ARCHIVED: WIPs - Interfaces & Static PCXs

[Blue Monkey]

If you find a version you like, go ahead & post the template. I'd be happy to go back & add it to the splashes I've already made & incorporate it in future ones. If the position obscures something critical to the image I'd be willing to redo the pcx.

 

[againsttheflow]

Blue Monkey asked if I'd be willing to take on a project or two and here is the first.. The Gold Bug. Still don't have a feel for exactly what ya'll are looking for so feel free to critique. This preview is of the indexed version which I went ahead and did so as to better adjust colors. I have a 5-layer version still so if there is something that needs changing... When it meets the criteria I'll go ahead and upload to the db.

Edit: the gold does may not "shine" in quite the same way on this monitor as the one I did it on. What do you guys think?

 

[Balthasar]

Of course you realize that what we need now are screenshots of every Wonder splash, each with its correct name on it, so that we can properly place the plates. Only then will we know if the Splash has to be redone. Sounds like a long-term project to me, but I will begin the process. I'm already near the end of era 1 on the game I'm playing, so I'd have to go back, so if you get the chance get some of the early screens yourself. I'm pretty sure that you might want to strip the large "Le Tour Du Monde" title from that splash. I can't think of any of your other splashes that would suffer from having a plate there, but you can determine that yourself.

You can get the template here. It's a GIMP file, for maximum flexibility.

 

[Blue Monkey]

againsttheflow - I think that's a very nice image. I'm not sure what you have to work with, but if it was me I'd make the bug much larger against the background. The gold looks shiny on my monitor, so colors are fine, I'd think.

 

[Balthasar]

Againsttheflow: that's a beautiful image, and the bug-through-the-skull is true to the original Poe story, but, for our purposes it needs 'juicing' to get our message across. Perhaps you just need to make the skull more visibly apparent. Being way up on top there, it could get lost in the picture frame... Then (and you may hate this, as a creator) we need to tie this in with the cryptography in the story; so perhaps we add, in the foreground, an old cryptographic note as if it was dropped on the ground, or held right in front of us? Or overlaid against the picture in double exposure? Something...gotta get the code in there........The color of the bug is perfect in my monitor.

P.S. Just so you know, that image is so beautiful that I would use it even if you didn't fix it. Remember that there'll be a nameplate added down in the corner (see immediately previous posts). I imagine that since the name of this wonder, "The Gold Bug", is short & sweet, the small nameplate could be added without modification.

 

[Blue Monkey]

Then (and you may hate this, as a creator) we need to tie this in with the cryptography in the story; so perhaps we add, in the foreground, an old cryptographic note as if it was dropped on the ground, or held right in front of us? Or overlaid against the picture in double exposure? Something...gotta get the code in there....

I have some images that could work as an overlay - like an ACW era encoding wheel - if you want them.

Remember that there'll be a nameplate added down in the corner (see immediately previous posts). I imagine that since the name of this wonder, "The Gold Bug", is short & sweet, the small nameplate could be added without modification.

I looked at the template you provided. I'm confused by the three different scrolls. I wouldn't know which to use on which image. They are all nicely designed. Is it possible to pick one that would work for all splashes? Then I'd happily redo all the ones I've made to include it.

 

[againsttheflow]

Then (and you may hate this, as a creator) we need to tie this in with the cryptography in the story; so perhaps we add, in the foreground, an old cryptographic note as if it was dropped on the ground, or held right in front of us? Or overlaid against the picture in double exposure? Something...gotta get the code in there.

Yes, er, we'll see what we can do. The first challenge here is just figuring out a way to implement it, probably one of your ideas if we can make it work...

I have some images that could work as an overlay - like an ACW era encoding wheel - if you want them.

Sure, I did some scrounging around today to see what I could come up with, more options would be good.

I made a few changes to the image today including lightening the skull a little, increasing the bug's size a little, two versions a little more zoomed in, and adjusting the string to morph "a little" better around the bug. One of the tricks is going to be getting the image indexed again as I did a few dozen versions last time to get the gold and bone right.

 

[Blue Monkey]

I will post what I've got for raw images here.

EDIT: In the zip are several pictures of a cypher wheel and of a peculiar clock. Sample images:

View attachment GoldBugWheel.zip

 

[Balthasar]

Actually, I was thinking of something like this:

 

[againsttheflow]

edit: ooooooohhh wow, deca-post.

edit2: now double...

 

[againsttheflow]

Looks good Balthasar, I like the end result. If that's the look your going for go ahead and upload the and I'll add another layer.

 

[Balthasar]

againsttheflow: Glad you like it. Sorry for doing such violence to your original image in the process.

Do you use GIMP? If so, here's a file to work with:


View attachment Gold Bug raw.rar

 

[Blue Monkey]

Here's a WIP of Xmas Carol. It's not yet indexed:

Speaking of indexing - if the title scroll is to be pasted into the images themselves, then I should go back to the RGB versions and redo the palettes, right? That makes it even more important to settle on one scroll for all.

 

[Blue Monkey]

atf: I took a quick look at the file Balthasar sent you. One quick hint: If I have to enlarge an image some times it comes out jaggy. I find it useful to enlarge 2 to 4 times bigger than the range of the final size I want. Reducing it then makes the image come out better. Also, if I need to do any brightness/contrast/saturation adjustments it works better for me to do them whiles it's enlarged, before the final shrink.

 

[againsttheflow]

Also, if I need to do any brightness/contrast/saturation adjustments it works better for me to do them whiles it's enlarged, before the final shrink.

Same here though I understand others like to do some of these things after (BK I think for one). On the enlarging I generally (of course) try to avoid it all together.In this case I may try bringing down the size of the original before bringing in the code.

As Balthasar pointed out I had 590 x 370 as opposed to 570 x 390 which is funny because the image which I originally shrunk was a wallpaper with a ratio basically exactly that of the former = my point of confusion.

That's a fine looking splash btw!

 

[againsttheflow]

Here's all the alterations. I've done a version with a shovel and without. All unindexed.

In an attempt to preserve some of the semi-gloomy-mysteriousness on the right which I liked so well I did not zoom in quite as much as Balthasar. I think my personal preference is the second as I like the way the the gold in the bug feeds of the yellow paper and is almost (IMO) brought out by it. The bug is further to the left and so the balance seems to work out better than in Balthasar's example. If you like the shovel should I consider making the handle a darker brown? edit; I like the balance in the shovel version too.

 

[Blue Monkey]

If you stick with the shovel version, the shovel should be blurred a little & toned down (darker?) so as to blend a bit more with the background.

 

[againsttheflow]

Ok, it started very light so I'd already toned it down quite a lot but I can see how it might need some more.

 

[Balthasar]

I prefer the one with the shovel myself. You only have to darken the shovel til it looks like it's in shadow. Reducing the saturation on it a little might help. Otherwise it looks terrific.

 

[Balthasar]

Whatever happened to the Gold Bug? It was done, wasn't it?

I've been fooling around with City Icons. Here's a screenshot:

Spoiler :