MEM LH/unit previews

[utahjazz7]

I would agree with some of the comments regarding the leaderhead, I'd have to say. I think some of the objects don't look as life-like as the objects in your other MEM leaderheads. The actual character himself looks great though.

I guess you will have to get to work @utahjazz7, so nobody will beat you to your creations...
Make more Units!!!

Well, I think I'll allow myself to be beaten to this one. I may still make my own variant at some point in the future, if I desire. As for more units, eh . . . we'll see. I may get around to making another one some time relatively soon.

 

[Quinzy]

How do you know what a bong looks like, Stormy?

 

[Bluemofia]

Wow that unit is awesome.

Somehow, someway, I'm going to use it.

 

[Stormrage]

@Quinn How do you know what a bong even is, you`re a minor

@Blue - just don`t put it in Playground, that just wouldn`t work ..

@Utah - you`re not going to say what it is, are ya?

@ed - just saw in the opening post that you think the crown is primitive.. I don`t! I think it looks just great, the shape that is. Other things were already mentioned

 

[odintheking]

@Quinn How do you know what a bong even is, you`re a minor

You know, bongs are illegal for all ages...

 

[Quinzy]

Dude, I have long hair, of course I know what a bong is
Plus in Andorra we were walking down the street in Pas de la Casa when we spot a cheap shop, the sort with tacky toys and junk in it, and one whole window was full of bongs

Anotehr small corner shop had a whole section for Hash-beer. Beer with hash in it. Big pictures of jamaican flags and marajuana leaves all over the bottle What a country...

 

[geminisama]

Nice wagon unit. And LOL at the bong part. XD

 

[Bluemofia]

@Blue - just don`t put it in Playground, that just wouldn`t work ..

I know. We're done with adding stuff. I am going to use it for something else.

 

[Yoda Power]

I think thw War Wagon is cool as it is actually, but the LH can be improved a little. Maybe it's possible to add some texture to the crown? (Yes I know you hate rendering it)

Good work ed

 

[Kyriakos]

Great Basil II and war wagon

If you also make a bulgarian Samuel LH i might resume my secret project of the byzantine- bulgarian war

 

[Partizanac]

you have a project?

 

[TopGun]

Hussite War Wagon.

It was based on this, and I wanted to skip the horses. This way the wagon can be bigger, and it doesn't make sense to have the horses in all animations besides Run... But overall I'm not happy with it and was thinking of either including horses after all or maybe trying different wagon design.

Also, anyone has an idea how to make a nice black powder smoke in Poser?

Very nice! This satisfies a very old unit request of mine.

 

[embryodead]

Thanks for all the comments. For now I'll deal only with the Basil: here's a version with a crown with new materials/textures. Is it ok and what other elements need umm more life?

And what exactly is wrong with the background? It's from a painting of Basil II - does it just look bad or is chronology/source the problem (since it's from 11c manuscript)? I couldn't find a fitting Hagia Sophia image (has to be interior and in warm colours to fit the head, and not have the contemporary Islamic symbols)

EDIT: I could change the Red Button to an icon of Christ, but not sure how good idea that is.

 

[rifleman]

I think the new textures are good ed.

I definately wouldn't lose the gem for an icon, but you might get a better look by making it less square. The crowns of the Holy Roman Empire and Hungary that still exist have gems that are rounded and uneven. People didn't have the ability to cut stones that way we do today.

Another thing you could add is some pearls hanging down. In crowns from Justinian's time all the way through Basil, these hanging pearls are shown in depictions -

I found this necklace on Renderosity that might help.

I don't see anything wrong with the background. You basically have him standing in front of a mosaic wall. But if you're looking for something different, Shiro had an amazing background that he used for a 4 era Leonidas before 300 came out. This was his medieval version -

I think he gave up on the LH after the movie came out, maybe he would let you use the background.

 

[Rob (R8XFT)]

What exactly is wrong with the background? It's from a painting of Basil II - does it just look bad or is chronology/source the problem (since it's from 11c manuscript)? I couldn't find a fitting Hagia Sophia image (has to be interior and in warm colours to fit the head, and not have the contemporary Islamic symbols)

To be honest, whilst the background is accurate, I don't think it brings out the best of the leaderhead, whilst a background like the one rifleman mentioned probably would. The leaderhead itself is (of course) magnificent; whilst the crown could be helped by some jewels, it might look absolutely fine on a different background. It's kind of a plain crown and plain(ish) background...perhaps the combination of the two doesn't help.

 

[utahjazz7]

I also feel that the background could be improved. In my opinion, the problem is that the background competes with the head visually for attention. This is because the background, especially in the top-left corner, is brighter than the figure, and eyes generally gravitate toward the brightest part of an image. Personally, if I don't fight it, my eye rests naturally on the top-left corner of the background.

Plus, brighter, more saturated colors appear forward in space compared to darker, less saturated colors. So, I think it seems that the background might actually appear to be in front of the figure--though we know that it is not.

I would recommend trying to even out the brightness of the image so that the top is not brighter than the bottom. Then, I would darken the whole image a bit and probably reduce the contrast, which would unsaturate the colors.

 

[Stormrage]

Listen to unky Utah, he`s a photographer

 

[Ozymandias]

Very nice! This satisfies a very old unit request of mine.

And of mine They look great.

Now, if only someone would make an arsenal ship, my C3 unit fantasies will have been satisfied!

Best,

Oz

 

[The Last Conformist]

I don't think you have any reason to be unhappy with the Hussite waggon. The almost square shape fits will with the mildly cartoony style of Civ3 art.

 

[embryodead]

ok. thanks for the necklace but I can't do anything with it. and as for modelling the line of pearls hanging from the crown... no, just no :suicide:

here are two more versions: new background(s), non-squarish jewel, bump map on the crown and a more visible cross on top.