rob.liefeld: May some of you share my habit of downloading the game extras first, and the game only after I already checked them all out.
In a nutshell: BG1 has the most horrendous, garish and silly looking wallpapers I've ever seen:) Seriously, it's hard to beleive that a game, awesome as this one can have official artwork this bad.
It seems like however, they really wanted to make up for it in the sequel:
the BG2 wallpaper has pretty much everything thrown into it, even some Eisley paintings from the late 80's (or early 90's)! I can see some serious improvement in fanservice.
But i'ts clearly NWN which takes the cake: on almost every wallpaper there is a hot female warrior, in skimpy, metal bikini XD
Anyway, I still love this content, I did not mean to complain, just wanted to make others to check them out too :)
It's a little difficult to know how I should address your post. On one hand you deride the wallpapers for their lack of quality and garish looks but on the other hand you say you love them.
While you are more than welcome to your opinion - no one can say you're wrong for not liking something that doesn't suit your tastes - there is something to be said about having a qualified point of view. To paraphrase Harlan Ellison: you are not entitled to your opinion, you are entitled to an
informed opinion; there's a difference.
A clear example of what I'm saying would be the following statements:
1) "Leonardo's Mona Lisa, while iconic, is not his best work."
2) "Leonardo Da Vinci was a talentless hack whose contribution to the Renaissance and the world of art and design are overstated."
Both statements are opinions, but it's clear which one is more valid of the two. The second opinion is so extreme in its viewpoint that no amount of rational discussion could begin to support its underlying thesis.
That said, let me be clear, I am in no way, shape or form comparing the artwork from Baldur's Gate (1 or 2) to Leonardo Da Vinci's artwork. I use the name only as a way to make a clear example.
Similarly, as per my examples, where you get yourself in trouble is when you make statements like:
"BG1 has the most horrendous, garish and silly looking wallpapers I've ever seen:)"
The problem with this statement is two-fold:
Firstly, it's difficult to understand how you reconcile your supposed love for this "awesome" game and yet find the artwork from the wallpapers "silly looking" - when in fact - the artwork from the wallpapers are hi-res scans of original artwork for Baldur's Gate (GOG artists merely combine these assets to make the wallpapers). This, as far as I'm concerned, is a logical contradiction.
Secondly, "garish?"
Really? Perhaps it's careless word-usage on your part but the primary definition of garish is: crudely or tastelessly colorful, showy, or elaborate, as clothes or decoration.
This is an opinion that is simply not based in fact. All the wallpapers consist of no more than three or four elements (i.e., a central figure, a logo and a background). That hardly qualifies as garish.
Again, let me reiterate, if the wallpapers don't suit your fancy that is all well and good, but to criticize them for qualities that are non-existent just isn't an opinion that should be taken seriously by anyone.
Finally, there is also something to be said about looking a gift horse in the mouth. The wallpapers are an added bonus and are a labor of love by the guys & gals at GOG who go out of their way to get this artwork for us; it's one thing to not like something - fine, don't use them as your wallpaper - but to come on here and make such a tactless statement is itself a
garish display of feckless opining.
You say you "love" the wallpapers but clearly by your own words, you have insulted a lot of talented people. That's just not cool, I'm sorry to say.
Personally I really like these wallpapers. They are aesthetically beautiful and expertly composed. I, for one, am very grateful to GOG for them as I am an unrepentant wallpaper fiend.
