+1 to Gavan's logos.

Gav's are so far superior to what this guy shat out that I cannot begin to describe all the ways they are better.

I remember those Gavan, and they are good.

I'd like to point out an ugly cycle we're getting into:

1) "We need more content! Get help!"

2) "OMFG, the devs finally got help. Huzzah!"

3) "Fresh meat! Poke him with a stick!"

4) "Hay, whatever happened to all that content?"

5) GOTO 1

It's not a cycle Whistler, those logos were crap. If I said it nicer they'd still be crap. Are they crap by VO standards? Well, actually yes, difficult as that is to achieve. Bad graphic design = bad graphic design.

Gavan's logos, from 2006, are by far the best proposals so far!

Devs, please use that as starting point, or at least as reference... and make those logos way more SIMPLE, as any logo must be if it wants to be a meaningfull logo, instead of meaningless decoration...

The devs already said they have simple versions too. Instead of whining about the complexity of the complex versions, you should be asking to see the already existing simple versions.

Jul 14, 2012 Espionage
Fantastic, could you perhaps post some shots of the simple vector versions? I'm interested in how it might look printed on ships.

I also like Gavan's

Its interesting how in simply the first three pages of this thread, good constructive criticism seems to devolve into petty insults.

thats because all the troll-vets that hover around the game take a while to check in.

Gavans Serco and Itani logos are sweet, but the UIT still lacks... flavour, and I likes the chevron-fist more than the bird...

+1 Serco fist logo
+1 Gav's Itani logo
+0 all UIT logo's so far...

Faille.

nowai! gavan's serco 'vulture' logo is awesomesauce.

I should draw my own logos just to divide people further, should be fun.

Impavid, why are you in this thread? I get it's a good place for garnering attention, but your second rate insults lack the imagination and intelligence of a 12 year old. christ, xbox live kids are more hurtful than you. just stick to what you do best, find an exploit, complain when you get in trouble for it, and make as much noise as you can "quitting" for a month

on topic, these look cool in the large versions but i agree that for a smaller/simpler icon there is work to be done.

Impavid, Why are you in this thread?

Coz' thats what troll vets do!!!

Ok, as it has been requested, here are the vector (illustrator) versions that I've done a very quick and simple conversion to B&W (the vector versions are colorized by default). This is just me doing it quickly, as Curt is currently working on a new ship-explosion effect. So, we might actually use grays and whites and darks differently in a true B&W conversion (like the Itani central star, for instance). But, this should give you some idea of how they look without the photoshop effects.

It's also noteworthy that all three were intended to occupy roughly similar amounts of space in a square texture area.

We also do not have text ("Union of Independent Territories", etc), as I didn't want them reliant on text, and we're pushing the game to be more easily localized. Plus, most (but not all) flags are purely symbolic and free of text.

Please keep feedback civil, or don't give it at all. I'm not interested in colorful biological euphemisms. If you can't keep it nice, don't post on my forum.

+1 to Gavin's logos with some minor tweaks

I'll be honest, I'm not crazy about the 'official' samples on display. I know it's been said before and I know you don't want biological referencing, but the Itani logo makes puts me in mind of either a wormhole or a sphincter rather than the Itani nation. the Serco logo doesn't work for me for two reasons- 1) the forearm ratio to hand looks unnatural even from what I'd expect from a modified humanoid and 2) brings to mind images of fisting when taken alongside the Itani version and bonus 3) the reference to hand to hand prowess doesn't really fit in my mental image of Serco when all combat is space ship vs space ship. I think it should reflect Serco augmentation in some way. And finally the UIT logo just looks sorta Tonka to me. I can't even begin to take it seriously. Those criticisms made, nation logos are probably the at the bottom of my list of things I want to see improved- actually, the didn't even make the list of things that matter to me.

Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled that you now have someone to work on the artistic elements of the game, and I'm confident that in the near future there will be some pleasant aesthetic surprises. I do think that the current set of logos is heading in the wrong direction though.

Quality of new designer's logos = Incarnate's understanding of the meaning of euphemisms.

Seriously, though, reduce and abstract. These designs are too "busy" to function as iconic logos -- especially the UIT one. By the same token, Gav's UIT logo is the best I've seen in this thread. His Itani logo's central concept is good, though perhaps it would be more apt inside a shield (with or without laurels).

The Serco one, if someone could reduce the tire-track effect of the chevrons, shows the most promise of the new logos. I also think Gav's Serco icon is his weakest -- too much going on.

If you're set on the Itani version as-is, keep the shield and laurels and lose the sphincter effect. Put one star in the center of the shield, maybe a larger version of the current one that's there inside the sphincter's swirls.

There is nothing to be done to save the new UIT design. A compass AND a pick AND wings? No, no, no. Just adopt Gav's and be done with it.

Overall, the new logos remind me of an excited preschooler who has attempted to include all elements of a story/situation within a single sloppy, brightly colored image. They do not impress.

(Euphemism means exactly what my usage intended. See Slang).

There are also some differences in goals and perspectives here. Yes, I understand the notion of making logos relatively spare and simple, and that has some benefits. But in other areas and usages, it looks dreary and boring. Corporate. Sometimes that's desirable and sometimes not.

Other games, like for instance WoW, have both high-complexity and low-complexity versions of their factional logos. We were dialing it down a lot from what we would use in a situation where a high-complexity logo can look nice, but hopefully with the option of simplifying a bit for low-complexity cases (like say, just the background circle and flying pickaxe, or just a version of the fist without chevrons or stars, or just the shield by itself without any central elements).

For a real-world analogue, look at the usage of identifying markers on WWII tanks. Yes, we could have used a whole flag thing, but instead a basic star was used for simplicity of identification.

That doesn't detract from the Great Seal of the United States, with all its busy elements and condensed symbolism, created for a very different usage.

So, not all logos are all things to all situations. I actually think the Serco logo is Gavan's strongest piece, but only from a higher complexity standpoint. It is definitely a more challenging logo to try and then simplify down to a fundamentally recognizable parallel concept.

We are not going to try and jam a really complex logo into one where trivial recognition is most paramount (using the Great Seal on tanks). But the first planned usage is during character creation and in station menus, which are not cases that are very demanding in that regard.

Anyway, ongoing (polite, constructive) feedback is welcome. We may play some more with the central elements to come up with something unified that we can pull out to clearly denote a faction as simply as possible. But, know that there will always be a more complex version of the logo as well, for those cases where I want to "dress things up" a little more.

UIT - should emphasize either commercialism, manufacturing, freedom or unity not archaic tools
Serco - should emphasize bio mechanical achievements rather than shaking it's fist at the universe
Itani - lose the toilet flush, enlarge the star as the Good Doctor suggested

The fist is in my mind the ideal symbol of dominance, and to my suits the Serco beautifuly, but I think the chevrons above mentioned "tyre-track" is what is spoiling it for me.

+1 for replacing the Itani wormhole with a star, otherwise I like it.

I still feel the UIT logo would be better served with a cog providing the "border" of the logo. It does look a little busy as is.

Faille.