darkSpyro

http://schedule.gdconf.com/ses...-for-skylanders

As so this doesn't get lost in the discussion thread. Today Dave and some other guys at VV are holding a panel about desigining Skylanders. If you like the Meet the Superchargers videos cross your fingers for video archives soon, because it'll be an in-depth version of that (and hopefully no Guha Bala buzzwording it and taking seconds from the other devs)
Some of his practice designs from Dave's twitter if you guys need a refresher on his style(which is not 100% what you see on VV's lineups)




Since several people mistook these for Sky 7 stuff already, keep in mind those are practice designs. The dev team could take a liking to them, or gimmick/lack of space or simply not liking it means they could never see the light of day.

Hopefully someone of the community will be able to attend and share his impressions about the session.

The lady skylanders looks very "Skylanderish", the insectoid one would fit better in other games imo, unless he gets a massive change. But who knows...

Insectoid alien could fit as an NPC more, yeah. Less about the design and more is that they wouldn't translate well to figure - very wide and tall in parts unless you make a super cramped pose which wouldn't make the toy look good.

Or maybe including as an enemy, but still don't seem him fit.

By the way, maybe they'll give the first hints to sky 6 in the session...just hoping.

I wonder what element the bug would be, I'd say Magic. He doesn't really fit Life, as he doesn't have any natural aspects and Light would just be an Astroblast rip-off. The Frankenstein lady looks interesting, just take the bombs... not the arm... don't take the arm.

New photo on Dave's Twitter: a froggy guy! Or a chameleon? Can't post photo, as I don't even wanna mess around on mobile, but it's up there.

We got reactions and prototypes!



Punk Shock rule 63--I mean froggy guy. Totes not an already explored design.

Well, he did say something new. Seems to know it's not too original.

Thought it was proto-Riptide at first. I've seen way too many of those. V.V. could make a game centered around all of them if they wanted to. Though I hope they wouldn't dare.

Wait, wait, wait. That doesn't look like a froggy guy. Turned my brightness up for once and it looks a bit like a manta ray. In the face, at least. I think?

It's a mantaray, yeah, the lower jaw is split and he has the cape thingy over his neck, also the stinger tail. Would make good design if not put over a Punk Shock/ Rip Tide frame; they could definately pull off a water treasure hunter motif with him or something.

Quote: Bifrost

We got reactions and prototypes!



Punk Shock rule 63--I mean froggy guy. Totes not an already explored design.

I wouldn't mind seeing him. He's got a lot of personality and a treasure hunter fits him very well.

She's purty.

Love it.

Quote: BlueFox

She's purty.

You got that right. This cutie needs to become a real Skylander? How could they not make her an official character? She's perfect for and they could be friends since childhood.

I'd say Tech but V.V. would probably never allow a Skylander from that Element to not be completely robotic.
Plus he (?) looks waaaay too futuristic even for them.
Overall I agree the concept would suit better an NPC rather than a Skylander, or even an enemy if it was less detailed.

That zombie would be a perfect Undead Skylander for the seventh game, especially with the arm version!

EDIT: wooow! Two more designs already.

The manta-ray Rip Tide guy looks fine but I'd sincerely prefer a less techy and more fantasy look.
Love the idea of a treasure hunter Skylander.

Not digging the ghost samurai girl.
The idea is cool but I think we can see something better than a female Grim Creeper wearing the armor.
Not all the ghosts have to look that way.

I'm waiting for less humanoid designs though.
Want to see "V.V." exit their comfort zone.

Still waiting for actual TFB ghosts, not MOBAs and friends-lite :I Had enough of fiery-heads-with-skeletons for a un-lifetime, always found the TFB ghosts to be really weird with how they have the uncanny face and a different voice pattern every time.

Aww, they had another panel on effects but it got cancelled.

Quote: Bifrost

Still waiting for actual TFB ghosts, not MOBAs and friends-lite :I Had enough of fiery-heads-with-skeletons for a un-lifetime, always found the TFB ghosts to be really weird with how they have the uncanny face and a different voice pattern every time.

I like how they're consistently blue though. It fits pretty well.


I always referred ghostly skeletons in Skylands to be their own species called Skele-ghouls (Or Skele-geist)

Color is fine, I mean let's just slap a family-friendly Tresh(there's ANOTHER one I'm thinking of but I can't remember the name) as every ghost because that's original. Even the single ghost in console SC is blue-fiery-head though he's almost liquid-ish.

There's probably some mythology out there with names for those, I'd just go with Wight or something. That's one that they didn't use yet.

These designs look interesting, tough they might not got in because of the similarities to other characters, or they are prototypes of these characters.

I kinda disagree with you Drek on the wanting a more fantasy look to the Manta Ray.


Skylanders is very much like Adventure Time. Where pretty much anything can exist from Wizards to robots (And I know you love that idea, obviously). I think they should try to represent both and not just focus on fantasy characters or Tech, but a good mix of both.

Skylanders' lore helps very different technology period to exist at the same time, I think it's fine(though the majority is still pre-industrial that's pretty obvious from Mabu settlements),the problem is VV slapping tech-y stuff like pipes and valves on everything for no good reason. Why do they have like a dozen furnaces on posts in the Academy again?

While I doubt Skylaners are too industrial, I like to think they have TVs and some form of internet.

Actually is there any evidence of TVs in Skylands?

No TVs, but seems like they went straight to holograms since Buzz has a fully functional machine for them in Battlecast; and Kaos records videos in Trap Team. It's probably a case of what looks cooler,and regular TVs nowadays aren't that much.

Well, with the elemental flunctuations and all, feels like areas with more affinity to Tech should've had more urge to create and advance than the rest,while others rely on their own element or, like the Mabu,stick to doing whatever makes them comfy.

Quote: HeyitsHotDog

I kinda disagree with you Drek on the wanting a more fantasy look to the Manta Ray.


Skylanders is very much like Adventure Time. Where pretty much anything can exist from Wizards to robots (And I know you love that idea, obviously). I think they should try to represent both and not just focus on fantasy characters or Tech, but a good mix of both.

Oh yeah, I absolutely agree with you!

Skylanders goes from trolls and elves to mechs, cyborgs and spacemen and this is what I love about it: no limits.
The point is you still need to keep the feel of the series intact; for example I loved Magna Charge or Countdown's looks but wasn't too keen on Spy Rise.
V.V. has proven to be able to create techy yet fitting designs and that's why I "criticize" them when they go futuristic for the sake of it.
It's not limitating the creativity it's... Conveying and dosing it.

This case is really a matter of personal opinion though.
I'd simply prefer him to wear a different outfit and use a less technologic weapon and that's all.
Can't even complain about him looking like Rip Tide, really, since it's only a matter of 'blue bulky amphibian guy in a suit".
I will accept him exactly like I accepted (and liked) Bumble "honey tree Zook" Blast.

Well, so far my favorite is the Ghost Samurai Girl.

I really hope these are gonna be further explored in Sky 6.

Quote: AdamGregory03

Well, so far my favorite is the Ghost Samurai Girl.

I really hope these are gonna be further explored in Sky 6.

Awwww.....makes me want a Skylander game made by both VV and TfB.

Imagine what they could do together *_*

Quote: Bifrost

No TVs, but seems like they went straight to holograms since Buzz has a fully functional machine for them in Battlecast; and Kaos records videos in Trap Team. It's probably a case of what looks cooler,and regular TVs nowadays aren't that much.

Well, with the elemental flunctuations and all, feels like areas with more affinity to Tech should've had more urge to create and advance than the rest,while others rely on their own element or, like the Mabu,stick to doing whatever makes them comfy.

Didn't a comic show Dive-Clops has a TV in the Dive Bomber, where he can communicate with the academy?

I didn't buy Issues 4 or 5 so I don't actually know D: I know the Gillmen he tries to help used radio instead.

Quote: Bifrost

I didn't buy Issues 4 or 5 so I don't actually know D: I know the Gillmen he tries to help used radio instead.

I guess he does, I found a picture in the comics thread. (Spoilered because it's a pretty big image)

A zombie Skylander is long overdue imo. I wonder if the arm means she's the bride of Frankenstein's Monster?

I love those designs. Particularly the Manta Ray.

Come on Kaos' mom was using darn Skype in Swap Force kjsdfklgfkllsdkflkads

Quote: Bifrost

http://schedule.gdconf.com/ses...-for-skylanders

As so this doesn't get lost in the discussion thread. Today Dave and some other guys at VV are holding a panel about desigining Skylanders. If you like the Meet the Superchargers videos cross your fingers for video archives soon, because it'll be an in-depth version of that (and hopefully no Guha Bala buzzwording it and taking seconds from the other devs)
Some of his practice designs from Dave's twitter if you guys need a refresher on his style(which is not 100% what you see on VV's lineups)




Since several people mistook these for Sky 7 stuff already, keep in mind those are practice designs. The dev team could take a liking to them, or gimmick/lack of space or simply not liking it means they could never see the light of day.

Dave who?

That's a hosting error, probably means it's gone but it must be somewhere in Instagram if you look hard enough. We were talking about a samurai ghost girl that looks like Grim Creeper.

Instagram's search is anything but helpful from my experience, but I'd look for things from GDC 2016 and related tags. Unfortunately I don't believe the presentation has been uploaded to youtube and don't know if it'll ever be, but the fans spread the pictures quickly.