Today's treat is a sneak peek at J. Scott Reeves' cover design for Ars Magica 5th Edition. Fans of the game may recognize some of the iconography -- the four Realms, the twelve Founders, etc. (And, true to the game, Diedne was "airbrushed out," Trotsky-like, to be replaced by Pralix to fill out the Twelve.)
Looks great.
ReplyDeleteAre we gonna get a peek at some internal art?
Oh, if only this image were slightly bigger. I can't quite make out who everyone is. I don't suppose you'll post a larger version, like you did with /Fallen Fane/?
ReplyDeleteWe haven't decided yet if we'll be showing off any interior design or artwork in advance of release. At the moment, I'm most busy proofreading the whole thing, and we're fine-tuning the format. (We've had what amount to two "test runs," with Fallen Fane and Calebais -- which is already at press, actually -- and from those came up with some things that we wanted to refine or change.)
ReplyDeleteAbout the image size: We didn't want to it up in too high of resolution yet, because Scott is still finishing the fine details, now that all of us have given this the thumbs up. (Like everything else about ArM5, it's gone through several drafts/phases/tests before we came to the final product.)
Which reminds me, this is a much better design than the Black Monks cover.
ReplyDeleteAll right, I'll try to contain my enthusiasm. It looks wonderful, though.
ReplyDeleteCover-in-Progress
ReplyDeleteDoes that mean it is not too late to make a change?
I really dislike the dark red color of the 'A' and 'M' in the 'Ars Magica' logo. It looks too much like drying blood for my taste, and is also easy for a casual viewer in a store to overlook. I feel that the bright orange lettering used on the 'Fallen Fane' cover gives a far warmer feel to the cover.
Other that that quibble I like it very well, it is an improvement over the previous edition.
Gene Evans
The "saint" is Bonisagus. Behind his head -- not clear at this resolution -- are the crossed keys that are the symbol of House Bonisagus. In the tradition of medieval illustrator satire, the depiction of Bonisagus as being saint-like pretty well captures the holier-than-thou attitude that House Bonisagus often projects.
ReplyDeleteI must say I concur with the last speaker. The house sigils should have been used. I don't really mind the domains there, but if I had to choose I would agree even there.
ReplyDeleteHowever, if the cover is meant to say stuff about how Atlas would like to refocus the game I must say I am more enthusiastic than I've been for a long time. Focus on personalities, characters/history, and accessability? Twelve stories that each bring a viewpoint on the Order and the four domains, whereas the last one was a bit too focused inward on the established fans. I must say I like this very much, even if it looks a tad too close to the old Exhalted with the choice of colours and graphics.
Wytchking of Angmar