[2021] New map of Great Kourend on the OSRS world map website

Originally posted by HobbesForever

Sander the grave digger? Is that a Song of Ice and Fire reference? (the game of thrones books)

Originally posted by Lewufuwi

I did see that stream but I'm saving seeing it in game before I make too much of a judgement. I judged Tempoross early and I actually like the design when it's in game.

My first impressions are that I like the buildings in Shayzien, but I dislike the big goofy red roofs, I definitely think those need to go. I think the buildings in Priff itself looks okay (although the whole SOTE quest and Elves themselves look abhorrent), but Priff roofs are also a bit goofy.

It's very World of Warcrafty with the big, exaggerated roofs.

But as I said, I'm reserving my judgement for when it's in game...

Looking back at the Prif roof kit I do wish I'd made it about 15-20% smaller. It's a tough balance trying to make it work as a versatile kit that also fits into our rigid grid system. Fortunately if any area is going to look a bit more high-fantasy I think the Elf capital is the place for it.

As for the Shayzien tent roofs, here

are

some

updated

screenshots from the ones I showed on stream a few weeks back. I haven't made them any smaller but have since reduced their saturation and removed some of the brighter elements so they take less focus. I wanted to keep them for the rework as they've become somewhat synonymous with the Shayzien style and we've certainly leaned into those influences with the rest of the area. They are used a lot less often though, the camp image I've shown shows the 2 largest tents in the area while most of the other tents have much smaller canopies.

We've also reverted some of the older trees to use the textured variants rather than those from Prif as they stuck out a bit too much. Unfortunately - and it's a bad excuse - our texturing tools for applying textures to models has been broken for a fair while and we only just got the ability to apply textures to simple planes (which we used for the clan vex & cloak). Anything more complicated than that, like a tree canopy, still isn't entirely possible, so the new pine tree models have no textures. They've had their values heavily reduced now so they're no longer quite so bright which I think has improved them a lot.

As you said though, best to save judgement until you can walk around the area yourself and get a proper hands on experience :D

Originally posted by Lewufuwi

Hey West, thank you for taking the time to comment on my criticism, please know it comes from a place of love for the game and respect for the artists and I'm not just a misery here to call everything shit (that's very far from my opinion haha).

Good point about the high fantasy element being heavier in Priff, definitely something to consider from my end. I'm not a fan of how drastically fantasy modern OSRS design is, I much preferred the more reality-bound designs of by-gone days - take everything Tempoross for instance, it's all very realistic and simple, I absolutely love everything to do with Tempoross', his battle arena, and the minigame hub design. But that's just my opinion, I appreciate that there is a time and a place for everything.

I will stand by my comments about the tents, it just looks a little bit silly with the big exaggerated curls. The colour is fine with me, it goes nicely with the dark woods and dark tent material. I particularly like the layering of the reds on the roofs, that gives it a bit of texture of itself. The big, swooping, exaggerated curls though? Nope. That's a nope from me, looks silly. It reminds me of the exaggerated style of World of Warcraft, which isn't bad design, it just doesn't fit with the established Runescape world as a whole in my opinion.

It's easier to talk about things you don't like rather than things you like, so to balance it out a bit...

Firstly, just a bit off topic here, your Hosidius rework is a design masterpiece. It's pretty, it's new, it has its identity, but it's not garish and it looks like it fits in with the world. It follows the individuality of different areas like the differences between Varrock, Falador, and Taverley.

Anyway, back to Shayzien. I love the Hill Giant area, that looks very nice, very clean. The trees in that screenshot are looking good, I like the ferns at their base as well, that's a lovely touch. The fence and wooden plank pathways are maybe a bit too scaled up for my particular taste, but overall looking very nice and set a very clear tone to the area. The red bands around the logs play well into the iconic motif you're trying (and succeeding) to establish.

Shayzien town is looking wicked. I'm very excited to see that in game. The layered houses and glowing lanterns against dark wood looks very nice. It is Shayzien. It looks Shayzien. The guards look at home there and it feels like the dark, brooding village borne of war that it is. The bushes, for some reason, I love. They're unique to the area and therefore have a striking impact, but without being in your face about it. They're awesome. I'm also particularly fond of the fencing, it's small, simple, unique; A recurring thing amongst design I like apparently.

As I've said before, I'm reserving the majority of my judgement for the actual release, walking around it in game and seeing how everything fits together and scales up vs the character size, so take all my criticisms with a big asterisk next to them.

My comments all come from a place of love and respect, I appreciate your work. I have my opinions and my tastes and I would like to offer them to you because OSRS is considered a community-involved game and my love for the game makes me want to share it!

Just a quick direct message to you West, obviously I don't know you personally and I'm assuming a lot from simple Reddit comments, but I see you respond to criticism on here and sometimes it seems like you take it to heart. Often it's the most inane and blatantly uneducated criticism that the internet can spawn, I want you to know that your work is appreciated and you are doing a great job. I appreciate you sharing your thoughts with the community and even providing more screenshots to back yourself up. My comment are not and will never be an attack on you or anyone else on the team.

I really do look forward to the rework and I will judge it as it comes and not based on my preconceived ideas of what is good and bad from the screenshots I've seen, I have been wrong when I criticised Tempoross pre-release and I will be wrong again!

I'm very excited for Shayzien town in particular, that looks so good from the screenshots.

Keep it up!

Originally posted by Lewufuwi

Awesome, well my praises extend to the rest of the team involved as well :)

Glad to hear you don't take it to heart, I do feel sorry for you guys, a lot of people forget there are real humans behind the usernames and computer screens.

Thanks for putting in so much time for my comments and criticisms, there's really not a video game on earth with a team like OSRS has!

I don't expect you to change stuff at my word and I know it's not as easy as just changing stuff as and when you fancy it. I just appreciate you giving me my chance to be honest and you being able to do the same.

Thanks very much for these comments, have a nice weekend :)