Ah, okay. I was just a bit vague on the term, looking to get my feet a bit more wet with programming. Been playing with functions, classes, data types and algorithms since I was 6 and I still feel like a child among gods.
As nice as it is to play a visually polished game in alpha, that is usually the warning sign that the games priorities are fluff before function. Even in CG outside of gaming such as movies, the post effects are post effects. They are done last. Almost all video games can be played as block representations moving through block representations. The game balancing is primary and while the art does develop on the side and continue to flip around through revisions and approvals, its the magic of the game engine that these models can be swapped out as they change. Because in the end, the visuals are a representation to tell a story or portray a deeper feeling beyond the strategy or challenge. One could probably make a mod where the entire game is in green wireframe over black. The sounds are just a beep, and units are replaced by their hitbox with a letter on them to show what stat set they serve. I have yet to be sold by any of these new adventure action games where its mind-blowing graphics and a stale linear game-play that you beat at the end and sell back to EB games. Gameplay above all! The art in PA is going to be awesome though. I am super excited. I ESPECIALLY loved the new planet type representations. The simplicity of them reminds me of my old Art Directors colour keys he would send me. Really gets the point across. I bet Steve would be fun to work with.
