(01-16-2015, 04:12 PM)Melkire Wrote: Cutting corners by reusing assets to lessen workload and subsequently lessen man-hours to stay within one's budget is a production matter, and it's a fact that it happens. Otherwise every new set of class-specific gear would be unique. I get irked when people handwave that with, "oh but it looks good, so it's okay". Pet peeve of mine, was raised as a perfectionist so "cutting corners" to me is just another way of saying "half-assing it". I get prickly over such things. Meant no offense. "Apologist" literally means someone who defends something in the face of a critique. *shrugs*
From one perfectionist to another that has a huge problem with half-assing my own work and refuses to publicly release anything that isn't representative of my ability, I generally echo your thoughts here. There really is nothing that upsets me more than a game that doesn't have any art direction, or a clear design aesthetic. However, FFXIV has direction. As a single title from a long line of games, it also has a rich visual history (and thus experienced designers) to draw on as well. So, I suppose in this particular case, in this particular game, some recycling doesn't bother me as much as it might otherwise.Â
It's clear to me there's an informed design intent. The shape design and elements are reused, and I can often see the concept. Sometimes the concept is ridiculous, however the execution of it is spot on. It's not just thrown together willy-nilly. I can definitely get over some of the lack of functionality or construction because the design aesthetic is so strong. I don't think the art team bats a thousand every time they release something, and have gone into long deconstructive postings with visual aids to break down my thoughts on the design subject at hand. However, I can say that while I may have done something differently, and can and will show how I'd have done it differently, or it's not to my individual taste, at least it is visually coherent. For that, mad props.
