+1, would read again.

Also, some response from the art department on their lack of creativity would be appreciated.

Agree. Goofy art is great. I do miss the old avatars.

There are plenty of other options for goofy and cartoony. Eve is serious business.

The original Scorpion looked great. But non-Caldari complained, not understanding its functional beauty. Eventually their whining got foothold at the art department and now we have the ship actually look like a sodding scorpion, instead of just sharing some defining features.

Barbelo doesn't really mean "cartoony" though. The original post was trying to get across that EVE's art style is becoming more mundane, and approachable, when it should always have air of mystery to it since the game takes place 21,000 years (or so) into the future. There should be social and technological aspects of the art style that are alien and make no sense to us because if we were to time travel into 23,000s, that's exactly what we'd find.

I would not like to see my old avatars ingame again. That was one aspect of EvE I cringed at, they were like comic book caricatures, and everyone knows, Internet Spaceships is a Serious Business. I was thankful every time I logged on that I didn't have to stare at the avatar while playing.

That said, I did capture for posterity every old portrait I created.

Even over several hundred thousand years, human physiology isn't going to change that much. It's absoutely fine that the avatars are now realistic and less cartoony in terms of flesh and blood.

At least then it was possible to determine the player's race by it's picture. Now everything looks the same and the only way to recognize a race is by it's limited choice in wardrobe.

Fashion absolutely will change though. Like you said, the cultural strangeness is gone. This is evident in both the ship designs and the clothing choices of EVE. Though personally, on the front of clothes, I've always assumed that the out-there sci-fi fashion would return via the Aurum store (which is a slap in the face discussion for a different thread).

I like the new art direction. I like the new Scorpion a lot but I can't find a reason to fly one. Names come from our time to evoke some familiarity for us because if we lived 23,000 in the future the ship names would make sense to us. It is also completely possible that the original settlers of New Eden brought a large number of creatures with them, possibly even scorpions, in order to terraform the new worlds.

The Gallente could use with more outlandish choices considering their culture but I think the other races are on the mark as far as styling goes. It may be the far future but the people have been beaten down so many times that most choices are made for practical reasons and I think that is reflected in the current art direction.

I would not like to see my old avatars ingame again. That was one aspect of EvE I cringed at, they were like comic book caricatures, and everyone knows, Internet Spaceships is a Serious Business. I was thankful every time I logged on that I didn't have to stare at the avatar while playing.

That said, I did capture for posterity every old portrait I created.

But in the current snapshot of New Eden, the civilizations are on the rise, ambitious, and they've been around that way for a while - they should be flamboyant in their own ways. Maybe Minmatar, yes, they should be as you say, and the current "biker" look is what Minnies should be like generally. But the other races (again, both ships and people) ought to have a more expansive feel.

Gallente are trying to spread their liberalism, Amarr their theocracy, Caldari want to control, even Minmatar want to carve out their own space. All these are civilizations on the rise.

Snip

just gay bikers in space

Agree. Goofy art is great. I do miss the old avatars.

gallante plastic bits back :/

SOME THINGS SHOULD NOT HAVE AN OBVIOUS FUNCTION..