Jim, while I sort of agree with your video, I don't think the issue is overdesigning. If done right, one can create an intricately layered piece of art that has more elements than gramatical errors in your average, unhappy commentor.
The issue with Final Fantay games, in particular, is that they gear all of their design elements to adhere to an angsty tween's outlook on the world, their outlook on 'epic', and their outlook on 'normal, because you adults are just stupid har har har'.
I want to make a distinction in my argument right now, however. I'm clear on the concept of overdesign being a cluttered mess of elements that could just be eliminated, and I understand that it might sound like I'm simply defending good design while not grasping the difference between theory and execution. I'm not.
I'm saying, that, really, if done right, a character can have 9 belts and 8 hats with 2 monocles and shoulderplates as big as... really big shoulderplates. If done right, that character can have endless designs layered on top of them, maybe clashing, maybe not, but that character can still look much better than how they would look with any of those layers of designs removed.
What I'm trying to say is this: Most of Final Fantasy 13's characters probably look like a clusterfucks of polygons and mismatched shapes, done so badly, that there's no point in trying to sift through the intricacy in them, but Lightning? She's hot. Also, I'm getting sidetracked, but she's done well, and maybe part of it is, really, because her design is relatively simple. A few other characters I can't remember? I don't know, they're well done too. Lightning's an example of element heavy design done well; she's my entire argument encapsulated in a single, pink haired badass. Because of that, she's easily one of the most iconic characters in the series, and as someone who actively hates that said series and almost everything that it stands for, I can say that Lightning will probably be one of the most memorable characters from this generation of gaming.
Sort of like another character, who's an awesome example of element heavy design done right. It works with her theme, and nothing about her detracts from the message her character portrays.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5r03Q3gglV8
Vi.
With that said, when overdesign is done bad, well, take a field trip into Second Life to see what happens.
The issue with Final Fantay games, in particular, is that they gear all of their design elements to adhere to an angsty tween's outlook on the world, their outlook on 'epic', and their outlook on 'normal, because you adults are just stupid har har har'.
I want to make a distinction in my argument right now, however. I'm clear on the concept of overdesign being a cluttered mess of elements that could just be eliminated, and I understand that it might sound like I'm simply defending good design while not grasping the difference between theory and execution. I'm not.
I'm saying, that, really, if done right, a character can have 9 belts and 8 hats with 2 monocles and shoulderplates as big as... really big shoulderplates. If done right, that character can have endless designs layered on top of them, maybe clashing, maybe not, but that character can still look much better than how they would look with any of those layers of designs removed.
What I'm trying to say is this: Most of Final Fantasy 13's characters probably look like a clusterfucks of polygons and mismatched shapes, done so badly, that there's no point in trying to sift through the intricacy in them, but Lightning? She's hot. Also, I'm getting sidetracked, but she's done well, and maybe part of it is, really, because her design is relatively simple. A few other characters I can't remember? I don't know, they're well done too. Lightning's an example of element heavy design done well; she's my entire argument encapsulated in a single, pink haired badass. Because of that, she's easily one of the most iconic characters in the series, and as someone who actively hates that said series and almost everything that it stands for, I can say that Lightning will probably be one of the most memorable characters from this generation of gaming.
Sort of like another character, who's an awesome example of element heavy design done right. It works with her theme, and nothing about her detracts from the message her character portrays.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5r03Q3gglV8
Vi.
With that said, when overdesign is done bad, well, take a field trip into Second Life to see what happens.
