Need help deciding on an art style for an mlp inspired miniatures game

[Gadget 2]

Hello everyone, for the last few years I've been designing a competitive two-player wargame set in a steampunk fantasy world populated by talking animals. The game was mostly inspired by Warmachine/Hordes and is a culmination of my experiences from playing miniatures games competitively for nearly a decade. I showed off the game at a game designer event last weekend named Protospiel, and it received praise from publishers and playtesters for its unique theme and simple but deep ruleset. The game is planned to have acrylic or thick cardboard cutouts mounted on a base, and fit a niche scale between a skirmish and a full wargame (units are typically between 1-6 figures) It was also considered to be an ideal entry-level game into the genre and for parents who wish to play a wargame with their kids but still wanted a game that was deep enough for experienced players. Unfortunately, I have a difficult decision to make for the game's art direction. Which I've attached as a photo and would like your opinion on which you feel would be the most suitable. Note that although the characters are cute and expressive, the overarching story is meant to be taken seriously and is oftentimes quite dark. I'm looking for opinions on which would be the people's preference of the two styles, IGNORING that Style 1 is only sketched at the moment.

Style 1: Anthro style inspired by Zootopia. The benefits of this style over style 2 are that it may attract furries as a potential market but isn't furry enough that it alienates those who aren't. The environments are simpler to design, as not everything has to be designed for four-legged animals like in style 2. The characters are easier to pose and are better suited for fitting on a circle base if they are plastic miniatures, but also can have a greater variety of poses if they are illustrated. It is however much less original and would require me to scrap the original art, though this is the sunk cost fallacy.

 

Style 2: The protagonist species are inspired by ponies, but designed to look more like steampunk goats. However, this does mean that almost everyone who looks at them draws the comparison and may either think that they're cute and interesting or dismiss it because of the resemblance. In this art style the creatures' cities, weaponry, and furniture are all specially designed for four legged animals, creating a unique looking fantasy world. There are a few problems though, such as the characters needing a short ranged telekinesis to be able to manipulate tools and objects (no hands) and their poses are limited, too wide and the cutout won't fit on a base and if I went with plastic miniatures they may have a hard time fitting on the base.

I would greatly appreciate any and all comments and what your preference would be between style 1 and style 2. Please vote here:
http://www.poll-maker.com/poll749445x13ec4C08-30

[weesh 690]

i'm not sure you are approaching this in the right way.

people who play your game won't see art styles that you have rejected.

it seems better to show 50% on e style, and 50% the other, and ask what they think of it.  what they like, what they don't like.  

this is more likely to get you useful feedback.  

[Hederik 119]

Needless to say (look where we are), I like the second style much more. As a brony I don't deny being biased however, especially since the thought of a pony-inspired figure-driven strategy battle game has haunted me for several years already, yet I had never found the depths of ambition to chase after its creation.

 

That being said, what you're presenting above is definitely not an MLP-related project and any presumed association with the brand can cause more harm than good. Besides the aforementioned problems, this may provoke a copyright infringement accusation -- although I'm not one to judge, the style of characters 2. & 3. in particular is very reminiscent of MLP. In any case, originality is much more likely to garner attention than what can be seen as copying on something else's style.

 

In defense of the pony-like beings, the short-ranged telekinesis I at least view as more of an opportunity than obstacle. Presuming the telekinetic grip is equivalent in strength to that of a hand, there is no issue of held objects being easily ripped out of it - but if there were to be a character with, say, anti-magic bursts, this could lead to interesting options of temporary disarmament of affected units.

 

Speaking from my own (admittedly limited) experience with figure games, players (aside from the 10% of its aficionados able to masterfully paint their miniatures or afford to commission the painting) are prone to forget about art styles and such after a few matches. Initially, yes, the art plays quite a role in catching a new eye or convincing someone to try, but a while later everything is "BWM Captain with Heavy Machine Gun and 2 Grenades" and "WoMT (shield; spear)", with attributes playing a larger role than looks. Yes, it is nice if the game after setup is pleasing to the eye, but it's not a deciding factor anymore. Especially if the claim about innovative, intuitive rules is justified; then that more than anything should invite new players by merit of good word being spread.

 

Long story short, I prefer style 2 visually but would advise you to go with style 1 if it's anything beyond a personal fan-project.

[El Duderino 878]

Both are cool looking, but I would go with style 2. I'm not that into anthro.

[SpectraDust 149]

Both styles look great, but I personally prefer style 2, I'd be more drawn to play the game if I saw that style.

[DND 2,354]

Hey, @Gadget

 

You made duplicate content of this thread; thus I'm here to let you know I've taken the liberty into merging the two for you.