To: All You Tileset Makers

[Legacy_The Amethyst Dragon]

               

Just wanted to take the opportunity to say thanks.  You folks do a ton of work so that adventures can be set in convincing (and sometimes absurd) locations, and unlike things like placeables and stuff, none of that work functions in-game without a massive amount of planning and adjusting and just plain persistence.

 

Adding even a single new feature may mean creating many more tiles in order to provide variants on that feature or to get that feature to blend nicely with existing tiles in a set.  Then there's thinking about things like pathfinding, lighting, groups, and wok meshes and materials, and getting everything to work in-game with a proper .set file...  Even a "simple" tileset can easily use a hundred individual models.

 

I look around at some of the amazing new tilesets that have appeared over the years and realize that tilesets are one aspect of NWN custom content that I will likely never create brand new stuff for.  I may modify existing tiles, or reskin a tileset, but a whole new tileset is beyond my current skill and time.

 

I say this simply as a builder and content maker.  You guys (and gals) rock.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Bannor Bloodfist]

               

As one of those who have both created and also repaired, updated, upgraded, improved or

just flat worked on tilesets... Thank you for the support.  It amazed me how much work goes into it.  How such a simple request as to 'Can you add a new wall' to such-n-such tileset can turn into days worth of work... depending on variations that you either do or do not have the energy and desire to create...

 

However, it can be quite rewarding.  Actually, VERY rewarding.  My most memorable moments of fun has always been when working with a team, so that all the grudge work can be shared a bit.  However, finding such a group of folks is rare, very rare, as most of us tend to only wish to work on a single idea towards fruition.  It is very difficult to get folks to be willing to actually produce for an idea or dreamworld, unless it is something they specifically wish to work with.

 

For me, I enjoy doing it, working on various tilesets etc, and I tend to bite off quite a bit more than I should, effort wise, sometimes causing burnout, which can be very difficult to overcome.  Unfortunately, I am one of those that is a 'completest / perfectionist which means that I work towards making those variations actually work together better.  That is the hard part, I simply keep banging my head against various walls, desktops, and sometimes the floor when trying to 'finish' a tileset.  I tend to not wish to release an incomplete set, which delays, delays, and sometimes prevents release altogether when others wish to move on to their next big dream.

 

 

Shoot, quite a bit of hubris there I guess, considering the stuff I have released may have been well received at the time, but has been quite a long while since anything new has come from my currently non-working version of 3dsmax.

 

As always, I wish to thank others that have delved into the depths of various tilesets over the years, and released quite a foundation of wonderful works over the years.  Sure wish there were more of us, most especially more that are willing to work in a 'team' environment!  Thanks to ALL CUSTOM CONTENT creators, regardless of type of content, without folks willing to share, NWN would never have been as successful as it was/is, nor would any of us still be around lurking in the shadows of such an old game.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_NWN_baba yaga]

               

I think the most rewarding moment i had when i was satisfied with my own work not being bothered anymore with my inner voice of perfection. But it is a great feeling if others enjoy your own work and "use" it actually in their modules.

 

Thanks TAD for the words of appreciation. Doing tilesets was and still is is a process of building a pyramid in your mind while you work on it in 3dsmax. What i mean is you start doing a tile and than you redo it again and again until you reach the top of the mountain on what you can actually do. The process never really ends. My underdark spider cave tileset was the most intense work i have done in my life. It was like a train i jumped on that rushed a mountain down until i was so exhausted and luckily i completed what i thought i would be able to...so it ended in a love/hate relationship with my own work '>

 

I learned long ago that i have to stand to my own work 100 % and that only that really matters. Thats why my attitude may sound strange or to self confident but it isnt. It was a way of perfection i choosed to go to not be harmed by other oppinions '>

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_OldTimeRadio]

               

I learned long ago that i have to stand to my own work 100 % and that only that really matters.

 

So true, Baba.  Pick a destination.  Chart a course.  Sail.  Little else matters.

 

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_KlatchainCoffee]

               

What TAD said! 

 

I am also trying to get friendly with gmax/nwmax of late, at least partly because I need a couple of tileset tweaks really really badly for what I'm doing. And yeah, at least one of them involves something as simple as a new wall.

 

 

So true, Baba.  Pick a destination.  Chart a course.  Sail.  Little else matters.

 

YES. (So true for me right now, in more ways than one.)