H7 Academy Town Screen

Comments about the Pictures of the Day.
User avatar
Kalah
Retired Admin
Retired Admin
Posts: 20078
Joined: 24 Nov 2005

H7 Academy Town Screen

Unread postby Kalah » 26 Aug 2014, 20:21

This concept art shows how the Academy town screen could end up looking in the final game. The developers are obviously hoping to combine functionality with beauty. What do you think - will they succeed?

If you would like to take a look at the original page visit this link:
https://www.celestialheavens.com/show_b ... php?id=938
In War: Resolution, In Defeat: Defiance, In Victory: Magnanimity, In Peace: Goodwill.

User avatar
JSE
CH Staff
CH Staff
Posts: 218
Joined: 06 Jan 2006

H7 Academy Town Screen

Unread postby JSE » 26 Aug 2014, 22:34

Like nearly all of the new Ubi era artwork, this one looks too over the top. It crosses the line between fantasy and surrealism, and that's not what I'd like to see. At the same time, I'll admit that this is not the worst piece of Heroes 7 artwork I've seen -- that prize goes to the "iconic" Haven and Academy faction characters shown on the official Heroes 7 site.

User avatar
Evernight
Leprechaun
Leprechaun
Posts: 22
Joined: 30 Jan 2006

H7 Academy Town Screen

Unread postby Evernight » 27 Aug 2014, 00:39

I'm okay with the Academy being a bit surreal. The architecture is still very orderly.

User avatar
Variol
Wraith
Wraith
Posts: 1269
Joined: 05 Sep 2008

Unread postby Variol » 27 Aug 2014, 00:41

It looks nice!

I hope they only have casters in their faction! :)

User avatar
Fuddelbaerentatze
Peasant
Peasant
Posts: 91
Joined: 13 Jul 2008

H7 Academy Town Screen

Unread postby Fuddelbaerentatze » 27 Aug 2014, 12:29

I know townscreens are confirmed, but what kind of townscreen exactly can we expect for H7? Have the Devs already commented on the nature of the town screen?.

- H5 3D Extravaganza?

- H4 type case with backgrounds that adapt to the terrain type?

- H7 minimalism?

- H3 like illustrated mini panoramas with a few animations here and there?



I'd like to see something H3ish return, or like those in Disciples2.



Ont top, if we could have a set of townscreens per faction, it would be even better. That might give choice to mapmakers to select a townscreen of a certain charakter for a given faction. Could also be coupled to H5ish town specialisations.

User avatar
hellegennes
Succubus
Succubus
Posts: 843
Joined: 04 May 2009

H7 Academy Town Screen

Unread postby hellegennes » 27 Aug 2014, 12:53

@JSE:
Surrealistic as in "wizards know how to cast levitation spells"?

@Fuddelbaerentatze:
The H1-H3 type. The same company previously made the H6 version which is like the H1-H3 type but less lively.
Regarding your request about a set of different townscreens I doubt it, mainly for budgetary reasons. You could try asking them, though.

User avatar
Blake
Assassin
Assassin
Posts: 274
Joined: 06 Jan 2006
Contact:

H7 Academy Town Screen

Unread postby Blake » 27 Aug 2014, 13:10

Judging by the fact the haven town screen was just a painting with animating fog and water I'd say this pic is pretty much the actual castle screen for academy, not concept. :(
Blake's Sanctum - Heroes of Might & Magic: fan page containing pictures, vids, info, similar games & fan projects!

User avatar
JSE
CH Staff
CH Staff
Posts: 218
Joined: 06 Jan 2006

H7 Academy Town Screen

Unread postby JSE » 27 Aug 2014, 14:38

@ hellegennes:

Even wizards probably know the perks of building on firm ground instead of supporting most of their towns with magic. The ones in Heroes 2 and 3 seemed aware of that. Also, those permanent levitation spells used to keep entire buildings and structures in the air seem like an awful waste of magical power to me. To sum it up, even in a wizards' town, magic shouldn't be all over the place and capable of doing anything.



@ Blake:

You might be right. If that's the case, it's terribly cheap. Town screens should be in the same visual style as the rest of the game.

User avatar
hellegennes
Succubus
Succubus
Posts: 843
Joined: 04 May 2009

H7 Academy Town Screen

Unread postby hellegennes » 27 Aug 2014, 17:09

Really? Cause to me it seems that a ship floating in the air with the help of ballons, with windmills on its deck (H3), is a bit more surrealistic than levitating rocks. Also there's the H4 town with that weird cubic mage guild, which, IIRC, also floats.



Building on high ground has a lot of advantages if you don't want the enemy to reach you easily. And what's higher than the sky? Hell, MM7 had an entire WIZARD city floating above the clouds. So, I guess this is one of those nostalgia arguments against Ubisoft that try and justify themselves with logic. Only this logic is flawed, not only because it's an insignificant detail but also because it's something NWC has done, too.



So, either the wizards of Bracada didn't know "the perks of building on firm ground" and you thought of it as over the top, or the argument is empty. I am leaning towards the latter, since you are talking about the "Ubisoft era".

mr.hackcrag
Round Table Hero
Round Table Hero
Posts: 1525
Joined: 05 Jul 2006

Unread postby mr.hackcrag » 27 Aug 2014, 18:01

The H5 one was better than this as far as floating cities go.

User avatar
JSE
CH Staff
CH Staff
Posts: 218
Joined: 06 Jan 2006

H7 Academy Town Screen

Unread postby JSE » 27 Aug 2014, 22:38

@ hellegennes:

First of all, if you think that discussing the internal logic of a piece of game art is insignificant, you might as well say that talking about game art in general is a waste of time. It certainly is very relevant to me.

Your comparison of this town screen to Celeste, the city in the clouds, from M&M 7 doesn't take into account the important fact that Celeste is meant to be a very special and specific town -- namely the capital and royal seat of the wizards of Antagarich. All of the continent's "regular" wizards' towns are much rather represented by the Tower town screen of Heroes 3. And that is literally quite down-to-earth -- with the exception of the grail structure, of course, which is some sort of half-magical hot-air balloon airship. Just like the city of Celeste, though, a grail structure is something very unique and can certainly not be seen as representative for how the wizards' towns normally look.

Where you see "one of those nostalgia arguments against Ubisoft" and "flawed logic", I see the will to consider the details and to distinguish the ordinary from the extraordinary.

User avatar
hellegennes
Succubus
Succubus
Posts: 843
Joined: 04 May 2009

H7 Academy Town Screen

Unread postby hellegennes » 27 Aug 2014, 23:08

Well, to begin with, your previous comments did not indicate that you believe there could be exceptions. You were very absolute in your opinion that this verges on surrealism and now you're changing it. Not it's "no, that was not surreal, it's just an exceptional case". Well, maybe the wizards of Ashan are better and can do more extraordinary things.



You are constantly trying to find reasons not to like anything in the Ubi-era of the franchise; insubstantial most of the time.

User avatar
JSE
CH Staff
CH Staff
Posts: 218
Joined: 06 Jan 2006

H7 Academy Town Screen

Unread postby JSE » 28 Aug 2014, 00:39

What my previous comments certainly did make very clear is that I was referring to a town screen. And what does a town screen show us? -- The typical layout of a town of that particular type. It doesn't show us how unique individual towns look. So, naturally, my comment wasn't meant to refer to nontypical exceptions. I can see how certain special towns could look quite wondrous or could be supported by very powerful magic. The implication that the typical Academy town on Ashan looks like what we can see above, however, seems weird and -- yes -- surreal to me.



And what's that talk about me trying to *find* reasons? Please don't try to put me into such a convenient category. I assume you wouldn't like to be called "protective of Ubisoft" either just because you ususally seem to be quite agreeing with what they do.

User avatar
Avonu
Round Table Hero
Round Table Hero
Posts: 3854
Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Location: City of Griffin
Contact:

Re: H7 Academy Town Screen

Unread postby Avonu » 28 Aug 2014, 08:15

hellegennes wrote:>>>Hell, MM7 had an entire WIZARD city floating above the clouds
Not really.
Celeste is the magical city built by the Wizards of Bracada centuries ago, and anchored half in the mountains, and half in mist high above Bracada
You can easy see that when you visit Castle Lambert:

Image

If you really want to see Castle in the Clouds go visit Air Castle in Air Plane in MM8 or Cloud Castle in Wizard's Town in HoMM2:

Image
Image

User avatar
hellegennes
Succubus
Succubus
Posts: 843
Joined: 04 May 2009

H7 Academy Town Screen

Unread postby hellegennes » 28 Aug 2014, 13:11

"you ususally seem to be quite agreeing with what they do"



I don't. I disagree with a lot of things, which however are not minor details. For example, I said numerous times that I disliked the skill-based magic system of H6. Nitpicking artistic details in a town screen is not serious criticism. If you want to go there, there are tons of things which seem ridiculous, surreal and out of place in H3's graphics. You just can't imagine yourself considering those as flaws because you liked the game.

mr.hackcrag
Round Table Hero
Round Table Hero
Posts: 1525
Joined: 05 Jul 2006

Unread postby mr.hackcrag » 28 Aug 2014, 14:48

Man, that H2 town screen up there really takes you into new a world. The new ones just can't compete.

User avatar
Panda Tar
Forum Mascot
Forum Mascot
Posts: 6709
Joined: 21 Feb 2006
Location: Florianópolis - Brasil

Unread postby Panda Tar » 28 Aug 2014, 16:35

Can't feel anything special about this H7 academy. To me, it feels almost like H5. Even the 4 or the 3 layout never created in my mind the same impact as the H2 one.
"There’s nothing to fear but fear itself and maybe some mild to moderate jellification of bones." Cave Johnson, Portal 2. :panda:

User avatar
JSE
CH Staff
CH Staff
Posts: 218
Joined: 06 Jan 2006

H7 Academy Town Screen

Unread postby JSE » 28 Aug 2014, 23:08

I agree that Heroes 2 had the most interesting and memorable wizards' town screen -- with the halfling habitat being the coolest creature dwelling imo. Also, the town's musical theme was absolutely fantastic (both the original one and the Price of Loyalty one).

User avatar
Avonu
Round Table Hero
Round Table Hero
Posts: 3854
Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Location: City of Griffin
Contact:

Unread postby Avonu » 31 Aug 2014, 05:27

Some close-ups into H7 Academy:

Image
Image
Image
Image
Image

User avatar
Variol
Wraith
Wraith
Posts: 1269
Joined: 05 Sep 2008

Unread postby Variol » 01 Sep 2014, 00:28

^^^beautiful!


Return to “Screenshots”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 5 guests