Per my OP it was the laziness and inconsistency of D&D's art direction I was noting.
The players can be informed by the art in the books. And it doesn't take an expert in clothing styles of a given era do do this.
Just someone (who is ostensibly in charge of commissioning the art for the game) willing to exert a little effort.
Evidently this would be a bad thing.
No, it's not a
bad thing. It's a
pointless thing.
D&D is not the real world. It doesn't follow real-world history or social or religious mores, and thus doesn't need to follow real-world fashions. If your D&D setting takes place in Europe of 1450 c.e., then yes, you'll want the clothing choices to reflect 15th century Europe. But I'd wager that the vast majority of gamers
don't play D&D in Europe of 1450 c.e.--or 1120 c.e., or 750 c.e., or anything like that. They play in the Realms, 1495 DR, or in Ravenloft, 748 BC, or in Eberron, 998 YK, or use their homebrew world's calendar.
The problem is,
you want a specific aesthetic that D&D doesn't use, and in reality, has never used. D&D may have been influenced by Tolkien, a bit, but also by Conan and lots of other sources, each of which had their own aesthetic.
The vibes I'm getting seem to be: "Yes, it is too much to ask that D&D set a consistent look for each setting it has." and "How dare you question D&D's utter lack of art direction."
Because every place in the real world had consistent fashions throughout history?
Again, Different settings - different looks.
But even Ravenloft can't stay consistent.
Dark ages, middle ages, late-medieval, renaissance, 18th century... Pick one. or pick your in-between era.
Have you ever read anything Ravenloft? Each
domain is a different aesthetic. Why on earth would people from not!Nazi Germany Falkovnia dress like people from not!Puritan-Ireland Tepest or not!Mad Scientist Swizzerland Lamordia or actual!Italy Odiare?
But at least be consistent within a given setting. WHFRP is a great example of this.
Is that Warhammer you're talking about? Because the art
here is as big a histori-fantastical hodgepodge as any D&D book. It's just that they're made by people using the same art style.
I must be the only one on this thread that thinks a consistency in art direction adds to the immersion and feel of setting material.
No, but you might be the only one who who thinks "everyone should be wearing period clothing from the right time and location" is what "consistency in art direction" actually means.
That picture of the cartoony marching modrons from the MM
is inconsistent with the rest of the monster art in that book, and as adorable as it is, maybe shouldn't have been included.
Having people wearing different clothing because they're from a fantasy world, and from different locations or cultures in that fantasy world, is not inconsistent art direction.
The fact that
you don't like the clothing people in D&D art wear doesn't mean it's bad. It means it's not to your taste.
