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Darkmod: Inspiration thread


Bikerdude

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  • 3 weeks later...

that last shot looks very doable in TDM.

 

And the middle one looks similar stuff I did in Mandrasola harbor area. Very doable as long as the player is limited to some area. In retrospect, modular construction and LOD modeling for building facades would allow even more detail and freedom.

 

Mandrasola_7.jpg

Clipper

-The mapper's best friend.

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! Dang, wish I could build that fast. Looks really good.

Its all very basic geom for the most part thats why.

Would like to see it in a much more realistic scale.

Yeah, agreed. The problem is the painting itself isnt scalled correctly either. Its like the background was an afterthought.

Whoah Biker, that looks really neat.

well you can thank the original painting :-)

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Pretty good recreation. While really tall stuff looks cool I just find the proportions of the scene to be slightly ridiculous. Would like to see it in a much more realistic scale.

 

I find Biker's painting inspired work great. The Z-dimension is too often forgotten in TDM maps. If you think about TDM maps overall, they actually are quite flat. They don't need to be.

 

While the proportions are indeed unrealistic, I find them great regardless. TDM is a game: gameplay trumps realism. TDM mapping can also be considered as a visual art: an interesting scene trumps a less-interesting realistic scene. Very often artists intentionally skew the proportions towards the unrealistic regime in order to make the scene look more interesting. This painting and Biker's excellent version is a great example of this habit. I think TDM mappers should do more: be a little bit more bolder and take a few more steps from the realistic regime. Exaggerate a bit.

 

There is a lot to be learnt from these shots.

 

There are other reasons why such tall buildings are great.

1) Compartmentalization: they are high walls. Players cannot get too high. I admit the vista-ranges get a bit high, but maybe LOD model building facades will help?

2) Gameplay. The mapper could have a ground-level access route and then an alternate balcony route in the same area. Rope arrows will work fantastically in such environment. If large walls compartmentalize the gameplay area edges, some less tall buildings could allow some roof-top routes, Dishonored style.

 

Very, very inspiring work! It would be cool to see a larger area inspired by this kind of architecture.

Clipper

-The mapper's best friend.

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The game Dishonored was defined by that kind of architecture.

I think some game studios have picked up on the same points you just made, Sotha.

 

You double or triple the gameplay space without sprawl; it lets you have more z-movement without long lines of sight; naturally compartmentalizes leafs in a believable & interesting way; gives a bigger sense of scale to the world and has the player looking up and around a lot...

What do you see when you turn out the light? I can't tell you but I know that it's mine.

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Maybe it's just me but I think Biker exaggerated the z-dimension a bit more then it was in the painting. Anyways, I agree with Sotha. Good gameplay (rope arrows, alternative rooftop routes) is much more important then realism. This counts especially if it also allows easy optimization. If you are on the ground and cannot access the rooftops you can keep the latter on low detail and vice versa.

Very, very inspiring work! It would be cool to see a larger area inspired by this kind of architecture.

This would indeed be very cool. :smile:

 

EDIT: @Biker, can you upload the map file somewhere if you don't want to work on it furthermore. I guess it would be nice to take a look on it. ^_^

FM's: Builder Roads, Old Habits, Old Habits Rebuild

Mapping and Scripting: Apples and Peaches

Sculptris Models and Tutorials: Obsttortes Models

My wiki articles: Obstipedia

Texture Blending in DR: DR ASE Blend Exporter

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Thanks alot, mista. :smile:

FM's: Builder Roads, Old Habits, Old Habits Rebuild

Mapping and Scripting: Apples and Peaches

Sculptris Models and Tutorials: Obsttortes Models

My wiki articles: Obstipedia

Texture Blending in DR: DR ASE Blend Exporter

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I find Biker's painting inspired work great. The Z-dimension is too often forgotten in TDM maps. If you think about TDM maps overall, they actually are quite flat. They don't need to be.

 

While the proportions are indeed unrealistic, I find them great regardless. TDM is a game: gameplay trumps realism. TDM mapping can also be considered as a visual art: an interesting scene trumps a less-interesting realistic scene. Very often artists intentionally skew the proportions towards the unrealistic regime in order to make the scene look more interesting. This painting and Biker's excellent version is a great example of this habit. I think TDM mappers should do more: be a little bit more bolder and take a few more steps from the realistic regime. Exaggerate a bit.

 

There is a lot to be learnt from these shots.

 

There are other reasons why such tall buildings are great.

1) Compartmentalization: they are high walls. Players cannot get too high. I admit the vista-ranges get a bit high, but maybe LOD model building facades will help?

2) Gameplay. The mapper could have a ground-level access route and then an alternate balcony route in the same area. Rope arrows will work fantastically in such environment. If large walls compartmentalize the gameplay area edges, some less tall buildings could allow some roof-top routes, Dishonored style.

 

Very, very inspiring work! It would be cool to see a larger area inspired by this kind of architecture.

 

Yeah thanks for the design lesson.

 

Yeah yeah, games aren't reality, blah blah.

 

This scene as it is would fit perfectly into TF2, a game of comical proportions.

 

TDM is based on realistic design. Nothing wrong with a little over exaggeration, But hyper proportions like that just can't be taken seriously.

Dark is the sway that mows like a harvest

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Just for kicks I did a quick mockup of the scene below.

WANT.

 

Pretty good recreation. While really tall stuff looks cool I just find the proportions of the scene to be slightly ridiculous. Would like to see it in a much more realistic scale.

It's not that far from what you can actually see IRL in Hansaetic cities.

Come the time of peril, did the ground gape, and did the dead rest unquiet 'gainst us. Our bands of iron and hammers of stone prevailed not, and some did doubt the Builder's plan. But the seals held strong, and the few did triumph, and the doubters were lain into the foundations of the new sanctum. -- Collected letters of the Smith-in-Exile, Civitas Approved

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TDM is based on realistic design. Nothing wrong with a little over exaggeration, But hyper proportions like that just can't be taken seriously.

 

I completely disagree, sorry. In medieval cities you can definitely find high walls like these and sometimes crazy elevation, maybe not as tall, mind you, but pretty similar anyway and I know what I'm talking about. Besides, it doesn't look out of place at all in TDM and Sotha's points are very true. Daytime lighting may make it look 'flat' or something, but I'm sure that with proper night-time lighting it could be more believable for you.

 

I for one would love to roam around in a city such as this in TDM.

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