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Gateway Cover

Looks Great, Agree with the Aslan thingy, K'kree would have been better.

Still, over the last two decades traveller art work has improved remarkably, Anyone remember the Fasa/Keith work?

If the quality of the art in T20 is any indication of the quality of the product I may have to come out of retirement and start making purchases again.
 
Originally posted by Theophilus:
Still, over the last two decades traveller art work has improved remarkably, Anyone remember the Fasa/Keith work?
Presented without comment:

http://www.travellerbibliography.org/groupone/index.html

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:eek:
 
Very restrained of you, Shane.

I think my response when I first saw those the other day was more like "ARRRRRGH! MY EYES!" :D
 
They obviously used the same artists that Judges Guild did...Why I have NO idea...

Hunter
 
Sadly, art like that deters me from buying the products, and they may actually be okay otherwise.

As to the Kieth works, I've got a number of them including my latest, the Seven Pillars of Urquayd'n, and I think the *adventures* are excellent. They've generated some excellent traveller materials. Most of the interior art was... okay. Since I don't buy a RULEbook for the *art* (but for the RULES) and I don't buy an ADVENTURE for the *art* (but for the ADVENTURE), I accept 'just okay'.

I admit if the art is absolutely dismal, you wonder outright if the product is too. Passable art lets you at least focus on the content. Great content with great art is nice, but if I can only have great content and mediocre art or mediocre content and great art, I'll opt for the former every time.

For instance, for me, T4 was a product that (mechanics wise) probably wasn't too bad (ignore errata as I do when I think of MT which is my favourite iteration to date), but the art turned me right off. It isn't a question of gloss or colour or anything like that - plenty of CT suppliments were fine with minimalist line art, as were many JTAS issues. It is a question of being overbearing with imagery or distracting or of being so outright homely that one can't fail to be drawn to it (and cringe).

So, let's hear it for 'adequate' art!
 
You had to make me go look at the JG stuff, didn't you...
 
I hate to say this, but GURPS art is great, but content leaves me cold. I've only looked closely that the Starport supplement and the content is about as exciting as FGMP-14/Battledress equipped characters on a TL-8 A population Law Level 0 world. I too would opt for content every time. After all, isn't that the reaosn why bough tthe LBBs? They were hearly artistic masterpieces.

Mike
 
Hm...an interesting perspective. While the SJG games house style tends to result in fairly dry books, they're usually very heavy on content.
 
Yes, but as you can see from the JG and Group 1 artwork (or even the first AD&D Monster Manual), the standards of art in RPGs was MUCH lower back then. But things have changed over the years, and something like that wouldn't really sell in today's market (except maybe as a PDF).

Speaking of the Monster Manual, art in RPGs is a bugbear of mine. I like art to be (a) functional and (b) illustrative. The GURPS books (with the exception of early Transhuman Space, which I've ranted about ad nauseam elsewhere) generally fulfil that category. Plus a decent portion of the GT art nowadays is computer generated, which is always a bonus IMO.

But generally, I want to buy an RPG for the text content. That means I don't want to fork out an extra $20 for the honour of having it presented in a glossy-paged full-colour hardback (which sadly is becoming the trend nowadays). I don't want an art book, I want an RPG.

So ply me with a reasonably priced, well written, well-edited B&W softback with basic, functional artwork, and I'll be happy (and likely to pick it up). Give me an expensive poorly edited, error-filled full colour glossy hardback with gorgeous artwork, and I'll be very annoyed (and I probably wouldn't buy it anyway).
 
Quantity doesn't always translate to quality that's usable in games. Gearheads will love the ability to build starports, but I guess I'm into story and personaility, and the Mora Highport may be large (well, humungous as it's 6 miles long) but it seems to be missing something. Don't know what.
 
Liam looks about, glancing down L-R the corridors of CoTI Forums..spies the cover for Gateway..!..

WOW. Great job, guys! But then again, if ya put an AHL on anything, I'm liable to like it! <wicked grin>.

Home for respite before flying over...jus droppin by lads, ladies. :D ;) :cool:
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I realize I'm jumping on here a little late in the game but I must say...I LOVE THE GATEWAY COVER! Excellent job! I can't wait to buy it. Now if it would only hurry up and get on the gaming store shelves....
:D :D
 
Looks like the majority of T20 Traveller's Aides...which is a style that is starting to grow on me...

I guess we cannot have David Matting for every cover but it would be nice. As the Honor stuff is so very Traveller, IMHO...

Someone, a while back mentioned the artwork of the Keiths. For me they are among the great artists of Traveller and I very happy to see that Seeker Gaming System is releasing some of the great Keith stuff in poster formats.
 
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