My issue is the disparity of the pictures, with the bowtie picture having the duck’s entire neck almost completely in shadow, while the shadow is comparatively minimized on the necktie image. It’d be nice to see both options under both light and dark conditions.

That said, I currently prefer the necktie; it provides an element to the rest of the body. I’m the bowtie picture, everything is happening around the head - beak, eyes, hat, bowtie - leaving the rest of the body comparatively empty.

Bowties have been out of fashion for so long they just look silly most of the time. That seems like exactly what you’d want for a character who’s supposed to be whimsical.

Also a necktie doesn’t go with a tophat. For reasons I can’t explain, that kind of incongruity looks more accidental than it does whimsical.

I don’t know anything about how this character is used in the game, so please pardon my ignorance. Having said that: the bow tie has a huge advantage in that it never has to move. If the duck waddles along, the tie should move side-to-side independently. If the duck jumps, is hit, or near wind or an explosion, the tie will need independent animations for each circumstance. If the duck is carried, the neck tie should always point down, unless it’s fast or wobbly; then the tie should move accordingly. I’m sure there are other circumstances I haven’t mentioned, but you get the point.

Wow. I have overthought this.

From a development perspective, I lean strongly towards the bow tie. It’s much simpler. Also, as another commenter mentioned, that top hat demands a bow tie.

I think the only problem with the necktie is that it looks like a flat texture. If given some volume it’d work really well. As for witch to use i’d prefer the necktie since it it doesn’t leave the torso like a blank canvas;

Utimately it depends on where in the game the duck is going to be seen first, first impression matters a lot. If it is in a really plain room, like a barren office with white walls the colors of the bowtie might give some contrast with the blandness of the room; If the room is more caotic, seeing the duck more “put togheter” than it’s surrounding helps break with the ambient.

(Its been a while since i played portal, so my memory it’s a little fuzzy, but if i remember correctly it worked so well because in the monotone enviroment of the test chambers, having something as simple as a cube with a heart was enough of a break from the mold to be memorable, also it had interactions with it in the game; an option would be to somehow integrate it into the game in like a small puzzle of sorts, making it appear near the button when the player comes and goes, stuff like that)

With that though i need to say that i am colorblind, so take my 2 cents with a grain of salt.

Bowtie

Bow tie, but lower on the neck. Very dapper :)

(Also, in the future maybe post identical bodies/relation to background. There might be some subconscious preference occurring based on subject’s proximity to viewer or foot appearance.)

Both and each time you look away it swaps!

Bow tie fits better.

Bow tie for sure.

Bow >> necktie

Neck tie, if it were a bit bigger.

Bowtie 100%

Bow tie but it seems a little too high on the duck’s neck imo, should be moved down closer to the body a smidge

The neck tie is less crowded. The bow tie with the hat and the ducks bill has a lot going on all in the same area. Maybe if the bow tie was lower or overall there was a little more space, it’d work better.