New Small Wonder, Shinra #26 Rocket

[DJ Bonebraker]

Well, here's all the files for a Shinra #26 Rocket small wonder (based on the first space launch in FF VII) for use as a replacement for the Apollo program in my Final Fantasy mod. You can use the GFX for whatever you want.

Here's a preview of the wonder splash:

Some possible civilopedia text:

The Shinra #26 Rocket was the first successful manned spaceflight launched by the Shinra corporation. The rocket was loaded with a massive materia bomb, and set on a collision course with a giant meteor that was threatening their planet. Unfortunately due to the fact that the meteor was magically summoned, and the actions of Cid Highwind and Cloud Strife, the meteor destruction attempt was unsuccessful, but much scientific data was gained from the launch.

As always, Comments, Criticism, kicks to the face, etc are welcome

 

[Corey]

It could be done better.I mean on splash.

 

[DJ Bonebraker]

Really? I thought it turned out rather well. Then again, I was kindd going for the quasi-anime look that's prevalent in the Final Fantasy Series. That, and I don't have Photoshop, I use PSP 7, which, though not the worst paint program out there (MS Paint, anyone ), is still a far cry from Photoshop. That, and I really need to find a 3d program, but none of the computer/software stores I've been to around here carry anything like that

Oh, well I'll try to do better on my next one, the "Zanarkand Stadium" (puts a Blitzball court in every city on the same continent).

BTW, could you be a bit more specific as to what you didn't like? Or is it THAT bad (kinda hard to work with a "could be better" when a "could be better in such & such a way" would be more helpful )

 

[Corey]

It has low quality.Try to find some other picture of that rocket.

 

[DJ Bonebraker]

I managed to get a version of the origianl picture that wasn't so badly compressed (so there's no grainyness). Is that what you were talking about?

Anyways, here's the new and improved version:

 

[Corey]

Didi you did the splash by your self or you found it one the net.

 

[DJ Bonebraker]

@Cory:

Well, I didn't whip it up from scratch. I used the loader screen where Cid is sitting on the tiny bronco looking at the rocket. The first attempt was using the .BMP file that came on the FFVII PC version install CD. The second was from a wallpaper on Final Fantasy Unlimited website.

What I then did, was crop the part with the rocket to wonder splash size using PSP 7, and used the retouch tool, and a few tricks I've picked up along the way, to edit the Tiny Bronco out of the picture. I then converted the JPEG file into a 256 color PCX, and edited the palette so that it is CIV III compliant (i.e. the last two colors in the palette are 0-255-0 green and 255-0-255 Magenta).

The Civilopedia icons and buildings-large.pcx and buildings-small.pcx files were also derived from the same original JPEG wallpaper file. Total editing time was approximately 30 minutes.

If I had ANY kind of 3d modelling program, I'd definitely throw stuff together from scratch, but I haven't had any luck finding such programs in any of the local computer/software stores in San Diego. I might make a special trip to Los Angeles this Friday to see if they have any ther (they SHOULD, what with all those Hollywood special FX studios up there ).

One thing I might try for the Temple of the Ancients wonder I'm planning next is to build the object in Worldcraft 3 (Half-Life/Counter-Strike 3D map editor), and take screenshots of the 3d-rendered level preview screens, and see how that turns out. . For the splash, I might just draw it on paper (I'm much better at artistic endeavors in that medium than I am on a computer), and add colors and other FX with PSP.

Well, that's the long and short of the whole thing, including a basic PSP 7 image manipulation tutorial.

 

[Corey]

Why you don't try do download some freeware or shareware program for 3d Art.

 

[DJ Bonebraker]

Well, I've tried the shareware/freeware from the internet option, and the shareware's license expired within 60 days, and the freeware stuff never worked, for some reason or other .

However, I do have some good news. I decided to trythis big electronics warehouse type store, called Fry's, and lo and behold, I found a copy of Bryce 5 for under $90!!! [dance]

So, I'm in the process of installing it right now, and hopefully, in a day or two, I'll have a redone splash, as well as maybe another set of wonder/improvement graphix.

Well, I gotta get cracking!

 

[Corey]

Well, I gotta get cracking!

That's my boy.

 

[jzsf]

Hi! It looks nice, but:
Could you post an ingame preview?
What can it be to use?

 

[Clam I Am]

Any update on the splash for this? Also, keep up the good work. FF mods won't work too well without this kind of stuff.

 

[DJ Bonebraker]

Ah, yes, I've actually completed a new splash graphic with Bryce a while back, but got bogged down with so many of my other projects, I forgot to post it. It took only about 2 hours to build, and about 8 to render (the 8,000 polygon translucent flame/smoke object gave my poor PIII laptop a bit of trouble ).
Anyways, here's a preview of the updated splash:

 

[DJ Bonebraker]

And, here's the PCX file, just simply have the Pediaicons.txt specify this file as the splash, rather than the old one.