This must be true guys...

Ah, you said just what I thought too, I just couldn't get it into words.
Couldn't agree more.

While Abe and Munch were physically scrawny and mentally strong, Stranger and Fangus are the opposite. So they are scrawny too, uh, mentally. :p

These kinds of things came up when the first glimpses of Stranger's Wrath came out and I said how unhappy I felt by the Clakker, Grubb, Scuba Toad, boat and Skunk bomb designs. That was quite a while ago, now, so I'll be happy to reiterate:

I'm not leaping off the Oddworld bandwagon, I'm not losing faith in the Inhabitants, and I'm not claiming that Oddworld's characterisation has reached dismal levels. I'm merely saying how I feel about one highly specific element of the characters, and that's their visual design. I don't need to be reminded that Stranger has a good story or that the Clakkerz have very real personalities: I know that. I'm just not talking about that.

If you think that more mainstream designs for Oddworld is fine and dandy, then that's fine and dandy, but as a fan who's stuck by the Inhabitants for over seven years I've seen a gradual trend of lessening creativity and imagination when it comes to character design. It saddens me because I know from experience that OWI can come up with fantastically original character designs, but they don't seem to be doing so any longer, when it's (to me at least) one of their most endearing and amazing qualities.


I also know that designs can change from initial artwork, and I've mentioned my awareness of that in a previous post. The boat design for Stranger's Wrath, in the end, was gorgeous and organic, and highly Oddworldian, and not simply a longboat stuck on the Mongo as it was first depicted. I'm well aware of the artistic iterations OWI toil through, and I'm very grateful for them. I'm not decrying the finished product before it's released, I'm merely saying what I think about this specific image - nothing more.

Just felt the need to make that explicit before people started attacking me for my beliefs, like they did in June 2003.

They got their information from Game Informer, which they actually say. They say they have their own source, too, but I'm not lending any weight to that. Funny how they automatically embelish things: they've taken GameSpeak as an implication that chatting to Townsfolk will be a staple. Typical IGN presumptuousness.

Because, following the dismal lack of success for Munch's Oddysee, Lorne Lanning is trying to simultaneously get away from the Quintology until technology progresses enough for them to tell the epic stories he wants to, or until the possibility of making a movie become realised; and produce games that are succesful in today's post-GTA gaming industry, one where hardcore and extremeness are, sadly, limiting factors to creativity. First Person Shooters are OWI's new chosen genre, and they need to create a cast of characters that can support this. Abe and Crew would never carry around guns, so we're exploring more down-and-dirty regions of Oddworld, populated by beefy, weapon-totting characters.

So right, Max the Mug in all his wisdom :)
Yes i agree with character designs, despite the lack of replay value these games have they will always be remembered for their interesting characters.
Gabbits are extremely well created, and i like the skull and jaw structure of many of the outlaws in SW.
But stranger himself was a rather underdeveloped character...wow a centaur, how original. And now it seems this character is rather undeveloped too, but who knows, the character is not the only strong point in the game, storyline is also very well developed in OWI games, so despite the somewhat 'lame' character, the storyline could be very well developed, and whos to say he isnt hiding certain features of his body similar to the way Stranger did.

I don't think they'll repeat the hidden body parts motif, but yeah, you're pretty much right. But Abe was just a blue humanoid, and while this character design wasn't too inventive, the story and personality of Abe are and will remain legendary to OWI. So there's more to a character than just visual design, and I'm thiniking we should wait to learn more about Fangus until we criticize him. :)

Wow, what a confidence boost, Abeguy... Nice goin'.

I must say, I hate Fangus. It's something about hulking muscle-men that I really hate. They are too generic. And I still don't really like western-esque looks... But then again, when the first screens of Stranger were released, I said the same thing. But at least Stranger looked slightly cool. I like the sheep things! They rule! I only just noticed them!

I would also like to add that Oddworld, while a completely weird and different universe than our own, is supposed to represent our world in different thematic ways.

Lorne Lanning has always believe in sort of the deeper meaning behind his games; that is why they are so culturally relevant. Abe's Odyssee was sort of a representation of corporate greed and slaves, and respect for nature, etc etc. All of the games have a subliminal meaning that relates somehow to issues with Earth.

Following this line of reasoning, I don't find it strange at all that Oddworld characters are being shown now as gun toting individuals. On Earth, we have both criminals and bounty hunters that use weapons. Police carry firearms. Since Oddworld acts as a parallel to Earth, showing us in a microcosm a whole bunch of different social issues, it makes perfect sense that certain characters in Oddworld would also be wielders of firearms.

Looks and sounds like crap to me.

Poo on you, Lorne Lanning.

Oh my God, you guys are such losers... It's just a character, get over it. Who cares if it is slightly less appealing then in your dreams. I seriously don't understand what is so terrible about this. I thought it was gameplay that was important, was I wrong?

No, I reckon you are right MojoMan220. It's about the gameplay but it's also about the story. I think the story is very important for a game, especially if it's a game like Oddworld.

I completely agree, but until we find out about the character and the story, we really have nothing to base our criticism on. It just seems as though we're being somewhat premature on our judgement in the matter, but that's just me.

"Oh my God, you guys are such losers... It's just a character, get over it."

Mojo, you're a douche.

Uh Yeah... I think I made that pretty clear in my above statement, but go ahead, make things redundant if you must.

Ha, you're great.

Still a douche though.

Wow.
 

I'm just shocked that OWI would already start up a new game so soon.

But what about Citizen Siege, the gameLorne Lanning was talking about.

I must say, I agree with Mojoman on this one. Let's lay off till we get some more info. Preferably from the source that's making the character.

Hey, wait a minute! Is that sarcasm I'm sensing? I think that's sarcasm. Oh well, I still think I'm GREAT. In fact, I think I'll take that a step further and go so far as to call myself fantastic. If you cannot see my fantasticism by now, I doubt even my superb wit and magical charm could persuade you to think otherwise.

It still may come...
but Lanning talking about something doesn't mean it will be made... sadly

Urm.... right.

I think giving him these muscles make the character to have more of a background, prehaps having a shepheard in that kind of evoroments and predators creature needs a big strong guy to fight of those hunters.

I think oddworld want to put rage and anger into this Fangus like I thought Stranger would have, remembering lorne saying in an old Stranger artlce he will have something ****ed up inside of him, but it's probably my imagenation. Mabey Fangus might have this rage inside of him, but he has rabies,which will make him insane. Ohwell.

Good find LFC.

Characters are a pretty important part of Oddworld. To dismis them as petty is to pretty much shrug off all OWI's hard work and creativity on the matter. Yes, the mere appearance of the characters is only one of many things that make the Oddworld games so great, and perhaps it can take second place to the actual characterisation from which the stories hinge in the sense that there's less depending on it, but I was sure that as fans we recognised Oddworld as an IP full of beautiful and innovative art and design.

I'm not saying that as a fan you should detest Fangus, not in the least bit, but to get upset about people expressing their opinions about a staple of Oddworld seems a somewhat daft thing to do on the Oddworld General Discussion forum. Let people have justifiable opinions without being cast as losers, hmmm?

Anyway, just thought I might as well refine my opinion: I'm not actually worried about there being muscle-bound or gun-slinging characters or even heroes on Oddworld. I don't see how they don't have their place. That concept of a friggin' huge Outlaw with gargantuan horns and strapping limbs looked totally cool and absolutely appropriate. I wish that had been in Stranger. What I'm not liking is that there is little actual of interest to his shape. He might as well be a bodybuilder with a mask wearing lion-foot slippers as far as I can see. I sincerely hope Fangus looks much better in the finished thing.

You know, I hate when this kind of stuff happens. It's the kind of topic where nothing can be said that's not already been said and the only reason people can converse is because of persistent idiots in the thread. That's why I haven't said anything in a while.

Bottom Line, if Fangus is real, so be it. OWI is creating him, and the great gameplay that comes with it, so I'm all for it. If you hate it, don't play the game. Simple as that. Now just shut up, idiots, and never come back in the thread again.

***Now shall commence intelligent conversation and speculation on Fangus's gameplay mechanics and whatnot.***

No offense, but I think all of these so-called 'idiots' have a right to say whatever they want, as long as it's contributing to the thread and isn't spam. They're not neccessarily hating on Fangus, they're worried about his design and what kind of game that might breed. If everyone on the forum were 100% positive on everything Oddworld said or released, there wouldn't be a point to it at all. The reactions of the people on the forums is important to the people making the game, so both negative and postive criticism are acceptable.

As for gameplay mechanics, I'm not quite sure. The way I see it, if Gamespeak is in, it'll be used for communicating with the goat things, and possibly townsfolk or whatever. And I hope they find a way to make first - person interesting, cuz as we can see, there won't be live ammo. I'm not sure how they're gonna do it.

Perhaps OWI currently see this is a problem?

Just to clear things up, whenever I put "..." in my posts, that means I'm being sarcastic. I probably should have made my statement something that sounded a little more light hearted and faggy. Example: OH-MUY-GAWD! You guys are such LOOSHERZ... But I felt that might be a little too flamboyant, even for my standards. In the end, I decided to go for the more subtle, red state friendly approach. In conclusion, I'd like to apologize to all those people who were offended in anyway by my reckless use of the english language.

Don't sweat it, MojoMan. This is a contravercial topic, and someone lost their head. It's no big deal, we all do that from time to time.

Besides, it's hard to take offense from someone you've never met. :)

April Issue...April Fools?

^^
 

All I can say is that I'm already going insane from want of this game and eagerly await any and all info on it (>^_^<) Huzzah!

Nope, already been considered. Oddworld Universe has already determined that the next game is tentatively titled The Brutal Ballad of Fangus Klot, so it seems we'll be seeing Fangus in the not-too-distant future.

Thanks for the clarification, MojoMan. It was nothing personal to begin with.

'This is a contravercial topic'

Ooohh yes, contravercial, indeed!! Let's all just calm down before another Holocaust starts, and this one won't be for the good of the human race, let me tell thee.