Reasons that UNITS CARDS should be change. CA won't change it, we need a mod (modding proposal)

[Faris ad Din]

They are unlikely to change:
If you look carefully on the pack of cards that you'll get in the collectors edition, look at the pictures of the soldiers. This further points to CA sticking with and backing this style of unit card.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Looks great on playing cards. Looks stinking hideous in the battle UI. I'm eagerly awaiting unit card mods. I might like some unit card DLC packs from CA, but that would mean them backtracking on what they published as their most crowning achievement in gaming to date, so that is not likely to happen.

Ideally I'd like unit cards in the fresh, colorful and non-BLACKENED (and non-ANCIENT Greek) art style of the more contemporary Roman art period, as in the post below, but I'd settle for resourceful modders to simply take unit snapshots and throw them in as unit cards so they would be easier to identify. Hopefully. Because ideally one would be able to tell apart individual types of units on the BATTLEFIELD at A GLANCE. Right...?

Those ancient black/red pottery painting types were probably so monochromatic and dull due to the POVERTY of the people at the time who didn't have the trade links and money to acquire more varied dyes and time to invest in really detailed, more realistic pictures. That probably changed by the time of imperial Rome. We in the modern day are NOT restricted in the kinds of colors we can portray on our computers in 32, 64, and 128-bit, and the pixel resolutions we can display. COME ON.

RGA, You posted older examples.

In time of Rome 2 Roman art looks like these:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[terzer]

There's a simple reason, why they chose this cards:
They created a card/board game for the Collectors edition (RP 13), so they used them and I'm sure, they will not change them.

I also hated them, but they start to grow on me

[Serger989]

I personally think they look great and are a rather unique universal design. They are very slick and simple. I don't really want them changed Plus I want that card game to lol

I really like Am7's idea on how to arrange the cards on the screen though (through formation, and the transparency makes that idea work), that is a great idea and convenient. Though the unit cards themselves... Looks like Age of Empires Online or something, I like the cards they are using now.

[Aenima]

They look horrendously ugly to me, but I guess I'll just have to learn to live with it.

[babydoc]

Over analyze much?

Theres a reason why the cards look like they do, simplicity and easy on the eye, not because of "art".

I guess if people start a rebellion maybe they will ad the more "classic" cards that we are used to and we can choose wich one we want.

PS. OP, you dont have to give CA a lesson in art of the period and try to "prove them wrong".
Im pretty sure they know their stuff.

[Captain Arrrgh!]

It's almost universally agreed the unit cards are hideous, and even for casual gamers, they're recognized as badly ahistorical. A step backwards for the series' art direction. As one who enjoys the 'feel' and ambiance of period games, I pay close attention to the quality of art, from loading screens to event pics to start/ending vids. So far some the art looks well done, while other parts aren't particularly attractive or immerse the player in the time period.
Shifting from static adviser and general faces to animated, talking one's are a double edged sword. With the non animated faces in the series up till now there was considerable diversity, plus the opportunity to apply beautiful background schemes, which we first saw in the original Medieval 1. Also, UI in the past has been specific to the factions. With the generic (and fugly) unit cards of Rome 2, I'm worried other aspects of art will be of a less faction-specific, general nature.

[HigoChumbo]

So something is pimped out even it's just a graphic of the unit itself represented in game? It's not a question of something looking "classy" or "pimped out", it's a question of practicality as well. In the heat of combat, you don't want to be thinking about, "Let's get my spearmen to attack those cavalry. Oh, did I click the unit I meant to click? Oops those were my weak spear levies, oh crap they're getting massacred NOOOOOO THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT TO DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO."

As far as I'm concerned, if I have to spend 5 seconds or more deciphering what unit I just clicked on during combat, then that takes away from focusing on important things like the battle itself. If this one-colour-and-black scheme makes half of my units barely distinguishable at a glance, then something needs to be done.

If that's your concern, then there is jut no contest, CA's design is just better.

The simpler textures makes the units extremelly easy to spot (so 10 thousand colors and mosaic backgrounds would be out of the question already since they make what you ask for harder) and the simplified design emphatises each unit characteristic feature. Really, i think you are just not used to it yet and have the usual fear of the new, but the moment you start playing i'm sure you will love this design (again, IF easily spotting is really your main concern).

It's almost universally agreed the unit cards are hideous, and even for casual gamers, they're recognized as badly ahistorical.

Yeah, that's why this poll is almost in a 50-50 proportion of people who like them and people who don't. When will you guys learn to put a IN MY OPINION at the start of your sentences instead of talking for dozens of other players....

A step backwards for the series' art direction.

Again, that's your opinion and a completelly random one if you ask me. Go check all total wars and tell me that from Shogun 1 to Napoleon TW there is one game in which the unit cards are better than Rome2's. The only one which comes even close is Shogun 2, which uses the same concept of stylized picture based on native, historical art, but i honestly prefer the bi-colored concept of Rome.

As one who enjoys the 'feel' and ambiance of period games, I pay close attention to the quality of art, from loading screens to event pics to start/ending vids.

If this is your concern, i honestly don's see how a picture of a 3d render (which we all know romans invented) makes you more historically immersed than a interpretation of actual greek pottery or germanic paintings.

Shifting from static adviser and general faces to animated, talking one's are a double edged sword.

Here i agree with you, not because i like the concept of a static image over an animation, it's just that i think the Rome2's animated portraits they have shown so far all look awful. If they improve that then I'm all in with animated faces (and i think the only way they have to do it is not to use unit faces and make better 3d models for that, just as games like Warcraft 3 have always done).

UI in the past has been specific to the factions.

I agree and i do hope that they change the current awful UI (save for the cards) and make it faction specific. But i think they will and that they have just shown a placeholder, so i'm not worried.

[Durnaug]

I keep imagining this one enthusiastic, passionate and intensely creative person at CA who is solely responsible for the unit cards and you gits want to destroy all his/her hard work!

[DeadlyPhoenix]

They are unlikely to change:
If you look carefully on the pack of cards that you'll get in the collectors edition, look at the pictures of the soldiers. This further points to CA sticking with and backing this style of unit card.

I'm sold =O Really like to see something new and stylish

[Sharpe]

I really like them, it goes with the theme of cards.

[MathiasOfAthens]

I.... Do..... Not..... ****ing...... Care...!....!...!

[MathiasOfAthens]

I like them though.

[Knight of Heaven]

I like them though.

Me too.

[KLAssurbanipal]

1. In first screen of Rome 2' Units Cards (battle of Teutoburg Forrest) is Greek ceramic style from archaic age (8th-6th BC) but 'Rome 2' is in Hellenistic times (from 3rd BC to later), so this style is completely not historically.

2. Hellenistic period (ages of Rome 2) has other Greek style of art - colorful and more realistic bodies, faces (3d structure).

3. Why Greek stlye for Romans? Name of game is ROME 2. Why Greek art for all units cards? Romans have other style, similar to Etrucans and Samnites - similar to archaic Greek ceramic but colorful... Later they had more realistic and colorful paintings (3d structure).

These reasons are the most important for me.

[Sherm]

These reasons are the most important for me.

Agree
Since Rome II was announced, I never lamented anything, but about style of unit card this things are wrong also for me.

[Sharpe]

Tell me, do you guys think historical accuracy claims are enough to have them changed?

[Faris ad Din]

Tell me, do you guys think historical accuracy claims are enough to have them changed?

I think ugliness reasons are enough to have them changed.

They make the eyes bleed - for some others and for me - and they force me to take a second glance and really have to squint and think to tell different kinds of units apart. That defeats all the purposes of military organization, uniforms, and banners - to be able to tell friend from foe in the thick of battle and to stay with one's unit.

CA's artists spent a reported 1 year + studying Japanese art, including woodblock print art and created GORGEOUS, COLORFUL, and CLEAR unit cards for Shogun 2. They WASTED their time for the unit cards on this game. I am NOT sorry to say so. My criticism is NOT sugar-coated here.

[Sharpe]

But it's your opinion they are ugly - I think they look great, akin to a deck of cards, a smart, uniform look.

[osros]

I prefer the actual graphic the the unit in the UI Card but I guess that just me. I like that they wanted to go different with it this time and appreciate it but I think they went too far the other way. I'm not a fan of what they did but think its one of those things I may overlook when having so much fun with the game. Then again may be okay once we have the game and as mentioned, Mods..

[Prince Regent George]

Tabor's of Assur five points of agreement

1) There are 500 units, not 117 (this is the faction number).

2) Greek ceramic, as CA has already been stated, will not be applied to all of the factions (personally, I suppose that only grecoroman factions will have such unit card's type).

3) Don't be conservative. The cards are magnificent and whoever disagrees has a bad taste.

4) Judging by the collector's edition image, I thimk that CA's decision is not goin to change, so I would really like to say:"Deal with it".

5) However, having sufferd from this, rude phrase, as a Seleucid fan, instead of it I will say: "It really doesn't matter. By playing your first campaigns, you will get used to their innovative appearence in no time.