Need a quick critique on two covers...

[jdrakeh]

Awesome. I've always wanted to play Castle Wolfenstein: The RPG.

It will be very similar to that, but with a bit more super-science (and no, it won't be Gear Krieg, either - it will have more emphasis on espionage than GK did). So... It'll be more Hellboy meets Gear Krieg meets James Bond

Am I wrong, or does that translate as "Shadowhunter"?[/QUOTE]

You are exactly correct.

 

[Conaill]

Am I wrong, or does that translate as "Shadowhunter"?

You are exactly correct.

Heh - I thought it was "Treasurehunter" (That'd be Schatzjager instead.) Works either way, though!

As others have already pointed out, my #1 objection is that the sword blade is just way too blurry! Heck, lightsabers have more definition than that. And with the sharp contrasts on the hilt, the two look enirely disconnected. Might as well be a bladeless hilt hanging in front of an out-of-focus purple column in the background...

Nice work otherwise, though! I've seen published covers that aren't half as good. But that fuzzy sword blade makes the first cover essentially unusable.

 

[loki44]

Gotta admit I didn't read the whole thread thoroughly so forgive me if I'm being repetitive here......

Both look great as is, honestly, but here's my input for what it's worth:

Move the text and possibly the sword higher up in "Old School".

The brightness seems fine to me but I'd like to see the blade of the sword more well defined. It has a sort of magical glow to it but I'd prefer a keener edge with maybe a glow beyond its substance.

I know this is not what you were asking about, but I'd consider a title change. "Old School" and "High Fantasy" just don't mix well for me. I know what you're striving for but the "Old School" just seems kind of anachronistic against that backdrop. And don't get me wrong, I'm old school, I love old school gaming, I'm an old school rap fan, etc.... I'd probably love what you're going for here.....but if it was a product on the shelf, I'd shy away from it just because of the title. Having said that, I don't have any better suggestions for you off the top of my head.

The second cover is cool as well, but I had some difficulty deciphering the font. It took me a few glances to go from "Buly" to "Bulp" to "Bulb?" to finally "Pulp". Shouldn't be that hard.

In terms of the color scheme, I wonder how it might look if you started the eagle emblem red at top and then sort of dripping down, as in blood, to the white below? Just a suggestion.

Like I said, overall an excellent job. Though I hate to judge a book by its cover......I'm intrigued enough to want to know what's within.

 

[Conaill]

Like I said, overall an excellent job. Though I hate to judge a book by its cover......I'm intrigued enough to want to know what's within.

Then again, you can judge a cover by how much you'd want to judge the book by its cover.

 

[jdrakeh]

Like I said, overall an excellent job. Though I hate to judge a book by its cover......I'm intrigued enough to want to know what's within.

When I get them uploaded, I'll be sure to link to them in my sig.

 

[OpheliaWhispers]

Ummm.. is it just me or would a normal person go for the one WITHOUT the swastika on it?

 

[jdrakeh]

Ummm.. is it just me or would a normal person go for the one WITHOUT the swastika on it?

Note that Nazis are the most common type of foes in World War II era pulp adventure - from Indiana Jones to the original Captain America comics - and thus, the swastika and other Nazi imagery features predominantly in material of that nature (see also Castle Wolfentstein, Hellboy, etc). The use of a swastika (especially a blood-stained one) on the cover or within the pages of a product doesn't mean the author backs Nazis. I find your insinuation that it does incredibly insulting (as well as uninformed).

 

[Plane Sailing]

The use of a swastika (especially a blood-stained one) on the cover or within the pages of a product doesn't mean the author backs Nazis. I find your insinuation that it does incredibly insulting (as well as uninformed).

moderator note
I don't think that there is any insinuation of the kind there, certainly nothing for you to take insult to. It is almost more insulting for you to put words in OpheliaWhispers mouth like that.

Remember the rules - don't ascribe motives to other people.

Thanks

 

[Turjan]

I find your insinuation that it does incredibly insulting (as well as uninformed).

Keep in mind that, e.g., in Germany, you'd be put on trial for that cover. Different countries, different customs .

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Good point!

He could move the whole eagle assembly to the bottom of the cover, so that only half of the swastika is depicted.