ShaZe's Stuff

[Springheel]

You know, the more I look at those wings, the less I like them. Unless the staff is extremely tall, it seems like a mage would constantly be poking himself with them.

[ShaZe]

You know, the more I look at those wings, the less I like them. Unless the staff is extremely tall, it seems like a mage would constantly be poking himself with them.

 

Hmmm but, remember it's a mage staff, not a walking stick, so the mage is not forced to use it while walking. He can just travel it with him, and the staff was kinda short, easier to travel, easier for close combat if necessary.

 

Anyway, I have have tried to make it smaller and taller, if you wanna use it as a "walking stick" on idle.

 

[sparhawk]

I think it would also help to put it in a more suitable environment. Maybe on a desk or something. This background makes it particularly hard to make it out, at least for me.

[ShaZe]

Fullscreen :

 

http://www.shaze88.com/downloads/autres/da...-fullscreen.jpg

 

I personnally prefer the short "battle staff" and the last one. The one in the middle is too much tall for melee, and not enough to keep the wings out of the way.

[Crispy]

I've been trying to figure out what's bugging me about these staffs and I think I've finally put my finger on it; they're too "clean". When I think of a mage's staff I think of a gnarled, twisted tree branch kind of look; not a simple, clean, metal-smooth pole with decorations at the top. Both are present in various fictions, but I think the former look would suit our setting better.

[ShaZe]

I've been trying to figure out what's bugging me about these staffs and I think I've finally put my finger on it; they're too "clean". When I think of a mage's staff I think of a gnarled, twisted tree branch kind of look; not a simple, clean, metal-smooth pole with decorations at the top. Both are present in various fictions, but I think the former look would suit our setting better.

 

Well, for me, a mage always got perfect / magical items. They are like the little noblemans with magical power. Only necromancer or something like that would have un-perfect staff, such as tree branch, bones, or anything else.

 

Those staff have been made for let's say "high-class mage", church environments if you see what I mean. But yeah, I saw a old model of a staff with a gem as a reference (here)and it looked like that type of staff so I made one that fit those criteria.

 

[Nyarlathotep]

I guess the main thing for me that the damn thing is all metal, and likely steel, at that. It'd very heavy, and likely very unwieldy at that. At least a mostly wooden staff would be plausibly lightweight.

[Crispy]

Well, for me, a mage always got perfect / magical items. They are like the little noblemans with magical power. Only necromancer or something like that would have un-perfect staff, such as tree branch, bones, or anything else.

When I look at the TDM mage, though, I don't think "nobleman messing around with magic", I think "gnarled old uber wizard dude".

 

Like I said, there are various different concepts out there of what a mage's staff should look like. Just depends which one you've been exposed to more I guess.

 

Those staff have been made for let's say "high-class mage", church environments if you see what I mean. But yeah, I saw a old model of a staff with a gem as a reference (here)and it looked like that type of staff so I made one that fit those criteria.

 

Fair enough. Don't take anything I say personally, I'm just trying to be constructive.

[OrbWeaver]

I like the design of the staffs, but I would make the grey body darker, almost black, and get rid of the round bit at the bottom that makes it look like a walking stick.

 

I think these staffs are perfectly acceptable for a high-class wizard -- maybe they could be made out of ebony rather than metal?

[ShaZe]

I like the design of the staffs, but I would make the grey body darker, almost black, and get rid of the round bit at the bottom that makes it look like a walking stick.

 

I think these staffs are perfectly acceptable for a high-class wizard -- maybe they could be made out of ebony rather than metal?

 

Change will be soon, I agree that the staff is too much made from metal. And yeah I had the same feeling about the round part at the bottom.

 

Thanks, gotta post the new look soon.

[Nyarlathotep]

I like ebony. Ebony is good. It makes sense as a material for a wizard's staff.

[ShaZe]

 

Final version?

[Springheel]

The model has come a long way, but the textures still look WAY too clean, as if they're solid colours rather than, well, textures.

 

What I'd suggest is looking through the .tgas of our current model textures (in models/darkmod/props/textures), and actually copying relevant textures (metal, wood, etc) directly into your image. Also, I don't see any sign of normalmaps there...you could add tons of ornate detail to the top of the staff with them--carvings, scratches, magical symbols, etc.

[ShaZe]

The model has come a long way, but the textures still look WAY too clean, as if they're solid colours rather than, well, textures.

 

What I'd suggest is looking through the .tgas of our current model textures (in models/darkmod/props/textures), and actually copying relevant textures (metal, wood, etc) directly into your image. Also, I don't see any sign of normalmaps there...you could add tons of ornate detail to the top of the staff with them--carvings, scratches, magical symbols, etc.

 

 

Close up on the last staff

 

Otherwise, where can I get the mod files? I was asking myself the question to know what exactly the path should be when I was setting the material file and the folder structure. I searched a little bit in the different forums but didn't found it.

[Crispy]

Ebony works.

 

What I'd suggest is looking through the .tgas of our current model textures (in models/darkmod/props/textures), and actually copying relevant textures (metal, wood, etc) directly into your image.

He's still a contributor, so he doesn't have access to the mod files.

[Springheel]

Oh, right. Well, the same concept can be applied to downloaded textures online. There are several great sites referenced in the Textures forum. Just check them out and copy appropriate ones into your texture. What texture size are you using, btw?

[ShaZe]

Oh, right. Well, the same concept can be applied to downloaded textures online. There are several great sites referenced in the Textures forum. Just check them out and copy appropriate ones into your texture. What texture size are you using, btw?

 

256x256

[Springheel]

That's actually a little low for large objects. I would recommend splitting the object up into sub-meshes, and using that texture only for the head and base of the staff (256 would probably be ok for something that size). The handle could point to any one of a number of generic wood (or marble, or whatever) textures. That would also increase the versatility of the model by making new skins easier.