Most of Deadlock’s top designs tap into some kind of trope from NYC, 20th century culture and/or classic Halloween. So Nurse Harrow is the evil asylum nurse trope popularized by famous novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s nest, while Solomon is the classic groups of old guys playing chess in the park. Other examples include Abrams as the PI, Seven representing the electric chair, and Victor as well, you know. Some of them are pretty deep cuts too, like Kelvin being inspired by the “Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration”.
The issue people have with violet is the design is generic enough to appear in any other moba without alteration. The other designs are really unique in comparison and link into the setting super well - new york has rats, old ladies that feed pidgeons, dudes who hustle chess and the lot. 'Lady with beret' is kins of just art character 101
I don't think NY street art has any specific art style really, so beyond conveying "NY street artist" the style the character uses feels a bit irrelevant (especially considering we've just added Chinatown, so.. not all that off mark).
Sure though, from her splash art alone it is probably a stretch to assume she is one, but I'm gonna guess it's more likely she's that than an art character 101 insert.
I don't think NY street art has any specific art style really, so beyond conveying "NY street artist" the style the character uses feels a bit irrelevant (especially considering we've just added Chinatown, so.. not all that off mark).
NY Street Art is usually thought of graffiti tags or big mural portraits on walls. Not Ancient Chinese Inkbrush paintings. I'm not sure how you could conflate the 2 as "well they're both art!"
Considering the blandness of her design, it isn't farfetched to think her actual character is equally as bland as "Art character 101"
And somehow painters have had absolutely no cultural relevance over the centuries, lmao? Are we being serious right now or are you being dense on purpose? Heck, their relevance has ALWAYS been relevant and simply evolved with the times, like now with AI debate.
A painter is JUST as iconic as a "old chess guy" and a nurse. And are we sure she's even an asylum nurse or are you just making that up?
And somehow painters have had absolutely no cultural relevance over the centuries, lmao?
That's the point. Painters have existed in every culture, time period, and setting. You can find them in plenty of other games, too. People prefer the other designs precisely because they are unique to Deadlock's stylistic blend of mid-century NYC and spooky monsters and magic.
You could imagine a painter character being in DoTA, League, or Overwatch (there actually are ones in the first two) but NYC Chess in the Park Guy? that's something you'd only ever see in Deadlock.
Solomon is clearly meant to be one of the NYC guys playing chess in the park, Nurse Harrow is meant to play into the old horror archetype of asylum nurses. Rat king is well, Rats in NYC etc.
What interesting/weird/relevant archetype is "cute girl with paintbrush" playing into in the setting of Deadlock? She could be put into literally any other MOBA and would fit perfectly fine with 0 alteration, that's not true of quite a bit of Deadlock's cast.
Now that I think about it, they could have made her one of those spray paint artists you used to see everywhere in NYC, would’ve fit in a similar role with how they made Solomon.
Same. As much as I think the hate for Violet is unjustified, Violet using spray cans and doing a mix of traditional Chinese/graffiti art would fit the NY setting so much better. Plus aerosol cans were invented in 1927 so in Deadlock it'd make sense for them to exist. She'd also fit in more with all the NY archetypes. Rat King represents the sewer/subway rats, Solomon is the old guy playing chess, Baba is the old lady feeding birds and Violet represents all the street artists.
Honestly this is the only critique on her ive seen that i actually agree with. Im now wishing violet was a cool graffiti artist instead of what we got, even tho i think shes fine regardless
I like how you have to add the "cute girl" part as if that's some kind of magical part of here themeing, she's not even conventionally attractive she is an average normal arse looking woman, go outside more.
And "old chess guy in new york" and "a regular arse nurse" are literally as generic as a painter, and all three have about the same historical relevance.
In terms of supernatural potential, a painter is a far more interesting concept, which is probably why they had to go the extra mile for the nurse (giving her a shifting demon form) and the chess dude (making him some kind of super psychic) because clearly their jobs wasn't enough.
But anyone can see how painting things to life would be interesting, and some really cool concepts have come from that in fantasy and games over time.
Stop being intentionally dense. You're better than this.
And for the record, almost any of Deadlock's cast could fit into literally any other MOBA with 0 alteration, this is and has always been the silliest argument. Deadlock itself is literally another MOBA, it's not doing something that could never ever be replicated. But Solomon and Harrow FOR SURE are generic enough to fit anywhere, be it Overwatch or League.
The problem is that loonies like you are playing that meme straight where you see a normal girl and suddenly go "Damn what a harlot, ugh, goonslop, this game is basically porn now."
Which is what makes YOU the weirdo. Comparing a well-dressed non-revealing hero with normal proportions and less sex appeal than prexisting favorites like Gheist, Mina, and Paige to some big-breasted bimbo wearing a string bikini from Rivals is fucking terminally online brainrot and you got it in full spades.
Literally Chinese-american artist? Just because you're unfamiliar with the idea doesn't mean it doesn't exist. I also heavily disagree that she could "be put into any MOBA with 0 alteration". She's just as "Deadlock" as Pocket, Calico, Paige, McGinnis, or Holliday, but nobody bitches about them not fitting to this extent. This hate feels so forced, like people are just digging in for reasons to shit on her.
If you don't want to vote for her because you like the other characters more, say that. You don't have to sit here and come up with reasons for why your opinion is actually more correct than the people voting for Violet.
Yeah, a demonic eye in a bag and glowing syringe give more magical vibes than throwing paint tbh, but yeah, obviously violets gonna have magic powers, im pretty sure every character in the game does, occult nurse is just a more interesting theme than magic painter
She is clearly not just "throwing paint". Do you know what paint behind thrown looks like? It wouldn't look like a curving paint stroke. Idk if you have ever used a paint brush before but swinging in the air doesn't leave behind an unbroken line of paint midair!
How is occult nurse somehow anymore interesting than occult painter lol
How is occult nurse somehow anymore interesting than occult painter lol
Magical painter, not occult, unless leaks suggest that, and I can think of over a dozen magic painter characters in media (quite literally mickey mouse, the most recognizable media character in history) and not very many occult nurses.
Mfers really just saying anything now.
-Guy who thinks a moving demonic eyeball in a bag doesn't look obviously magical
Magical painter, not occult, unless leaks suggest that, and I can think of over a dozen magic painter characters in media (quite literally mickey mouse, the most recognizable media character in history) and not very many occult nurses.
Her in game poster shows her as some demon. She has a drawing of rem in her splash art. She clearly has some connections to magical beings too.
There's plenty of evil/creepy nurse in media. What are you on about lol
It's not even an uncommon trope, even more so when you also include evil/creepy doctors.
-Guy who thinks a moving demonic eyeball in a bag doesn't look obviously magical
Guy who thinks floating color changing paint doesn't look obviously magical. Just because it doesn't look evil or creepy, it doesn't mean it's not "magical".
There's plenty of evil/creepy nurse in media. What are you on about lol
Evil nurse/doctor =/= occult nurse/doctor, there are magical painters in many of the most popular media franchises of all time, mickey mouse, mario, league of legends, bleach, naruto, etc.
Based solely off the designs shown shes just the least interesting character of the bunch, and if you go by the posters, I still think nurse is more interesting since her poster strongly implies that she's an angel and occult angel is more interesting to me than demonic painter.
Guy who thinks magical paint doesn't look obviously magical
I already said that every character in the game literally has magic powers, hers being controlling paint isnt very compelling
It looks basically the same as Apollo's render, which is just a stylized depiction of his m1, so if it indicates anything for violet it is that her m1 will in fact be flinging paint at people.
I was thinking about him, and I exaggerated a bit but you have that Pokemon with his tail, that chick from Final fantasy, In manga you have Sai in Naruto, Kanjuro in One Piece .. it's something I see very often that's why.
The painter zombie has neither a big brush or is magical, heh checkmate *tips my epic fedora* though if we want to on the paint being magical based on non gameplay mechanics smeargles paint isnt magic, neither is the other painting pokemon grafaiai.
It's not... it's just the community. Reception to all the heroes has generally been positive elsewhere. This is part of the reason why people broadly consider this sub the worst among all Deadlock communities, all we really do here is hate and whine.
Tbh they clearly more than that. Solomon takes his name from a vise king from the bible, while Nurse Harrow has clear angel motives + has some subtle angel motives in her design. They really well designed characters.
Their designs are more evocative and have elements of mystery that makes them fascinating. Violet, as far as I can see, is pretty opaque. She's "girl" and "artist." There isn't much to be interested in there.
Solomon's scarf is a chess piece, his rings are chess pieces, he has a floating monk aesthetic, his dreads even resemble chess pieces in his art. Meanwhile violet is an artist... in a beret. Really breaking the box there, eh?
Occult imagery on nurse's bag is obvious. Her poster shows a fear motif. Combo of two unused niches.
Solomon may be a second telekinetic like wraith, but maybe it's foresight? His more strategy focused style contrasts with "good" guys who are more traditional monster hunters or powered individuals.
Violet summoning nightmare OC's is akin to Paige's bibliomancy
If she transforms into a monster from her poster, she's stepping on Silver's paws
If she's secretly a yokai, it's a doorman situation.
Being plain is less of a problem than having no niche
if a maybe is good enough for solomon, then maybe violet is a more dedicated controllable pet class kind of summoner instead of just having flavored aoe abilities like paige or more automatic summons like graves or mcginnis. maybe shes a trap character that has interactions with painting things onto surfaces. (mine you step on, sigil she can teleport to, or a turret that shoots from the wall? makes me think of herolabs calico turrets being placed on the walls and ceiling and shit) maybe shes got an invoker thing going on, combining multiple colors for many different abilities? would fit her 'creative' tag.
solomon is basically guaranteed to have some kind of area control mechanic where he places down chess pieces and each subsequent move in a given time frame moves them around. He's likely to be the most complex of the 6 characters.
Rat king is super simple, and having more simple kits new players can grasp is good for the continued longevity of the game.
I wouldn't be surprised if about half the new characters are on the simple side. Baba, nurse and violet I expect to be on the easier side, and solomon and danny I expect to be complex. Granted I'm just speculating.
I feel like you can say much more about Solomon and Harrow than Violet just looking at their designs. Harrow is this prissy nurse archetype that plays on common medical fears like needles and surgical tools + it incorporates angel imagery to depict her as both a savior and an angel of death. Solomon is a magical elderly chess player which is already really unique on its own, but on top of that he is the coldest motherfucker on the planet and has fantastic voice.
Violet seems to be a Japanese art student with a french beret and oversized brush, and that's all I can really tell you about her. I'm sure when she's released she'll have some more interesting aspects to her, but right she doesn't have much of a hook to get people interested.
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u/Littlebigchief88 14d ago
solomon and harrow being magic chess guy and magic nurse is different than magic artist how?