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[Request] Wider selection of portraits

AndreaColomboAndreaColombo Member Posts: 5,527
edited June 2012 in Archive (Feature Requests)
Originally posted on /r/FriendsOfBaldursGate.

One major limit of Baldur's Gate (and Baldur's Gate II, for that matter) was the scarce selection of portraits for CHARNAME. Several race/class/sex combinations were left out and it was taken for granted that CHARNAME would be a human male fighter or cleric.

I'd like to see a wider selection of portraits that are exclusively available for selection as CHARNAME's face. Not just a bunch of NPC portraits which we can also use for CHARNAME, but authentic, dedicated portraits that are exclusively avaiable to CHARNAME. They should cover the biggest amount of race/class/sex combinations as possible.

On a related note (and one for which I shall start a new thread later), the addition of new portraits by Nat Jones could also become a post-ship weekly feature. For example, every week after the game is released and for a predetermined amount of time, two new portraits could be made available for download from baldursgate.com. I'm sure many gamers would appreciate the release of new portraits more than wallpapers, screensavers, forum avatars and other usual bonus things.
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Comments

  • Zymran86Zymran86 Member Posts: 137
    edited June 2012
    Agree on all this, but i would like to add that i think that the elf's where better made in BG 2 appearance wise, bigger eyes etc than they where in BG 1.
    In Baldur's Gate they felt abit like half elves (Human's with pointy ear's) but id also like to say that i think the elves in Baldur's Gate where very well made, Mike Sass did an excellent job on them.
  • AndreaColomboAndreaColombo Member Posts: 5,527
    Personally, I've always liked BG1 portraits better in terms of style and coloring, but I think we'll be given the possibility to select from both (as in BG2), so everyone's tastes will likely be indulged :-)
  • Zymran86Zymran86 Member Posts: 137
    edited June 2012
    You mean Palette version right, with the darker shades etc? i was more refering to the appearance of elves. or do you liked the BG 1 elves better than Jaheira and Aerie portraits?
    And i have to admitt that i really liked the BG 2 style, but since this is BG 1 i think the darker shades etc is more appropiate :)
  • EpitomyofShynessEpitomyofShyness Member Posts: 113
    @AndreaColombo

    Yes yes please I would love to see a weekly download of new portraits.
  • AndreaColomboAndreaColombo Member Posts: 5,527
    @Zymran86

    I'll be honest, I've always thought Jaheira (and Imoen, for that matter) looked hotter in her BG1 portrait. Then again, it is no mystery that graphic-wise I'm in love with BG1 and not so fond of BG2.
  • TanthalasTanthalas Member Posts: 6,738
    Eh, I actually like Jaheira's portrait from BG2 more. But then again, I like the overall style of the BG2 portraits more (though I like several of the BG1 ones too).
  • Zymran86Zymran86 Member Posts: 137
    edited June 2012
    do we have any official word yet if theyre going to implent any new portraits except the NPC's? I mean from reddit, since this topic was over there aswell.
    Post edited by Zymran86 on
  • AndreaColomboAndreaColombo Member Posts: 5,527
    Nothing official yet.
  • AndreaColomboAndreaColombo Member Posts: 5,527
    Bumping this thread for new users to see.
  • trinittrinit Member Posts: 705
    the more portraits, the better. i vastly prefer bg2 style but i hope they will include new portraits in bg2 and bg style respectively.
  • elminsterelminster Member, Developer Posts: 16,316
    I would have no problem with them including the IWD2 portraits, if that is possible, but it seems to me like this could be (and has been) solved by modders/artist fans.
  • ScotGaymerScotGaymer Member Posts: 526
    I agree.

    Game need's more portraits. And better portraits for that matter.

    I never played BG without Amaurea's portrait mods simply because I liked his/her portraits a LOT better than the dull and boring, often hideous, vanilla portraits.
  • smeagolheartsmeagolheart Member Posts: 7,963
    I agree.

    Game need's more portraits. And better portraits for that matter.

    I never played BG without Amaurea's portrait mods simply because I liked his/her portraits a LOT better than the dull and boring, often hideous, vanilla portraits.
    I prefer the dull boring hideous vannilla portraits. I don't like the perspective of the huge face taking up the whole picture space in Amaurea's portraits
  • ScotGaymerScotGaymer Member Posts: 526
    I prefer it because you can actually get a proper look at them. Some of them might be a little "close up" but it's an improvement over the vanilla portraits; and certainly VASTLY better than the portraits in IWD.
  • carugacaruga Member Posts: 375
    I'd like to see 2 or 3 portraits. 1 or 2, depending on whether they were in BG1, BG2, or both, + a new Enhanced Edition portrait. And I'd like them to ship with both BG:EE and BG2:EE where the character appears at all in that game.

    Additionally I'd like a few more unreserved character-portraits (there's only one, the bald guy in BG1?), and the ones that are should have a notification under them telling you that you'll be stealing an in-game likeness if you choose it.
  • carugacaruga Member Posts: 375
    New idea just occured to me: allow multiple portraits to be installed under a single character including any modded ones you like, then you can click left and right arrows in their profile window, like browsing a photo album of that person.
  • ElysElys Member Posts: 100
    edited June 2012
    While of course I would be happy with a larger selection of vanilla portraits, as @elminster said, there has been many fan-made portraits available for download around so it's not like there is a lack of them.

    @caruga: o.O That would be fun if the character custom pictures were auto-shared during multiplayer sessions. So other players could browse them ^^

    @AndreaColombo: I like the idea of the post-ship released portraits.
    Post edited by Elys on
  • AndreaColomboAndreaColombo Member Posts: 5,527
    @Elys - I know about fan made portraits but somehow they can't seem to satisfy me, mainly beause they never seem to seamlessly fit in from a stylisc and qualitative standpoint. I don't want to diss anyone's artistic endeavors - in fact, I encourage them 100% - but I'd like to have a wider selection of portraits drawn and colored by a professional.
  • carugacaruga Member Posts: 375
    @Elys - I know about fan made portraits but somehow they can't seem to satisfy me, mainly beause they never seem to seamlessly fit in from a stylisc and qualitative standpoint. I don't want to diss anyone's artistic endeavors - in fact, I encourage them 100% - but I'd like to have a wider selection of portraits drawn and colored by a professional.
    I agree with that appraisal for most of the artwork done. But there's no reason in theory why there can't be fan-made art that fits.
  • smeagolheartsmeagolheart Member Posts: 7,963
    edited June 2012
    There are some good ones out there, but a lot of not so good ones. It's like finding diamonds in the rough or digging for gold. you might get lucky or you might waste a day's effort.
  • AndreaColomboAndreaColombo Member Posts: 5,527
    @smeagolheart - pretty much.
  • MornmagorMornmagor Member Posts: 1,160
    edited June 2012
    @Elys - I know about fan made portraits but somehow they can't seem to satisfy me, mainly beause they never seem to seamlessly fit in from a stylisc and qualitative standpoint. I don't want to diss anyone's artistic endeavors - in fact, I encourage them 100% - but I'd like to have a wider selection of portraits drawn and colored by a professional.
    There is always the possibility to get professional drawn portraits that don't appeal to you as well :P

    But i agree, some more portraits are always nice, although my favorite and the one i usually have for my char is the blackguard one from 3E books ^^ which is just made into a portrait, it's not exactly drawn for bg :]
  • mch202mch202 Member Posts: 1,455
    IWD1+2 Portraits are the best, I personaly use them.
  • NWN_babaYagaNWN_babaYaga Member Posts: 732
    You can check the nwvault portrait section if the new ones dont satisfy anyone. There are hundreds from good to excellent looking ones. Im just saying if you need a good place where to start searching.
  • TanthalasTanthalas Member Posts: 6,738
    Now that I think about it, Coran could use a new portrait where he actually looks like an Elf.
  • Zymran86Zymran86 Member Posts: 137
    @Tanthalas Haer'Dalis style?
  • TanthalasTanthalas Member Posts: 6,738
    @Zymran86

    Honestly, I'd be happy already if they just made his current portrait have pointy ears.
  • paulsifer42paulsifer42 Member Posts: 267
    Is it possible to have too many portraits? I believe it is not.
  • CheesebellyCheesebelly Member Posts: 1,727

    I'll be honest, I've always thought Jaheira (and Imoen, for that matter) looked hotter in her BG1 portrait. Then again, it is no mystery that graphic-wise I'm in love with BG1 and not so fond of BG2.
    I'd agree on the most part if there wasn't one little problem with the BG1 gals' portraits.
    Look... at their eyebrows. Why must all do this face Ô_ô
    It's like playing with Ancelotti's daughters or something XD
  • NimzNimz Member Posts: 44
    I really like all the portraits.

    It may seem like a small thing but it really adds more depth to the characters and they are all fantastically painted and designed.

    Compared to most modern RPG games of today where the portraits and characters for that matter are generic looking ingame screenshots of low poly/detail models.
    They just seem lifeless and empty.

    Saying that I wouldnt mind a few more to choose from specifically for the player. But only if they were equal quality to the current ones, which is why i think the whole idea of released 2 new portraits a week after release as @AndreaColombo mentioned in the first post, might be a bit to much to ask.
    The idea in essence is a good one though
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