What art does FF need?

[WarKirby]

Tell me what you think of this.

grapeshot image attached. The canister shot is the same, with a little star to denote it being better.

both in .dds format are in the attached zip

 

[Valkrionn]

That's perfect, thank you!

 

[Onionsoilder]

Possibly. I'll need a bit more info about what you expect the heroes to look like though.

Ideally, a picture on the internet which is more or less how you'd like it to look. Failing that, a detailed description. Pointing to characters in fiction you'd like to resemble, or clothes that you'd like to see them wear, etc, helps a lot too.

If left to my own devices with regards to art direction, I'm likely to wander off track and do something else. I really need a clear goal to work on. Unless I somehow come up with a great idea of my own, which can happen, but hasn't in this case.

Alright, well... I couldn't find any pictures online, so I made a sketch of what I was imaging them to look like. Sorry for the bad quality, I'm not great at drawing people and I don't have a scanner so I had to take pictures of the sketches.

The Empyrean guy is supposed to be tall and slender, wearing a white tunic and slacks(shaded greyish in the picture) with golden vest/collar over it. The Council of Esus one is wearing a hooded cloak and a veil over his/her nose and mouth.

As far as the .dds art, I don't have any examples but I need one for each hero plus a few additional ones. I was thinking about the following for Empyrean:
1) A scholar-type person dressed in robes with a golden/silver/white "sunburst" background
2) A metal shield with a golden aura around it, against a dark background.
3) A medic cross, light gray in color with a golden background.
4) The inside of a grand council building, sort of a hallway built from white marble/gold embellishments.

Not really sure about .dds art for CoE, still thinking about that.

 

[WarKirby]

As far as the .dds art, I don't have any examples but I need one for each hero plus a few additional ones. I was thinking about the following for Empyrean:
1) A scholar-type person dressed in robes with a golden/silver/white "sunburst" background
2) A metal shield with a golden aura around it, against a dark background.
3) A medic cross, light gray in color with a golden background.
4) The inside of a grand council building, sort of a hallway built from white marble/gold embellishments.

I'm not much of a 2D artist, most of the 2d stuff I do is photosourced and edited.

2 and 3 I can do easily though. Not certain about 1.

For 4, would any of these do?

http://www.ringwoodmanor.com/tour/main/tour4.jpg
http://cache.virtualtourist.com/1433566-Grand_Hall_at_Union_Station-Saint_Louis.jpg
http://www.slowlane.net/travel/photos/NotreDame/Grand_Hall_at_Notre_Dame.jpg
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vdse1YHJM.../pnz-OJqPrY0/s400/Grand+Hall+with+Candles.jpg
http://www.slu.edu/Images/events/GrandHall525.jpg

And what sizes are you needing these images in? What are they for?



As to the heroes, some key factors when making a human figure are:
Race
Gender
Age
hairstyle
Facial hair

alternatively, all of these can be supplanted if the character is wearing some sort of face-covering headgear.
Either way, I'll need this info.


In general though, I can't promise to do this too soon. I have valk's buttons to do first, and FF stuff takes top priority over modmods, so I want to get the mounted swordsman out of the way first at least. But I'll do my best to get around to it.

 

[WarKirby]

Any chance you could whip up some Siegesmith promotion icons? I need them for all of these...

Spoiler :

These are almost entirely by Milaga, with a few by Vermicious Knid thrown in.

Only one shot promotion may be selected at a time.

1. Grapeshot
   • UnitClass Cannon-only
   • 2 extra Collateral Targets.
   • +15% vs Mounted and Melee
   • -50% Bombard rate.
   • Requires Gunpowder
   • 60
2. Canister Shot
   • UnitClass Cannon-only
   • +40% Collateral Damage.
   • +1
   • Requires Gunpowder
   • 60
3. Sighted Shot
   • +1 Range
   • Requires Gunpowder
   • 100
4. Plague Infested Shot
   • UnitClass Catapult-only
   • Requires Evil
   • Requires Sheaim or Infernal or Balseraphs or Legion of D'Tesh civilization
   • 0.50 in enemy cities within 1 tile
   • +10% ranged damage limit
   • +10% collateral damage limit
   • Passes the Diseased promotion to enemy combatants
   • 30
5. Blackblood Shot
   • UnitClass Catapult-only
   • Requires Scions of Patria civilization
   • Requires a Spirit Mill in the city
   • +1 ranged attack
   • +5% ranged damage limit
   • +10% collateral damage limit
   • Passes the Blackblood promotion to enemy combatants
   • 50
6. Flaming Shot
   • +5% bombard per turn
   • +1 Fire
   • +50% forest attack
   • +50% naval units
   • Requires Smelting
   • 50
7. Explosive Shot (designed for civs that can't build cannons)
   • UnitClass Catapult-only
   • +15% bombard per turn
   • +2
   • +25% city attack
   • +1 ranged attack
   • +5% ranged damage limit
   • Requires Blasting Powder
   • 120

General promotions. If they can't be used by cannons/catapults they'll be listed.:

• Well-Trained
  • Blitz
  • 100
• Fine Craftsmanship
  • +10%
  • 0-1 extra first strike
  • Requires Construction
  • Removed if Excellent Craftsmanship or Superior Craftsmanship or Artisan Crafted promotion is taken
  • 30
• Excellent Craftsmanship
  • +20%
  • 1 extra first strike
  • Requires Engineering
  • Removed if Fine Craftsmanship or Superior Craftsmanship or Artisan Crafted promotion is taken
  • 40
• Superior Craftsmanship
  • +30%
  • 1-2 extra first strikes
  • +20% city attack
  • Requires Mithril Working
  • Removed if Fine Craftsmanship or Excellent Craftsmanship or Artisan Crafted promotion is taken
  • 80
• Artisan Crafted
  • Requires Khazad or Luchuirp or Mechanos civilization
  • +40%
  • 2-3 extra first strikes
  • +30% city attack
  • +20% defense
  • Requires Machinery
  • Removed if Fine Craftsmanship or Excellent Craftsmanship or Superior Craftsmanship promotion is taken
  • 120
• Improved Machinery
  • Requires Khazad civilization
  • +1 range
  • Requires Optics
  • Requires Trebuchet
  • 50
• Artillery
  • Requires Khazad civilization
  • +1 range
  • Requires Astronomy
  • Requires Dwarven Cannon
  • 100
• Improved Accuracy
  • +1 ranged attack
  • +10% ranged attack limit
  • Requires Optics
  • 80
• Deadeye Crew
  • Requires Khazad or Mechanos civilization
  • +1 ranged attack
  • +10% ranged attack limit
  • 1 first strike
  • Requires Guilds
  • 180
• Point Defense System
  • Requires Khazad or Mechanos civilization
  • +100% defensive strength
  • +25% hill defense
  • Requires Iron Working
  • 40
• Doubletime Team
  • Requires Khazad or Mechanos or Austrin or Hippus civilization
  • +1
  • +1 terrain cost
  • -50%
  • Requires Horseback Riding
  • 40
• Resident Machine Spirit
  • Requires Mechanos civilization
  • Randomly grants the Machine Spirit promotion (20% turn)
  • Requires Arcane Lore
  • 200

I think you mentioned you already had a button for machine spirit. Is there any others you don't need buttons for?

Flaming Shot and diseased shot attached to this post. pictures of flying cows were...oddly hard to find.

 

[Valkrionn]

Haha, that's exactly what I had in mind, thank you! I love the cow.

The only other that I don't really need a button for is the Blackblood shot, as there's already a button for archery units. I DO need a button for the new pontoon promotion, but that'll probably be the last of them that I add for a while.

 

[WarKirby]

Moar

how are these for Sighted Shot and Artillery ?

 

[Valkrionn]

I assume the Sighted Shot is first? I like it, pictured a crosshair but that's probably better as Improved Accuracy or Deadeye crew. Artillery is perfect.

 

[PPQ_Purple]

Not to sound strange or anything but that rafined mana thing... it would not happen to be a green glowing metal that makes you glow in the dark would it? But that would probably be a nice explanation for the reason why all those machines are alive.

 

[Valkrionn]

No, but it IS radioactive and has a small chance to mutate units. The machine spirits are actually from Barnaxus according to the pedia... It says that during the AoI, when he was forced to make Ice Golems for Mulcarn, he made himself forget. Those discarded memories eventually became the machine spirits.

Spoiler Goliath's Pedia Entry :

What thoughts do you have for the machine? How do you deny the guilt when even your tears stalk the earth crushing those who would oppose its ruin? How cold is the sense of isolation when nature lies dead and frost seizes all in its thrall? But for memories of the world as was, would the world always be white? And what would be worse, to surrender the memories of better times or to discard the error that it might be repeated? When can the pain ever grow numb, when even the escape of dream is denied? Let the memories of all that is hateful, of all the sin and guilt, run through the cracks of the earth, that they might burn in the fires beyond.

When Baranaxus, acting on inscrutable commands that even he did not understand, crafted Ice Golems for the great god Mulcarn, he chose to forget all that he had done, forever cursed to repeat his mistake until Spring dawned upon Erebus. Every regret was ejected in a cascade of sparks, fleeting moments that die upon the wind.

But no sin is truly vanquished without repentance. The shadow thoughts drifted forgotten in dark corners until they found a home they recognised. Settling in the cogs and the camshafts and the gears and the cranks, the first machine spirits were born. Swearing revenge on the gods that had forgotten the world, they sought to bring about new age without gods: the Age of Machines.

All they needed was a body.

This should be kept to the FFPlus thread though... I know Warkirby won't appreciate it.

 

[Onionsoilder]

For 4, would any of these do?

Number 4(Grand Hall w/ Candles) looks good.

And what sizes are you needing these images in? What are they for?

They're .dds icons for new spells/abilities(one is a civic)

As to the heroes, some key factors when making a human figure are:
Race
Gender
Age
hairstyle
Facial hair

For the Empyrean guy:
Race: Human
Gender: Male
Age: 30ish
Hairstyle: Short and cropped
Facial Hair: None

For the CoE assassin:
Race: Elven
Gender: Male or Female(leaning toward female, but it doesn't matter)
Age: 20ish
Hairstyle: Irrelevant, s/he's wearing a cloak.
Facial Hair: Irrelevant, s/he's wearing a veil.

 

[WarKirby]

By race, I actually meant white, arabic, black, hispanic, etc.

I suppose it's very easy to confuse.

I was just thinking, Chalid Astrakein is dark skinned, and the empyrean generally has it's roots among the malakim, who are an arabic inspired people.

 

[Darksaber1]

Hmm, I think the intent is more Nort African, but that could be wishful thibking on my part. (To be diffrent from most Desert Civs)

 

[WarKirby]

Pegasus Mounted Austrin Swordsman: http://forums.civfanatics.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=12444

Spoiler :

I put the claymore on his back, due to clipping issues. and gave him a shortsword for horseback fighting instead.

 

[Valkrionn]

Very nice.

 

[Onionsoilder]

By race, I actually meant white, arabic, black, hispanic, etc.

I suppose it's very easy to confuse.

I was just thinking, Chalid Astrakein is dark skinned, and the empyrean generally has it's roots among the malakim, who are an arabic inspired people.

Oh woops. Well, make him white, but sort of tanned - not nearly as dark as Chalid though. The backstory I was aiming for was someone who comes from a different region but was abandoned, and found by an Empyrean priest.

 

[WarKirby]

Pegasus Mounted Warrior: http://forums.civfanatics.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=12445

I just took vehem's one and fixed it a bit. Actually, I had to remake it from scratch because the nif wouldn't open in blender. but it looks more or less the same. Just changed the weapon, texture atlasing, and pegasus wingspan

 

[Valkrionn]

I like it.

And also, THANK YOU for doing the buttons.... They're coming along perfectly. Just put them in.

 

[WarKirby]

^^ glad to help.

I'm looking at importing the new FFH artdefines just now. Have you seen the new Angel of Death, by the way? It's pretty amazing. Ploep made new animations. it has beating wings. I think the time is almost right for me to start on that Sabathiel model. But first to get aquainted with it, I'm thinking of re-rigging the seraph to use AoD anims, and wings.

 

[Valkrionn]

The animation on the new Angel is amazing, yes... Honestly, a Sabathiel with wings like that would probably force me to include it.