Main Menu Screen

[Lord Tirian]

Okay... it's a random goodie... and basically I'd just tried to produce a main menu for this, and I've finished:

Main_Menu.zip

Of course, not official, just made by me. Main menu template from here. Background and text are both made by me.

If you guys like it, feel free to use it, if there "some quibbles", I can change it further, if you don't like it, well that's self-explanatory!

EDIT:
1) Changed to completely 2D title - and changed text style to fit better
2) Replaced unused textures by blank ones, to reduce file size a lot
3) A screenshot is attached.

Cheers, LT.

 

[Rubin]

Lord Tirian, the background has a lot of depth considering it is a 2D image!

It seems a lot of the files in download are unused and can be removed (may require some .nif modifications). The day/night cycle may not make any sense on a static 2D background. Hence, you could simply do the title directly on the background image (carre.dds) and make the title screen completely 2D.

The title text is perhaps too small; at least it wouldn't hurt making it take up a bigger part of the screen. The lighting effect on the font is nice and you may want to experiment with all upper case (PLANETFALL) or lower case (planetfall) characters--perhaps stretch the font or include more space between the characters to make the title wider.

Oh, and a screenshot in your post would probably be very helpful for feedback.

 

[Lord Tirian]

It seems a lot of the files in download are unused and can be removed (may require some .nif modifications). The day/night cycle may not make any sense on a static 2D background. Hence, you could simply do the title directly on the background image (carre.dds) and make the title screen completely 2D.

Done. And because I have no clue how to modify the .nifs without breaking everything, I've simply replaced the unused textures by "blank" textures - this reduced the file size a lot. It isn't optimal, but unless someone else cleans the .nif up, it has to do. Or until I learn how to do that on my own!

The title text is perhaps too small; at least it wouldn't hurt making it take up a bigger part of the screen. The lighting effect on the font is nice and you may want to experiment with all upper case (PLANETFALL) or lower case (planetfall) characters--perhaps stretch the font or include more space between the characters to make the title wider.

Done. Seeing it directly atop the background helped alot, so I kept the font and general style, but changed the way I've done it - and it's the middle ground between all caps and no caps, at least sort of...

Oh, and a screenshot in your post would probably be very helpful for feedback.

Done!

Cheers, LT.

 

[woodelf]

I like it.

 

[Rubin]

Lord Tirian, could you do the current logo (the Planetfall text) in a separate .dds file, similar to your original civtitle.dds?

Also, what is depicted on the globe surface? Is it a stock image of Earth or something you drew up? (Maybe stupid question.)

I ask because it may be possible to do the main menu as a 3D screen with moving stars and perhaps some slight, moving clouds.

An alternative idea is to do the "line" in the title as a 3D component that uses alternating day/night colors. I am currently thinking some dark green color.

 

[Lord Tirian]

Lord Tirian, could you do the current logo (the Planetfall text) in a separate .dds file, similar to your original civtitle.dds?

Could do, though it would take me some time to get the alpha channel and size right, but I think it's doable... and I can perhaps crank up some time this week to do that.

Also, what is depicted on the globe surface? Is it a stock image of Earth or something you drew up? (Maybe stupid question.)

It's made up, based on two different earth stock photos and a lot of artistic license in colouring the mash-up.

I ask because it may be possible to do the main menu as a 3D screen with moving stars and perhaps some slight, moving clouds.

If somebody could do that, it'd be incredibly cool. I'd really like to see that!

Cheers, LT.

 

[Rubin]

If you can procude a "flat" image of the globe "texture" it can be used wrap on a 3D globe (Civ4 default main menu). Depending on how you did the globe this may be highly problematic, though.

Also, the main logo should be available as an isolated graphics component because we may opt to use the logo in different contexts and not just the main menu screen. The logo has an elegant simplicity which I like.

For a 3D representation we need just a logo and a globe texture. I've removed the lights from the Civ4 globe (shown during the night cycle) and I may do some additional modifications to the clouds. I don't know yet if we want a 3D main menu.

 

[Lord Tirian]

If you can procude a "flat" image of the globe "texture" it can be used wrap on a 3D globe (Civ4 default main menu). Depending on how you did the globe this may be highly problematic, though.

Yeah, I've just used a distortion effect to spherize it... and forgot to save the base texture (d'oh!) - I don't know how much I can get back... though I can produce more planets and textures with that style (colour-wise).

Also, the main logo should be available as an isolated graphics component because we may opt to use the logo in different contexts and not just the main menu screen. The logo has an elegant simplicity which I like.

I've attached a PNG with the logo, since PNGs have a proper alpha channel, it should work correctly. I can also supply a PSD, if needed. And I've discovered that it doesn't look good at all with a bright background.

Cheers, LT.

 

[Rubin]

Thank you, Lord Tirian.

The .png should be fine to use as raw image.

In this post at Apolyton I've tried to depict the area of the Earth texture that shows up on the main menu screen:

http://apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?postid=4409787#post4409787

So, if you can produce flat images (non-"spherized") of planet surfaces similar to your background image, I'll try doing a 3D screen using that (when I'll get around to that; I have some ideas to test as well).

 

[Anon Zytose]

So, I have tried out the opening menu, and I'd say it looks cool. Good job. ^^

 

[GoodGame]

I like it though I can't help but think the "Planetfall" logo needs a little sprucing---like maybe a re-entry effect to the letters (a mildly furnace heated look).

I think it could use a space-pod (a sort of 20th C. Apollo pod with a bit of a SMAC-esque texture). Probably one just starting to enter the atmosphere of the planet.

 

[Lord Tirian]

So, now I'm reviving my own 2-year old thread (this also means you can compare it with the older one)!

I kinda like both the old and new title. Hmm, indecision...
Did you get concrete results for an alternative main menu background? I must say I've never been a fan of the starfield for instance.

Just a test shot of one experiment that is good enough to show, though I modified the starfield - I grabbed some good looking stock art and modified it. The overall look is inspired by the box art/CD cover of SMAC (though I replaced the faint leader portraits with the Unity), note the fainter, reddish star, i.e. Alpha Centauri B.

Cheers, LT.

 

[Deon]

This one is much closer to original and I really like it!

P.S. I prefer this one. While the first one was nice, this has much more character.

 

[Pfeffersack]

I like the new one better as well - it is just more SMACish with the spaceship and the altered surface

 

[Lord Tirian]

What about the Planetfall title? As comparison, the new image with the old title style - which one looks better?

Cheers, LT.

 

[Maniac]

I like the new main menu! I think I think I still prefer the old title.

Only one worry: does it work for lower resolutions? 1024*768?

 

[Lord Tirian]

Only one worry: does it work for lower resolutions? 1024*768?

Yep, it showed up fine when I tested it (reducing resolution is easy, I just cannot go higher than mine). It may look off for higher resolutions in the widescreen formats, closer 16:9 - the top and bottom will be cut off (some people have the problem with the standard Civ4 main menu).

I attached the main menu with the old title - it just goes into "...\Art\Interface\Main Menu" and replaces the old one completely (I used one of the BtS mod main menus as base, so it doesn't need anything else). Comparing both, I think the old one is better - the new one could've worked with the old background, but the new background is pretty splashy already. The more simplistic old title appears to fit better.

As small extra... 700x525 poster based on it, because you always look for recruitment posters!

Cheers, LT.

 

[Maniac]

Thanks!