next star control

[Tim]

I think it would be really cool if they used cell shading on the next star control and had animated aliens that would kind of look like anime, just a lot darker than something like zelda.  Zelda has some awesome animation though.  The ships could be cell shading too maybe.  I also think it would be really cool if the next game was a prequel, you could be the precursers and find out why they had to disappear or how they became extinct.  

Tim

[ErekLich]

As far as the look of the game goes:

ANYthing but bad muppets!

... well, stick figures wouldn't be too great either.

In any case, perhaps you can enlighten me:  what exactly is cell shading?  People talk like its the best thing since sliced bread, but I don't know what it is...

[Guesst]

Cel shading is nothing more than a way of making 3-d renderedings apear 2-d by way of simplify shading into flat colors. To tell you the truth I've never been thrilled with it. It's obvious it's really 3-d. The only practical aplication I've seen with it is to make 3-d and 2-d elements blend like in the Iron Giant.

[Tim]

well it looks like a cartoon, have you seen the new zelda game running?  I think it looks really cool, a bit kiddish, but it is nintendo.  I think the technique could be put to good use in a game like star control.  I think the rendered aliens in sc3 didn't look right.  The game has a cartoony feel to it anyway, so I think the animation should fit that.

[Scott_Irving]

Just to point out SC3 aliens weren't rendered, they were robots or rather animatics (or whatever it is)
Just FYI ;-)

Personally  think they were pretty good

[Lukipela]

Yeah, but there is a point the cartoon thing. One of the great things in SC2 was that the aliens were so damned funny, it was a comedy thing. Could the same be achuieved with computer anmations in the vein of, say Final Fantasy? I don't know, but i don't think so. The carotonish feeling of the aliens was very lighthearted and nice...

[Scott_Irving]

It could be done, cell shading could help in that sense, though personally Id stay away from the cell shading. Look at ZogGop's rendering of the Melnorme it's pretty good and does give a sorta cartoonish feel; ah FF, much good game

Oooh look im a *happy camper* now