Glorious Alpha Two Testers!
Alpha Two Realms are now unlocked for Phase II testing!
For our initial launch, testing will begin on Friday, December 20, 2024, at 10 AM Pacific and continue uninterrupted until Monday, January 6, 2025, at 10 AM Pacific. After January 6th, we’ll transition to a schedule of five-day-per-week access for the remainder of Phase II.
You can download the game launcher here and we encourage you to join us on our for the most up to date testing news.
Alpha Two Realms are now unlocked for Phase II testing!
For our initial launch, testing will begin on Friday, December 20, 2024, at 10 AM Pacific and continue uninterrupted until Monday, January 6, 2025, at 10 AM Pacific. After January 6th, we’ll transition to a schedule of five-day-per-week access for the remainder of Phase II.
You can download the game launcher here and we encourage you to join us on our for the most up to date testing news.
Comments
Would also like to see them next to some of the other races, they need to be broad in the shoulders compared to the more standard human races, not including the orcs.
Also, I have seen some comments saying the legs of the Dunir are too short... I personally think they look okay but would love to see the models running around in game to get a better idea.
Awesome job so far!
The only thing I may have some insight on is how bulky or round you can set the middle section for both the males and females. When I think strong I envision dwarves looking like compact versions of strongman competitors such as Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson. Such as that is, strong men do not really have extremely defined middle sections and variations of that would be nice to have.
• What do you like about the current art direction of this race?
I appreciate the strength that’s displayed of the new dwarven body frame. It truly looks like they are now the “pound for pound strongest warriors” that was originally stated about the Dünir dwarf race back during the kickstarter. The new proportions for both the male and female Dünir models feels very appropriate and the examples have already established a great sense of pride in our guild.
• Is there anything you dislike about the art direction for this race, and why?
As these are the first examples we’ve seen and I am unsure what all will be possible for our customization (sliders), my comments may seem redundant, alas:
The male nose is impressive and well, massive. Some dwarves, I know, will be over the moon with the substantial shnoz we see on this model. However (and this ties into a larger comment I’ll detail momentarily), I personally would love to be able to customize my dwarven nose so that it looks a bit smaller and… handsome(?) I guess is the word I’m looking for. I might even go so far as to say the nose is a bit ‘grotesque’ on the male model, and having idk… 5 sliders(lol?) to change the nose up how i’d like would be comforting to see as an option. That being said, the male dwarven face is absolutely captivating to look at, and I believe that is because of how realistic the skin and details look on the model. The female model however, looks like a cartoon and I’m not the least bit captivated by the model’s face. Her ears get the same commentary I gave the male’s nose. I encourage and appreciate a “girly girl”/“standardized beautiful” female dwarf if someone so chooses to do so (larger doughy eyes, voluptuous facial features, etc). However, I would also like to see a female dwarf that’s less cartoonish, and possibly more fearsome/sinister and realistic looking like the male model. The larger comment I guess I’m trying to make is I love what I see, I might even say keep these models as options, but please allow sliders in the facial features that will allow us to create VASTLY different looking dwarves as well.
As for sliders i’d like to see “big boned” sliders, height sliders, every facial feature sliders, width sliders, more sliders the better!!
I personally don’t mind the leg size, but maybe leg sliders are worth having? lol.
Again, the direction the Dünir dwarves have taken is EXCEPTIONAL and I froth at the mouth to see more (options for hair and beard are going to be soooooo important for us!).
Thank you Intrepid team for asking and listening as well as you have! You are deeply appreciated.
The coin is a rite of passage. SO BE IT.
Before my critiques, I'd like to preface that I understand this is still early development and not every single feature has yet been announced or even created yet. That said here are my thoughts:
1. I'd like to make sure there are color variations to the Dunir. I think one thing that is always missed with fantastical races is that they are always portrayed to be light-skinned. I'll grant that most races are drawn from mythology and the region decides the color of the creature. However, in a video games, I've always been a fan of player options.
2. Norse tattoos. Typically in games, a tattoo slider is basically shaded animal shapes or claw marks to give a character a tribal feel. That's fine, but I'd love to have the option to put a rune on the forehead, arms, chest, back, etc. Maybe have a slider that either limits or expands the number of runes a player can have.
3. Bidazzled Dunir! Give us more jewelry options than the simple ear, or nose rings. Expand it to include mustache, beard, and hair. And please don't tie it to style like some games do where the only time you get gold bands in the hair is when the character has that one ponytail style. Make it a separate option!
I am less hung up on all Dunir looking perfect than I am having character diversity. Also: METAL Beard bling!
Male vs female….if ya gonna make the males look like steroids hulks, the women should have broader shoulders and more muscle definition too.
One more thing, please provide a variety of skin tones and colors!
Keep up the good work, a vast improvement!
Theres only two opinions I have with the females currently and those are that they look a little too gnomish in their facial structure and nose, I personally don't mind it if people would prefer that, but I'd like to see the option for a more rugged / battle hardened appearance. I'd also like to see the option for the muscle proportions of the female to be increased during character creation in order to make a slightly more "built" muscle type female Dunir.
Minor criticism aside, this iteration of the Dünir look much better than the previous ones. Great job!
For customization, I am hoping for height sliders, great beards are important, facial customization too.
Some of their features remind me of the cool dwarves we saw in the Hobbit movie. They looked like powerful alphas, good job !
Female face : she looks a bit too cute/nice for a dwarf. Could look a bit sharper on the edges, a bit more impressive / scary / intense.
Kind of like in this picture:
also arm hair lots and lots of arm hair. thick Hairy arms.
I definitely like the current direction of the Dunir. I think the aesthetic appearance is a big improvement over the alpha 1 version. I think the team could still push the envelope a bit farther in dwarfiness (broader shoulders and longer arms).
What are your thoughts on what was shown during the livestream for the Dünir race?
Great reveal! I feel like the lady dwarf has a particularly solid build and I like the idea of beards for all.
Are there any specific Character Creator customizations you would like to see for the Dünir race?
Personally, I would like to be able to customize the limbs on the Dunir to manipulate the torso to leg ratio. The model looks good, but I would want my Dunir to have broader shoulders and longer arms relative the model. Oh, and way more beard length, like knee length please
I think you nailed here!
However, I do personally think the female Dünir needs a minor touch up. The structure and design of the female design is quite impressive! However, I think the face on the female looks somewhat... scrunched together? As in her mouth, eyes, nose, etc look like they are trying to fit on a small plate, where the male looks evenly presented and natural. The face almost reminds me of some female goblin designs I have seen before (no offense meant). Perhaps giving the female Dünir a wider facial structure, perhaps an elongation of the chin and jaw, would allow the facial features to be evenly distributed, all the while keeping a feminine touch to the female Dünir in their own way.
I hope this feedback and personal opinion helps the design team further. With much love and respect.
- Eltharion
As to the female dünir I am honestly not sure how I want the female dwarf should look like. Bearded female dwarf? Not sure. Bulkier? Yeah, imo if u want to have a skinnier, more delicate dwarf that is what the Niküa are for depending on if the same costumization options are available there.
My only concern is that they don't have IRL culture influence while others races have , and I fear it may be noticeable in the over all AoC universe.