Art Corner - Furious Ming Character Concept
By Rion Swanson, Artist, Jade Empire
Of the several player characters available in Jade Empire, Furious Ming is one that we created with the inspiration of Bruce Lee and Jet Li in mind, and with the personality traits from characters in the famous novel, Outlaws of the Marsh. We all had a clear direction of what we wanted him to look like, and from his first conception many months ago until now, he proved to be successful and therefore did not undergo many changes. It was important to make sure that Furious Ming's look matched our designers' vision.
Each of the player characters in Jade Empire has their own unique abilities and were designed to represent specific fighting categories. First of all, I should start off by letting you know what these categories are in the game so that you get an idea of what we wanted each PC to represent.
- The fast category represents moves that are quick and direct, and appeal to those of you who are action gamers. 'Finesse' combat in which you're seeking tactical advantages through quick movement describes this category.
- The strong category, by contrast, is more about powering through your opponents with less concern for fighting tactics.
- The magic category is more suited to those players who would rather focus less on physical combat and more on using spells and other acquired powers.
- The balanced category is a mix of the three categories above. It allows the player to combine them and become a very well-rounded fighter.
Most of the categories are represented by a male and female PC. So, Furious Ming's female counterpart is Radiant Jen Zi. This deadly vixen is proficient in combat as well...but I'll tell you more about Radiant Jen Zi in another diary down the road. I have to let you know that Radiant Jen Zi, and even our main villain, Death's Hand, went through many revisions, but the end result is definitely worth it.
But back to Furious Ming. As you can see in the concepts and renders, he looks young, energetic, and lean. Obviously he represents the fast category. The weapons you see him holding in the concept art are punch daggers, and he will be able to use these in the game as well as many other weapons, such as axes, Wushu spears, broadswords, and many more. This agile fighter has tattoos on his back and much of his arms that are reminiscent of the designs seen on Ming dynasty vases.
A warrior at heart, Furious Ming is just one of the several interesting player characters, which you as a gamer will have the chance to play with when Jade Empire is released!
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