Request: Tileset model and/or texture overrides.

[Legacy_NWN_baba yaga]

               @Rolo
the grey crypts is very old and i dont know who the author is/was. I dont even remember where i found it. But it must be on the vault- my only source for everything;) And i can share it with you guys if you dont find it or it was a included option only of some very big compilation;)
               
               

               

                     Modifié par NWN_baba yaga, 21 novembre 2012 - 05:58 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_Rolo Kipp]

               <peeking in...>

Well, I'm *hoping* it's on the vault... all of which I have on HD. But *finding* it is another thing :-P
What's the hak name? The actual file?

<...a very big, crowded vault>
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_s e n]

               google it!
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_henesua]

               i tried and failed
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_NWN_baba yaga]

               I added a few details to some tiles (red candles and skeletons in the wall openings as an example), retextured some parts and get the hakpak up as soon i have it independant. Not sure if i got the original of the tileset somewhere so feel free to like /dislike it. It will be released as is and i dont take any credit for anything;)
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_NWN_baba yaga]

               just to clarify that thing. This was only a reskin I´m talking about where the author integrated it into the original crypts tileset and basically desaturated every texture "only" and replaced the wallparts with a 64*64 texture... so what I did was to upgrade it to 256*256, added some details (as mentioned above), fixed errors wherever I noticed any and retextured lots of bad parts. So all in all a more or less bugfree crypt tileset with an option for an advanced retextured set:)

Not to discredit the work but it was nothing of a project... I´ll try to get the name of the author anyway for credits then;)
               
               

               

                     Modifié par NWN_baba yaga, 22 novembre 2012 - 07:05 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_OldTimeRadio]

               Master Jax's comments about Zwerkules/T0r0's grass, T0r0's response and Baba Yaga's comment all seem to have their root in the variable camera zoom.  IMO, having a camera that can zoom in and out that much puts a hefty burden on a CC creator to make a model/texture look good- even at a zoom level which I'd argue is unrealistic and not indicative of how the object is actually going to be viewed most of the time by most of the players. 

Now, obviously Diablo 3 is a game whose models don't just rely on diffuse textures for their detail, but I thought this post was interesting to consider in light of the min/max camera issue I'm talking about.  AFAIK, Diablo 3 only has two levels of zoom and the closest is still way farther away than the close up with NWN.  So if you were creating models for that platform, you have a standard perspective to work with.

Way back when CEP was something rtrifts/Steel_Wind was toying with the idea of, he made an interesting set of guidelines which CC creators could use to keep in mind when making models and which I think serve to shelter CC creators from min/max criticism related to the camera zoom.  Here is the first revised set of guidelines by rtrifts and then, after Eligio Sacateca brought the project back from the dead, there was a poll on the NWVault to get an idea of the video card capabilities of NWNers.  Another revision of the guidelines (taking that new data into account) followed.

Do I think we need to convene an ecumenical council to determine what the guidelines should be in 2012?  Dunno.

Do I think people would pay attention to them?  Double dunno. 

Do I think guidelines in some form help the CC community?  Absolutely.
               
               

               

                     Modifié par OldTimeRadio, 22 novembre 2012 - 07:44 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_NWN_baba yaga]

               Good points OTR but to be honest in my case i only go my own way of developing things in that stage of nwn. I´m always open to suggestions and feedback but the way i design is no longer open to a change i´m not fully satisfied. The only real motivation left for nwn is to finish my projects fully visualized as I see them and stay true to my always-share-policy;)


And that i realy realy like this community and i would feel a bit empty without you all + thevault you know NWN!!!!
               
               

               

                     Modifié par NWN_baba yaga, 22 novembre 2012 - 07:58 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_OldTimeRadio]

               No, no- The point wasn't to get you or anyone else to adhere to some specific set of standards. 

I'm saying that criticism of a certain piece of custom content in NWN is justifable...up to a certain point.  And that trying to remedy those criticisms is also justified...up to a certain point.

But passed some point, you have to recognize that both the criticisms and the remedies jump off into an abyss togehter, holding hands.

Having some set of standards in mind (even if they're from 2004) helps keep both sides in check.  It also keeps that harmony you talked about, not just within the content that the custom content creator makes, but with all of the other content that exists in the game.

I'm intentionally being ambiguous, Baba.  '>
               
               

               

                     Modifié par OldTimeRadio, 22 novembre 2012 - 08:50 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_NWN_baba yaga]

               I fully understand OTR and i try to keep a balance between my work and others and NWN in general. Thats why i avoid certain things i would like to see but then decide... no that´s nice but doesnt fit in. CEP gave me this lesson to not throw in anything in a hak and make something that looks totaly like a mixmatch of many but nothing of some kind of order;) I seriously have a problem with cep...'> yes precious you do:D
               
               

               

                     Modifié par NWN_baba yaga, 22 novembre 2012 - 09:48 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_Master Jax]

               Hmmm... Very interesting thoughts on the matter... As always, this thread is not about complaints or disrespect to the authors. I think we all agree we're just throwing some ideas and requests around, but all in good sport and spirit. I think the CC guidelines Old Time Radio shared and suggested are precisely that, suggestions for a more cohesive development between parties. Of course, no one is required to follow them, but it's nice to know they exist, and that we may use them as guidelines.

I agree with you Baba. I love some of the things the CEP has given us, but I also think it is sort of mismatched, which is also one of the guidelines I follow when modifying the game. I believe Project Q and NWNE do a great work when it comes to making coherent releases!

Now, just some open questions for you guys. I have long wanted to replace some of the furniture and fixed objects in the tilesets with higher quality models from placeables, mostly those converted from NWN2. Is this a bad idea? Would such dramatically impact the game or cause any issues? Has anyone done so before?
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_NWN_baba yaga]

               Very good idea imo. The furniture is not realy the best looking stuff in vanilla nwn and i mean especially in the city interior tileset. There are some very nice retextures of it but still the tables, chairs, armores etc. look blocky ahu it pains ma eye;) So go for it and make some tasty furniture for us precious:D And dont forget to update the lamps on the tables and in the corridors too;)
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Master Jax]

               That's pretty much what I was thinking about, but I am worried the engine won't be able to cope. Just read some comments by Zwerkules on too many polygons and how the game can't take that much, and such not even accounting for shadows. This is why I am wondering if doing this would cause crashes or severe lag.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_NWN_baba yaga]

               For exterior areas with that much polys only for the buildings is what he meant i guess. And i know the nwn2 models a bit, i dont see a problem with them if you try to just replace the existing stuff, so the count of furniture models stays the same;) As for shadows, i dont know. Maybe you better turn them off for these ones, either they cast buggy shadows if you dont add a shadow mesh or they bring the engine down.
               
               

               

                     Modifié par NWN_baba yaga, 23 novembre 2012 - 12:24 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_Zwerkules]

               

Master Jax wrote...

Now, just some open questions for you guys. I have long wanted to replace some of the furniture and fixed objects in the tilesets with higher quality models from placeables, mostly those converted from NWN2. Is this a bad idea? Would such dramatically impact the game or cause any issues? Has anyone done so before?

The furniture from NWN2 depends too much on its textures which look totally out of place in NWN1. Other than that I don't see any problems with it because the engine can handle a few extra polygons in the interior tilesets which are relatively low-poly compared to external tilesets.
If I like some of the NWN2 furniture I usually recreate the model completely so it looks similar, but is actually a different model.
               
               

               

                     Modifié par Zwerkules, 23 novembre 2012 - 01:08 .