SR4A Full color sweetness!, Opinions on the Art Options

[kanislatrans]

Anyone have any thing to say on the art? Which pix is your favorite? any you don't like? I am kind of surprised that no one has started a thread like this. usually one shows up with in 10 minutes after a release. Could it be that catalyst has completely overwhelmed its art critics with pure awesomeness??

And for once, you people who have something good to say post it! Hell, I may as well start it off....

The cover art is stupendous. This is by far the most eye catching cover I have ever seen. Putting the Elmore 1st edition cover on inside was pure genius and a very nice nod to those who came before.

Interior art is an interesting mix of cleaned up art from the past and a Drek load of flashy,original, eye candy. The full color art at the beginning of the chapters is a perfect compliment to the short stories, giving an almost perfect visual preview of the words to come.

my favorites are:
all of the begining chapter pages- gorgous all the way through
page 25- top-
page 72- the police line up
page 108-the elf smuggler-hot, 'nuff said
page 223-matrix play

next? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grinbig.gif)

[Ayeohx]

Heck yeah!!! Go positive posts!

I love this book. The pictures are well done. I'm a Timothy Bradstreet man myself and the latest art leans in that gritty realism vein while holding a bit of that Laubenstein humor. Though, I HATED Laubenstein's art. I still somewhat blame that cartoonish style for dragging SR down into that munchkin "kill em all" feel that SR started leaning towards in later SR2 and SR3. Catalyst is definately moving this game back in the right direction.

Huh, not as positive as I was wanting, but there you go. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[HappyDaze]

The page with the sasquatch and wendigo (standing with the sil of the human for size comparison) is awesome. I hope the critter book has full-color spreads like these for every critter.

[Mäx]

I relly love the new art, especially the doublepage spreads accompanying new shortstories and sample character pics.

[counterveil]

Though, I HATED Laubenstein's art.

Oh man I *loved* Laubenstein's archetypes...I still use them with the new stats in a little booklet I'm making (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rotfl.gif)

With that said, I'm utterly in love with the colors and layout - way to go Catalyst!

[knasser]

I've been praising the art in every thread I've been posting in, I think! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) It is fantastic. Maybe the best art I've ever seen in a RPG book in that not only is it technically great, but it fits the mood and the feel perfectly and consistently.

It's unfair to single out any instances in such a rush of quality, but I'll do it anyway. The little insets in the Contacts section add a lot and deserve a mention just for that. I like the little neon lapels and collar on the Johson's body suit. I like the Red Samurai picture and art throughout the Friends and Foes chapter (all those critters) adds a lot. The Sasquatch / Wendigo is just great and I personally really like the scene on page 426 - the girl samurai sprinting over roof-tops - because it's dynamic and it captures everything that augmented attributes should be.

The colour gun illustrations are a small but nice improvement and I've enjoyed seeing some old friends - like the man with the exploded cyberskull on... hold on, I'll check... page 340. He was on the cover of one of the old books, I think?

There are so many nice touches. I love how they used the same scene to illustrate the "History Lesson" as they did for the non-anniversary edition, but this time from within the train looking out at the dragon.

There are so many good pieces in there. The lead piece for the "Weekend Edition" fiction where the girl looks out at you, the troll Enforcer, and yeah... the moody elf smuggler. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

But the best thing is the consistent look of the art which adds a lot to the impact. Previous editions jumped all over the place and I'm really glad to see that the cartoony look of the 3rd edition is dead.

Better mention the nice layout while I'm at it.

This has got to be one of the prettiest books I've ever seen.

Cannot fault it, wouldn't want to. Looking forward to getting my hands on a real copy.

K.

EDIT: And the troll in the police interrogation. Love that! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[Wizard]

It's brilliant! The art, the layout, the mood it brings to the game table.

There's only one problem, it makes all the other core rulebooks look rather bland. I would love to see the other core rulebooks get the same anniversary treatment.

[Demonseed Elite]

I love the art. Most importantly, to me, it seems to carry a single style and theme through the entire book. Which is something I've felt was lacking in Shadowrun since the Bradstreet days.

[knasser]

The only thing I think was missing, and I would have loved to have seen it, would have been a picture, in the SR4A high-quality, high-colour style, of a bunch of Shadowrunners hijacking a Lone Star vehicle with a terrified officer tied upside down on the front.

[Aaron]

It's brilliant! The art, the layout, the mood it brings to the game table.

There's only one problem, it makes all the other core rulebooks look rather bland. I would love to see the other core rulebooks get the same anniversary treatment.

*sound of Adam's head exploding*

[Caine Hazen]

I'm going to say, the art and layout are something I love in here...

except, the guns. Sorry, there's to long a history of what they look like, too much real comparison to go with, and they do seem to fit. As the Illos go, they get progressively better, but the Mossberg? WTF? The XM30... umm no.. too ungainly. The Ares Alpha doesn't even have an Underbarrel GL. I felt it through off some of the feel for me in that chapter.

Overall though I'm still blown away enough by the rest that it took til Sunday for me to notice that.

[Adarael]

Well, I'm gonna rain on the parade.

I feel defrauded.

My SR4A limited edition is so fragile I can't hold it in my hands without passing right through them! And the text is so light I can't read anything! What's more, it doesn't transform into a robot, or let me ride it around like a pony, or fight crime.

(Sorry, all the seriousness around here was getting to me. After looking over the PDF, I can't wait to get my print copy!)

[Wizard]

*sound of Adam's head exploding*

Well he only has himself to blame. After all, that's what happens when you do such a great job. People will want more!

Seriously, well done Adam and everyone else involved in SR4A.

So when should we expect the Street Magic 20th Anniversary Edition? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Wasabi]

I'd rebuy all my books if the artwork, crossreferencing, and layout of the other books were all of anniversary-quality. Heck, I might even buy fluff books of anniversary-quality.
(It might take me months to save up for them all but I'd totally do the piggy bank thing for it!)

[Rotbart van Dain...]

While occasionally sketchy, the artwork is such a huge improvement that after blissfully enjoying it, opening the old books/pdf will make you scream in horror. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

The colour gun illustrations are a small but nice improvement and I've enjoyed seeing some old friends - like the man with the exploded cyberskull on... hold on, I'll check... page 340. He was on the cover of one of the old books, I think?

Shadowtech, SR1 - one of the best books.

[Browncoatone]

The art in first edition really hooked me into Shadowrun. I doubt the concept of fantasy-meets-Sci-fi would have gotten as much traction if the art hadn't fired my imagination as well as it did. One of my primary complaints about every edition since then has been that the most of the artwork was too gaudy or cartoony.

When Werewolf the Apocalypse came out, it kinda took center stage with me based almost entirely on it's art. I especially liked the cover with the full color photograph of a shadow in the forest. Very well done.

The new edition gets good marks on art (not that there aren't some pieces I don't care for, there were some in the original edition like that too) especially the resurrecting of Dodger, Sally & Ghost on the cover. If I had to choose a favorite I think I'd have to go with the Weapon Specialist Character Photo- which I know is a recycle from an earlier edition but it's always been one of my favorites.

[counterveil]

except, the guns. Sorry, there's to long a history of what they look like, too much real comparison to go with, and they do seem to fit. As the Illos go, they get progressively better, but the Mossberg? WTF? The XM30... umm no.. too ungainly. The Ares Alpha doesn't even have an Underbarrel GL. I felt it through off some of the feel for me in that chapter.

I'm with Hazen on this one (you wouldn't happen to be Ranger Hazen from another forum I shall not name, are you?). I think the best new illos of SR weapons I've seen to date have been done by the fine gentleman named biometal79 on DeviantArt:

Rifles and such: http://biometal79.deviantart.com/art/My-SR...part-2-48803842
SMGs and sidearms: http://biometal79.deviantart.com/art/My-Sh...tion-1-48801985
Maybe an SM-3? : http://biometal79.deviantart.com/art/autom...-rifle-48865401

I like that he was fairly true to the original design while throwing in a bit of his own flavor and some modernization. He really makes the Colt M-series look badass.

[hazemyth]

Wow, those guns are great. Based on the look he gives the Ingram Smartgun, I'm guessing that the illustration labeled "P93 Praetor" was supposed to be the Ingram Supermach.

Anyway. I was pleasantly surprised by the art in the anniversary edition. On the whole, it looks as though they haven't been able to afford as professional artists for the 4th Ed. But this new book is great. It evokes the right feel and puts you in the sixth world headspace. I especially appreciate that the art, on the whole, is less cartoony.

My faves: the metahuman height lineup, the four characters that go along with the story 'Extraction', and pic contrasting Slamm-O!'s and Netcat's experience of AR. Okay, they're kinda cartoony.

Oh, and the layout is very nice, too. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[silva]

I think its fair to say Its the best Shadowrun edition so far, art-wise.

I dont know if we have some drawing the individualy surpasses the best ones from Bradstreet or Laubenstein, but the overall quality and consistence makes up for it, setting up the tone and atmosphere of the setting in a way never done before. (i just wished there was a chapter on seattle and the northwest like old editions - i love the techno-tribal style of the northwest. )

And by the way... "Finally... Shadowrun is back"

[Ryu]

I know I´ve asked before, sorry if I missed the answer. What does the back of the book show? Is there a preview somewhere? The cover is great, and supposedly continued on the back, yes?

[knasser]

I know I´ve asked before, sorry if I missed the answer. What does the back of the book show? Is there a preview somewhere? The cover is great, and supposedly continued on the back, yes?

Yes - the cover wraps around. It contains a continuation of that bike you can see in the lower-left of the front cover, an ork using AR, a British troll some sort of targeting monocle and an oriental dragon swooping over a maglev.

Brief description of the setting in the top right. I still think "Shooting people in the face for money. With Elves." would have been a better summation, though. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[Ryu]

A British troll with targetting monocle? Can one claim with any chance of success that it is an Fomori? (This would be even more sweet, for personal reasons. I could deal with a common troll.)

[knasser]

A British troll with targetting monocle? Can one claim with any chance of success that it is an Fomori? (This would be even more sweet, for personal reasons. I could deal with a common troll.)

Well actually no, though there are no visible dermal deposits so he could definitely be passed off as a formori. I was more commenting on the shocking dental work or lack of. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) I realise in retrospect that putting British and Monocle in the same description probably makes it sound like he's dressed as a combat ready butler. He looks like normal Shadowrun fare. Sorry for misleading. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Ryu]

Yeah, British + monocle doesn´t summon up typical SR images anyway. But I think it could be cool, too. I guess I´ll have to keep prodding the GF for a character portrait...

(Getting her to draw a man (meta to boot) is always so hard... what´s with the beautiful woman pics all over the place??? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) )

[Cardul]

Overall, I like the art. Some pieces brought waves of Nostalgia to me. And this is the first time I ever clearly saw all the occult-ish stuff on the paper behind the guy from the shadowtech cover...

That said, I have one gripe:
Why could we not get a Police Line Up shot that was also the WOMEN of the Metatypes
(Also..the Troll in that, as cool as it looked, I could not help but think "Someone! Let that guy use the bathroom!")