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This is a trend I've noticed with several of the most recently published adventure paths in the Pathfinder AP production line.
The artwork has a more cartoonish style, whereas that used to be a more realistic style in older APs. To me, it feels as if I'm purchasing low quality products these days. I know it shouldn't have to be that way, but this is one of the reasons I play more pfe1 AP's converted to pf2e these days than actual pf2e AP's.
As a reference, I compared the images on pages 4 of Eulogy For Roslar's Coffer and page 116 of Hellbreakers. We see to lighting effects drawn out, I can clearly tell which one had the most amount of effort put into it.
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I have to admit that I have kept a much closer eye on Starfinder than Pathfinder over the last 6 months or so, but the Starfinder art team has been absolutely killing it. I also do like the more cartoonish style of Hellbreakers and generally enjoy saying a variety of different approaches. So I respectfully disagree.
I have to admit that I have kept a much closer eye on Starfinder than Pathfinder over the last 6 months or so, but the Starfinder art team has been absolutely killing it. I also do like the more cartoonish style of Hellbreakers and generally enjoy saying a variety of different approaches. So I respectfully disagree.
Indeed, indeed, I've seen people with different reactions to the new art style. I'll have to accept that some people enjoy it more it seems..
when it comes to APs i think i'm happy so long as its internally consistent stylistically.
For things like Lost Omens etc i think it can be really beneficial to have varied art styles, really get the most out of the diverse backgrounds and experience of contracted artists, especially for culturally inspired depictions.
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"The art style has changed" and "the art quality has dropped" are two very different complaints.
"The art style has changed" and "the art quality has dropped" are two very different complaints.
True, but the current title is bound to attract more responses :D
I'm very curious toward other people's opinions.
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I won't say all of it has gotten worse but I've definitely noticed inconsistent artwork more in recent books. Knights of Lastwall. Revenge of the Runelords, and Battlecry are three that I got recently that had this IMO. Probably some recent PFS stuff too. I usually just swap out tokens artwork on foundry or things like that when possible.
I'll also say I felt some maps in Season of Ghosts weren't the greatest or inconsistent. Thankfully the foundry team is pretty good when it comes to that as well.
It's not the worst, but it can be a bit jarring from time to time when it doesn't match the style or quality in the rest of the book.
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Art 'quality' goes up and down through the APs.
The first AP I subscribed to was Mummy's Mask, and man, I really felt sad giving those books away as the art was massively awesome.
The second was Iron Gods. I had no such strong feelings about the art there.
Right now, I'm DMing STOLEN FATE and SEVEN DOOMS FOR SANDPOINT. One definitely has art that I prefer over the other.
It varies. It usually hits and sometimes it whiffs. I wouldn't say that there's a trend.
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I won't say all of it has gotten worse but I've definitely noticed inconsistent artwork more in recent books. Knights of Lastwall. Revenge of the Runelords, and Battlecry are three that I got recently that had this IMO. Probably some recent PFS stuff too. I usually just swap out tokens artwork on foundry or things like that when possible.
Knights of Lastwall is four years old. Does that really constitute a recent trend?
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The artwork has a more cartoonish style, whereas that used to be a more realistic style in older APs. To me, it feels as if I'm purchasing low quality products these days. I know it shouldn't have to be that way, but this is one of the reasons I play more pfe1 AP's converted to pf2e these days than actual pf2e AP's.
If you are complaining about the "art direction," I'm with you.
Yes, the art for Pathfinder/Golarion changed after Skull & Shackles in directions that I don't prefer, but it's not a drop in quality.
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There are two specific current(ish) artists that I don't enjoy the work of, one of whom does a somewhat cartoony style and has done a lot of work in recent books, but it's definitely not a blanket trait of all current artists. Nor are there blanket opinions on art, tbf :D
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Strangely, the general art has been interesting to me, but the font selection/text art for recent books feels like it has been trying to hard to be different from past books and that has made it feel less pathfidery to me.
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I think art style is a big factor for sure. Wayne Reynolds work is the iconic art for the system, and things that follow that style tend to feel "Pathfindery".
These days we have more art in different styles and made with different media (some of it looks made in 3d drawing tools for example). That's not a judgement on the art quality at all, but the style/direction being different can make it feel "less Pathfindery".
Sometimes it works pretty well. The character portraits and such in Strength of Thousands all follow a specific style and for that AP the style works really well because it evokes a feeling of the Mwangi Expanse being a distinct place with distinct cultures, rather than matching a Varisian AP style.
Other times something can feel out of place even if the art itself is pretty good.
If you went through and compared equivalent books over the years, I doubt the overall art quality has actually changed a ton. ie: A Bestiary book compared to another Bestiary/Monster Core book is a fair comparison given budget and space devoted to art will be at least somewhat comparable.
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The artwork has a more cartoonish style, whereas that used to be a more realistic style in older APs.Check out the original Rise of the Runelords.
I'm looking at you, Niska.
Or, trying not to, at any rate.