Knowing very little about all this, it kind of looks like the Niküan model they showed is based more on a Melanesian style rather than strictly Polynesian. When you look up pacific islanders on the wikepedia, it's no wonder we get some mixed reactions here. People use "pacific islanders" with different meanings, and I am sure the same is true for "polynesians"
It looks like Intrepid went more with this look:
Rather than with these from Samoa for example (or with the Maori):
But if you just google Polynesian people, both images show up. Even if they kept it strictly Polynesian, apparently east and west Polynesia are also culturally quite distinct.
It's a huge area, bigger than some continents, with a lot of different people and ethnicities. It's no wonder people expect different things when they hear/read Steven saying the Niküa are Polynesian based in cultural influences.
I actually like the Nikua model after seeing this new model on the thread here! There is alot more culture now we have the earing and the hair features, and a little bit of chest fuzz too!
Pros
Cultural features i,e hair, accessories and jewellery.
Chest fuzz! Perhaps just have a preset slider of no-low-moderate-dense body hair. If you wanted to customise this further we could limit the areas hair is grown to mimic trimming somewhat. But not essential.
Cons
I think the bald model looked a bit sparse for me, but I think you forget that once you add all the features it really builds the character. Of course plain bald models are going to stand out to all the character we have available.
I think I would like to see their legs a little stockier, maybe even bigger feet! Bigger thighs, beef up the backside a bit I think that shorter races like the Nikua and Dunir want to feel a bit thicker, even if the Nikua will be a tone down from the Dunir.
I have noticed that the back of the legs seem to be missing the muscle definition we see on the body front/back and some on the front of the legs. I think across for muscular builds we could see more definition in the legs. But of course we should have the flexibility to be *less* muscular or even more gluttonous in terms of physique as a choice.
I was expecting to see some Niküa dwarves with a bit more of Vietnam / Indonesia / Philippines flair.
I see you guys so far are showing more pacific Islander style. Will there be more variations?
Yea when I read that this race had Polynesian influences I was expecting a more Southeast Asian look. The bald model on stream looked a lot closer to what I was expecting than this does, so hopefully they can change the models to be closer to that idea.
Overall though I do like the smaller, hobbit-like appearance. I think it adds needed body type/height variety into the racial selections.
Edit: To get more specific, I was expecting a more Samoan/Hawaiian/Maori appearance and this model looks more African/African-American. I think the former fits in more with the lore and description on the wiki and would make more sense, and also just would make for a much cooler island dwarf.
The Nikua are highly skilled artisans and yet all we have seen are sticks and stone buildings. Crafting is a right of passage, so we should see more beautiful designs with large iridescent mother of pearl shells and carved whale bones or items from the various sea monsters. Maybe even glass made from sand or the glass scultures made from lightning strikes on the beach. The Nikua are also more than sailors and beach combers. They love the Great Hunt so more options for fierce warrior looks should be included..
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ShadowVenMember, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
After consulting with my indigenous friend, I've made a paint over of the current model and included my own character fanart and some references. Since Nikua are heavily inspired by Polynesian culture, I've focused in on some Maori customs, specifically the 'Ta Moko'. Indigenous people don't often have beards, so I feel like the current Nikua model isn't reading too much like a pacific islander. I think the Ta Moko should be the Nikua's equivalent of a beard, considering the tattoos are specifically designed for each person to tell important information about them as a person, and are usually focused around the chin and mouth area. I've also changed the body proportions, and changed some of the features to read more as a indigenous islander such as the hair texture. I hope you consider my feedback and I hope this is helpful!
I really like all the work you put into this. You have some great feedback and great job on fan art =D. My only concern with this is it seems we're getting away from the fantasy realm and too close to the real world. Yes, I agree with certain influences and ideas, but when it comes to the beards and such, I think we need to remember this is also a fantasy race that is from the Dunzenkell. I think Intrepid should stick closely to its lore and fantasy like racial features, in addition to having the features/ideas of an islander of what we'd expect from living in a particular biome/habitat. Overall, I really enjoyed your post!
Now that I think about it, I think the nose shape and the skin color gives me that vibe actually. This guy looks to be more related to Kanye West than to Dwayne Johnson or Jason Momoa.
I see a little bit of Tiger Woods in the eyes though.
Your miniatures (dwarves and Niküa) you're going to need to go the way of the FFXI TARUTARU if you want to actually encourage real women to actually play them - they NEED to be characterized as "cute little cartoons" -perhaps an option to have a tattoo button nose. Trust me, "almost" NO real females actually want to play a character that looks malformed and miss-proportioned like a dwarf unless there is HUGE compensation for it. And males only choose to play Female characters when they are SEXY or CUTE. Niküa and female Dwarves do NOT FIT THESE ROLLS. They will NOT BE PLAYED. I played Tarutaru in FFXI and I liked that they were like "dolls" or "scarecrows" or "clowns". You're going to loose out by not taking the "Niküa" characters in the direction of cuteness. You have the Dwarves that help the WOW players feel their nostalgia, but you aren't making up for the lack of "tarutaru" representation with the Niküa. I see what you are doing with the Niküa, purposefully trying to help make the people of colour feel represented in this game to off-set the nordic dwarves. I like, support and appreciate this, but I honestly feel you MUST include elements of "adorable cartoon/doll/scarecrow like" options for your female player base to even consider touching them with a ten foot pole. You should allow the Niküa to have LARGER EYES (anime style or "precious moments" ceramic doll like eyes), and smaller cuter button doll noses, as one end of the spectrum. You should consider allowing CHILD features in the face, like a baby/infant with huge cheeks and bulging forehead and eyes too big for the face. The body shape should likely also be brought down in the "scaler" to "toddler like" appearance if you want to attract more players to this race. They should run adorably and be CUTE on all accounts if you don't want to GROSS US OUT, any further.
FFXI 75 cap 2003-2010. Diabolos Server. Amaeru/Amaera. 9 jobs to 75: WHM BLM RDM THF WAR DRK DRG BRD. SAM60 SMN60 PLD60. NIN37 MNK 37. Gilgamesh: Truther DNC75. Wish I got to play BLU!
I really like both dwarf races but I think they still look too similar. The hair and face are excellent steps but I think players should be able to identify a Nikuea and a Dunir at a glance even if they are decked out in plate armor.
Change their body mass around so that their lower bodies are thicker than the upper. It makes sense for the Dunir to have broad shoulders and massive arms because of their work with stone and anvil. Nikuea should have stronger legs and midsections due to their island life. I'd also suggest giving the option for bow-legs to resemble life on the water. I don't think you'd be able to get away with wider feet due to people already saying they look like a halfling, but that would be another great attention to detail.
Overall, I can't complain about how they look. They are still amazing character models.
They aren’t bad. Basically a halfling or hobbit type. I wouldn’t personally see myself playing them but then again I’ve dabbled in gnomes in WoW Classic as they are traditionally casters.
Not too much to say. The idea and the design look great. Someone else mentioned this and I think it is a great idea to show the races with sample armor to let us see what the overall vibe of the race will look like instead of just looking at people in their underwear.
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BergundMember, Phoenix Initiative, Royalty, Kickstarter, Alpha One
Based on the changes from the stream (hair) and reading many of the comments here I think you’re heading in the right direction and there’s still some work that needs to be done. Some suggestions would be less kinky hair and more straight / smooth hair. lots of skin color variations on the one we see modeled here. I LOVE THE IDEA OF A TA MOKO facial tattoo system instead of bearded Niküans. I agree, more tattoos for these dwarves will make them stand out. I like the idea of “asian eyes” being more of a feature of the Niküans, or at least as an option. I think more distinct hair accessories than the simple ones shown in the OP would be characteristically their own style and appreciated. I disagree with the comments saying they should be taller than Dünir, and I would encourage the decision to keep them small… maaaaybe a smaller head? (i kinda like their head size though… i can’t decide lol)
IMHO, we need more lore to be on the same page with the art direction the Niküans are headed in. I think you’re realllly close to a great unique race! simply making them pop somehow despite their diminutive size will make them shine and more sought out!
I love that the team at intrepid is bringing new and unique twists on the "traditional" fantasy races and the Nikua are a perfect example of this. Love the direction, two definite customisations I'd like to see is a Nikua customisation for those who have had a few too many beach barbeques and mojitos and has gained a big ol' belly (because who doesn't love a dad bod, amirite?) I'd also love to see body and face tattooing be an option for them, perhaps it could even be worked into their lore somehow?
The only thing I thing I may change with them currently is their leg proportions, other than that I think they're borderline perfect so far 😍
Now that I think about it, I think the nose shape and the skin color gives me that vibe actually. This guy looks to be more related to Kanye West than to Dwayne Johnson or Jason Momoa.
I see a little bit of Tiger Woods in the eyes though.
Well also the hair texture and style. Not really something you see with Polynesians. The model is well done but it has more in common with the models we've seen already for the Vaelune, and doesn't really represent what they've stated the Nikua are supposed to be.
I like the idea of a Race that is a shorter version of Pacific Islander. I would love to see the tribal tattoos and of course more customization options. But great starting point.
While many may state that they will not play this race, I know some fellow guild members are ecstatic. They are Samoan and instantly fell in love with these dwarves when shown. Thank you for creating a variety so that all can have a character they can love.
This model looks great, less top-heavy than the Dünir. I am really liking the subtle differences between the "dwarf" races. The eyes seem unnaturally close together and the legs a bit thicker. Love them!
What do you like about the current art direction of this race?
•Nothing really, sadly
Is there anything you dislike about the art direction for this race, and why?
•I dislike the Niküa race looks, it doesn't speek to me at all. It looks like a short human, not interesting, not impressive and I won't play one.
What are your thoughts on what was shown during the livestream for the Niküa race?
•Boring race that looks boring.
Are there any specific Character Creator customizations you would like to see for the Niküa race?
•There needs to be something special with all races more than hight imo. Niküa are very boring looking with nothing special about them. I would like to see something that makes them different more than a short human. But the best to do at this point is probably make you choose wild looking haircuts/beardstyles, uniqe assesories in the hair/beard, piercings and tattoos/paint all over the body.
•Anything more than that probably goes against lore of what a Niküa are and looks. But for me to find them interesting they would have to make them really different, maybe more like short trolls, greedy looking, long ears and nose, like a dwarf-like goblin, or even like a dwarf-monkey type race with fur and tails.
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ZephiriusMember, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
Like a lot of other commenters have said, until I see full customization options it's hard to say. However, based on the Nikua model on this thread, I'd say this looks like a muscular halfling. Stomach should be more potbelly and instead of the basic underwear shown on all the race models maybe there could be some variation, like a loin cloth made out of grass or fishing net for the Nikua or maybe something a bit longer (i.e. boxer brief style) and perhaps slightly animated when moving? That would help with "nude" models and will probably end up being a waste of time and effort considering the vast majority of the time players will have it covered up with other gear, but it was a thought that popped into my head.
I like the facial features, it truly does give off Polynesian and reminds me of family and friends irl. Also the contrast of body shape between the dwarf races was a good choice. The Nikuans have big muscles (as you’d expect from dwarven race) but on smaller frame.
However the abs are quite large and torso looks too barrel like for hunters. The legs are a bit short and slim.
My suggestion would be shorten the torso and compact the abs more. Make the thighs longer and buff up the whole leg. More butt for extra thick thighs or bring in the waist to cut the barrel look.
I’ve seen calls for more plumpness in the dwarves, which would be an awesome addition. It would definitely add to the Polynesian motif, muscles hidden under fat or thick limbs with less definition.
So the dwarf race is the main race i am concerned about visually. In my personal opinion, I think the torso is too big (from back to chest, forward and back). To me, it looks like you guys had a scale on how buff you can make them and just set everything to max. Don't get me wrong, I love the race, but a lot of developers have made dwarves look like they've gained to much weight. In this case they are full of muscle but it looks really off compared to the proportions of the rest of their body. It is a concern. But again, it's just an opinion.
What stood out to me was that, and this goes for all the non-human races so far, is that the legs are either too thin or disproprtionally short. I can't imagine the Nikua running with legs like that.
Further, the musculature seems too pronounced almost: they're "beach dwarves", I think the term was: their main source of food ought to be fruit and fish, right? So hunting and gathering. While certainly less bulkier than their cousins, I'd not imagine this type of muscularity for fishermen (entirely based on them not working stone or ore).
The last point is the photos shown the male really, really looks like he has ab "HGH belly" - that is the distended, but still muscular, belly you see in open bodybuilders on the Olympia stage. It comes from too large internal organs, and looks horrible.
But I love the direction: the skin tone, the facial structures etc.
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RockHoundMember, Braver of Worlds, Kickstarter, Alpha One
I really like the Polynesian twist to these guys. They look great!!
Comments
It looks like Intrepid went more with this look:
Rather than with these from Samoa for example (or with the Maori):
But if you just google Polynesian people, both images show up. Even if they kept it strictly Polynesian, apparently east and west Polynesia are also culturally quite distinct.
It's a huge area, bigger than some continents, with a lot of different people and ethnicities. It's no wonder people expect different things when they hear/read Steven saying the Niküa are Polynesian based in cultural influences.
Pros
Cultural features i,e hair, accessories and jewellery.
Chest fuzz! Perhaps just have a preset slider of no-low-moderate-dense body hair. If you wanted to customise this further we could limit the areas hair is grown to mimic trimming somewhat. But not essential.
Cons
I think the bald model looked a bit sparse for me, but I think you forget that once you add all the features it really builds the character. Of course plain bald models are going to stand out to all the character we have available.
I think I would like to see their legs a little stockier, maybe even bigger feet! Bigger thighs, beef up the backside a bit I think that shorter races like the Nikua and Dunir want to feel a bit thicker, even if the Nikua will be a tone down from the Dunir.
I have noticed that the back of the legs seem to be missing the muscle definition we see on the body front/back and some on the front of the legs. I think across for muscular builds we could see more definition in the legs. But of course we should have the flexibility to be *less* muscular or even more gluttonous in terms of physique as a choice.
In what way do they look African American?
I really like all the work you put into this. You have some great feedback and great job on fan art =D. My only concern with this is it seems we're getting away from the fantasy realm and too close to the real world. Yes, I agree with certain influences and ideas, but when it comes to the beards and such, I think we need to remember this is also a fantasy race that is from the Dunzenkell. I think Intrepid should stick closely to its lore and fantasy like racial features, in addition to having the features/ideas of an islander of what we'd expect from living in a particular biome/habitat. Overall, I really enjoyed your post!
Now that I think about it, I think the nose shape and the skin color gives me that vibe actually. This guy looks to be more related to Kanye West than to Dwayne Johnson or Jason Momoa.
I see a little bit of Tiger Woods in the eyes though.
Change their body mass around so that their lower bodies are thicker than the upper. It makes sense for the Dunir to have broad shoulders and massive arms because of their work with stone and anvil. Nikuea should have stronger legs and midsections due to their island life. I'd also suggest giving the option for bow-legs to resemble life on the water. I don't think you'd be able to get away with wider feet due to people already saying they look like a halfling, but that would be another great attention to detail.
Overall, I can't complain about how they look. They are still amazing character models.
IMHO, we need more lore to be on the same page with the art direction the Niküans are headed in. I think you’re realllly close to a great unique race! simply making them pop somehow despite their diminutive size will make them shine and more sought out!
The coin is a rite of passage. SO BE IT.
The only thing I thing I may change with them currently is their leg proportions, other than that I think they're borderline perfect so far 😍
Well also the hair texture and style. Not really something you see with Polynesians. The model is well done but it has more in common with the models we've seen already for the Vaelune, and doesn't really represent what they've stated the Nikua are supposed to be.
•Nothing really, sadly
Is there anything you dislike about the art direction for this race, and why?
•I dislike the Niküa race looks, it doesn't speek to me at all. It looks like a short human, not interesting, not impressive and I won't play one.
What are your thoughts on what was shown during the livestream for the Niküa race?
•Boring race that looks boring.
Are there any specific Character Creator customizations you would like to see for the Niküa race?
•There needs to be something special with all races more than hight imo. Niküa are very boring looking with nothing special about them. I would like to see something that makes them different more than a short human. But the best to do at this point is probably make you choose wild looking haircuts/beardstyles, uniqe assesories in the hair/beard, piercings and tattoos/paint all over the body.
•Anything more than that probably goes against lore of what a Niküa are and looks. But for me to find them interesting they would have to make them really different, maybe more like short trolls, greedy looking, long ears and nose, like a dwarf-like goblin, or even like a dwarf-monkey type race with fur and tails.
However the abs are quite large and torso looks too barrel like for hunters. The legs are a bit short and slim.
My suggestion would be shorten the torso and compact the abs more. Make the thighs longer and buff up the whole leg. More butt for extra thick thighs or bring in the waist to cut the barrel look.
I’ve seen calls for more plumpness in the dwarves, which would be an awesome addition. It would definitely add to the Polynesian motif, muscles hidden under fat or thick limbs with less definition.
Don't forget that they all get a racial bonus of starting out with ukuleles and high cooking skill.
Further, the musculature seems too pronounced almost: they're "beach dwarves", I think the term was: their main source of food ought to be fruit and fish, right? So hunting and gathering. While certainly less bulkier than their cousins, I'd not imagine this type of muscularity for fishermen (entirely based on them not working stone or ore).
The last point is the photos shown the male really, really looks like he has ab "HGH belly" - that is the distended, but still muscular, belly you see in open bodybuilders on the Olympia stage. It comes from too large internal organs, and looks horrible.
But I love the direction: the skin tone, the facial structures etc.