[Suggestion] Stalker Improvements: Artwork vs. Animation

[XSOLDIER]

Much love.

[Kahooli]

Hey man, i agree with most of the stuff you just said, so I'm just going to go ahead and say what I think about this lovely unit.

Personally, i LOVE the blink ability in general, in WC3 i used to love playing as the Warden because of her blink ability. Anyways, the first impression I got on the stalker (which was from the artwork) was that it was going to be a very fast and agile unit. After seeing it in game, I was a little disappointed to see that they made it.. well.. fat. It's legs are fat, heh, and well it just doesn't give me the image of a scout/harassing unit, and definitely not one that is worthy of such a quick/evasive ability as blink.
Also, i agree that the blink animation should look 'darker' and such...

I noticed the same problem with the dragoon actually, after seeing some concept of it in that picture with the colossus, they look much thinner than they did in SC1.. whats with blizz and fat legs?

[Gradius]

The power of the Void has been used to destroy the Cerebrates in the original StarCraft, and is thus a potent force to be used against the Zerg

The only thing thats special about void energies is they are used to counteract the reincarnation process. Its not any more powerful than high templar energies.

The crystals that appear rotating above the Stalker seem to be like the ones found on the Warp Ray which seems to suggest that the Dark Templar are not using the powers of the Void to Teleport, but rather those of the Prismatic Core. (the ability also seems very similar to the Warp In Animations).

Its not a crystal hes wearing. Its warp energy that is constantly on.

Anyway. I like the stalker the way it is now(especially in my sig). IMO its one of the most well designed units so far!

[Overwatch]

Like most of the units I've seen so far, the concept art rocks (Dark Templar, Stalker, Immortal, etc.), but the in-game unit seems rather lacking, in my opinion... Anyway, I agree with your post, and welcome to Blizzforums!

[Kahooli]

Originally Posted by Gradius

The only thing thats special about void energies is they are used to counteract the reincarnation process. Its not any more powerful than high templar energies.

That's because that is the only thing they mentioned till now that is different between the energies. You can't say for sure there is no other difference.
And yes, you can say for sure there is a difference either, just wanted to point it out though.

[Spychi]

As a toss user I'll use Stalkers as my base unit combo, I just love the Stalker and his blink ability

[XSOLDIER]

Thanks for the repsonses so far, and I've got a couple comments.

@ Gradius: The Crystals are almost identical to the ones that rise out of the Mothership when it's using the Planet Cracker ability (Gameplay Video at 15:26 - 15:28). You can see them in the image next to the download as well. Again, it's merely a differentiation from one form of Protoss Technology: Prismatic Core, vs. the Void, and I'd like to see a little bit more on that side of things, though again, we don't know a great deal about either at this point.

(also, I'd like the Stalker in game to look like the one in your sig).


Again apologies for a really long first post, but there was a lot that I wanted to say about it. I tried to break it down into sections to help out with that.


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[Gradius]

Originally Posted by XSOLDIER

@ Gradius: The Crystals are almost identical to the ones that rise out of the Mothership when it's using the Planet Cracker ability (Gameplay Video at 15:26 - 15:28). You can see them in the image next to the download as well. Again, it's merely a differentiation from one form of Protoss Technology: Prismatic Core, vs. the Void, and I'd like to see a little bit more on that side of things, though again, we don't know a great deal about either at this point.

Wait. Are you talking about the in-game model or the artwork? Because IMO the in-game model looks like it has one of those "data" warp things on its back ( i dont see a crystal ) except those two off to the side.

[XSOLDIER]

I'm referring to the in-game model. If you look when the shields power down, it rises from the bottom, up out of the center.






That's what I was referring to. My comparisons are trying to make the in-game model more closely reflect the artwork.
(In the screenshots it actually looks like the Stalkers are firing out of the crystals as it glows when they're shooting - almost exactly like the Mothership's Planet Cracker ability.) It would be understandable with the Protoss no longer separated into a caste so strongly, but I'd rather see their weaponry be a little bit different..


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[XSOLDIER]

Ok, I just got done making my intentions a little bit more clear with the help of my good friend Photoshop.

First - I took the original image by Samwise, and threw on some light & dark areas to match The light and dark metal tones on the Stalker, and then tossed on some Team Color in Red.



Then, using that as a reference, I redesigned the Current Stalker by Manipulating the image in several different ways. It's not perfect, but I think it better helps to serve my point as my post is a bit lengthy.

Changes-
• widened the leg stance
• cut down the leg size
• added the knee-spikes
• removed the crystal assembly
• removed the pod on the left
• enlarged the right pod, and re-designed it to match the art
• added team color to the gem-like orbs on legs and body
• removed the face guards, and altered upper body structure
• enlarged the Scythe arms
• lengthened the face cover
• redesigned the head area

I'm still not liking the leg positioning, as they should be closer to the sides rather than the front and back in my mind. Also I'm assuming that the pod on the right can rotate to fire at enemies, but I think that you'll like it, and this is basically explained in my first post, however I still think that the Blink Animation might want to undergo changes.

CURRENT


SUGGESTED CHANGE





Comments and Feedback appreciated.


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[HellishProphet]

Wow...........your design vs theirs

You win hands down. Though........yours (obviously) is sloppier. But I'd love that look if blizz tweaked it. Blizz uses their power to make a cool looking unit to make ur stalker pwn the old one. Though yours may look less equal & symmetrical, but when did the DT's care for symmetrical? Cuz that is a auir protoss look!!! The DT way is dark, uneven, nasty looking thing.


In all, I just say if blizz took your model & added their bells & whistles, It'd fit the bill for something dark templar made.

[XSOLDIER]

Thanks for the feedback. I edited the first post with a slightly newer version of the edited in-game Stalker image, where I tried to adjust the legs a little bit closer to the way they appear in the concept art - more towards either side. Hope that it's a slightly noticeable improvement from the first rendition.

Cheers


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[SpiderBrigade]

Personally I really prefer the in-game model. The concept art is okay but it looks way to reminiscent of a zerg. I remember when it was first released a lot of people suspected it was some kind of hybrid unit.

To clarify exactly what I mean: the stalker's legs and body are insect-like, much more so than the Dragoon ever was. Specifically, why does it have those two mantis-like claws in front?

Although I guess now that we've seen the new Dark Templar model we know that Zerg-Camouflage seems to be the new style, so that could be it.

[Kahooli]

nice!
I prefer soldier's one to blizzard's one lol>
Although i still think that you shoulda made the legs longer and sharper at the ends (notice in the concept art how it's legs are dug into the rock). but gj on making them thinner and all the other changes

[mythology]

the concept art looks cool but it seems less "dragoon" like. i think blizzard tweaked the stalker from the concept art to look and feel more like a dragoon.

i like the concept art it's very alien, it's like a hermit crab.