[Fozzik]

I was just looking for my next desktop wallpaper...and I came across this concept art piece for GW2.

Please god, let this make it into the game.




No, your eyes do not deceive you. I believe that is indeed a city, on an iceberg, with sails. They are sailing around on an iceberg city. And it has a cave at the front where full-sized regular sailing vessels can be drawn inside to dock.

That, my friends, is awe-inspiring.

[AsheMan]

I never get hyped by concept art because it's just a concept and is rarely ever actualized within the game, but that is a gorgeous setting.

[Fozzik]

You should watch some of the videos for GW2. They have come closer to directly translating concept art into game assets than any other company I've ever seen. They also developed their own in-house application which allows them to apply animation and effects directly to the concept art...so they use the concept art itself for their cut scenes and cinematics.

Watch this video in HD to get an idea of what I mean. At 2:00, it switches from animated concept art to actual in-game art, and you get to see a direct comparison - the city of Divinity's Reach goes from concept to in-game. Everything after that point is in-game art, I believe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjCehYrEbO0

Also keep in mind that video was posted like 2 years ago...it looks even better now.

[mmorpeegee]

Omg

[Loampounder]

Originally Posted by AsheMan

I never get hyped by concept art because it's just a concept and is rarely ever actualized within the game, but that is a gorgeous setting.

Yes, concept art and cinematics are usually unreliable in this industry.

It does seem startling that that video (and some others I found on Youtube) were done over two years ago.

[ForestWhitakerEye]

I'm sure something like it will be in game.

I remember reading something somewhere that they had the concept art for the polar bear warriors and had the concept art for the floating iceberg city and that was what made they decide that they just had to create the Kodan and put them into the game.

http://www.arena.net/blog/the-wisdom...r-of-the-kodan

I'm looking for the original interview where they said that but I'm not sure if it was Daniel Dociu or someone else so I'm having trouble finding it.