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	Re: Bungie leaves activision
	Posted By: Lion O Cyborg	Date: 1/16/19 9:41 a.m.
	In Response To: Re: Bungie leaves activision (Shining Raven) : It's certainly not weird to prefer some of the M1 sprites, as Troopers, : Enforcers, S'pht, and Hunters have a completely different aesthetic than : their M2 counterparts. : But, to say the XBLA fighters look like an "evolution" of the : originals is a bit much. The XBLA f'lick'ta and fighters look absolutely : nothing like the originals, it was these two that I was specifically : thinking of when I said the artists apparently tried to "make them : look more menacing from an anthropomorphic viewpoint in order to sell a : game." : The original fighters and fl'ick'ta were relatable characters, both in : appearance and description. The f'lick'ta are merely alien beasts : defending their territory, the fighters a pitiable underclass trying to : survive having to follow the orders of their bureaucratic slaving masters. : The XBLA versions, on the other hand, have had sharp points exaggerated, : shoulders broadened, etc., in a way that makes them look more grotesque : and sinister. It's as if the artists never bothered to read Marathon's : story at all, as if they were simply paid to make scary monsters that : would look at home on a DOOM map. : For example, if one had read the relevant terminal from M2, one would know : the maw of a F'lick'ta is a reproductive organ, not a digestive or : offensive organ. The original artwork reflects this, with its six rounded : bone nubs that could plausibly protect vulnerable young inside, while not : posing an unnecessary hazard when it comes time to deliver. Yes, captive : fl'lick'ta chew their young to prevent the Pfhor from taking them, but : presumably they would not do so in the wild. Meanwhile, the 12 sharp teeth : of the XBLA version look like they'd pose a much greater hazard and : obstacle to the young behind them. Honestly, I never noticed the subtle differences between those two other than the XLBA F'lickta had more hair, better detailed skin, red eyes,a darker green color and their "mouths" flaps were retracted. The teeth do look a little curved inwards but that's mostly the upper teeth, farther away from where the womb at the end of their "intestine" is. They also seem to have lost their red markings which is a part of their old sprites i actually like. Maybe an updated "HD monsters" plugin could rectify that somewhat by staying true to the M1 and M2 sprites but not looking bad like the latter, so we still get updated monster art but unlike the XBLA game, everyone wins. Even if it was done just so Xbox and PC gamers would buy Marathon on Xbox, I consul myself with 3 facts: 1. It worked. I certainly enjoyed Marathon 2 when I first played the PC Aleph One version and didn't even know they were new assets until Infinity, where I was confused that the troopers and F'lickta looked weird, and thought it was just a redesign for Infinity. (until I looked at plugins more around that time) It also led me to buying the Xbox version as I wanted to play Marathon on Xbox as well, only annoyed that the other two games weren't there too, as Infinity and M1 Classic are my favourites of the original trilogy. 2. There is no reason an alien creature merely defending itself or otherwise being friendly wouldn't look scary. Look at the Octospiders from the Rama books as an example. 3. It's just a game, even if it's still one of the best ever made. Who cares if the old or new sprites look odd? I should try to just relax.

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Replies:

	Bungie leaves activision *LINK*	ukimalefu	1/10/19 11:53 p.m.
	Re: Bungie leaves activision	Bob-B-Q	1/11/19 8:37 a.m.
	Re: Bungie leaves activision	VikingBoyBilly	1/11/19 3:32 p.m.
	Re: Bungie leaves activision	VikingBoyBilly	1/11/19 3:58 p.m.
	Re: Bungie leaves activision	Durandal_1707	1/12/19 4:56 p.m.
	Re: Bungie leaves activision	Durandal_1707	1/12/19 5:06 p.m.
	Re: Bungie leaves activision	Lion O Cyborg	1/13/19 3:09 a.m.
	Re: Bungie leaves activision	General-RADIX	1/11/19 3:57 p.m.
	Re: Bungie leaves activision	Lion O Cyborg	1/13/19 3:02 a.m.
	Re: Bungie leaves activision	VikingBoyBilly	1/13/19 2:38 p.m.
	Re: Bungie leaves activision	Lion O Cyborg	1/13/19 11:20 p.m.
	Re: Bungie leaves activision	Shining Raven	1/14/19 6:14 a.m.
	Re: Bungie leaves activision	Lion O Cyborg	1/15/19 2:33 p.m.
	Re: Bungie leaves activision	Shining Raven	1/15/19 4:35 p.m.
	Re: Bungie leaves activision	Lion O Cyborg	1/16/19 9:41 a.m.
	Re: Bungie leaves activision	Shining Raven	1/16/19 8:08 p.m.
	Speaking of Halo...	Durandal_1707	1/17/19 8:09 p.m.
	Re: Speaking of Halo...	Lion O Cyborg	1/18/19 9:25 a.m.
	Re: Speaking of Halo...	Lion O Cyborg	1/18/19 9:28 a.m.
	Re: Speaking of Halo...	Durandal_1707	1/19/19 6:50 p.m.
	Re: Speaking of Halo...	Lion O Cyborg	1/20/19 12:35 a.m.
	KHAAAAAAAAAAN!	Durandal_1707	1/20/19 5:17 a.m.
	Re: Speaking of Halo...	Bob-B-Q	1/18/19 11:11 a.m.
	Re: Speaking of Halo...	VikingBoyBilly	1/21/19 11:27 a.m.
	Re: Speaking of Halo...	Lion O Cyborg	1/21/19 11:43 a.m.
	Re: Speaking of Halo...	Durandal_1707	1/22/19 3:56 a.m.
	Re: Speaking of Halo...	Lion O Cyborg	1/22/19 9:05 a.m.

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