[DotP] Unused (future?) Planeswalker: Ral Zarek

[nitz]

So, when playing DotP 2012,

I was absolutely in love with the artwork. So I decided to dig around in the files and see if I could extract it for use as wallpapers. I succeeded, but decided to poke around in the files a bit more. I found something quite interesting.

First, I saw a file in the "AI_PERSONALITIES" folder called "RAL.xml". The contents were this:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<CONFIG>
  
  <PLANESWALKER_NAME_TAG string ="PLANESWALKER_NAME_RAL"/>
  <PLANESWALKER_DESCRIPTION_TAG string ="PLANESWALKER_DESC_RAL"/>
	<LARGE_AVATAR_IMAGE string = "Art_assets\textures\planeswalkers\backplates\137434"/>
	<MEDIUM_AVATAR_IMAGE string = ""/> 
	<SMALL_AVATAR_IMAGE string = "Art_assets\textures\planeswalkers\PW_ral"/>
	<MUSIC string = "RAL_ZAREK_MIX"/>
	<CONTENT_PACK integer="0" />
  
</CONFIG>

(also, every other planeswalker has a music string in the format FIRST_LAST_MIX)

Naturally, I poked around in the folders it referenced, and I found these images for the in-game avatar:



And the AWESOME looking backplate (from the pre-game screens):

(I hosted this image on my server because it was too large to attach here)

I googled around, and can't find a trace of Ral anywhere. Are we possibly looking at a future expansion PW here? (Either DotP or INN?) Or maybe he's in the game I just haven't got to him yet? (I've only beat the regular campaign and revenge. Still haven't finished Archenemy.)

[jdmike]

really cool looking.


CANT WAIT!!!

[Promatim]

I love seeing that walkers are going to stay a fairly blue part of the color pie. I'm enjoying them a lot, and that guy looks really fun.

[Froze Over]

If I had to take a completely uneducated guess I would say the background looks like he is from INN and that leads me to believe he is new. Awesome find but I have no idea what he is.

Another thing comes to mind with something simalier that happened when Bioshock 2 was released they had DLC in the game as part of the disk and you had to buy the DLC to unlock it. This was the first time a game did this and people really dug into the makers of the came for putting extra content on the disk and still making you pay extra for it. the way computers work is every time a count happens it would start at 0 and count up I'm sure most people know that. "<CONTENT_PACK integer="0" />" could mean that he will be part of the first DLC released for duels M12.

[{mikeyG}]

What an amazing find! He looks very Izzet-esque, just with a darker, more serious tone to the art rather than the almost cartoonish tone we saw in Guidpact.

[SpeedGrapher]

that's really cool that you looked through the image files and found that, I like the art, and he could be in Innistrad sure, but remember, that is still alot of really limited information, Ral could be nothing more then some important character in game only

[nitz]

Originally Posted by Froze Over

If I had to take a completely uneducated guess I would say the background looks like he is from INN and that leads me to believe he is new. Awesome find but I have no idea what he is.

That's what I thought too. The background looks very similar in art style to the promo art of Vess (which is also used in the game.)

Originally Posted by SpeedGrapher

that's really cool that you looked through the image files and found that, I like the art, and he could be in Innistrad sure, but remember, that is still alot of really limited information, Ral could be nothing more then some important character in game only

Completely! But from the art alone I hope he pulls a Nissa and gets printed!

[equivocation]

This is amazing. Another way to tell its not Izzet is by the floating buildings in the background.

[Artificer Andy]

He looks very Blue/Red to me, reminds me a lot of Izzet with steampunky gear.

[MrDumpkins]

Here is to hoping for an Izzet Walker!!

How cool would that be? Cool.

[Spicay]

Yeah, that's definately a UR walker in the future.

If all goes well, maybe Innistrad will have a UG Walker, a UR walker and a new Liliana?

Good set will be good.

[Id, Demon of Elru]

He's definitely Izzet and that bears more than a passing resemblance to Ravnica.

[{mikeyG}]

Originally Posted by equivocation

This is amazing. Another way to tell its not Izzet is by the floating buildings in the background.

It's possible he's Izzet while not actually being on Ravnica. And judging by the blue and red clothing, his hair is decidedly white and slicked back, and the copper instrumentation he has all make him seem very much Izzet.

[TrollmenX]

Innistrad in the background for sure And great art for UR Walker...

[meat]

This is a great find. Background all but confirms an Innistrad appearance. AND it looks like Aleksi's work.

Thanks for sharing!