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Pretty?

Lumpy

Arcane
Joined
Sep 11, 2005
Messages
8,525
Vault Dweller said:
* too dark inside shadows
We were trying it for sneaky characters. It's actually pretty cool to literally hide in shadows vs pretending that you do. Anyway, since we are having problems with shadows anyway, I doubt we'd use dark shadows in the game.
:cool:
So we can expect Thief-y sneaking? Awesome.
 

serch

Magister
Joined
Mar 13, 2006
Messages
1,391
Location
Behind mistary, in front of conspirancy
Vault Dweller said:
serch said:
I like this one, Irontowerers:

ouroboros

PS: Tomorrow is Thursday.
That's the symbol of the "scientific" house. Besides, while it's a cool symbol, it's not something that could be associated with drawing power from other planes.

Perhaps not, but it could symbolize magic turning into matter or physical energy and viceversa. But I don't know if it would fit with your idea of that scenario you have shown us. I dare to say no, given the upper quote ;). I forgot to tell you it looks really good.

The fact that a faction use this symbol shouldn't be a problem. They could have picked it up from ancient knowledge, adapting its meaning to their own goals and motives.
 

The Dude

Liturgist
Joined
Mar 17, 2007
Messages
727
Location
An abandoned hurricane.
The pentagram looks nice, both artistically and from a graphical standpoint. I think it fits just fine too.

Encyclopedia Britannica said:
The number 5 was associated with the Babylonian goddess Ishtar and her Roman parallel, Venus, and the symbol for both was the five-pointed star, or pentagram.

So quit whining that it doesn't fit with the roman theme.

The temple also looks just fine. However, I'd rather have some kind of statue at the top of it, between the eagles. Or maybe that would be over the top, I dunno.
 

Jedi_Learner

Liturgist
Joined
Jun 11, 2007
Messages
894
Some of these comments are really dumb. We have one guy wanting you to change the colour of the pentagram because it reminds him of summoning Diablo, and another calling it blatantly generic. With these new screenshots Vault_Dweller someone is going to go, "Reminds me of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade! How unoriginal! It's been done ten thousand, six hundred and seventy nine times already! It sucks me out of the game!" Dear god, I want to post that picture of Picard.

Anyways, a close-up of the elevator in the top right of the inside screenshot was released about two months ago. I think they are the same, unless the elevator appears several times.

aodelevator01hu7.jpg
 

Elhoim

Iron Tower Studio
Developer
Joined
Oct 27, 2006
Messages
2,878
Location
San Isidro, Argentina
Fun fact: The first thing I think of when I see a pentagram is... Ultima 8.

Yeah, it happens to me too.

Anyways, a close-up of the elevator in the top right of the inside screenshot was released about two months ago. I think they are the same, unless the elevator appears several times.

Yeah, is the same, but I changed some things since then (the bricks and some other stuff)
 

Vault Dweller

Commissar, Red Star Studio
Developer
Joined
Jan 7, 2003
Messages
28,024
GhanBuriGhan said:
I love Petra, but this is amost al little too close to the real thing. ...emphasize the fantastic?
Well, the real thing is too damn awesome and fantastic to fuck with and try to make more fantastic. We've used some real life locations from that region like Petra, the Great Ziggurat of Ur, the tomb of Atreus, the temple of Kom-Ombo, etc.

Gosling said:
Awesome! Will it be posted on the Codex or some other gaming site?
Some other site. I don't post AoD articles at the Codex.

Lumpy said:
So we can expect Thief-y sneaking? Awesome.
I doubt that. I'm just trying to avoid dumb "I'm in the middle of the room, but I'm invisible" mechanics.

Jedi_Learner said:
Anyways, a close-up of the elevator in the top right of the inside screenshot was released about two months ago. I think they are the same, unless the elevator appears several times.
Yep, that's the place. I was going to be post an updated shot, but I guess there is no need now.
 

Gosling

Liturgist
Joined
Nov 4, 2006
Messages
467
Location
East of the Sun and West of the Moon
The temple looks nice. You could probably add some dents to the columns to make them look more ancient, but it's alright as it is.

And I second the idea of a statue on top. (I know that the original doesn't have it, but it somehow feels right :))

Another question: are you going to add frescoes and mosaics to your textures?
Half faded pieces of frescoes would look nice on walls. And floor mosaics (where they seem to fit contextually) always look cool.


Jedi_Learner said:
Dear god, I want to post that picture of Picard.
Insert it in your signature, smartass.
 

Vault Dweller

Commissar, Red Star Studio
Developer
Joined
Jan 7, 2003
Messages
28,024
Gosling said:
Another question: are you going to add frescoes and mosaics to your textures?
Half faded pieces of frescoes would look nice on walls. And floor mosaics (where they seem to fit contextually) always look cool.
Would surely be nice.
 

Jedi_Learner

Liturgist
Joined
Jun 11, 2007
Messages
894
Vault Dweller said:
Yep, that's the place. I was going to be post an updated shot, but I guess there is no need now.

Just do it anyway. Then we can all compare, nit-pick and then mock Elhoim. :wink:

Gosling said:
Insert it in your signature, smartass.

You can't put images in your signature, fool!
 

Naked Ninja

Arbiter
Joined
Oct 31, 2006
Messages
1,664
Location
South Africa
So saying "We've seen a specific symbol in a specific context 1000 times before, therefore when we see it the 1001th time it conjures up that same context" is dumb you say?

:lol:

You have much to learn about human psychology young padawan.
 

Jedi_Learner

Liturgist
Joined
Jun 11, 2007
Messages
894
Oh do shut up, and go update your Scars of War forum with new information, screenshots or something. :lol:
 

elander_

Arbiter
Joined
Oct 7, 2005
Messages
2,015
I'm not saying the pentagram is bad per se but why not trying something more original and unique.

The problem with the pentagram is that it means many different things in many different contexts. For the romans it's one thing, for the alchemists of the middle age another, for H.P.Lovecraft and the way he mixes alchemy and science it's another thing. It's not clear what idea the pentagram drawn on the floor is trying to pass because it is so much used already.

Is it a symbol used to summon a spirit or a daemon? Is it something used to conjure magic? Just simple decoration? The initial idea can be confusing. This is something you can avoid by using a completely original set of esoteric symbols and give some clues (dialog or lore) to help the player interpret the symbols and since you are mixing technology with magic H.P.Lovecraft would be a great reference. Specially the alchemy related stories and summonings.

Here's some links for esoteric sites explaining the most common symbols. Pick some weird ones change them a bit and there you have it. It useful to research a bit on this and know why these symbols were created and the cool ways in which they can be interpreted.

http://www.esotericarchives.com/gifs/gifs.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_symbols
http://www.meta-religion.com/Esoterism/ ... ymbols.htm
http://www.meta-religion.com/Esoterism/ ... ymbols.htm
http://www.symbols.net/wicca/
http://www.byzant.com/Mystical/Symbols/Default.aspx
http://www.google.com/Top/Society/Relig ... Alphabets/
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Lofts/276 ... abets.html
http://www.themystica.org/mystica/artic ... igils.html
 

Elhoim

Iron Tower Studio
Developer
Joined
Oct 27, 2006
Messages
2,878
Location
San Isidro, Argentina
Naked Ninja said:
So saying "We've seen a specific symbol in a specific context 1000 times before, therefore when we see it the 1001th time it conjures up that same context" is dumb you say?

:lol:

You have much to learn about human psychology young padawan.

Yep, it's true, but all people haven't seen it in the same context, and it doesn't bring up the same memories. For some people it reminds it of those gothics and darkies that pretended to be satanists, or the game Diablo, or Ultima VIII. When I see it, I think of the U8, when you summon the fire god...

Heh, slightly OT, I have a very graphical memory. Many times when I play an old game I remember what I was doing in the same scene many years ago...

Here is an updated shot of the elevator:

 

Naked Ninja

Arbiter
Joined
Oct 31, 2006
Messages
1,664
Location
South Africa
Looking good.

Quick question, I'm curious. You guys do all your interior environments in Max don't you? As in, dts models, not difs? How you you handle the collision surfaces, I thought torque was limited to about 8 or so convex collision shapes? Have you modified the engine or have they upped that limit since last I checked?
 

Sovard

Sovereign of CDS
Joined
Sep 2, 2004
Messages
920
Vault Dweller said:
elander_ said:
* use a different symbol than the pentagram, there plenty if exotic symbols you can find from wiki or google
What symbol should we use? I'm addressing this question to everyone.

A spiral or "labrynth" design would work well. It's one of the oldest symbols on the planet and it can carry all sorts of meanings.

I don't know, maybe just have this blob seeping from the ceiling and it sluicing down an aqueduct to power the bouncy castle portion of the spooky building.

I didn't get much sleep last night.
 

The Dude

Liturgist
Joined
Mar 17, 2007
Messages
727
Location
An abandoned hurricane.
If the pentagram necessarily has to be replaced: Since the symbol has an actual purpose (channeling the energy from the globe) why constrict yourselves by taking some mystic symbol from ancient times and make it fit? Just think of the purpose and come up with something that's appropriate. For example, a bowl in the floor with energy lines going through it in labyrinth patterns perhaps, or maybe something animated (rotating) resembling the mechanics of fusion reactors we often see in science fiction. Just examples, I'm sure you can think of much better.
 

Lumpy

Arcane
Joined
Sep 11, 2005
Messages
8,525
Vault Dweller said:
Lumpy said:
So we can expect Thief-y sneaking? Awesome.
I doubt that. I'm just trying to avoid dumb "I'm in the middle of the room, but I'm invisible" mechanics.
You can't really expect more from an RPG, but that's just as good. Sneaking is bland if you sneak equally well in a dark corridor and in plain daylight.
 

VonVentrue

Cipher
Patron
Joined
Jul 16, 2007
Messages
814
Location
HPCE
Divinity: Original Sin Wasteland 2
Vault Dweller said:

Heck yes! Wonderful work, I love the lighting.

And everyone, please stop complaining about this pentagram already. :?
It's very Ultima-esque, a subliminal message of sorts that brings back good memories. :cool:
 

fastpunk

Arbiter
Joined
Mar 31, 2007
Messages
1,798
Location
under the sun
I haven't seen any reflective surfaces in the game. Will AoD have reflections and stuff? How does water look?
 

Special_Can

Scholar
Joined
Apr 5, 2007
Messages
175
Vault Dweller said:
Notice the crude elevator in the upper right corner, machinery that control's the power flow in the lower right, and "secret doors" in the main chamber. The main chamber is trapped. There are (would be) bodies on the floor (teh looting time, if you can disarm the traps). If you can't see the hidden doors or don't know about them, you will have no choice but to assume that the passage has collapsed and turn back. If you can't operate the machinery, you can't get access to lower floors and eventually to the other side of the mountains, and will have to seek another way.


This is way more pretty then any screenshot. Awesome.
 

Elhoim

Iron Tower Studio
Developer
Joined
Oct 27, 2006
Messages
2,878
Location
San Isidro, Argentina
fastpunk said:
I haven't seen any reflective surfaces in the game. Will AoD have reflections and stuff? How does water look?

The current version of the engine does not support reflective surfaces. About water, it just looks like a waving surface covered by texture. No Bioshock-like water.
 

Claw

Erudite
Patron
Joined
Aug 7, 2004
Messages
3,777
Location
The center of my world.
Project: Eternity Divinity: Original Sin 2
Vault Dweller said:
What symbol should we use? I'm addressing this question to everyone.
A pentragram. It's relatively simple yet distinctive and creates a clear boundary. It fits extremely well in this location. If you really really want to change it, maybe use a heptagram. I fear anything more would be too busy visually.

I mean, those symbols elander_ linked to are nice and all, but none I've seen seemed appropriate for the location.
 

fastpunk

Arbiter
Joined
Mar 31, 2007
Messages
1,798
Location
under the sun
Elhoim said:
fastpunk said:
I haven't seen any reflective surfaces in the game. Will AoD have reflections and stuff? How does water look?

The current version of the engine does not support reflective surfaces. About water, it just looks like a waving surface covered by texture. No Bioshock-like water.

I wasn't expecting Bioshock water... don't even know how it looks cause I haven't played Bioshock. It was a general wondering, I just thought the engine supported reflection mapping.
 

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