Graphical Quibbles...

[Maniac]

Lord Tirian, I figured to use the attached model as Solar Power Transmitter, because it has much less polygons. Its texture sucks though. Would you be interesting in creating a new one?

 

[Lord Tirian]

Lord Tirian, I figured to use the attached model as Solar Power Transmitter, because it has much less polygons. Its texture sucks though. Would you be interesting in creating a new one?

Interested? I'll see what I can do. By the way, I'm going to be slower for the next couple of days - I'm visiting my parents... and their computer (and my netbook) have rather small screens - not ideal for doing graphics. And I'm visiting friends and stuff, so don't be surprised if I'm not as zippy and fast in doing stuff as before.

Cheers, LT.

 

[Maniac]

Enjoy your vacation!

 

[Lord Tirian]

Okay... it took me a while, but I retextured the satellite, fiddled around with some bits and added a (simple) attack animation - now it shoots lasers at its poor targets!

It also has team colour and is 450 polys in weight, scales are in the readme-file. And I aimed for something that looked less sci-fi-esque and a bit more contemporary, after all it's the first combat satellite you get - the gravity lens later can get a more fanciful look. Though, after looking over it, I think the air units will need a bit of overhaul at some point (for example, the solar power transmitter can't pick promos...). And can we change the name a bit? Solar Power Transmitter just sounds so civilian, what about something like Solar Cannon or something like that?

Cheers, LT.

 

[Maniac]

Awesome unit!

I was thinking I could make the Solar Power Transmitter into an immobile unit which you get for free in a base when building the Solar Power Transmitter building. Like Bunkers and Perimeter Defenses. Perhaps in that case I could keep the Solar Power Transmitter name for the building and use Orbital Defense Pod for the unit?

Air units are automatically placed higher than other units. So when turning the Solar Power Transmitter into an immobile unit, its flying dangerously close to the building roofs. Therefore, could you please also make a version of the unit placed at a greater height?

 

[Lord Tirian]

Therefore, could you please also make a version of the unit placed at a greater height?

Yup, but this means I need to tweak the animation as well. The air unit animation actually takes care of the unit moving around as well, just like it controls the height... so if I just place it higher, it will still hover motionless over the city and shoot straight down! I don't think the people in the base would like that!

Cheers, LT.

 

[GeoModder]

I'm a bit confused here. We have a Solar Power Transmitter building AND a Solar Power Transmitter unit?
But if you use this graphic for the unit, what are you going to use for the building then?

 

[Lord Tirian]

Okay, I've attached a version of the satellite that's floating higher, about as high as it was as an air unit. There are also animations for an immobile version of the unit (in the zip as well) - it's not shooting straight down, but at an angle towards the adjacent plot.

If you want to use it as a building, you can still do so, of course (since nifs don't really care that much).

Cheers, LT.

 

[Maniac]

Thanks!

 

[Lord Tirian]

Another building from the big list - I slimmed down the military academy by making all the little windows texture-only. It's still a bit heavy (~850ish polys), but I can't cut anything without affecting the look in a bad fashion. I hope it's still passable, as it's not a terribly common building.

Scales and stuff are in the attached file... you might want to bump the size up and put it into a 3x3 node, the current 2x2 node seems to be a little small for it (if you compare it in scale to the other buildings).

Cheers, LT.

 

[Maniac]

Thanks!

 

[Lord Tirian]

Okay, I wasn't happy with the Gaian cityset - while it's pretty nice, it always felt a bit "small" to me, compared to the wallpaper and the base graphics in SMAC. And as I'm trying the get some more experience with citysets anyway - I took the plunge and fiddled with it - and I'm happy with the result. The main change was the texture, I wanted to tint it with more green tones to make it look closer to the old base graphic (and the gaian faction colour as well).

Additionally, I tweaked the models a bit and made them taller. I was able to simplify most of them a bit, but I also added some discs to the rocks - so the polygon count hasn't changed significantly.

So take a look at the screenshots and if you like it, you'll find it in the attached file - or I can change it a bit more, if you want it more rock-coloured again.

Furthermore, a couple of things, regarding graphics and stuff:

-> Why the change from solar collectors to windmills?
-> Why were the ground textures of bases removed?
-> For the next full version (i.e. v12), could you update the install script (see phungus420's thread), as the current one still has problems with the icon (yeah, v12 is probably not coming too fast, but I wanted to mention it now, before I forget it again)?

Cheers, LT.

 

[Maniac]

Okay, I wasn't happy with the Gaian cityset

IMO both your and asio's texture look good. Which means I'll use yours of course. I do like the taller models.

What has always bothered me about the Gaian cityset, are the two buildings indicated with an arrow in the screenshot. Those seem out of place to all the others. Do you know what those are supposed to represent?

-> Why the change from solar collectors to windmills?

1) Rotating windmills look cooler than solar collectors.
2) I guess I felt the need to have an early energy-providing terrain improvement available for polar terrain. Solar collectors, unlike windmills, don't make sense on polar terrain.
3) Related to 2, there only needs to be one early energy-providing improvement. It's easier to explain away Solar Collectors until Photonics (solar technology not yet developed enough in MY 2100) than to explain away Windmills.
4) Err... I forgot.

-> Why were the ground textures of bases removed?

I'd like to know that as well.
IIRC I once asked GeoModder how to renable ground textures, but I knew enough of the matter myself that his reply was incorrect.
Asio made a ground texture specifically for the Gaians btw: all_an_lots.dds

-> For the next full version (i.e. v12), could you update the install script?

Ok.

 

[GeoModder]

I do like the taller models.

Me three!

What has always bothered me about the Gaian cityset, are the two buildings indicated with an arrow in the screenshot. Those seem out of place to all the others. Do you know what those are supposed to represent?

I thought I'd put those for facilities use in cityLsystem? I need to check to be sure, but normally they shouldn't pop up as part of the cityset buildings. Only as replacement art for facilities like HQ, Academy and such.

I'd like to know that as well.
IIRC I once asked GeoModder how to renable ground textures, but I knew enough of the matter myself that his reply was incorrect.
Asio made a ground texture specifically for the Gaians btw: all_an_lots.dds

I thought I introduced that several versions ago? In any case, I don't find any reference to all_an_lots.dds in cityLsystem. Thus you must have forgotten to take over the entries for it. I'll try to find the time to do it next week. This weekend CC 0.55 is scheduled, already running a week late...
Btw, was there a ground texture you'd like to use for other factions? I suppose the modern ground texture by Garret (illuminated streets) for the Morgans, but that's all I can remember. In CC, I also have a 'dirt' ground texture I use for the ancient/classical era. Might work during the Arrival era for all factions.

 

[Maniac]

Btw, was there a ground texture you'd like to use for other factions? I suppose the modern ground texture by Garret (illuminated streets) for the Morgans, but that's all I can remember. In CC, I also have a 'dirt' ground texture I use for the ancient/classical era. Might work during the Arrival era for all factions.

Sounds good. (I don't really have inspiration myself other than for the Gaians and Morganites.)

 

[Lord Tirian]

I1) Rotating windmills look cooler than solar collectors.
2) I guess I felt the need to have an early energy-providing terrain improvement available for polar terrain. Solar collectors, unlike windmills, don't make sense on polar terrain.

Ah, I see... was just a bout of nostalgia, I miss my solar collectors a bit (and it was a bit weird seeing them that late).

I'll try to find the time to do it next week. This weekend CC 0.55 is scheduled, already running a week late...
Btw, was there a ground texture you'd like to use for other factions? I suppose the modern ground texture by Garret (illuminated streets) for the Morgans, but that's all I can remember. In CC, I also have a 'dirt' ground texture I use for the ancient/classical era. Might work during the Arrival era for all factions.

If you don't mind, I could do that this weekend - I put in the entries for the Gaians already (because I found it in the folder and wanted to see it), adding it for the other factions is rather trivial - could also try to find some more textures for the other factions - for example the Hive could either get some sand (like in the big faction HQ picture) or some rough earth/rock (from digging of the bunkers).

Cheers, LT.

 

[GeoModder]

If you don't mind, I could do that this weekend

Go ahead, I don't mind.
I'll attach some "sand" texture with the nif for it. Perhaps it is of use.

 

[Lord Tirian]

Go ahead, I don't mind.
I'll attach some "sand" texture with the nif for it. Perhaps it is of use.

Thanks, was pretty useful - I used it as a base for the several textures!

So, I'm more or less finished:

• Arrival: A basic dirt texture, based on GeoModder's attachment, just some rough earth and dirt.
• Gaians: Asioasioasio's texture, just made a bit more visible (as the towers are bigger now) and some colour-tweaking to get a hint towards the Gaian green.
• Hive: Sand, also based on GeoModder's, just sand-coloured.
• Morgan: Based on the modern ground texture, but made more squarish and some yellow (Morgan-coloured) and blue deco on it (think of the blue ones as pools or solar collectors )
• Peacekeepers: Based on the modern ground texture, coloured a bit bluish to complement the cityset and more PK-coloured and cut the round streets around it (always hated these, even for vanilla Civ4).
• Spartans: Further tweaking of the arrival texture with added roads/ways (for the rovers!) - somehow I can't imagine Spartans using anything else - real soldiers wade through mud every day! Also keeps the dark colours of the Spartan cityset and provides a nice contrast to the lighter, orange-ish parts.
• University: Completely from scratch - it's something angular and sci-fi-esque, a bit inspired by Atlantis (from Stargate) and circuit boards. Made it rather bright, as the university colour is white.

I skipped the Believers on purpose - I put in a transparent version, so the XML changes are done already. The Believer set needs to be redone anyway - it doesn't look that great (esp. compared to the other city sets) and has a couple of superfluous polys, so I thought it would be better to skip this for now and just put in the XML-changes to make life easier once they get a revised city set (and matching ground texture).

Cheers, LT.

 

[Maniac]

Cool! They look great.
Except one: I'm doubtful about the Hive. Perhaps that one might look better after all without a ground tewture? But that's just my initial impression.

 

[Lord Tirian]

Cool! They look great.
Except one: I'm doubtful about the Hive. Perhaps that one might look better after all without a ground tewture? But that's just my initial impression.

Well, the hive texture was the most difficult one (it often looked out of place or didn't provide enough contrast with the buildings). I'm happy with it now, but it took a bit of time to get there - I probably need to look at it again tomorrow, through fresh eyes, so to speak.

Cheers, LT.