Topic: Your choice of Book Covers

[rdanhenry]

If someone really wants to use impractical armor in a piece of art while remaining fairly realistic, the thing to do is just make the setting a gladiatorial arena. Armor was for looks, not real protection.

[Arioch]

There have been female posters...I think Arioch offered them up for sacrifice to Chuthulu though.  I don't blame him.  Old gawds will be old gawds.

I tried offering GrumpyOldFart, but they keep sending him back...

Regarding the chainmail binkin thing: nothing in particular against them, but I wouldn't find them very appropriate for a RM cover.
Now, something like a naked barbarian chick covered in blood and standing over the corpses of her recently slain enemies.. that would be perfect imo, but I don't think we're gonna see anything like that

[markc]

  What about shield spells that are only colored in specific areas and the areas move with the caster to block specific parts?
MDC

[GrumpyOldFart]

There have been female posters...I think Arioch offered them up for sacrifice to Chuthulu though.  I don't blame him.  Old gawds will be old gawds.

I tried offering GrumpyOldFart, but they keep sending him back...

If you knew how bad I look in a chainmail bikini, you'd have known better than to offer me. 

Have a laugh point. 

[megaper]

Not sure if it is the correct place for asking this but... what about the logo? is going to be a new one?

[craggles]

Not sure if it is the correct place for asking this but... what about the logo? is going to be a new one?

maybe...

[megaper]

Not sure if it is the correct place for asking this but... what about the logo? is going to be a new one?

maybe...

I like that smile 

[Nortti]

Cover and and the art inside must be made to a plan so that style is coherent and visuals give that gritty RM-fantasy realism feel.

The spine of the book should stand out in a positive way from the bookstore shelf.

If there are 30 pictures inside the book ONE pic (1/30) could be a little nicer for an old fart like me to look at and have that chainmail-babe in it. 1 pic out of 30. Never it should be in the cover. 

[ironmaul]

I know guys but... - just one!
You know one picture out of 30 cannot hurt, surely not. Girls wont even notice it before its too late.

Agh, ok I just go back to oogle my collection of chainmail-bikini pics... sigh

Oh, I wasn't saying no to a chainmail bikini, but to excessively cartoonish art. (Sorry, but I think the Nodwick art on the cover of the loot book for HARP just BLEEEEPPS!) If you are to have a girl in a chainmail bikini, make sure it is appropriately gritty and "realistic" (looking, at least).

Just thought of something: If you have cover art that is covered a bit by titling and other stuff on the cover, please include a full page-sized version of the image on another page in the book - the best spot likely being the very first page after the cover. It is nice to get a "clean" image.

Currently I'm working on some of the interior illustrations for Loot, and my wife happened to notice its cover and pretty much said the same thing to me, she thought it was some kids coloring-in book! (no offense intended).

So you want a drawing of a scantily clad woman to appease the 14 year old boy that's still lurking inside you all! Hmmm I'm sure I can accommodate you with that request when the time arrives 
Just for the record...I like my Rolemaster gritty to the core, and I hope it reflects in my illos.

[yammahoper]

I like my Rolemaster gritty to the core, and I hope it reflects in my illos.

Yes.  May I have another, Sir?!

[RandalThor]

Just for the record...I like my Rolemaster gritty to the core, and I hope it reflects in my illos.

I can dig it.

[rdanhenry]

So, the cover should just be a texture of some form of grit. Ideally, ICE can find one free for commercial use and save themselves a bundle of money! I like!

[Nortti]

Whatever there will be in the art department I really hope its going to be good. It really is so darn important for commercial success. RM is my favourite system so it wont be a dealbreaker for me but it will be the first barrier RM has to break if they want to sell it to the new blood. 

[megaper]

Realism (RM identity) + something atractive to new players of all kind (even teenagers) =

Realistic style + First Person Point of view! (like FPS games or Skyrim)

I think something like that would work very well. For example an attack from a very realisticaly pictured enemy being parried by the character´s weapon for Arms Law or a spell being casted from the hands of the character lifting a enemy or firing a bolt of any kind to a enemy on the distance...

Oh yeah! just got self exited with the image of covers like that on mi mind 

[Zut]

Something catchy and never seen before? A plain, flashy PINK cover! 

Just kidding. Some of my friends can't stand pink. 

The idea offist person view from megaper is interesting.

Forget chain mail bikini. I'm tired of sexy women with over-thight mini clothes. I would like to see other type of people in a book : old women, children, families, and... a sosie of Christian Bale!

[Ynglaur]

I think the old RM2 companion covers were some of the best ever.

[GrumpyOldFart]

I never get tired of sexy women. Most of the women I know seem to never get tired of sexy men, although having no taste in such matters it's hard for me to say with any certainty.

My objection to chainmail bikinis is

1. It's not believable, and believability is a RM hallmark.
2. Sure, sexy sells, but sexy is still sexy even (dare I say especially?) when you don't sacrifice believability for its sake.

I suspect that the day I'm tired of sexy women, you can put me to bed with a shovel. But the cute little dark haired thief type on the original RM covers was more fully covered than you're likely to see in any photo taken anywhere in the US today. The artist was competent to portray a pretty woman as pretty, without needing the chainmail bikini or anything close to it. The fact that she was pretty was garnish, it wasn't integral to the illustrations. She looked like an adventurer, not like a model who would start whining about conditions if she was outdoors long enough to break a sweat.

[megaper]

Something catchy and never seen before? A plain, flashy PINK cover! 

Unbeatable, RM will be the most known rpg of all time  .

I suspect that the day I'm tired of sexy women, you can put me to bed with a shovel. But the cute little dark haired thief type on the original RM covers was more fully covered than you're likely to see in any photo taken anywhere in the US today. The artist was competent to portray a pretty woman as pretty, without needing the chainmail bikini or anything close to it. The fact that she was pretty was garnish, it wasn't integral to the illustrations. She looked like an adventurer, not like a model who would start whining about conditions if she was outdoors long enough to break a sweat.
Unbeatable, everyone would pick it up from the shop shelf just to check who dare to put a cover like that in a book 

Amen to that!.

I took the liberty of making some drawings to picture the idea of first person art I speaked about above. I´m not an artist (try not to laught too much after checking the image ).

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/88715917/20120731_222716.jpg

[craggles]

I took the liberty of making some drawings to picture the idea of first person art I speaked about above. I´m not an artist (try not to laught too much after checking the image ).

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/88715917/20120731_222716.jpg

That certainly is an interesting idea - and you've thought of all the books! (+1 idea points)

[yammahoper]

Angus McBride was a badmother,,,SHUT YOUR MOUTH!!!

(play 70's funk here).