D&D 5E (2014) I hope this isn't 5E...(art that screams "not this, not this!")

[steeldragons]

Then don't. Putting down others' opinions as "wrong" is frowned upon on this "message board."

Both sides could stand to ratchet down the rhetoric in this thread. If not, we'll close it.

Noted and appreciated.

 

[Sunseeker]

Now, see, I think that is a totally acceptable "ear length/look" for elves. No issue here.

Yes, as I said that's my ideal realm for elf ears. Bigger than Vulcan, smaller than Blood Elves

Well, no, that's not what I said. The elf ears in WoW, for any breed of elf, yes, those are ridiculous.

This is a little on the large end of ears in my book, but I don't think it's unreasonable for an elf in the slightest.

And I will thank you to not call my opinions/tastes "pathetic."

I called your argument pathetic, not your tastes, your tastes are IMO, misguided. You're welcome to not like WoW, but I would appreciate it if you didn't like it on the basis of your experiences with it, not simply some abstract idea you have of it in your head. This is common problem and the root of a lot of edition warring on this forms: hating on something without actually having experienced it and thus, only have a twisted, exaggerated idea of what it is in your head.

I've yet to have a compelling argument as to why. I am VERY open to "new ideas" specifically in the area of art to be used in the next edition/iteration. But saying "this is how they do it in X video game so it's good enough for D&D" is a, likewise, flawed argument.

I'm not suggesting that things from WoW should be used in D&D, in fact I'm highly favorable to the idea that your character can look pretty much however it wants as long it falls along the general lines of racial decriptors. In fact I'd love to see all the variants of Elves(Eladrin, Sun, Moon, Wood, Drow) get a fairly unique look isntead of just being the same elf with a different skin-color or hair-do.

Anyway my point was simply that if there's something good and appealing in ANYWHERE in the fantasy genre, Wizards should look to that and see how it can improve D&D. If it won't improve D&D, then don't use it, if it can however, it should be investigated.

"Modern gamers" want to have elf's ears sticking out the side of their head?

I think you misunderstand, or are being purposefully obtuse.

And, quite frankly, [everyone duck and cover, as I will after this post] I'd be FINE with alienating "modern gamers." Since "they" seem to be nothing but "rules layers" and "power-gamers/min-maxers" who seem to think that is HOW the game "should be" played....so they "can win", like, if they play the game by the numbers and get the SSSShhhhtuff they should "are entitled to [on their "wish list"] " because they're level X, they are similarly entitled to "win."

Strange, since Rules Lawyers, Power-gamers, Min-Maxers, people with a sense of entitlement, people who want to "win" have existed since the very beginning of the game. If there is a game, some people believe it can be won, if there are numbers, people will look for ways to maximize those numbers. That doesn't make them bad people. I've had some seriously fun games with power-gamers, min-maxers and rules lawyers.

To dicsount the whole because of some is bigotry this genre can no longer tolerate. If D&D continues to lose players and make less money, Hasbro will can it.

All I'm askin' fer is no "crazy long elf ears!" Is that so wrong?
--SD

I'd just like the typical elf to be a little more than a pointy-eared human who lives in a tree. If slightly elongated ears help with that, great.

 

[Lwaxy]

This is a little on the large end of ears in my book, but I don't think it's unreasonable for an elf in the slightest.

Not if she wants to hang her laundry, no

 

[Sunseeker]

Not if she wants to hang her laundry, no

It's never been explicitly written how elves do their laundry. Perhaps they do.

 

[Hussar]

Going back to the original point of this thread, here are things I DON'T want to see in D&DN.

Ok, Alfred E. Newman, you get voted off the island:

Whoever thought a vampiric, skelton platypus was a good model for a monster was smoking something groooovy:

As much as I love the 1e Fiend Folio, it really did have some very, very miss art. Baby got some serious back:

I look at this and all I can think of is Rick James:

I just can't really comment on this:

And, this rather unfortunate image:

 

[steeldragons]

This is a little on the large end of ears in my book, but I don't think it's unreasonable for an elf in the slightest.

A little?! That's a good six to eight inches higher than they need to [should] be.

I called your argument pathetic, not your tastes, your tastes are IMO, misguided. You're welcome to not like WoW, but I would appreciate it if you didn't like it on the basis of your experiences with it, not simply some abstract idea you have of it in your head.

Um, no. While you are correct, I've never played it. But that is completely irrelevant in a discussion, as I thought this thread was, about the art. The STYLE, the ART, the DESIGN of WoW, I find entirely awful. Elves to Trolls to armor and weapons. Hate it.

Thus...

What I hope this isn't 5e...(art that screams "not this, not this!")=for me, WoW. Which...wasn't even an original point of mine, thought I was talking about elf ears?...

5852314]

This is common problem and the root of a lot of edition warring on this forms: hating on something without actually having experienced it and thus, only have a twisted, exaggerated idea of what it is in your head.

My idea is neither exaggerated nor twisted, thank you. I have seen more than my share of WoW images, screen-captures, design schematics for all manner of things in the game. We're talking about the art here (to call it "art" outright might be stretching)...and what's bad/hope is not presented in 5e. I think I am completely justified, no matter how misguided you find my taste, in saying WoW is not the direction of imagery 5e should take.

I'm not suggesting that things from WoW should be used in D&D, in fact I'm highly favorable to the idea that your character can look pretty much however it wants as long it falls along the general lines of racial descriptors. In fact I'd love to see all the variants of Elves(Eladrin, Sun, Moon, Wood, Drow) get a fairly unique look instead of just being the same elf with a different skin-color or hair-do.

So we agree on that, then. Good.

Anyway my point was simply that if there's something good and appealing in ANYWHERE in the fantasy genre, Wizards should look to that and see how it can improve D&D. If it won't improve D&D, then don't use it, if it can however, it should be investigated.

This makes sense.

I think you misunderstand, or are being purposefully obtuse.

I do enjoy me some being purposefully obtuse.

I'd just like the typical elf to be a little more than a pointy-eared human who lives in a tree. If slightly elongated ears help with that, great.

Hmmm. I don't think ridiculously elongated ears (and yes, 6 to 8 inches off/over the head are ridiculous, imho) are going to differentiate your typical elf from a pointy-eared human who lives in a tree. Gonna take a bit more than that in the flavor and crunch. For the art, completely not necessary.

 

[steeldragons]

Going back to the original point of this thread, here are things I DON'T want to see in D&DN.

Thank you!

Ok, Alfred E. Newman, you get voted off the island:

Whoever thought a vampiric, skelton platypus was a good model for a monster was smoking something groooovy:

Ain't that the troof!

As much as I love the 1e Fiend Folio, it really did have some very, very miss art.

Truly.

Baby got some serious back:

Oh no he din't! I KNOW you're not tawkin' 'bout my abdomen!

I look at this and all I can think of is Rick James:

GAH! My eyes! My eyes!

I just can't really comment on this:

I...I can't really help you here...I'm sure there was a reason...I just have no idea what it might have been.

And, this rather unfortunate image:

What's wrong with this one? Looks like a perfectly good, cursed, kill ya soon as strike for ya kinda sword.

 

[Sunseeker]

A little?! That's a good six to eight inches higher than they need to [should] be.

Well, your average Blood Elf stands some 5'2 to 5'6. So given that those are about as tall as her head, I'd say that yeah, they're about 6-7 inches long.

Um, no. While you are correct, I've never played it. But that is completely irrelevant in a discussion, as I thought this thread was, about the art. The STYLE, the ART, the DESIGN of WoW, I find entirely awful. Elves to Trolls to armor and weapons. Hate it.

There's an awful lot of design within the game and without it, and I'm curious what in particular you don't like about it.

My idea is neither exaggerated nor twisted, thank you. I have seen more than my share of WoW images, screen-captures, design schematics for all manner of things in the game. We're talking about the art here (to call it "art" outright might be stretching)...and what's bad/hope is not presented in 5e. I think I am completely justified, no matter how misguided you find my taste, in saying WoW is not the direction of imagery 5e should take.

We are talking about the graphics of a game that was developed between 2002 and 2004. Even with advancements in graphics they're still working with a pretty dated system. Again, I'm not suggesting D&D needs to take explicitly from WoW, only that there is room for inspiration. 5e should strive to create it's own unique style that appeals to a very broad range of tastes.

Hmmm. I don't think ridiculously elongated ears (and yes, 6 to 8 inches off/over the head are ridiculous, imho) are going to differentiate your typical elf from a pointy-eared human who lives in a tree. Gonna take a bit more than that in the flavor and crunch. For the art, completely not necessary.

No, there's multiple layers to what makes an elf, and there are multiple types of elves. I think that D&D has done a really good job of making the Drow feel unique, I'd love to see that applied to each elven sub-species as well as all of the races.

That's one of the reasons I like the 4e Tiefling design and am OK with the Deva's replacing the Aasimir since both of those are far more unique than "holy blonde human" and "unholy human with horns".

 

[trancejeremy]

I just can't really comment on this:

That cover was related to a really bad comic strip (Pinsom) which was canceled after 3 issues.

Using it to criticize D&D's 1e art is like criticizing the art from The Order of the Stick or Knights of the Dinner Table.

And Field Folio was an unusual product, as it was essentially a product of TSR UK and was heavily panned by both players and in Dragon Magazine itself for its weirdness in both art and monsters.

In either case, neither one was the norm or baseline of the art, which is really what we are talking about here...

 

[Savage Wombat]

Doesn't anybody have that Grimtooth's trap entry that specifically targets elves whose ears protrude above their heads? Some kind of swinging ear-clamp or something.