Unit Requests: Steampunk

[Goldflash]

I actually would prefer the croquet mallet version for my highly anticipated Croquet mod.

 

[Balthasar]

Looks great so far. Hope you don't mind, I have just a few more suggestions:

As you can see, I'm coming around to your idea of using the high laced boots.

As to the weapon. There is a good image of the Vorpal Blade here, Hikaro.

There is actually a good argument for using a croquet mallet (instead or also), not the least of which is that it's a clever idea....

Would it be difficult to flare the dress out a bit?

 

[Samez]

Your ideas sound great! Only thing I could think of would be to make the neckline also white. For the question (kitchen) blade or croquet mallet I would vote for the blade even though the mallet is also really cool

 

[Plotinus]

Doesn't "classic" Alice have fair hair?

Regarding the sock stripes, it must surely be possible to make a new texture for the socks or indeed just for the Aiko figure herself (I assume this is Aiko you're using). Something like stripes is the easiest thing in the world to do - just find the character texture and draw some big blocks across the relevant part. That way you could make some wider stripes which would show up better at civ scale.

Even easier, make a texture which consists of nothing but some horizontal stripes and then apply that texture to her legs. Again, it is easy to alter the thickness of the stripes on the texture until it looks right on the character.

I wouldn't worry too much about things like the boot style, as that won't show up at all. I've been known to give units shoes/boots just by colouring their bare feet/shins and it looks fine.

 

[Blue Monkey]

There is actually a good argument for using a croquet mallet (instead or also), not the least of which is that it's a clever idea....

I can make a mallet prop with a simple flamingo texture - pink with white & black beak.

Doesn't "classic" Alice have fair hair?

It's clear from the photographs that Alice Liddell had dark hair, even as a child. And to quote the original concept for this unit:

We are looking for a matured Alice. one that is no longer naive - but neither should her experiences have deranged her. An Alice comfortable with life down a rabbit hole & competent to deal in looking-glass politics. Think Trinity in a pinafore. ... her hair should be brown & her attitude just a bit darker as well.

As Kate Bush said- "you're all grown up now."

 

[Blue Monkey]

Thanks, Hikaro, for adding the shimmer to the mirror. That's something I wanted from the start. Now I need to find a "tapping glass" sound ...

 

[DJ Bonebraker]

Balthasar: I don't believe that I can shorten the apron at all, and that is, unfortunately, the only Apron I have for Aiko right now.... I do have some boots with higher tops that I could try and use, however. Getting rid of the white ruffle should be easy enough, however I want to add a caution about lightening up her skin tone: In the past, when I used lighter flesh tones, at Civ scale, they were virtually indistinguishable from the white, which led to some people thinking the unit was less clothed that it was, which is why I use the current skin tone... I'll try and post an update later tonight or tomorrow. I'm at school right now posting from my portable PC, which doesn't have Poser on it, and I won't be done with classes until around 8:30 PM and it takes me about 1.5 hours to drive home....

I also have some lighter brown textures for that particular hair figure....

@Plot: I suck at texture maps.... The last time I tried to do something like you described, the lines were all wavy and didn't match up and such... I think the problem is the fact that Poser uses UV mapping, which stretches and distorts the maps and I don't see how anyone can make sense of something like that... Bryce, on the other hand, allows you to use cubic and cylindrical mapping, which WOULD make it easy to just make a large square with alternating black and white bars, which will then be cylindrically mapped around her legs, but in Poser, no dice!

....Not to mention that texture maps hog up memory like you wouldn't believe! My unit rendering speed went up about 500% when I figured that one out!

Of course, if you could tell me how to make sense out of those arcane and inscrutable UV maps, then I'd be willing to give it a go (after all, a texture map uses up less memory than an entire figure, and I'd be able to eliminate at least 1 figure this way)...

 

[Balthasar]

I can make a mallet prop with a simple flamingo texture - pink with white & black beak.

I think I prefer the simple croquet mallet that Balam-Agab used. There's an understated appeal to it that got a wry smile from me when I first saw it.
I imagine Alice, too, thinking, "Now that's a proper mallet. Off with his head indeed!"

Now I need to find a "tapping glass" sound ...

Or a tinkling, shimmery sound.. to bad I haven't yet learned to import sounds from my piano keyboard... look in Tom2050's spells catalogue, perhaps....

 

[DJ Bonebraker]

Actually Balthasar, I just notice something: The Apron on my version is about the same length as on the American McGee version, however the SKIRT is shorter, and I CAN lengthen the skirt (this is the same Skirt figure I used for Aeris, Alma and Princess Ovelia, so you know it can DEFINITELY go longer.... No doubt that will help to put things back into perspective.....

 

[Plotinus]

It's clear from the photographs that Alice Liddell had dark hair, even as a child. And to quote the original concept for this unit:As Kate Bush said- "you're all grown up now."

I know, but I was thinking of the classic Tenniel illustrations, which is what pretty much all images of "Alice" are based on even though they didn't look like the real child. I'm sure it doesn't much matter though.

@Plot: I suck at texture maps.... The last time I tried to do something like you described, the lines were all wavy and didn't match up and such... I think the problem is the fact that Poser uses UV mapping, which stretches and distorts the maps and I don't see how anyone can make sense of something like that... Bryce, on the other hand, allows you to use cubic and cylindrical mapping, which WOULD make it easy to just make a large square with alternating black and white bars, which will then be cylindrically mapped around her legs, but in Poser, no dice!

....Not to mention that texture maps hog up memory like you wouldn't believe! My unit rendering speed went up about 500% when I figured that one out!

Of course, if you could tell me how to make sense out of those arcane and inscrutable UV maps, then I'd be willing to give it a go (after all, a texture map uses up less memory than an entire figure, and I'd be able to eliminate at least 1 figure this way)...

It's easy, honestly. How it comes out depends on the model. Just make a large square image of the kind you describe, with alternating bars, and then apply that as a texture to her legs using the grouping tool and the materials room. It might look rubbish but it might work well. I've done lots of effects like this - usually on the clothing figures rather than the character figures directly, but it shouldn't make much difference - have a look at some of those Worker/Settlers I posted and you'll see that lots of them have stripes or checks on their outfits. Those are mostly just square textures with the patterns on, applied directly to them. It sometimes takes a bit of fiddling to get the size of the bars/squares looking right, but that is not hard at all.

 

[Balam-Agab]

It's easy, honestly. How it comes out depends on the model. Just make a large square image of the kind you describe, with alternating bars, and then apply that as a texture to her legs using the grouping tool and the materials room. It might look rubbish but it might work well. I've done lots of effects like this - usually on the clothing figures rather than the character figures directly, but it shouldn't make much difference - have a look at some of those Worker/Settlers I posted and you'll see that lots of them have stripes or checks on their outfits. Those are mostly just square textures with the patterns on, applied directly to them. It sometimes takes a bit of fiddling to get the size of the bars/squares looking right, but that is not hard at all.

I find it's better to export whatever you're texturing as an OBJ and making a texture map UVMapper. That way there's less fiddling around with size and shape.

Oh and on a side note, it looks like the essay i'm currently writing may be finnished early, so I may be able to finnish Alice this weekend. I can't make any promises though.

 

[Balthasar]

Balam: That's wonderful news. I'm thinking now that we could use both Alice units - your Alice would be 'good' Alice with the croquet mallet (is it too late to change her hair to Blonde?) and Hikaro's Alice would be 'bad' Alice - closer to the American McGee type with the Vorpal Knife (upgrade with Mental Hospital).....

 

[Blue Monkey]

...Or a tinkling, shimmery sound.. ...

Pedia icons. Plus a "mirror rapping" wav. I went with the "tap, tap, tap" because I'm pretty sure she wants out. Probably best as a fidget sound - looping it sounds a little overwrought. Hope the settings are correct - it's my first attempt at a unit sound.


View attachment MirrorAlicePediaTap.zip

 

[tom2050]

Just out of curiousity, how does the Alice mirror act in game? Is it like a capturable unit that can upgrade to real Alice in the scenario? (the tap tap tap Alice wants out line gave it away)

 

[Balam-Agab]

Balam: That's wonderful news. I'm thinking now that we could use both Alice units - your Alice would be 'good' Alice with the croquet mallet (is it too late to change her hair to Blonde?) and Hikaro's Alice would be 'bad' Alice - closer to the American McGee type with the Vorpal Knife (upgrade with Mental Hospital).....

Yes, I could re-colour her hair, but it would take longer, likely I`d likely not get it done until mid-December or so. Are we talking cartoony blonde (i.e. yellow) or a more natural shade?

 

[Balthasar]

Yes, I could re-colour her hair, but it would take longer, likely I`d likely not get it done until mid-December or so. Are we talking cartoony blonde (i.e. yellow) or a more natural shade?

Edit: You know what? I've just changed my mind entirely on the subject. You keep going just the way you were. I'm gonna have Hikaro work on the Blonde Alice. Your unit looks great just the way it is. Keep going, dude.

Just out of curiousity, how does the Alice mirror act in game? Is it like a capturable unit that can upgrade to real Alice in the scenario? (the tap tap tap Alice wants out line gave it away)

I have no idea, to be honest. It could be used to upgrade to Alice (and you're quite right, that would make sense), but we've also discussed using it as a transporter pad. It's open to discussion, as everything is at this point.

 

[DJ Bonebraker]

Hey Balthasar, here's the latest and greatest for Alice, prior to any changes you just requested... Aside from the hair color and mallet, what do you think:

Image at in-game camera angle

Oh, also on a somewhat related note, it was only thanks to this mod that I got certain references in Eric Flint & Ryk E. Spoor's novel, Boundary... Basically, the novel involves the first manned mission to Mars, and the lander is named John Carter, and the sensor tech on the crew dubbed the rover that was on board the lander Thoat... When asked about this by one of the other crew members, the sensor tech said, "What else would you call a steed we have to unload from a ship named the John Carter?"

To which, one of the engineers replied, "Well, personally, I'd rather ride Dejah Thoris."

I litereally at that one!

 

[Balthasar]

Looks great so far, Hikaro. Now, since we've agreed to change directions and make yours a "traditional" Alice, we have a few more changes to make - surprisingly few actually, now that the dress is right...

The hair should be long enough to fall on her shoulders. The white hose is optional, but will add to the effect as would the tiny shoes...

If you can pose her at rest, feet together, I'll have a better sense of it.

 

[DJ Bonebraker]

How's this work for you (note: Ribbon color and weaponry still not finalized):

 

[Balthasar]

Excellent. You've got it, Hikaro! Good job on the apron! (Y'know, with the blade, she kinda looks like an ex-girlfriend...) If you can, you might want to reduce her breast size a little bit. For some reason it's more noticeable now.