ARCHIVED: WIPs - Interfaces & Static PCXs

[Blue Monkey]

In other words, I agree with you about the Edison pick, wholeheartedly.

Thank whatever Victorian slowly went blind and arthritic with a burin in his hand. All I did was a little cropping, resizing, & tinting. I wish I had been able to include all the weird flying machines in the original for the Weldon Institute. Both intaglios were huge.

I was thinking that Blue usually puts up a couple of options to pick from, and that I'm glad this wasn't an instance of that, because these are both perfect as-is, and I'd hate to have to choose between them.

I'm not at all sure what you are looking for with the Magical Cabal:

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[Blue Monkey]

On the other hand, the ten versions of this one (all the way from sharp, full color to blurry sepia) started to look the same to me. So I'm only letting you see the one where I was going for the look of an early autochrome -

 

[Balthasar]

Baker Street Irregulars: I think I had almost that exact image in mind, I swear.

Magikal Cabal: It's King Arthur's idea, so his call. As far as I'm concerned any of those images would work perfectly well.

 

[Blue Monkey]

Baker Street Irregulars: I think I had almost that exact image in mind, I swear.

Yeah, it was in my mind when I first started looking around. What's amusing is that it's the Artful Dodger, et al.

 

[againsttheflow]

Oh, no, I didn't mean that at all.

It's all good. I thought you were probably on a different track but I try to be alert to subtle hints.

That Baker Street shot is great BM, the kid in the middle is so cute.

I'd be referencing the pedia for the Magikal Cabal, still not quite sure what it is even after the 5 previews.

 

[Balthasar]

I'd be referencing the pedia for the Magikal Cabal, still not quite sure what it is even after the 5 previews.

Welcome to the club; what I can tell you is that it doesn't match up with any previously known wonder, and it boosts research 100%. If that sounds far out to you, consider where the Skull & Bones is found, and who's in it. The science and 'magic' techs and wonders cluster at the the beginning and end of the mod in order to affect gameplay.

Yeah, it was in my mind when I first started looking around. What's amusing is that it's the Artful Dodger, et al.

...who would have been the perfect recruits for the Irregulars. Why not? The better to flavor this marvelous literary mash-up. I love it.

 

[Blue Monkey]

I've done the nameplates on all the finished and approved wonders, afaik. Check the file to make sure I haven't left any out that were previously previewed.

These were done assembly-line fashion - change palette modes, paste, change back to indexed - with one standard reduction technique, rather than trying several to find best results. You're going to see a slight variation in the name plate from image to image, because of the palette reduction.

Please look for any images that may not be acceptable. I suspect the top image below, for example. On the other hand I don't expect to have time to go back and redo images because of composition problems (like the second example) before you release the first version.

Spoiler :

Included are a couple of versions of the Library wonder, which I think you have not seen before. They were completed, but waiting for a solution to the nameplate issues.

Spoiler :

Splashes with nameplates

 

[Blue Monkey]

Recent thoughts on the wonder splashes:

It would be simpler for me to just batch redo all the wonders with the narrower plate. In the long run I think it will also be aesthetically better for the scenario.


Scotland Yard
First off, four possibilities that might only need indexing. They are shown half-size for speed of loading. The Met. Police Flag could easily be redone with VR instead of ER. Personally, I like the whistle the best of this set.

Spoiler :

Could go with a period etching of the building itself. Haven't been able to find anything but tiny blurry images though. Could use one with some work. These images are shown at actual size. In fact the one on the upper left was scaled up to splash size.

Spoiler :

Architecturally, this is the most interesting I've found. Although I doubt it would be appreciated by anyone unfamiliar with the pastiche end of the steampunk spectrum.

Spoiler :

Fulgerator
If we want to go with the more humorous type of image discussed elsewhere I could do something with the upper left image superimposed on a disaster scene like any of the rest. These images are shown reduced from the originals. Another option would be to go with one of the many weapon images (not previewed here) that I collected while thinking about the unit requests.

Spoiler :

Public Call Stations
Images of Police Boxes are relatively easy to find. I like these of the lamp & the box at Covent Garden - supposedly the oldest still in place. But they're not the right size to work with. I could perhaps overlay just the box (in color) on the etching above of the bobby discovering jack's work.

Spoiler :

I'm not posting a Wardencliff Tower WIP yet because it's too early in the editing process.

 

[KingArthur]

I like the whistle best too.

Not keen on any of the public call station options.

Out of the Fulgerator pics the bottom centre black & white one is the most striking one for me

sorry not much time to post an indepth critique.

 

[Balthasar]

Scotland yard: the whistle is striking, but I also like the etchings, particularly the two at the bottom, although the one would have to be flipped to avoid having the title bar cover the two cops - having a copper in the picture helps for me...

Fulgerator: Not seeing anything that grabs me yet. Maybe more focus on the weapon...
Perhaps a victorian foreground could be superimposed on >this picture< ?

Like KA, also not keen on the Public call stations options presented, but you said as much yourself...

 

[Blue Monkey]

Scotland Yard: I would have to enlarge the picture anyway. When I do that I like to enlarge it about 10x & do a lot of contrast & sharpening before I reduce it to the needed size. Another advantage of working at that scale is that I can CnP the bobbies to the other side of the street & the downsizing pretty much renders the rough edges invisible.

Fulgerator: I could easily insert the mushroom cloud behind the crowd fleeing across the bridges ( the one KA favored).

I've got to spend the next couple of days prepping for my class on Saturday. Then get out the latest downloads announcement. But I should be able to show you some WIPs by Monday if those choices sound OK. I can also pull together some potential weapon images for the fulgurator if you like, potentially for early next week.

 

[Balthasar]

Scotland Yard: I would have to enlarge the picture anyway. When I do that I like to enlarge it about 10x & do a lot of contrast & sharpening before I reduce it to the needed size. Another advantage of working at that scale is that I can CnP the bobbies to the other side of the street & the downsizing pretty much renders the rough edges invisible.

That sounds good.

Fulgerator: I could easily insert the mushroom cloud behind the crowd fleeing across the bridges ( the one KA favored).

That really sounds interesting.

. I can also pull together some potential weapon images for the fulgurator if you like, potentially for early next week.

Not necessary, if the image you describe above works. Don't worry about the time it's taking, I'm busting chestnuts trying to get the biq into some sort of presentable shape, having turned all my attention to that task. I'd like to get these splashes into it, particularly Scotland Yard, which appears early in the game. When I get that all finished, I'll have a spanking-new unit request list for you, sorted by need.

Speaking of unit requests: UNIT MAKERS - now would be the time to finish up those units-in the works for inclusion in the new ceta (not yet beta) biq. You can always tweak these units later, I just need placeholder animations....

 

[Blue Monkey]

Preliminaries for Scotland Yard. Upper left is the original, rescaled. Upper right - bobbies moved. Lower left - with an adjustment in contrast/brightness; lower left - the same in sepia. I will go back & clean up the "nimbus" around the bobbies & make some adjustments to their shadows. How I do so depends a bit on whether or not you want a more contrasty or sepia'd final version.

Spoiler :

 

[Balthasar]

After much consideration, I'd go with the Sepia.

 

[Blue Monkey]

Good. I'll work on getting rid of the nimbus. It just occurred to me that Affinity Bridge, which I'm currently reading, has a "glowing blue bobby" as an important plot element. Synchronicity!

 

[Blue Monkey]

I've shifted my postings on the Vernean Capsule over here. for the sake of those new to the discussion here are images of my first prototype:
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Balthasar pointed out some changes that need to be made to the finial - most importantly to make it not look like an arrow. After looking at a lot of photos of finials, I'm thinking thus - a simple cone shape piercing 2-3 spheres. The largest sphere will have the civ color (something like the glass globes illustrated below). A sphere about the middle will be the open spiral work - this will be the source of the "energy globes". I'm thinking of giving the reinforcing bands a patina to help them stand out from the main body. But I'm not very sure of that idea.

I also need some guidance as to the size. My instructor liked my basic design. He's given me some advice about how to construct the next version in a way that will make the textures & mapping easier to accomplish.

@ Balthasar: I'm also working on the splashes.

 

[Balthasar]

I sooo need to take a class just like that one. Looks like you're on the right track, Blu!

 

[Blue Monkey]

I sooo need to take a class just like that one. Looks like you're on the right track, Blu!

I think it's more the teacher than the particular class that matters. But local community colleges are a good way to go - Saturday / evening classes, friendly to older students, more informal class structure ...

If this looks okay for the Scotland Yard splash...

Then here it is.

I hope to have some more work on the modeling of the capsule to show you in the next few days.

 

[Balthasar]

It looks perfect, Blu. The folder you link to has two files in it; one is the pic I see above, the other won't open.

 

[Blue Monkey]

It looks perfect, Blu. The folder you link to has two files in it; one is the pic I see above, the other won't open.

It's probably just an example of a rarely occurring problem others have reported to me. Seems to be a harmless artifact of a Mac => PC glitch. Trash the file.

I sent you the splash without the plate. Did we settle on giving all the splashes the long plate? After I finish the Fulgurator & Wardencliff Tower I can send you the whole set redone.