Response to Art Style

So I wrote a whole impassioned speech on why there is some negative response to the art style. The forum logged me out during that time, so when I pressed "submit" I had to sign back in, and it was gone. I ragequit the forums, but it bears at least saying, so I'm just going to bullet-point this:

• Star Control dealt with the most serious issues we can imagine here on earth; The auction of humans to crew alien vessels and be thrown into the furnace to power said vessels, mass genocide as billions off innocents melted into white hot death when their planet's crust was cracked, extinction of entire species from sun detonation, betrayal that cost the lives of billions, self-mutilation to overthrow telepathic oppressors, lobotomy of a species as a whole and subsequent forced slavery, slave-shielded planets left to die in the red glow, sector-wide culling of all sentient life, Race-wide mass suicide from depression and shame. The list goes on an on.
• The humor was injected INTO this like a Coen Brothers movie (Fargo, anyone?). It's the equivalent of a wholesome ladycop in a ridiculous hat and an even more ridiculous accent, saying, "So, that was Mrs. Lundegaard on the floor in there. And I guess that was your accomplice in the wood chipper. There's more to life than a little money, you know. Don'tcha know that? And here ya are, and it's a beautiful day. Well. I just don't understand it." You had to laugh! A man was FED INTO A WOOD CHIPPER, splattered red remains on the snow, and they found the humor, somehow, in it all. It was real, and it was brutal, and it was framed in a funny way.
• The art style of Star Control II mimicked the tone and feel of the story, and the seriousness of the situation. Sure you had the Umgah's sqwobbles probing the orifices of flesh walls, and the Pkunk's strange long fingernails swooping about the viewscreen, and the Zoq pumping their squibidees down their ribbed, moistened shaft, and the Ilwrath tracting and re-tracting their sheaths in anticipation of bloodshed. That's funny, goofy stuff! But the tone was serious and grim. 
• I'll tell you one thing:

         

        There is literally nothing serious and grim about that face. And he's one of only 4 publicized alien races. 

• And the commander from Star Control II? That dude grim as shit. 

        

• He did his best to stay calm and professional against the overwhelming odds of the situation you were facing, but he would lose his  cool, freak out about the latest news, try to answer your endless questions about history as best he could... He was professional, and  courteous, but you never really got the sense he actually *believed* you could win this thing. It was a nice touch!
• Our girl, however, looks like she had a nice glass of bubbly with her girlfriends at cocktail hour, then went to the stylist to get highlights done, before strolling leisurely into work and gabbing with the other hens while performing her space-duties. Are you facing insurmountable odds against bloodthirsty galactic overlords attempting to extinguish all organic life in the system? Or did that bitch Diane joke to the Tywom that "the captain has a mom-butt"?

         

• Thankfully, no mom-butt here as far as we can tell, but the point remains. She looks like she comes from the new Disney musical, "Spaceships Are Awesome!" with an exclamation point in the TITLE, rather than the grimdark future of the universe. 
• Now, I don't think this can be changed, this far in. I've posted about this before like 6 months ago. I've always had an issue with this style and was very outspoken about it (https://forums.starcontrol.com/477437/page/1/#3635435). But, it doesn't need to be changed anymore! You're committed. The Pixar-style is it. That's how the game is going to be. I don't think it's a bad thing. I just think it's a definite departure from what people would be EXPECTING. Star Control has never been a CARTOON. It's been a thematically goofy-but-serious take on the very, very dangerous universe we might live in.  
• Also, I don't think this affects all the aliens! It's basically limited to the humans, the Tywom, the Menkmack, the Measured... and to an extent, Greegrox and Jeff. I think you're golden on the Mu'Kay, the Mowlings (one needs to be cuddly and adorable), Dan'nath, Pinthi, Famished, Drenkend, new Trandals, Scryve and Xraki. The problem is - the public has NEVER SEEN ANY OF THESE.
• This also doesn't affect the other aspects of the game - the ship battles (I think Paul and Fred would have given the ships quirky animations if they could have), the planetary landing (again, they would have done what you did, if it was possible then), the solar exploration and MOST OF ALL - The Hyperspace is frickin' glorious, with the pools of regular space formed around the systems. It's wonderful.