Artist Highlight – Tom Tobey

[Kiara]

<p align="center"><img src="http://eq2players.station.sony.com/content/en/news/banners/newerbanners/community_news.png" width="600" height="100" /></p> <p>EQII has some super talented artists. They make everything from pretty zones to really cool looking armor. But that isn't ALL! This week it's all about animation and Tom Tobey, Sr. Artist, answered a few questions for us and slipped us a couple of sneak peeks at what he's working on for the future!</p><p><a href="http://eq2players.station.sony.com/news/read/032010/3488" target="_blank">Read more</a>!</p>

[Ama]

<p>Kiara you own me a new set of eyes for seeing that troll dance. The frog thing though *shrug* it's cliched, but still funny imho.</p>

[shadowscale]

<p>this is what had me going ohhh</p><p>"Yes! and Alan will kill me if I say anything before Fanfaire. I actually thought some of the best monsters I have animated were in Sentinel’s Fate, but I think what the art team is doing for ******* ups the bar again. There’s some really fun and unexpected surprises coming to EQ2."</p><p>the *******, same amout of letters as Velious. and with the how the main quest for SF has played out...</p><p>THE DRAGONS BETTER BE NICER THEN WHAT WE HAVE GOTTEN SO FAR!!! seriosly the main selling point of Velious for me in EQ1 was could actualy ally with skyshrine and the claws of veshan.  and i think they are going need some help dealing with you know who anyway... dident seem to mind the aid of mortals before, not sure why it would change. THEY HAD A BAR WHERE MORTALS AND DRAGON KIN GOT DRUNK TOGETHER... seriosly i dont think they could get more friendly then that without some hybreds going on...</p>

[ttobey]

<p>Those dances don't necessarily synch to the music, the tunes are more there for flavor, and the racial dances are not planned for anytime soon. I'm working on some bigger things that will really make you happy.</p>

[Ambrin]

<p>Such as panda's riding T-rex's into battle?</p><p>Very nice work on the animations, I especially enjoyed the dancing frog <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" /></p>

[Vortexelemental]

<p><cite>Ambrin@Nagafen wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><span style="font-size: xx-large; color: #ff0000;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Such as panda's riding T-rex's into battle?</strong></em></span></span></p><p>Very nice work on the animations, I especially enjoyed the dancing frog <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" /></p></blockquote><p>DO IT. There must be at least one with next expansion. Otherwise I will be disappointed by you.</p>

[Neiloch]

Dinosaur mounts inc

[Morghus]

<p>There is a T-rex in one of the specimen containers in the Vasty labs. Wonder if it's related to that?</p>

[Quicksilver74]

<p><cite>ttobey wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Those dances don't necessarily synch to the music, the tunes are more there for flavor, and the racial dances are not planned for anytime soon. I'm working on some bigger things that will really make you happy.</p></blockquote><p>Will these big things make Michaelangelo and Panthro Happy?</p>

[Diapause]

<p>Not enough can be said about the artists of EQ2.. I know the mechanics, itemization and quest guys get all the drama, but after playing this game since launch, I for one truly appreciate the amazing amount of work you guys have done.  Evidenced even more by the fact that a 5 year old PC game still has legs visually is a testament to you all.</p><p>Kudos on a job well done.</p>

[Ama]

<p><cite>ttobey wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Those dances don't necessarily synch to the music, the tunes are more there for flavor, and the racial dances are not planned for anytime soon. I'm working on some bigger things that will really make you happy.</p></blockquote><p>I would say the only thing that would have really made the troll dancing messed up is the milkshake song.  *shivers*</p><p>Personally I want to see some dark elf dancing. *looks at Kiara* <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/908627bbe5e9f6a080977db8c365caff.gif" border="0" /></p>

[Kendricke]

<p>Maybe it's just me, but I'm just not feeling the new "haha..OMG this is so funny" racial dances.  I was pretty excited to see some of the new armor designs that started to filter in to the game with Shadow Odyssey because it lead me to believe the art direction was taking a more realistic slant again (Roman legionnaire helms, horned mongol style helms, Germanic sallet helms, a crusader bucket helm, etc) and then we get animations that seem like inside jokes more than an attempt at immersive gameplay. </p><p>To each their own, certainly.  However, I guess I'd personally be more excited to see correct and updated attack animations rather than new racial dances which seem focused on giggles and snickers. </p><p>I mean, I'm sure some folks enjoy the dancing Froglok...but how many more would drop their jaws to see a monk using nunchuks or just seeing a wizard using a new casting animation or (I realize I'm getting CRAZY now) just seeing a shaman poke something with a spear instead of taking a wide arc swing with it.</p>

[Armawk]

<p>As long as you dont go into real world dances and such unimaginative stuff we are all good. There has been some fine animation work recently and I'd love to see it continue. The Pandas for example have won me over and I was very down on the idea, but they are beautifully done.</p>

[ttobey]

<p><cite>Kendricke wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>To each their own, certainly.  However, I guess I'd personally be more excited to see correct and updated attack animations rather than new racial dances which seem focused on giggles and snickers. </p><p>I mean, I'm sure some folks enjoy the dancing Froglok...but how many more would drop their jaws to see a monk using nunchuks or just seeing a wizard using a new casting animation or (I realize I'm getting CRAZY now) just seeing a shaman poke something with a spear instead of taking a wide arc swing with it.</p></blockquote><p>Updating attack animations and adding nunchucks versus a few dances, is literally 8 months of work vs. 1 or two days. Actually I rarely do anything with players, I'm mostly doing new NPC's.  The few dances I did were done in the day or two I had between toxxulia and roehn theer. The dances currently aren't scheduled to go in any time soon.</p>

[ttobey]

<p><cite>shaunfletcher wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>As long as you dont go into real world dances and such unimaginative stuff we are all good. There has been some fine animation work recently and I'd love to see it continue. The Pandas for example have won me over and I was very down on the idea, but they are beautifully done.</p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><div><p>I'm glad I won you over on the Pandas! I love them. <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> For the next expansion, I'm currently working on a new NPC that you may have seen in EQ1, and they are  as good as if not better than the Pandas. We'll probably show them at FanFaire.</p></div></span></p>

[Deveryn]

<p>Othmir!</p>

[Writer Cal]

<p>Gimme playable Othmir!  /whines</p><p>Also.  <3 the Pandas.  Excellent job.</p>

[Rainmare]

<p>the only disappointment I have with the pandas is I can't do that little tai chi animation they one on the rocks does or the 'trainees' do when in panda illusion. but I do love the panda dance and the combat animations.</p><p>the one that he bounces from one foot the othe other before doing his spin kick my friend calls 'panda tipping'</p>

[xochipi]

<p>so sad.... someone so talented usin beyonce music to show his art....</p>

[Kander]

<p><cite>shadowscale wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>this is what had me going ohhh</p><p>"Yes! and Alan will kill me if I say anything before Fanfaire. I actually thought some of the best monsters I have animated were in Sentinel’s Fate, but I think what the art team is doing for ******* ups the bar again. There’s some really fun and unexpected surprises coming to EQ2."</p><p>the *******, same amout of letters as Velious. and with the how the main quest for SF has played out...</p><p>THE DRAGONS BETTER BE NICER THEN WHAT WE HAVE GOTTEN SO FAR!!! seriosly the main selling point of Velious for me in EQ1 was could actualy ally with skyshrine and the claws of veshan.  and i think they are going need some help dealing with you know who anyway... dident seem to mind the aid of mortals before, not sure why it would change. THEY HAD A BAR WHERE MORTALS AND DRAGON KIN GOT DRUNK TOGETHER... seriosly i dont think they could get more friendly then that without some hybreds going on...</p></blockquote><p>Ppfft, what dragons?</p><p>Incidentally, Tom Tobey Rules! As does our entire art team! Very happy to see these guys getting the spotlight they deserve! We are very fortunate to have so many awesome talented people! They make the world go around!</p>

[Stubbswick]

<p><cite>Kander wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Ppfft, what dragons?</p></blockquote><p><em>*waves hand*</em></p><p>These are not the dragons you are looking for.</p>

[MurFalad]

<p>The Froglok animation is excellent, although it probably suits a Troubadour better then my Guardian due to being quite frivilous.  What strikes me is that when I look at it it feels more like I am looking at a person moving, rather then just an animation, that can only happen when every move is perfect.</p><p>On the character animations though I must admit I too would love to see more of them to make the combat feel richer, I understand the original animations were motion captured, although I wonder if not being part of Sony pictures anymore means that isn't available so easily, or if it actually saved any time to create them that way.... </p><p>I guess the problem with adding them is that its 24 animations needed to be created for each new move then?</p><p>And wondering if there will be a crossbow <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p>

[ttobey]

<p><cite>MurFalad wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>The Froglok animation is excellent, although it probably suits a Troubadour better then my Guardian due to being quite frivilous.  What strikes me is that when I look at it it feels more like I am looking at a person moving, rather then just an animation, that can only happen when every move is perfect.</p><p>On the character animations though I must admit I too would love to see more of them to make the combat feel richer, I understand the original animations were motion captured, although I wonder if not being part of Sony pictures anymore means that isn't available so easily, or if it actually saved any time to create them that way.... </p><p>I guess the problem with adding them is that its 24 animations needed to be created for each new move then?</p><p>And wondering if there will be a crossbow <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" /></p></blockquote><p>Yeah most of the original animations were mocapped, that's why they look so weird and bad mimey.  Can you sense my love for mocap? Evan Sampson, another animator on the team gets to deal with the mocap more than I do.</p>

[Galithdor]

<p><cite>Deveryn wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Othmir!</p></blockquote><p>Thats what I thought....the T-Rex points towards Velious sorta as well, though I'm not trying to get any speculations going</p>

[Armawk]

<p><cite>ttobey wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Yeah most of the original animations were mocapped, that's why they look so weird and bad mimey.  Can you sense my love for mocap? Evan Sampson, another animator on the team gets to deal with the mocap more than I do.</p></blockquote><p>For dances, combat, exotic creature stuff etc, hand animation is great..  assuming the animator is really good and can manage all the subtleties and secondary movements you would get from mocap <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" />  .. but for walk cycles and run cycles on player characters etc its damned hard to beat good mocap. The walk and run cycles in EQ2 are the best in any game Ive played by a huge margin, compare the idiot bouncing in LOTRO (did someone there REALLY think people bounce on their toes for hours on end) or the outright wierdness of wow to the believable run cycles in EQ2.. I find hand animation of those kind of endless repeat 'see it a million times' animations is problematic, because one tends to put in too much 'life' and it looks annoying in ways that are hard to identify or even notice if you are working on it. Its hard to  beat something that just looks like someone running.</p>

[ttobey]

<p>Yeah the runs are great! You'll have to credit the animators of EQ2 past for those as they have been so worked and reworked that there's barely any mocap left on them.</p>

[Rijacki]

<p><cite>ttobey wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Yeah the runs are great! You'll have to credit the animators of EQ2 past for those as they have been so worked and reworked that there's barely any mocap left on them.</p></blockquote><p>But the mocap was still the starting point. Using a base and then erasing what makes -not- work seamless is HEAPS better than either doing a straight mocap and ignore incorporating into the actual game movement or starting completely from scratch and ignoring the realities of physics (which should still govern even a fantasy world or it tends to enter the uncanny valley).</p><p>Run/walk animations and standing pose in most of the other MMOGs currently out there is one of the things that makes me shudder and not want to play them at all because I get to distracted by how 'wrong' it is. It's one of the chief things that really bugged me about CoX, Aion, and Pirates of the Burning Sea. Vanguard and another one I tried that I'm blanking the name on (not out of any spite, my brain just lost the name suddenly *laugh*) weren't as uncanny valley but still less natural in my opinion.</p>

[Galithdor]

<p><cite>ttobey wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Yeah the runs are great! You'll have to credit the animators of EQ2 past for those as they have been so worked and reworked that there's barely any mocap left on them.</p></blockquote><p>Psst...dont be so modest! <img src="/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> Even if its true! Just give em credit where credit is due and its fine!</p><p>I'm totally trying to corrupt-a-dev</p>

[ttobey]

<p><cite>Daenee@Antonia Bayle wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Gimme playable Othmir!  /whines</p><p>Also.  <3 the Pandas.  Excellent job.</p></blockquote><p>I think we need some female pandas in there too!</p>

[Calthine]

<p>Who did the riding-the-rhino animations?  Been watching myself in 3rd person on the rhino, and it's so well done it makes my fanny hurt, lol.</p>

[Writer Cal]

<p><cite>ttobey wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Daenee@Antonia Bayle wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Gimme playable Othmir!  /whines</p><p>Also.  <3 the Pandas.  Excellent job.</p></blockquote><p>I think we need some female pandas in there too!</p></blockquote><p>Ooooh, yis!  Female pandas too!  That would fantastic.</p>

[Rijacki]

<p><cite>ttobey wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Daenee@Antonia Bayle wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Gimme playable Othmir!  /whines</p><p>Also.  <3 the Pandas.  Excellent job.</p></blockquote><p>I think we need some female pandas in there too!</p></blockquote><p>Because one had a female name and was refered to as "her" in the questline, I thought the ones with the light mint kimono and backpack were female.</p><p>How would you tell one is female vs male anyway, turn them over?</p>

[ttobey]

<p>Since no one has complained about the size of their breasts, I'm betting they must all be male <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p>

[Aenashi]

<p>hey Tobey, Make a Ratonga female and play it for a few hours.  After that, fix them <img src="/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />  You will notice many things wrong with them <img src="/smilies/9d71f0541cff0a302a0309c5079e8dee.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p><p>There is a huge ratongan thread in the look and feel forum <img src="/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />  Whiskers were taken care of, but the tail is broke still <img src="/smilies/9d71f0541cff0a302a0309c5079e8dee.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p>

[Neiloch]

What I want to see is implementations so players can animate characters themselves, probably out of game or 'offline' so we can make some awesome machinima. Viral marketing anyone?

[Cynith]

<p><cite>Rakushun@Kithicor wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>hey Tobey, Make a Ratonga female and play it for a few hours.  After that, fix them <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" />  You will notice many things wrong with them <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/9d71f0541cff0a302a0309c5079e8dee.gif" border="0" /></p><p>There is a huge ratongan thread in the look and feel forum <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" />  Whiskers were taken care of, but the tail is broke still <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/9d71f0541cff0a302a0309c5079e8dee.gif" border="0" /></p></blockquote><p>And the walk . . . I still want the tippytoe walk for female tonga that the males get - it's adorable <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />  slow-motion running is . . . not so adorable!</p><p>BTW - love your work and had fun checking out your site too. Can't wait to see what you've been working on recently <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/b2eb59423fbf5fa39342041237025880.gif" border="0" /></p>

[ttobey]

<p><cite>Cynith@Antonia Bayle wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Rakushun@Kithicor wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>hey Tobey, Make a Ratonga female and play it for a few hours.  After that, fix them <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" />  You will notice many things wrong with them <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/9d71f0541cff0a302a0309c5079e8dee.gif" border="0" /></p><p>There is a huge ratongan thread in the look and feel forum <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" />  Whiskers were taken care of, but the tail is broke still <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/9d71f0541cff0a302a0309c5079e8dee.gif" border="0" /></p></blockquote><p>And the walk . . . I still want the tippytoe walk for female tonga that the males get - it's adorable <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" />  slow-motion running is . . . not so adorable!</p><p>BTW - love your work and had fun checking out your site too. Can't wait to see what you've been working on recently <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/b2eb59423fbf5fa39342041237025880.gif" border="0" /></p></blockquote><p>Thanks! <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p><p>The female ratonga walk is just the run in slow motion?</p><p>Let me check that one out.</p>

[ttobey]

<p><cite>Cynith@Antonia Bayle wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Rakushun@Kithicor wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>hey Tobey, Make a Ratonga female and play it for a few hours.  After that, fix them <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" />  You will notice many things wrong with them <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/9d71f0541cff0a302a0309c5079e8dee.gif" border="0" /></p><p>There is a huge ratongan thread in the look and feel forum <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" />  Whiskers were taken care of, but the tail is broke still <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/9d71f0541cff0a302a0309c5079e8dee.gif" border="0" /></p></blockquote><p>And the walk . . . I still want the tippytoe walk for female tonga that the males get - it's adorable <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" />  slow-motion running is . . . not so adorable!</p><p>BTW - love your work and had fun checking out your site too. Can't wait to see what you've been working on recently <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/b2eb59423fbf5fa39342041237025880.gif" border="0" /></p></blockquote><p>You are correct on the female ratonga. That's on my list to redo now. I understand why they did it that way. A walk on the small PCs would play so fast to keep up that it would look really dopey, but I think having them walk and slide a bit may be a better solution to the slowed down run. How about a skip ? ;P</p>

[Cynith]

<p>My little tonga would absolutely LOVE to skip but I would be perfectly happy if they had a similar animation to the male version.  Not understanding why males were one way but females were different.</p><p>Anything would probably be better than that slow motion run. <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p><p>**giggles as she imagines her mouse skipping through the fields**</p>

[Dulissa]

<p><cite>Cynith@Antonia Bayle wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>My little tonga would absolutely LOVE to skip but I would be perfectly happy if they had a similar animation to the male version.  Not understanding why males were one way but females were different.</p><p>Anything would probably be better than that slow motion run. <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" /></p><p>**giggles as she imagines her mouse skipping through the fields**</p></blockquote><p><img src="/eq2/images/smilies/2786c5c8e1a8be796fb2f726cca5a0fe.gif" border="0" /> This doesn't surprise me at all Cynith!</p><p>Having said that, whats up with the Tonga tails on the discs in SF? It's like my mouse just got a case of rigor mortis of the tail.</p>

[Writer Cal]

<p><cite>ttobey wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>You are correct on the female ratonga. That's on my list to redo now. I understand why they did it that way. A walk on the small PCs would play so fast to keep up that it would look really dopey, but I think having them walk and slide a bit may be a better solution to the slowed down run. How about a skip ? ;P</p></blockquote><p>I would LOVE a skip for my 'tonga.  As it is, the slow-mo run looks so odd on my tiny ratling that I just have her run everywhere at top speed, even for RP.  It's part of the character.  But a skip would be adorable!</p>

[Aenashi]

<p><cite>ttobey wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Cynith@Antonia Bayle wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Rakushun@Kithicor wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>hey Tobey, Make a Ratonga female and play it for a few hours.  After that, fix them <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" />  You will notice many things wrong with them <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/9d71f0541cff0a302a0309c5079e8dee.gif" border="0" /></p><p>There is a huge ratongan thread in the look and feel forum <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" />  Whiskers were taken care of, but the tail is broke still <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/9d71f0541cff0a302a0309c5079e8dee.gif" border="0" /></p></blockquote><p>And the walk . . . I still want the tippytoe walk for female tonga that the males get - it's adorable <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" />  slow-motion running is . . . not so adorable!</p><p>BTW - love your work and had fun checking out your site too. Can't wait to see what you've been working on recently <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/b2eb59423fbf5fa39342041237025880.gif" border="0" /></p></blockquote><p>You are correct on the female ratonga. That's on my list to redo now. I understand why they did it that way. A walk on the small PCs would play so fast to keep up that it would look really dopey, but I think having them walk and slide a bit may be a better solution to the slowed down run. How about a skip ? ;P</p></blockquote><p>Make it so Tobey.  You have my blessing!!  even if you make the walk the same as the male walk, that would be fine also <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p><p>Also, work with some of the other guys to make a lasso that only Ratongans can use.  You use it on a keeran (yes, i spell it keeran on purpose) player and it will turn them into a mount!  They get down on all 4's and crawl around doing the supriorer races bidding!</p><p>btw, i know who to harrass now about Ratongas! <img src="/smilies/283a16da79f3aa23fe1025c96295f04f.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p>

[Narino]

<p><span style="color: #008000;"><span><p>You are correct on the female ratonga. That's on my list to redo now. I understand why they did it that way. A walk on the small PCs would play so fast to keep up that it would look really dopey, but I think having them walk and slide a bit may be a better solution to the slowed down run. How about a skip ? ;P</p><p><span style="color: #ffffff;">Please look into halflings also. They look great walking, try taking one against a wall whille runing  and slide along said wall...they start walking and look so, so cool. Pleaase<img src="/eq2/images/smilies/ed515dbff23a0ee3241dcc0a601c9ed6.gif" border="0" /></span></p><p><span style="color: #ffffff;">If you ask me slow motion running should be used as a third walking animation</span></p></span></span></p>

[Galithdor]

<p>Innuendo...this thread now has <img src="/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p><p>Anyways, new animations are always awesome</p>

[Narino]

<p><span style="font-size: small;">Uops -.- Sorry, as I read the ratonga walk post I went into a Prototype #4 mood and forgot this is a "artist highlight" and not a "implore to the dev" thread. </span>sorries<img src="/eq2/images/smilies/ed515dbff23a0ee3241dcc0a601c9ed6.gif" border="0" /></p><p><span style="font-size: small;">Anyway, I do love the pandas, I'd trade my halfing to play as one <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" /> and that is saying something. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: small;"> And The Froglok dance..... You must do a froglok band like the "Burglars" put it in the city merchant so we can "rent" them!</span><span style="font-size: small;"> Now, that Troll lady hip move......"crais as he tries to find his eyes that fell under the couch"</span></p><p>I read your interview at Potsvault, and all I can say is BRING THIS GUY TO EQ2...oh wait they already did!</p><p>"restrains the urge to ask for stuff"</p><p>Good job and keep them frogs dancing!</p>

[knightofround]

<p>First of all, I gotta say that you've done some awesome work with the EQ2 team! The animation is by far the best I've seen in any EQ2 expansion; in any MMO for that matter.</p><p>All that said though, I have a request. Before the big sweep through racial changes done a couple months ago, frogloks used to have a racial positional deaggro with an animation made them do a backflip. After all races had their positional deaggros removed the game, this animation went with it. Try as I might, I could not find a way to replicate this animation via item, ability, or AA. I'm guessing that it is still in the database somewhere and is not being used...is there some way we can get it back in the game?</p>

[ttobey]

<p><cite>knightofround wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>First of all, I gotta say that you've done some awesome work with the EQ2 team! The animation is by far the best I've seen in any EQ2 expansion; in any MMO for that matter.</p><p>All that said though, I have a request. Before the big sweep through racial changes done a couple months ago, frogloks used to have a racial positional deaggro with an animation made them do a backflip. After all races had their positional deaggros removed the game, this animation went with it. Try as I might, I could not find a way to replicate this animation via item, ability, or AA. I'm guessing that it is still in the database somewhere and is not being used...is there some way we can get it back in the game?</p></blockquote><p>Thanks! I appreciate that. The character guys are doing some amazing NPC's  for the next expansion too!</p><p>Let me look into the frogflip and see whats up.</p>

[Maroger]

<p>Tom -- do you paint in traditional oils or do you use acrylics? I am interested in the what medium you use and also what surface you prefer to paint on?</p><p>Have you ever done traditional classical oil painting - i.e. still life, nude, landscape etc/?</p>

[ttobey]

<p>No I'm not a painter. </p>

[Galithdor]

<p><cite>ttobey wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>No I'm not a painter. </p></blockquote><p>Are you saying you dont draw colored concept art *gasp*</p><p>kidding aside...do devs even paint? <img src="/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p>

[ttobey]

<p>SOe does have artists that solely are concept guys. Dok Whitson has been doing EQ2 concepts since the beginning. Most of the load screens are Dok's.</p>

[Galithdor]

<p>joke killer</p>

[ttobey]

<p>There was a joke hidden in there? Let me see if I can find it.</p>

[Aenashi]

<p>hey Tom,</p><p>Female ratonga doing /scheme</p><p>hands go through the wrists</p><p>Thanks <img src="/smilies/283a16da79f3aa23fe1025c96295f04f.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p>