More SMAniaC faction makeovers

[Buster's Uncle]

No, I've been too engaged in RL plus trying to get my mind around the Progs having two starting techs hardcoded. Probably stop by this weekend and peruse.


D

Plan. It's worth a look, is all.

RL can be entertaining/distracting, can't it?

 

[skreeblios]

I've actually been itching to look at the NN factions. I live in central China, and haven't been able to download it - rather just get a corrupted file. If anyone wants to AIM them to me or something, that would be wonderful.

Graphics for 'Specimen' are attached. It's by Viktor Antonov (http://www.vulkanbros.com). Also attached the faction .pcx I'm using for genesis, in case you just want to cut-paste. I don't ever use the aliens, so I just took the Autochthone color scheme you had done and have been using it.

I'm working on the Ghosts right now (tentative leader pic attached - not sure who the artist is; from the book cover "Burning Skies" by David Williams) - the bases are proving to be a stumbling point. Some success, but I want to match the overall color scheme. My general hope is to get several high quality graphics sets complete. I'm definitely willing to collab.

I'll write more in depth - I use photoshop 7, and seashore. I'm still learning.

 

[Buster's Uncle]

Maniac, I like his Ghost portrait choice, though the figure is facing somewhat away from the camera, and of course I want to make her browner.

I could see using this- if there was something available of the same figure where we could see more of her face, for sure.

skree, PM me with your email address, and I'll try to send you the NN zip.

China, huh? If that's because you're native Chinese, I'm very impressed by your command of US English. Like Maniac, I took you for North American, and I know it ain't easy fool native speakers.

 

[Buster's Uncle]

...Also, do sign your hard work, skree. Future graphics guys looking at the file wouldn't mind knowing that you put it together. Your Genesis is a good, functional faction graphic, and I bet the Specimen whatisname portrait is going to get stolen a lot in the future.

 

[Buster's Uncle]

I'm still learning, too, by the way.

 

[Darsnan]

...Also, do sign your hard work, skree. Future graphics guys looking at the file wouldn't mind knowing that you put it together. I bet the Specimen whatisname portrait is going to get stolen a lot in the future.

Heah Buster's Uncle,

is there a chance you can take skree's jpg and massage it into the same shape/ form as the mindworm pcx file?

D

 

[Buster's Uncle]

There's every chance. Had already saved it. Tell me more, and I'll work on it now.

 

[Maniac]

I wonder if cropping the icon slightly would help- turn some of the blue background I added to the edges of the image black with a simple select/delete- I could try, but I can't check the look in-game...

Delighted to have been of help; I'll be glad to try the changes you suggest if someone can tell me how, and if Photoshop 5 or GIMP 2.6 will let me.

If I knew how, I'd do it myself. I was hoping perhaps there was some easy trick to do this that I didn't know about.

I can think of no spellings in proper English that do not have a "u" after any "Q".

Who says the word has to be of English origin?
Chinese can have 'qi' for instance. Or who knows the weapon's inventor was named Kubra Al-Qaseer, and she nicknamed the weapon after herself?

central China

Central China? 你是四川人吗?

Like buster's uncle says, the fact she isn't looking at the camera is a downside, but for the rest I think it's an awesome picture. Good background, and the cybsersuit she's wearing fits for a probe faction. (Having googled the whole picture, I think she's supposed to be an android, but I like the interpretation she's wearing a cybersuit for use in a Virtual World better.)

 

[Buster's Uncle]

If I knew how, I'd do it myself. I was hoping perhaps there was some easy trick to do this that I didn't know about.

Me too. Anyone? Please?

Who says the word has to be of English origin?
Chinese can have 'qi' for instance. Or who knows the weapon's inventor was named Kubra Al-Qaseer, and she nicknamed the weapon after herself?

There is that. But tell me, who plays SMAniaC? I'm asking, in case you know.

If your audience is, as I suspect, a buncha North Americans like me, and unless you can think of a way to hint some background/justification, maybe it's best to just give vyeh his "u".

 

[Buster's Uncle]

Say Maniac, is there an easy way to show me the problem with the icon? I wouldn't be surprized if I could think of another line of attack I know how to do.



...We've been lying about you at 'poly for fun. It seems you and I have met when you beat me up in a bar. I don't drink, so I don't know how you stole my beer...

 

[skreeblios]

Here's my take on the Ghost graphics. I couldn't get any aquatic dome thing to work (and be distinct from the Pirates.) So I tried something completely different - my Ghost edit is 'the Planetary Data Syndicate' - a big mafia seemed more believable than a bunch of spies that got together and decide to sabotage things. Same stats; different flavor. This version is based off an underworld-cosmopolitan motif. The base graphics are loosely from the Usurpers/Angels, plus a lot of pixel-by-pixel edits.

Use it for whatever you like. Has proper shields, and shadows.

 

[Buster's Uncle]

skree, although I liked the previous bases better -I'm very fond of that design, obviously- I like your new ones a lot.

I don't think I rate a credit for the Progenitor shields I included in my bare shields file- there was a little work involved in drawing in the missing parts, but not much, and not creative work. Now, if you use any of the shields from there I invented or suggested in the future- that would be different…

This is another good faction graphic that’s ready to go.

You might like checking out the “second ship” threads- there’s a project opportunity I won’t get to soon.

 

[Buster's Uncle]

Maniac, I had another look at the table you posted a page or two ago, and the problem with the Empath icon in that line-up is clearly that the others have black(ish) backgrounds. SO, my first graphic project of the day will be seeing about making it work against a simular one- I think it will look okay with the blue reduced to an aura around the face and head. That may not take long. I'll post the result.

 

[skreeblios]

I have a few editing questions, for Maniac (or whoever else might know) whenever someone has time. I've poked around a lot of the FAQs, and haven't yet figured these out. Also please indicate if there's somewhere else I should be asking.

Is there a way to remove factions from the selection list? In alphax if I remove them I can't get to the selection screen. I just want to get rid of the Alien facs for Random games. Replace the files with another faction? I recall running into some problems trying that.

In faction files; when a preferred SE choice is specified: <1>,<2>,<3>,
1 is the category; 2 is the SE choice; and 3 is a bonus that exists for the faction but doesn't appear on the SE table? Conversely the next line is a penalty, in the same format?

 

[Maniac]

There is that. But tell me, who plays SMAniaC? I'm asking, in case you know.

If your audience is, as I suspect, a buncha North Americans like me, and unless you can think of a way to hint some background/justification, maybe it's best to just give vyeh his "u".

I don't need to cater to my audience - I need to educate it.

More seriously, al-Qaseer sounds like a good name for the Templar leader. I have no idea what kind of names real Christian Lebanese have, but then again, so does no one else I guess.

In faction files; when a preferred SE choice is specified: <1>,<2>,<3>,
1 is the category; 2 is the SE choice; and 3 is a bonus that exists for the faction but doesn't appear on the SE table? Conversely the next line is a penalty, in the same format?

<3> will encourage or discourage (depending if its the first or second line) the AI to pick SE choices which boost the SE factor mentioned.

 

[Buster's Uncle]

I don't need to cater to my audience - I need to educate it.

That sounds like a 'Maniac fact' to me- being written by THE Maniac himself, the BEST 'Maniac fact' possible.

More seriously, al-Qaseer sounds like a good name for the Templar leader. I have no idea what kind of names real Christian Lebanese have, but then again, so does no one else I guess.

Would they have Arabic names? I don't believe Lebanese are Arabs, so...

 

[Buster's Uncle]

Maniac, I'm ready for you, now....

Where did we last stand on the final faction? It's honestly all a blur to me...

 

[Buster's Uncle]

...I just want to point out that if I'm back here, I'm going to have a lot more time for the graphics again. My vacation as the funny loud drunk at the party is over now. Time to get back to work...

 

[Buster's Uncle]

Here's some pictures of women in lab coats. I'm not proposing marriage to any of them, but none would be terrible Genesis leaderheads, and I thought I'd show them to you before you tell me to just go on with the B*erkv*ist pic.


I believe I like the second shot best, though there's a lot going for the next-to-last...

 

[Buster's Uncle]

Hmmm. We discussed some fixes to the Bree portrait- removing the blue bits that were in the portrait I worked form- and incorporating skree's improments to the logo.

As for swapping out some bases- off the top of my head, I like the bases skreeblios made for his version of the Pirates, and I dislike the Templar bases. That's all I can think of, but if you find bases from a Network Node faction that you like, I can fix the pastel look they usually have easily. Just give me a name, and I'm on it.

I could actually take the time to have another look at everyone's bases, if you like. The Atlantean bases are not that great, even with my improvements; same goes for the Empaths...

I'd be tempted to try another pass at Alvea of the Atlanteans if you think there's any room at all for improvement...