Kickstarter Update #47

[shredingskin]

Maybe SIII Ryo is a kisser ;)

[Himuro]

I'm not sure how you could constitute the main characters in Shenmue being anime-like. Maybe Fangmei, but characters like Nozomi, Ryo, and Ren hardly look anime. Stylized, with some realism thrown in, but anime?

[Yokosuka]

Another important thing is the quality balance between the characters. You can't make an awesome highly-detailed Ryo if the NPC are crap as your game is named Shenmue.

I think we should fairly expect around 200 characters for this episode and it's a massive work. Don't know if this is ever possible considering the conditions. My expectations are not very high but I'm still ready for a pleasant surprise.

[punkmanced]

I think it's the same model as shown in Famitsu back in June, though his jacket looks darker:



I'm excited most about the thatched house from this update, that's where we've seen progress.

This.
Everything is WIP at this point. Ryo's evolution since the original E3 announcement has been consistent, and, for what it's worth, seems to be headed in the right direction.

It does seem as if they've opted for a slightly younger-looking version though, compared to the passport model.
(I suppose it makes sense, since Ryo's technically 17; still, I would've been fine with the "classic" passport look)

[fittersau]

one thing wrong with the new face is that the lips are too full, it looks like he's had botox injections, but maybe its just because he's in the middle of speaking, . i wish it was possible to erase the kickstarter face from existence, as it still seems to get used in the majority of reports and articles about s3. i cringe a little every time i see it.

You know what. This round of "news" on some of the gaming sites haven't taken a negative slant, so there's a huge positive!

[streetwaves]

Yeah, this is a good update. The progress is promising, and we're only a few months in.

I'm not really going to hype the game up too much. I don't have any real fear that it'll be a disaster, but it's probably best to keep realistic expectations and possibly be pleasantly surprised with the finished product.

[Yokosuka]

You know what. This round of "news" on some of the gaming sites haven't taken a negative slant, so there's a huge positive!

I was surprised to see the few amount of negative opinions this week. Lot of people defended the devs.

[Zoltor]

I really hate the lighting job in the first two SSs, and I with the characters looked less CGed in general(It's pretty bad from a visual standpoint).

We're only a few months in, so these are still for the most part placeholders, just pointing such out, I hope the finished character models+lighting is better then this)

[Anonymous81]

I think those hoping for a Ryo that looks just like he did in S1&2 but just with much higher detail and resolution may be disappointed. The technology being used is going to result in a qualitatively different look and feel, no matter how close they try to approximate it.

It's a bit like - and this is a horrible analogy but - the Creation suite in a wrestling game or an RPG being upgraded from one installment in a series to the next, and trying to create the same character you played as in a previous game. No matter how close the dimensions and proportions and features get, it's never going to look exactly the same.

A better analogy might be Zoe from Dreamfall Chapters versus her model in Dreamfall: The Longest Journey. (With the former being another Kickstarted game, albeit made in Unity rather than UE.) While the new model is - imho - recognizable as Zoe, the way her face animates among other design considerations fundamentally alters the way she looks. No matter how stylized, there's no way for them to really perfectly reproduce the original look and animation of the first iteration of her character. And that's before you even consider intentional changes or updates they might have made.

I suspect this will be true of Ryo as well. I do think he will improve, but I don't expect him to have super thin lips and a semi-permanent scowl like he did on Dreamcast. Different times, different technologies, different tools, different aesthetic considerations.

Personally, that won't bother me. I just want Shenmue 3. But I do understand why others feel more adamant about it.

[Hyo Razuki]

As long as the characters (especially Ryo) are recognizable, I'll be fine with it personally. Right now, I think he still looks a bit too different from the Dreamcast original, but YS Net are on the right track and I have no doubt whatsoever that in the finished game we will see character models which can stand proud next to the originals.

[Jibby]

It's nice to see the generally neutral attitude of game journalists about this. I just hope Kotaku stay the fuck away, they're like the Daily Mail of gaming.

[Zoltor]

I think those hoping for a Ryo that looks just like he did in S1&2 but just with much higher detail and resolution may be disappointed. The technology being used is going to result in a qualitatively different look and feel, no matter how close they try to approximate it.

It's a bit like - and this is a horrible analogy but - the Creation suite in a wrestling game or an RPG being upgraded from one installment in a series to the next, and trying to create the same character you played as in a previous game. No matter how close the dimensions and proportions and features get, it's never going to look exactly the same.

A better analogy might be Zoe from Dreamfall Chapters versus her model in Dreamfall: The Longest Journey. (With the former being another Kickstarted game, albeit made in Unity rather than UE.) While the new model is - imho - recognizable as Zoe, the way her face animates among other design considerations fundamentally alters the way she looks. No matter how stylized, there's no way for them to really perfectly reproduce the original look and animation of the first iteration of her character. And that's before you even consider intentional changes or updates they might have made.

I suspect this will be true of Ryo as well. I do think he will improve, but I don't expect him to have super thin lips and a semi-permanent scowl like he did on Dreamcast. Different times, different technologies, different tools, different aesthetic considerations.

Personally, that won't bother me. I just want Shenmue 3. But I do understand why others feel more adamant about it.

This is just a perfect example of how new technologies, Isn't always a good thing.

The really sad thing is, they're making less of a game then they could be making, just because they're using these "new" technologies that is doing nothing, but actually taking away from the "organic", realistic feel.

[Yokosuka]

Ryo was already designed into a next-gen version (Shenmue Online cinematic) and he was impressively accurate. Furthermore, the fans got used to live with several versions of Ryo (3d artworks, ingame and passport).

Ok the new model is likely to express differently but it will be a better version of Ryo minded by the original character designer(s). A 100% canon design released of the Dreamcast hardware/old AutoDesk constraints. Despite the terrible cartoon style on the new pictures, I just can't see the team fail on the stylistic plan.

[Himuro]

I think those hoping for a Ryo that looks just like he did in S1&2 but just with much higher detail and resolution may be disappointed. The technology being used is going to result in a qualitatively different look and feel, no matter how close they try to approximate it.

It's a bit like - and this is a horrible analogy but - the Creation suite in a wrestling game or an RPG being upgraded from one installment in a series to the next, and trying to create the same character you played as in a previous game. No matter how close the dimensions and proportions and features get, it's never going to look exactly the same.

A better analogy might be Zoe from Dreamfall Chapters versus her model in Dreamfall: The Longest Journey. (With the former being another Kickstarted game, albeit made in Unity rather than UE.) While the new model is - imho - recognizable as Zoe, the way her face animates among other design considerations fundamentally alters the way she looks. No matter how stylized, there's no way for them to really perfectly reproduce the original look and animation of the first iteration of her character. And that's before you even consider intentional changes or updates they might have made.

I suspect this will be true of Ryo as well. I do think he will improve, but I don't expect him to have super thin lips and a semi-permanent scowl like he did on Dreamcast. Different times, different technologies, different tools, different aesthetic considerations.

Personally, that won't bother me. I just want Shenmue 3. But I do understand why others feel more adamant about it.

This is just a perfect example of how new technologies, Isn't always a good thing.

The really sad thing is, they're making less of a game then they could be making, just because they're using these "new" technologies that is doing nothing, but actually taking away from the "organic", realistic feel.

You got all of that, based on what exactly? You say this and yet Kid NoCon's HD videos have the Shenmue flair but is made with these new technologies? If you're going to make the statement that the new tech takes away from the organic and realistic feel, you'll have to back that opinion up with actual facts.

[Zoltor]

I think those hoping for a Ryo that looks just like he did in S1&2 but just with much higher detail and resolution may be disappointed. The technology being used is going to result in a qualitatively different look and feel, no matter how close they try to approximate it.

It's a bit like - and this is a horrible analogy but - the Creation suite in a wrestling game or an RPG being upgraded from one installment in a series to the next, and trying to create the same character you played as in a previous game. No matter how close the dimensions and proportions and features get, it's never going to look exactly the same.

A better analogy might be Zoe from Dreamfall Chapters versus her model in Dreamfall: The Longest Journey. (With the former being another Kickstarted game, albeit made in Unity rather than UE.) While the new model is - imho - recognizable as Zoe, the way her face animates among other design considerations fundamentally alters the way she looks. No matter how stylized, there's no way for them to really perfectly reproduce the original look and animation of the first iteration of her character. And that's before you even consider intentional changes or updates they might have made.

I suspect this will be true of Ryo as well. I do think he will improve, but I don't expect him to have super thin lips and a semi-permanent scowl like he did on Dreamcast. Different times, different technologies, different tools, different aesthetic considerations.

Personally, that won't bother me. I just want Shenmue 3. But I do understand why others feel more adamant about it.

This is just a perfect example of how new technologies, Isn't always a good thing.

The really sad thing is, they're making less of a game then they could be making, just because they're using these "new" technologies that is doing nothing, but actually taking away from the "organic", realistic feel.

You got all of that, based on what exactly? You say this and get Kid NoCon's HD videos have the Shenmue flair but is made with these new technologies? If you're going to make the statement that the new tech takes away from the organic and realistic feel, you'll have to back that opinion up with actual facts.

Well Kid NoCon's video's didn't have characters or anything of the sort, nor did it try anything fancy with lighting effects.


With the screen shots in this thread, I see nothing wrong with the last SS really, with the house. CG, and anything living has always been a recipe for disaster, especially when they're more focused on using newer technology, for no good reason.

Is it such a hard thing, to just bloody improve/build upon what already exists?