I’ve voiced my opinion multiple times about Halo’s “design direction” and how I feel it has become too “flashy” and diluted. There is currently an article on Polygon about Star Wars and how it succeeds as a franchise and sci fi universe. This quote sums up my feelings towards the current state of Halo’s design issues.
"With Star Wars especially, good design means reducing everything to core iconic shapes," Christian Alzmann, ILM’s senior art director said in an interview with CGSociety. "No bells and whistles. It you look at the Star Wars films, I feel like a lot of the ships are simple. They’re designed after letters of the alphabet. The Death Star is a planet, but it’s a circle with a little circle inset with a line going through it. That’s the icon on the death star. If it were designed for a movie today, it would be pointy shapes and busy, busy busy. More like a Transformer."
This is how Halo started. Now, we’ve traded clean monolithic forerunner design for doodads and more lines, angles, and hard light stuffs (for one example). This isn’t all bad. Growth and change is good as graphics change and become better, but at some point it does become detrimental. “More like a transformer” is how I see Halo 5 from a design perspective.
IMO - Halo 2 Anniversary nailed the Halo aesthetic and should be carried forward as THE Halo design language. I like the changes to MC and Forerunners in H4, but we sold our souls to BroDesign for H5. If Halo hopes to succeed as a Sci Fi franchise/universe, (not game) things need to change.
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> I’ve voiced my opinion multiple times about Halo’s “design direction” and how I feel it has become too “flashy” and diluted. There is currently an article on Polygon about Star Wars and how it succeeds as a franchise and sci fi universe. This quote sums up my feelings towards the current state of Halo’s design issues.
> “With Star Wars especially, good design means reducing everything to core iconic shapes,” Christian Alzmann, ILM’s senior art director said in an interview with CGSociety. "No bells and whistles. It you look at the Star Wars films, I feel like a lot of the ships are simple. They’re designed after letters of the alphabet. The Death Star is a planet, but it’s a circle with a little circle inset with a line going through it. That’s the icon on the death star. If it were designed for a movie today, it would be pointy shapes and busy, busy busy. More like a Transformer."
>
> This is how Halo started. Now, we’ve traded clean monolithic forerunner design for doodads and more lines, angles, and hard light stuffs (for one example). This isn’t all bad. Growth and change is good as graphics change and become better, but at some point it does become detrimental. “More like a transformer” is how I see Halo 5 from a design perspective.
> IMO - Halo 2 Anniversary nailed the Halo aesthetic and should be carried forward as THE Halo design language. I like the changes to MC and Forerunners in H4, but we sold our souls to BroDesign for H5. If Halo hopes to succeed as a Sci Fi franchise/universe, (not game) things need to change.
> Thoughts?
> http://www.polygon.com/2016/1/22/10814306/star-wars-the-force-awakens-ships-droids-design
I completely agree.
I have stated in previous threads that those who advocate all the change in halo 5 do not understand good design and style. I always used Star Wars as an example. Did The Force Awakens change the formula to appease the noobs to the franchise? Nope. It stayed true to the originals. Does halo 5 stay true to the originals? Nope. 343 decided long ago to try and erase the phenomenal foundation which Bungie designed and created. 343 would rather cater to a simple minority than keep the core fans happy. The popularity of Halo 5 speaks for itself :
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currently ranked 12th
I don’t like the changes to the Forerunners at all.
I do think Halo 2 Anniversary absolutely nails the Stone-Forerunner theme with its Sanctuary and Warlock remakes, but all the Metal stuff just looks ridiculous.
Same with the UNSC. Everything is just way too over the top and flashy, over-designed.
Go back to Reach / CEA. They did an amazing job with the UNSC and their Forerunner designs aren’t too shabby either.
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> Go back to Reach / CEA. They did an amazing job with the UNSC and their Forerunner designs aren’t too shabby either.
Oh man, absolutely !!!
No more plastic looking Spartans with thin, small armor. Give me a real super soldier to kick -Yoink- with! Not some cartoon character wearing a helmet.
> 2533274819302824;4:
> I don’t like the changes to the Forerunners at all.
>
> I do think Halo 2 Anniversary absolutely nails the Stone-Forerunner theme with its Sanctuary and Warlock remakes, but all the Metal stuff just looks ridiculous.
>
> Same with the UNSC. Everything is just way too over the top and flashy, over-designed.
>
> Go back to Reach / CEA. They did an amazing job with the UNSC and their Forerunner designs aren’t too shabby either.
All of this!
Plus, we need more diversity in voices with accents! What happened to all the Australians?!
> 2533274812935863;6:
> > 2533274819302824;4:
> > I don’t like the changes to the Forerunners at all.
> >
> > I do think Halo 2 Anniversary absolutely nails the Stone-Forerunner theme with its Sanctuary and Warlock remakes, but all the Metal stuff just looks ridiculous.
> >
> > Same with the UNSC. Everything is just way too over the top and flashy, over-designed.
> >
> > Go back to Reach / CEA. They did an amazing job with the UNSC and their Forerunner designs aren’t too shabby either.
>
>
> All of this!
> Plus, we need more diversity in voices with accents! What happened to all the Australians?!
> 2533274819302824;4:
> I don’t like the changes to the Forerunners at all.
>
> I do think Halo 2 Anniversary absolutely nails the Stone-Forerunner theme with its Sanctuary and Warlock remakes, but all the Metal stuff just looks ridiculous.
>
> Same with the UNSC. Everything is just way too over the top and flashy, over-designed.
>
> Go back to Reach / CEA. They did an amazing job with the UNSC and their Forerunner designs aren’t too shabby either.
This - In the books, the forerunner structures are stone that is almost too perfectly cut. I always thought it was metal but then once I read that and went back to play, I noticed they were stone. These stones have unique attributes - almost seeming warm to the touch. Even the Guardians got a massive overhaul from Halo teaser to game (unless the one we see on the Ark in the Halo teaser is a special Guardian).
> 2533274955330357;7:
> > 2533274812935863;6:
> > > 2533274819302824;4:
> > > I don’t like the changes to the Forerunners at all.
> > >
> > > I do think Halo 2 Anniversary absolutely nails the Stone-Forerunner theme with its Sanctuary and Warlock remakes, but all the Metal stuff just looks ridiculous.
> > >
> > > Same with the UNSC. Everything is just way too over the top and flashy, over-designed.
> > >
> > > Go back to Reach / CEA. They did an amazing job with the UNSC and their Forerunner designs aren’t too shabby either.
> >
> >
> > All of this!
> > Plus, we need more diversity in voices with accents! What happened to all the Australians?!
>
>
> I know right?!
Are you kidding? Every Australian has his or her life threatened hundreds of times a day by poisonous spiders alone.
I don’t have a huge problem with some of the design directions 343i have gone in. I think some of it has ben driven by the direction they’ve taken the story. I really like home the Forerunners look and behave but I do think they’re over designing the Covenant and some aspects of the UNSC now. I’m not a huge fan of Infinity, I find it like one giant plot machinima that was had this Forerunner inspired tech leap just so it could smash up the Covenant and fight the new enemy. Again, this is plot leading design.
I also don’t like how in the campaign the Blue Team Spartans all look different. My own original vision was that they all appeared the same, had the same set of Mark 2 armour maybe since then their armour has changed or been updated, but I liked my idea.
