Wildlands Tileset Expansion

[Legacy_Nevercallmebyname]

               The two games are just built so vastly different that conversions look like conversions even when you havent played NWN2. I think that maybe the only way to do this perfectly would actualy be to make a new model in the NWN1 style that resembles the NWN2 version rather than actualy doing a conversion.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Pstemarie]

               

Nevercallmebyname wrote...

The two games are just built so vastly different that conversions look like conversions even when you havent played NWN2. I think that maybe the only way to do this perfectly would actualy be to make a new model in the NWN1 style that resembles the NWN2 version rather than actualy doing a conversion.

So you're essentially saying that models for NWN1 should look more like the lower poly count stuff that is already available and less like the high-poly count stuff found in games like NWN2?
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Lord Sullivan]

               

Pstemarie wrote...

Nevercallmebyname wrote...

The two games are just built so vastly different that conversions look like conversions even when you havent played NWN2. I think that maybe the only way to do this perfectly would actualy be to make a new model in the NWN1 style that resembles the NWN2 version rather than actualy doing a conversion.

So you're essentially saying that models for NWN1 should look more like the lower poly count stuff that is already available and less like the high-poly count stuff found in games like NWN2?

No, he/she is saying that the NWN2 stuff looks gay and does not fit in Neverwinter nights. '>
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_NWN_baba yaga]

               the best example i can think of is NWNCQ and the countless mixmatch of the cep. If you have 10 placeables with the same dull wood texture from bioware (and not even textured but just thrown onto the model...) and than 1 bed from NWN2 in the environment of NWNCQ + the old school piniochio npc´s and a PQ critter all together in one scene it´s what i call total chaos.  

I cant bring myself playing a module where I encounter this optical confusion;)

But to defend nwn2 stuff they textured everything at least with the unwrap method.
               
               

               

                     Modifié par NWN_baba yaga, 02 août 2013 - 06:45 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy__six]

               S/he's most likely referring to the stylistic contrast between the hard, sharp shapes of the Wildlands buildings (by extension, the rest of NWN1) and the smoother, more organic looking styled shapes (roofs in particular) from the NWN2 buildings. The original Wildlands buildings are the style they are for a few reasons: I wasn't a particularly confident modeler, I'd already included some 1.69 assets that I didn't want to contrast too much with, and I also wanted to rework some standard content to give the buildings terrain some structure - which also wouldn't fit with a smoother style.

So in short, instead of smooth and organic, I deliberately went for a wonky and unnatural look with less polygons.

But! If folks want to mix the two and can get it looking reasonable (it looks reasonable to me) then that's cool, and the more use they can get out of the set the better. I'm not able to go expanding the set myself any time soon so anything that enhances or adds to it is cool. Considering the ramshackle nature of the buildings to start with, 'out of place' probably fits right in.
               
               

               

                     Modifié par _six, 02 août 2013 - 07:40 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_Nevercallmebyname]

               Yeah, you're right. If some people like this converted look then who am I to try and deprive them of it. There's a lot of other things I would have done with this that probably dont even need to be done.
I saw a couple of times in there mention that the style of the converted building wat the intended style of the whole tileset and start thinking "What if the style of the building was coppied out into other elements of the tyleset?" So instead of converting the object to fit in make more objects that stand out in the same way thus blending the building in? But I'll leave it alone now. I made a big global issue out of a pet peeve and... yeah.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Pstemarie]

               Don't know that it was a global issue. Never be afraid to offer criticism - its the vehicle that has made so many of us the skilled modelers we are today. Everything has room for improvement. Just make sure when you critique something that any criticism is explained to the point that it enhances the conversation.
               
               

               

                     Modifié par Pstemarie, 03 août 2013 - 12:10 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_Killmonger]

               There is an old saying:    

"Through continued diversity; stability."

Keep up the good work....
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_henesua]

                I've been on vacation and not had time to work on this, but regardless I've reworked the models and textures towards the wildlands feel. Here's a first stab until I get back to my desk and have at this properly.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_henesua]

               

I beleive that I'm getting close on the colors, but starting to wonder if these textures just won't be able to fully bridge the gap with wildlands and I'll need to texture from scratch (which I would prefer not to do as it takes me a very long time to produce a decent texture). Still... the siding is obviously tiled which irritates me.

What do you think? Am I even close? Or is it wishful thinking on my part born from staring too long?

Here's a photo which shows the siding on the building

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Bard Simpson]

               I, for one, think you're doing well, henesua. I've always loved Wildlands and think this should be some wonderful new material to add to it. Thanks for all your hard work!
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Rolo Kipp]

               <tilting his head...>

I like the weathered look far more than the more vibrant edition up the page. But I do wonder if rotating the texture 90 to make it traditional clapboard siding (new-england style) would allow you to hide the seams that bother you (and not me, so much :-) 

Edit: Also, the use of transparent splotch planes over the lower walls, perhaps mixed with "drip-pattern" water damage splotches running down from the eaves, would break up the pattern.

You'd also be able to offset the mapping if you break up the faces of the walls to allow you to uvw wrap seperately.

<...to the siding>
               
               

               

                     Modifié par Rolo Kipp, 11 août 2013 - 03:53 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_henesua]

                Well I ... uh ...  circled back to a more vibrant look as you can see in these pictures. I didn't like the white spots. And I wanted the color of the walls to close the gap with the color of the deck (which is a TNO texture and so won't be changing).

Anyhow this is where the textures stand as I set to work on fixing the models. These models need some work - especially if I am to get the roof to fade.

[edit] Once all that is done, I can look at the fancy details like splotches etc... BUT I'm thinking it would be good to get a sheen on those walls. Any guidance I can get on alphas and TXI's for reflection is appreciated.






               
               

               

                     Modifié par henesua, 11 août 2013 - 04:18 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_NWN_baba yaga]

               a sheen on the bottom of the wood walls sounds good. You can do it using the wood wall texture leaving only the extreme highlights from it as a grey scale image and use these as the alpha.
So it´s basically a specular map to keep the woods structure. Add blending additive to the txi file. I´m not sure how transcluent images that work as a detail only behave with a reflection.

EDIT:
one other way for a better effect is to create an animated texture out of it. 4 frames with different lit hightlights that looks random, than use a slow FPS. This creates a random shimmering hightlight along the bottom of the wall. And fade out the whole upper level like gradiant. Here´s an example:



right are the 4 animated frames for the shimmering detail using the wood structure as the base.
               
               

               

                     Modifié par NWN_baba yaga, 12 août 2013 - 05:12 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_henesua]

               Thanks, Baba. As far as animating a texture goes I don't know how to do that. Howzit work?

I've completely redone one of the large dock house's 6 tiles and retextured. The following is a screenshot from Cheetah3D:


The next screenshots will be taken from in game.

I'm getting ready to go on another trip though, so I don't know when I will complete this. We'll see if I can complete it around my other tasks in the next few days.