothes for intimidation purposes. For all we know, their real bodies are floating in there, are only five feet tall and weight less than 100 lbs.
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Originally Posted by Call Me Awesome
Cut down on the spikes, lower the muscular definition and loose the armor in favor of loose clothes and you've got something. That spiky tutu just really doesn't work. A thigh length robe similar to but slightly longer than the martial arts robe would work much better. They're mages, not warriors so they use their magic instead of their muscles. They'll be slender or slightly overweight but they aren't going to be ripped and cut.
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I need a new change of pants after seeing these.
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Wow...very nice.
I will say the costumes look a little fancy for low level CoT, but for the high level CoT I think they're great!
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You mean the pictures taken by multiple players at the con, some of which found their way to the forums, but others of which were posted about in-game and on third-party sites also showing just how bad the costumes were?|
Originally Posted by VoodooGirl
Oh, you-mean-that-picture-that-was-circulated-around-the-internet-that-was-taken-by-someone-on-their-cell-phone-and-wasn't-an-image-released-by-marketing-that-everyone-then-judged-the-whole-new-costume-set-by?
You place the blame on Devs for that? You win 1 silly point. |
You win 1 Ignorance point.
Lookin' great!
Got to say, the new-new Energy and Life Mage look is awesome. I can't wait to pound their heads together.
Thanks to the art team (and others) for listening. These are vastly better than the initial pass at revamping the CoT. I do think some of them are a bit over the top, but as over-the-top costumes go, these are really well done. Most importantly, I feel you did recapture things about the CoT that are iconic - being essentially faceless, the glowing eyes, and the robed mage look.
I am quite pleased overall. Thanks again.
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That is far from a small change.
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Originally Posted by VoodooGirl
No.
There doesn't have be a "story" for every small change. |
Paragonian Knights
Justice Company
Significantly improved over the last pics that I saw. Part of me wonders why so much of the new design has to be so... pointy, but then again, they are not the Circle of Rounded, Safe Edges.
I'd like to join the chorus asking for in-game acknowledgement of the costume changes. A little 3-4 mission arc would be super, but even the minions chatting about their new threads before they get aggro'd, or civilians talking about it, would be appreciated.
Thanks for listening, David! <3
I also like how their eyes are color-coded with their outfits - very trendy 
@Golden Girl
City of Heroes comics and artwork
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Imagine the following conversation taking deep in the bowels of the earth:|
Originally Posted by TrueGentleman
It's encouraging to see that the spandex is gone and that capes have been added to give at least the silhouette of a robed figure. The generic "spiked 'n' stacked" look still looks entirely too reminiscent of contemporary fantasy gaming art - from pen and paper RPGs to video games - and not something suitable to a comic book superhero atmosphere.
Hopefully there's still time before CoH Freedom's launch to bring the redesign closer to the original Circle of Thorns' feel as an aeons-old mystical cult, not "phase omega spellbinder armor" from some competing MMORPG or another. |
Baron Zoria: "But where are the robes and hoods? There's a tradition to uphold!"
Lilitu: "Are you really not getting the look? It's the Circle of Thorns. Our guys should look thorny!"
Baron Zoria: "But this is an outrage!"
Lilitu: "Robes are so twelfth-century, baron. Our recruiters have to compete against the Carnival of Shadows and those spiffy Nemesis uniforms. Our psychics forecast a 12% increase in new adepts if we adopt these new outfits."
Baron Zoria: "Very well. But I refuse to wear support hose!"
Then it sounds like this time the Art Guys hit the right target.
Sorry couldn't resist, you make highly valid points, thank you for the response.