As this is a recurrent topic, most of the discussion from this topic shall follow here.What I wanted to say is that the anime-styled OA3 reboot will result in a game which will look quite different, almost another game. A better game, but more distant from Q3A than what it is now. I know your "we are not Q3" (content-speaking) idea, and that's okay... but as an old Q3 player, I also like playing with space marines by now and then.
I speak like Gig also as a Quake (3) player that the thematic al roots shouldn't be abandoned. The generation s of Quake always had something space/futuristic-like in their theme and the addition of gothic in Quake 3 was something brilliant and refreshing. Perhaps the cartoonish could involve both themes a little to get a nice effect.
There's already a lot of futuristic FPS, both Free and non-Free. OA doesn't really need to be one more of them.
I love quake as well, but I say differently. OA should strive to be OA, and If that will be done in just art, then do it. Just because it's based off of quake does not mean it has to follow it. OA should do what it really wants to do, and strongly answer the question, ”why should I play OA rather than quake3?” In order to get the community to grow. OA may not last very long if it stays as a free compatible q3. My opinion of course...
OA is about preserving the Q3 gameplay. Here we're talking about artwork-wise.