Opinions on this Art style

[Parodos]

Quick question!

Check the two pics below, would the "sort of cell shaded" art style make you more interested in a game, or would it be a turnoff?
If you go with your gut feeling.


Normal 3d


Fake 2d 3d/Sort of cell shading but I think not really cell shading

 

[PoisoNAsheS]

Looks like a Telltale game honestly, I dig it, would be into it.

 

[Synx]

It looks fine to me. It has more contrast compared to the first picture, especially in the face, but you lose some details because of the smudging. Especially in the background.

Dont really have a preference, both look fine.

 

[fantasmic]

I'd prefer the 3d for a porn game, but the fake-2d would be more appealing in a game-with-porn (or game without porn, for that matter).

 

[anne O'nymous]

It totally depend the atmosphere you want to create for your game.

 

[Sphere42]

The first one doesn't really stand out, it's something to use in a "realistic" modern setting which takes itself seriously so the art doesn't distract from the sex scenes (and hopefully shows better details on the actual genitals...)

The second option looks like Borderlands which means you can get away with a lot more weird and cartoony stuff. Visually noisy backgrounds are drowned out which makes it easier to focus on the characters. Unfortunately it looks like you used different lighting for the two renders so I can't tell whether this one actually has more pronounced shadows. It definitely has a weird line artefact below the armpit though and the facial features look very washed out.

So overall it really depends on what you want to do with it in your game. Even if we just stick to the cookie cutter modern city VN I would prefer the first one for full-body render slideshows and extensive kissing or cunnilingus (assuming she has a detailed vagina model+texture) but if the art is used as more of a sandbox-style avatar/"status indicator" with various outfits and dropped in front of changing background scenes I'd prefer the second style. That also makes it easier to use "modern" models and assets as stand-ins for things which aren't supposed to be that e.g. if you drop in a log cabin as a fantasy house we won't see the obvious electric lamp dangling from the ceiling through the rubber framed double glassed windows. If you have separate portraits as is common in RPGM then I'd definitely use the full 3D for those due to the aforementioned issues with the face specifically.

 

[Geralt_R]

The 2nd one looks fine and I like it. Reminds me of the movie "A Scanner Darkly".

 

[TheAmazingRolandder]

As others are saying, the more out-there and weird you're getting, the more the second style fits.

Both are fine, though. The second one will make you stand out - that may or may not be a good thing.

 

[woody554]

the lighting in the 3d one makes it quite bad. the cell shader hides a lot of those problems so it's one way to go.

another way to go would be fixing the 3d one. it needs way more contrast and the character lighting needs to come from top instead of down. does it have the daz auto headlamp on? everything looks so flat.

lighting should be thought of as sculpting with shadows and lights, not as illuminating everything. without shadows there are no forms.

 

[Ripply]

The 2nd one looks fine and I like it. Reminds me of the movie "A Scanner Darkly".

Loved that movie, it used a technique called rotoscoping

 

[sassy_mendigo]

Cell shading goes well with 3D models made for cell shading and requires cell shading lighting, which is not the case in that example.

Different for sake of difference is like a girl saying "I'm not like the other girls".

 

[Pretentious Goblin]

Not a fan of deep-frying existing 3D assets to make it look more artsy.

 

[OsamiWorks]

I dont mind the shader but I think you'd want to use different textures and maybe even different models with it

 

[Winterfire]

If you want to make it look better, and more anime style, do not rely only on cell shading and outlining... Edit the actual textures to make it look better*, and use an anime style shader for the background elements without the outline.
Trees would look much better this way.


*Editing textures is optional, it depends if you want to simple it down, but imho those textures look good enough.

 

[Deleted member 4879170]

Both look really good, in all honesty, but I'm more into the comic book style ("cell shaded") since I created something that looks a bit similar:

 

[AncestralGroove]

Well the 2D one looks different from the 3D one, thats for sure eventhough i assume that you are using the same resource to create the images?
You could see the 3d one as if it has less of a matt surface. Its up to you what kind of game you want to publish.

 

[GreenGobbo]

Lighting is different makes it difficult to really compare/contrast the images accurately, but I kinda prefer the 2nd one (faux-3d)

The character's face seems more expressive/emotive, and the shadows mixed with the lines make things pop a little more from the background.

 

[Parodos]

the lighting in the 3d one makes it quite bad. the cell shader hides a lot of those problems so it's one way to go.

another way to go would be fixing the 3d one. it needs way more contrast and the character lighting needs to come from top instead of down. does it have the daz auto headlamp on? everything looks so flat.

lighting should be thought of as sculpting with shadows and lights, not as illuminating everything. without shadows there are no forms.

Yea its pretty shitty, I just threw something together for the example, should probably have put a bit more effort into it tho.

 

[Parodos]

Thank you all for you comments, I guess in the end it kinda come downs to what kind of game you wanna create? (and yea the light is ineed quite shitty, in both pics, could probably have picked a better example)

If you want to make it look better, and more anime style, do not rely only on cell shading and outlining... Edit the actual textures to make it look better*, and use an anime style shader for the background elements without the outline.
Trees would look much better this way.


*Editing textures is optional, it depends if you want to simple it down, but imho those textures look good enough.

Yes, agreed But going through all my textures is to much of a pain in the ass So I figured I could take a shortcut with shaders.

Both look really good, in all honesty, but I'm more into the comic book style ("cell shaded") since I created something that looks a bit similar:

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Looks cool. I kinda like the comic book style better than normal 3D as well, was curious about how other people felt about it.

 

[GreenGobbo]

... I like the comic book style better than normal 3D ...

See, there's your answer right there. The most important one all all in fact.
You make the art the way you like it best and you'll be happier with the final outcome.
Just because one group or another likes it more or less doesn't matter too much. So long as the story/game is good you'll find some fans here.