Baldur's Gate Baldur's Gate companion illustrations from James Ohlen's Heroes of Baldur's Gate tabletop adventure

[Lacrymas]

My initial point was not how hot they were made, but more how they were turned into basically the same type of person - young and conventionally attractive. It's also a criticism against WotC for turning one of the most diverse casts in RPG history into the same dude/ette while espousing diversity as a virtue. I feel like the RPG space has become less diverse the more the issue is being talked about and assured that it's being worked on. Or they make the same mistakes they criticized others for making, like sexualizing exotic women, making the lesbian a literal predator, making the bisexual a demon-worshipper (alla Alistair Crowley), making the mentally-challenged abomination even more retarded and unflattering, perpetuating racist stereotypes and indulging in orientalism (Dorn, Baeloth, Rasaad), including a "transgender" person in the most hackneyed and bullshit way possible in a setting in which that doesn't make sense etc.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

My initial point was not how hot they were made, but more how they were turned into basically the same type of person - young and conventionally attractive. It's also a criticism against WotC for turning one of the most diverse casts in RPG history into the same dude/ette while espousing diversity as a virtue. I feel like the RPG space has become less diverse the more the issue is being talked about and assured that it's being worked on. Or they make the same mistakes they criticized others for making, like sexualizing exotic women, making the lesbian a literal predator, making the bisexual a demon-worshipper (alla Alistair Crowley), making the mentally-challenged abomination even more retarded and unflattering, perpetuating racist stereotypes and indulging in orientalism (Dorn, Baeloth, Rasaad), etc.

didn't they make some of them gay?
that's diverse as hell bro

 

[Joseph Stalin]

My initial point was not how hot they were made, but more how they were turned into basically the same type of person - young and conventionally attractive. It's also a criticism against WotC for turning one of the most diverse casts in RPG history into the same dude/ette while espousing diversity as a virtue. I feel like the RPG space has become less diverse the more the issue is being talked about and assured that it's being worked on. Or they make the same mistakes they criticized others for making, like sexualizing exotic women, making the lesbian a literal predator, making the bisexual a demon-worshipper (alla Alistair Crowley), making the mentally-challenged abomination even more retarded and unflattering, perpetuating racist stereotypes and indulging in orientalism (Dorn, Baeloth, Rasaad), etc.

didn't they make some of them gay?
that's diverse as hell bro

Only Xan.

 

[Xamenos]

So, wait, you think that A) They're gonna fix their art direction during early access and B) It's somehow NOT the company's fault when they intentionally mislead people to get more preorders? What the actual fuck kind of backwards logic is this?

Larian isn't offering pre orders, so I don't know what you are going on about. About the art direction, they have repeatedly show they are willing to change things due to feedback, I wouldn't be surprised if the final game ends up looking quite different compared to the current one.

You should read again the post I was responding to. Hopefully you'll understand what those words meant this time around.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

In this picture, he is conventionally attractive, yes -

He definitely doesn't look like this in-game or have the CHA score to justify it.

that's one shitty shield

 

[MajorMace]

It's a buckler with a little spot on the side of the wielder so if you actually parry a blade with it, it slides towards your throat anyway.
Can a shield enthusiast let us know it this is actually practical as a shield ?

 

[Joseph Stalin]

I like how Khalid and Jaheira have both discreet Harper symbols on them.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

I like how Khalid and Jaheira have both discreet Harper symbols on them.

when I am a member of a super secret organization I also wear the symbol directly on my person

 

[Joseph Stalin]

I like how Khalid and Jaheira have both discreet Harper symbols on them.

when I am a member of a super secret organization I also wear the symbol directly on my person

You mean like Masons, who plastered it everywhere they could, including money? Also, Harpers aren't a secret organisation so much as "secretive" - they have an official compound in Athkatla, just to give one example.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

I like how Khalid and Jaheira have both discreet Harper symbols on them.

when I am a member of a super secret organization I also wear the symbol directly on my person

You mean like Masons, who plastered it everywhere they could, including money?

We they use handshakes to identify each other, why would we they wear the symbol on ourselves themselves?

 

[Riddler]

I like how Khalid and Jaheira have both discreet Harper symbols on them.

when I am a member of a super secret organization I also wear the symbol directly on my person

You mean like Masons, who plastered it everywhere they could, including money? Also, Harpers aren't a secret organisation so much as "secretive" - they have an official compound in Athkatla, just to give one example.

The masons isn't a secret organisation, only a private one. Getting membership has never been particularly difficult either if you aren't a complete loser.

 

[Storyfag]

3. Xzar - as I've mentioned before, they had to make him look younger in order to fit the age of a Bhaalspawn.

Mistaken assumption, Comrade Generalissimus. Bhaal sired most - if not all- Bhaalspawn *before* the Avatar Crisis, not during it. As such, he was free to do it at different moments, resulting in them being of differing age.

 

[Storyfag]

I like how Khalid and Jaheira have both discreet Harper symbols on them.

The Zhentarim symbol on Xzar is about the only thing I like about his pic. Monty's hiding his own. Not surprising though, Xzar is the insane one.

 

[The Bishop]

It's a buckler with a little spot on the side of the wielder so if you actually parry a blade with it, it slides towards your throat anyway.
Can a shield enthusiast let us know it this is actually practical as a shield ?

This shield looks like it was designed specifically for people that feel it's about time they have their left hand chopped off. Also the whole point of small shields with a big boss is that you can have extra protection for your fist holding the shield in the center while extending it towards the opponent.

 

[Joseph Stalin]

I like how Khalid and Jaheira have both discreet Harper symbols on them.

when I am a member of a super secret organization I also wear the symbol directly on my person

You mean like Masons, who plastered it everywhere they could, including money?

We they use handshakes to identify each other, why would we they wear the symbol on ourselves themselves?

Because Harpers aren't a secret organisation? And Masons "hid" symbols of their organisation everywhere they occupied.

 

[Gargaune]

Bless you, Infinitron, if ever there was a thread that needed splitting, it was this one.

Xzar's look in that mobile game physically hurts me to my core, he's one of my favorite party members in BG1.

His BG1 portrait makes him look unhinged which he is but the mobile design goes that super gay eccentric carnival clown route and he doesn't even look like a Wizard/Necromancer. I'd have guessed it was some Rogue.

Part of why I like BG1/IWD portraits is that they aren't obsessed with using some sterile visual style that makes the characters attractive but bland. Xzar should look like some lunatic in his 40s/50s, not a JRPG villain.

It's a mood thing, some of this HoBG artwork conveys the wrong impressions about the characters. Xzar is the worst in this respect, he used to look like a manic, unstable schyzophrenic, a grown man who goes from ominous musings about moving trees to raving about knowing "dragons with feet like rabbits." His portrait, his lines, his voiceover, they all suggested an unhinged individual who's in constant turmoil, not an effete, serene youth who looks two Valium pills short of a cardiac arrest. I get the artist's play at contrast between the detached necromancer and his trade, but it's not the same character on display. Same thing applies to Khalid, whose original portrait fits the description of a nervous, apprehensive man, loathe to face conflict with either enemies or his "gentle and comforting" wife, but in HoBG's rendition he's brimming with confidence under a hail of arrows.

Again, I'm not knocking the artist, the illustrations are good, but they're overly flashy and fail to catch the essence of some of these characters. It feels like they weren't done by someone familiar with the source material and I suspect the writers just handed out some basic descriptions and rolled with it.

The Zhentarim symbol on Xzar is about the only thing I like about his pic. Monty's hiding his own. Not surprising though, Xzar is the insane one.

I actually disliked that. Sure, Xzar's batshit, but he's still capable of effectively pursuing a goal. At the very least, whoever sent him that way must've trusted he wouldn't go advertising his Black Network affiliation all around Baldur's fucking Gate, and he never outright admits it in the game.

 

[deuxhero]

In this picture, he is conventionally attractive, yes -

He definitely doesn't look like this in-game or have the CHA score to justify it.

that's one shitty shield

It looks like it's a hybrid of multiple shield types without the artist understanding the reason each component shield had those features. The raised part is from a shield with a shield boss, but it's not where the hand grip is located. The little cutout is from an ancient Greek shield. While we don't really know why they were shaped that way (indeed, even if they actually we have no actual relics and only see them in art), the best guess is to provide allow thrusting from behind the shield and this shield is both too tiny to do that and paired with a curved sword (slashing focused) instead of a spear.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

I like how Khalid and Jaheira have both discreet Harper symbols on them.

when I am a member of a super secret organization I also wear the symbol directly on my person

You mean like Masons, who plastered it everywhere they could, including money?

We they use handshakes to identify each other, why would we they wear the symbol on ourselves themselves?

Because Harpers aren't a secret organisation? And Masons "hid" symbols of their organisation everywhere they occupied.

I'd suggest picking up a copy of The Code of the Harpers

Spoiler

And with regards to wearing your Harper pin openly,

 

[Joseph Stalin]

The Harpers, or Those Who Harp, were a semi-secret organization dedicated to promoting good, preserving history (including art and music of old), and maintaining a balance between civilization and nature by keeping kingdoms small and the destruction of animal and plant life to a minimum. They considered the elven empire of Myth Drannor shortly before its fall to be the pinnacle of civilized history and strove to recreate the world in that image.

- The Code of the Harpers

Emphasis on the semi-secret. Think CIA - everyone know who they are, what's their function etc., but agents usually (also emphasis on usually) operate in a clandestine manner.

 

[a cut of domestic sheep prime]

Minsc - https://i.pinimg.com/originals/8b/ee/b6/8beeb6e50c5d25cc2093416fd4bd89c5.jpg

seen this before. yikes.

Imoen - https://i.pinimg.com/originals/cd/26/62/cd26620db58a97c4403ebb5f7afbba93.jpg

hotter, but more generic. jaheria is kind of the same.

most of these are just looksmaxed versions drawn in a certain style.

compare the generic art to this and the difference is obvious. the art for the games had a deliberately unique style that the new art lacks completely.

the minsc one seems pretty bad to me though. generic and not good looking at all.

 

[MajorMace]

Just remembered who this artwork of Minsc made me think of.

Spoiler

 

[oldmanpaco]

Dynaheir - https://i.4cdn.org/vrpg/1599587882483.jpg

I don't know whats going on in this thread but if Dynaheir had this portrait in BG1 I might have not kill her for Edwin every game.

 

[CappenVarra]

You shall all be as ants before my grace, though slightly larger ants than the norm if you help me.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

compare the generic art to this and the difference is obvious. the art for the games had a deliberately unique style that the new art lacks completely.

Disagree. BG2 portraits were, in general, atrocious and clearly done by someone who had near zero knowledge of the game or AD&D.
The best argument for this is right in the picture you provided: Jaheira is wearing metal armor.

To be fair though, the game itself messed it up and allowed her to wear metal armor when it's clearly against the rules.

 

[a cut of domestic sheep prime]

Disagree. BG2 portraits were, in general, atrocious and clearly done by someone who had near zero knowledge of the game or AD&D.
The best argument for this is right in the picture you provided: Jaheira is wearing metal armor.

To be fair though, the game itself messed it up and allowed her to wear metal armor when it's clearly against the rules.

I'm talking about the style, not the substance.

I'm not saying it's even great art. BG2 Viconia is mostly a trace off a porn star's photo.

But I am saying that the art has a much more unique feel than the generic, near anime stuff OP posted.