tain.totalcodex.net

(I cannot get my copy of OAK to work for the life of me--- so i am having extreme difficulty making the over head map appear ingame and also the pregame collection...) supper sad


the map is huge- elegant- and full of adaptable tactics-- ambush, defense, guerrilla etc (look amongst the debris)


Setting; within the peaks of the Cloudspine- north of the seven gates / stair of grief ancient stone pathways through the mountains are frozen over as a glacier forces its way from the the south west- battle along the shear faces of the ominous ice, or push your forces up the unforgiving goat paths toward the ruined fortifications and waylayed viking vessel, or dominate the rolling hills of the lowland passes, or stand your ground at the shrines to nature left by the Nation of Gower... (territories-assassination-LOMH-Body Count) --- to many steep cliffs and impassable crevasses for game types using "balls"

screens

more shots.... pweez feedbak! and likewise no dumbasses that just say "it sucks" "i dont like it" im looking for critique not idiots ego tensive dripple

talk to me about color tones- dynamic in terrain and scenery- do the units feel like the belong?- talk to me about what other styles of levels you wanna see next

the very first comment I've heard about my map is that its very TEAL- yes this is true and it was a teeder todder topic for me in the development of it... the concept is that the giant ice glacier is so ominous and potent... its almost glowing as the sunlight peers through the frozen WATER... as well; i want the effect that the ground its kinda wet and freezing over... initially there was heavy snow and wind but it hampered the utility of dwarves and archers too much- thus it was removed...


PS- if someone adept and with a working copy of OAK is willing to be gracious enough to take some time out of their schedule to aid me in the "collection" for this map (overhead map-pregame shot)... i would be extremely grateful and by all means such an individual may take 50% of the credit for providing to the community.

That looks really beautiful, if I were home I'd make you an overhead in a second, :/

The map is designed to be in the winter it looks like. I've never seen grass meeting snow so vibrantly before. I don't think there's a harm in having the green, but I'd vastly desaturate it, maybe to 50% what it is now. Grass dies when its under snow pack, I live in the mountains and know this first hand

Otherwise, you've held true to your word. You must have some arts background, cause the average mapmaker taking up the activity can't produce a colourmap remotely that nice looking without months of practicing first. I like the diverse use of texture. Just not totally sold on the colour tones. Nice work Stew, keep it up!

-- I am glad some Myth Veterans approve of the style --

Jon God- perhaps we can strike some sort of DEAL... maybe; you graciously tie off the collections (overhead map & pregame picture) for the maps I create (of course with 100% due credit and a producer line in the end credits- lol {stamp yer name on dat shit}) and in return, periodically you may commission me to create a color/displacement map tailored for you to your personal liking for any projects you may have or personal agendas. (really any sort of art asset for that matter)

Graydon- Yes I am a fine art painter and a digital designer... well really just a designer at the cosmic level... The map is more in the transition of displaying Green Lush Mountain Landscape being frozen over as you are playing the level; not Snow melting to reveal the dead ground beneath... none-the-less I agree completely with you that green blue juxtaposition is perhaps to vivid to properly display realism... I will play with the saturation tonight to muddle it down to a softer beige green... Texture has been a big portion of focus on the maps I create... I am trying to generate a more Artsy Dynamic and EPIC feel to the Myth World- indeed this is my first original Myth map that I've created so yeah...(2 more are in the works- along with a Questing campaign)


*my brother has been trying to convince me to model new units...*caugh (Double sworded evil berzerk) *caugh (ancient kith-less battle knight sorcerer mummified & cursed with a demon crab claw needle launcher) *caugh (my only issue... if I start modeling = imma overhaul all the units, and I dont have time for that kinda adventure.
and at that point I might as well be like BLIZZARD and make my own game after ripping off someone else's Art Foundation... (reference to WARHAMMER being stolen to shape the pathetic WARCRAFT)


PS- any mapmaking groups needin a recruit??? or any experienced Mythers looking to colab on some of the Chapters to come? HIT ME UP

GRAYDON- please explain more... what would "Sell" you on the color tones... is it the Teal and Green? ... as an artist I am keen to exaggeration... and I find the Myth world to be FANTASY... and to me "fantasy ice" is almost a magical blue and to a medieval culture I'm sure its origins seem magical enough to them as well ,,, (blue displays cold better than white)

I guess what I am getting at is=

My Recipe:
1 part realistic textures so that levels feel familiar to our environment and therefore become comfortable and understandable to us
1 part dynamic rhythm and color usage- the ART and my personal touches to make the environment UNIQUE, CAPTIVATING, and EPIC in feel.
1 part maintain value- playability? do units look as though they BELONG?

(as we all know cooking is a science!- and if my proportioning isn't right... it won't work)

so I ask you Graydon... would you suggest anything beyond desaturations to spice the recipe??? I understand all other Myth snow levels only use white and dark stone in contrasting values... and in real life Ice isn't much more than a hazy whitish clear... I fear to authenticate the environment it would fall to a drab scheme...

THOUGH i must admit the biggest issue for me is how much color I loose converting to 256... my struggle is maintaining a tight color scheme (clearly) my fine art tends to comprise of a fully chromatic color scheme... Myth does not allow for such a presentation.

like i said... my first map so pleez I need intel on whats out there, whats common practice, whats expected, what is desired, just FEED me with the FEEDBACK

Well, I don't think I can suggest anything else, but of course I'm just speaking to my own opinions of how a map should feel. I've always tried to make my landscapes feel like they could almost be real places, if it weren't for the magical characters and extravagant medieval style environment models.

From what you stated as your goals though, I feel you have achieved in splendour. It definitely has a fantasy feel to it. That's just not the same as how I've made my maps.

I can't be sure without seeing more than a handful of screenshots, but you may want to take some time with some funky shaped brushes (maybe make your own out of some textures) to detail in some areas, for example the dirt around the ruined building, looks like a PS brush painted it out.... with some rougher random brushes you can make it look/feel more natural.

For a first colourmap though, I think those of us with any experience are rather astounded. I commend you once more, and ask if you'd be so kind as to tease us with your other two maps in progress as well!

Hah, when I get home, and make you a pregame/overhead, I wont put my name on it, because you made a killer look map, and you deserve all the credit you can get for owning it. Just put me in the special thanks in a readme, or something.

If you'd like more help, maybe I could help teach you how to detail texture your map, it would add another layer of awesomeâ„¢

Word man, I respect your honor... and I totaly need to learn how to detail map! Im so upset that I cant get OAK to work... I wanted to retexture so many of the models in Myth and make the myrmidon attack with each hand= speed up their attack speed- and watch them ninja hack da shit outa ppl wit both weapons... and of course to port some Diablo Units into Myth (muahhahahaha)

You been talking to melekor? He keeps Oak updated, and should be able to help you with any issues you have. Just make sure he knows what's up.

Stop by udogs sometime!

wow, those screenshots are really beautiful
it takes my mind to another dimension, would love to see small snow in there falling...
really awesome color map and colors...

keep it up

looks interesting,

kinda mythIIIish but more magical/extreme, which is pretty cool. There is a problem I instantly notice though, the scenery items/units just don't belong since they were made to fit more natural color tones, do you plan to tweak the collection of all scenery items to fit your colormap?

I'm personally kinda waiting to see what you'll do with detail textures, as they could be used to make the map feel slightly more 'realistic' (more towards an average myth map), or you could choose to keep going with your 'magical' style and push towards something truly unique.

keep up the good work...

...Giz

I am home again, and I can help you make a pregame/overhead, or whatever you need. PM me, or catch me on udogs.