I want to preface this post with some sentiment my friends and I have had about Ashes of Creation.
We love the idea of a game that is so structured around community. But my friends and I thought that the game was missing an art direction that is less "Two Steps from Hell: The Game".
You may not be of that opinion, but I've shared this game with a lot of people, and a similar comment is always made.
I looked into the planned races for the game to see if the roadmap was similar to the current showcases, and I concluded it was.
I decided that I would look into designing some races, some based on the current races that are planned for release, and some others that might flesh out the high-fantasy theme.
I made these
designs.
The idea was to create the archetypal race types that fit a world that is based around community interaction, adventuring, and race identity.
Because we are adventurers in the game, I decided to use a cloak/cape motif in all the designs.
The more order oriented the race was, the more symmetrical each design for the cloaks would be - and the more asymmetrical it would be for chaotic races.
I take slight inspiration from the high-fantasy setting Warhammer, a setting that has done race divide, and culture aesthetic markers so incredibly well.
I also wanted to incorporate races might appeal to different types of players, from mischievous and evil, to honorable and proud - and have this read as such aesthetically.
The simple and slightly exaggerated shapes are supposed help
contrast other races to make sure that race identity is a heavy choice. That choice should impact how you experience the game, especially in comparison to another players choice.
I believe that this would have a pretty great impact on the world, and result in more passionate player motivations.
I also decided to include monstrous type races, not only because I have a soft spot myself for them - but because I appreciate the contrast this provides for players.
I'll drop my
portfolio, and
twitter, so you can understand a bit of what I do, and where these thoughts are coming from.
It's probably best if you open the image in another tab.

I would also like to hear some opinions from the people that are invested in this game.
I don't know what to expect - possibly people telling me to get the hell out - I don't want to offend anyone, I just really would like to help.
I just want AoC to be a success.
Final thing I'll say, is if you think I should continue this exploration, let me know, I could actually do that.
Thanks for hearing me out!