Flag Mod V0.01
 

Downloaded the patch, and was struck by how easy it would be to replace the somewhat anonymous flags that the game provides with somewhat more descriptive Versions.

I poked around a bit, experimented with writing the name of the race on the flags, and decided that it just didn't look good.

This Mod is my first attempt at replacing a few of the races' banners. I did Ermor, Pangaea and Abysia... simply because those were easy enough to come up with on the fly.

I plan to do the others whenever I get around to it. Comments and most especially constructive criticism would be welcomed: are they too small, too large, too wacky?

Re: Flag Mod V0.01
 

The Ermor flag is just about the right size. I like it quite a bit better than the normal Ermorian flag (I don't particularly like big purple or blue or red blotches with ugly pleats in it on the map).

The Abyssian flag needs to be toned down or made a little less 'vibrant' or the edges more blendable.

The Pangaea flag is too big and by big I mean tall. It doesn't fit in the Messages field very well. It's kind of vibrant (like the Abyssian) I think it would be better a little toned down.

Note: I looked at them singularly and having an empire of about 15 provinces on each to try to see if it created eye strain. Only problem I really had are with what I noted above. I played on Aran and The Desert Eye. As I like that visual flavor of map more than say, The Sundering. I'm of the same opinion when looking at it on "World War" too.

Re: Flag Mod V0.01
 

Good-looking art! I'm eagerly awaiting other nations ...

Re: Flag Mod V0.01
 

One thing I might suggest, though I don't know if the majority of players feel the same way. Is some sort of standard or contrast background for the image. Like a Shield for a Coat of Arms, or a Standard, or something similar.

Put all your images on the back of shields, or on waving standards, mostly for the contrast against the background.

Re: Flag Mod V0.01
 

Putting some symbols on shields would be easy enough. The downside to that is a loss of "useful area". The flags are 32 pixels wide by 64 high, and of course the 32 width is the real limiting factor.

The Ermor skull just barely fits and retains some semblance of "skulldom". If you figure a shield or banner has to have three or four pixels on a side as "border", then you end up with about 26 or so pixels to play around with. You can do a lot with that, but you have to get a bit more stylized.

On the bright side, it means that the creation of the banners goes much more quickly.

Re: Flag Mod V0.01
 

Having played with bit-editing it might help to realize that the text doesnt really have to be clear. Just a few pixels in the right places will give the impression of the letters. Enough to be recognizeable if someone knows the names he is looking for anyway.

This is a difficult thing to actually edit but you can get close by shrinking text and seeing that it is still understandable even if it would be really ugly in a zoomed-in view. Trying different fonts and sizing can help.

Re: Flag Mod V0.01
 

I think:

I like Abysia.
Ermor is OK, but I prefer a flag.
I don't like Pangaea much, and it is too big.
Overall it gives a different feel than playing with flags - "wacky", as you put it.

Either embossing all the images on shields or adding them to flags would be nice. For Pangaea, a larger flag than the normal one, draped with ivy, would be interesting... at least for Carrion Woods. For Ermor, the skull you made mounted on their flag would look good. I don't know... something about JUST a skull rather than a skull on a flag or a skull on a shield makes it seem more "gamey" and less like a strategic map of warring nations.

Re: Flag Mod V0.01
 

OK, I went with a different tack this time. Try:

Version 0.02

This Version has a white shield with a vaguely appropriate (I hope) symbol. I think this looks decent, but rather than a symbol on a common white shield, the shield color (and shape) should be varied to give it more instant recognition. I suspect that the white shields will tend to blur together after a while.

True gaming geeks will recognize the majority of the symbols as old Warhammer 40K symbols. Ironically, I used a 40K font I created 12 years back. Oh, the great wheel turns...

Re: Flag Mod V0.01
 

Ah yes, much better. You might want to choose a base color for each race for their shield, so there isn't any confusion based on static colors (what you are looking at in big maps).

I like the shields much better than the flags.

Edit:

Few notes http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Heh, Arco is Texas!

Pythium's seems a little blocky. It's a good symbol for them IMO (as they have some of the best 'channelers').

Marginon symbol is the Eye of Isis? Maybe you could switch this with Arco (as I believe Arco is lumped into the macedonia area). Is there a Frenchish, or perhaps Inquisitorial symbol you have floating around somewhere? Guillotine, Crossiant?

Pangaea Steers or Queers?! Is it some sort of dragon head? Or a bull? If the round part on the end is the ring, maybe if you colored it different it would be easier to tell.

R'lyeh. I don't know what that is. I'm sure all the Lovecraft zealots would like to know http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif Perhaps a suggestion of would be either something cosmic or something tentacley.

Mictlan. Mictlan is fairly straightforward in it's comparison (South American people, Aztec, etc). Most of them worshipped the sun, perhaps if something to do with the sun, bloody would be appropriate.


My personal Favorites in V 0.2 are Abysia and C'tis.

Note: I'm trying to be constructive here, if you don't feel that way, I apologize http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif I really am trying.

[ January 13, 2004, 04:13: Message edited by: Zen ]

Re: Flag Mod V0.01
 

No offense taken, I appreciate the comments.

For background, I am fairly new to the game and am still trying to figure out what race is based on what. Since I whipped v2 out in just a few hours it's more of a tech demo than anything else - I chose symbols based on what I had available and what the race's basic description said. Suggestions on icons to use or corrections to my assumptions on themes are appreciated.

I agree that varying the shield colors (and shapes!) would go a long way to improving them. I'll post an update in a few days based on folk's comments.

If I don't get sucked into another game...

Re: Flag Mod V0.01
 

The Warhammer 40K does Dominions effect is pretty funny!

Some of the icons work well, and I think this would be an improvement over the default if the shield pattern were culturally appropriate (e.g. round shields for Vanheim), and you had some sort of wood or metal background rather than white.

Or perhaps go back to something like the default banners, but with some design on them beyond just a solid color.

Re: Flag Mod V0.01
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">White is nice because it stands out and lets you very quickly see who's in control of what. If you must color the shields, please use the same colors the game uses for that nation's score graph. Of course, a colored background may make an ugly hash when you put an icon over it. Some colors just do not complement others well at all. Personally, white is good enough, and a safe choice. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon6.gif

Re: Flag Mod V0.01
 

Ulm. They traditionally use that dark blue color that is on their standard. Also if you look at their units they have a cresent moon on their shields (which they only use the block shaped Tower shields). You might want to go on a variation of that.

Abysia. Red, Yellow, Black are all central colors in the Abysian units. Their starting site is the "Smouldercone" which is a volcano. So maybe something with that too.

Atlantis. Dark Blue, Aquamarine, and Coral (Pink) are common colors for atlantis. Most of their shields are "Turtle Shell Shield" maybe you can make their look like a turtle shell in some way.

Pythium. Varying colors of green. They also do alot with serpents and swamps. Perhaps making their shield snaky shaped is appropriate. (I don't like the purple of their standard)

Man. Green, Blue. Alot of association with forests and Avalon.

C'tis. Varying colors of green. I liked the symbol you had for C'tis. But they are lizards, so lizardy stuff. (If you want you can look at the Lizard Lord, where he got his bright orange jumpsuit)

Arco. They have no real prominant color. Also most of their units look rather drab ;P. It seems to be more of a society where women hold more importance, as well of course as the stars.

Caelum. Light blue, blue and white. They are the winged race. Something with wings on it would suffice or something to do with ice/cold.

Ermor. Black, Purple etc. Death and despair, et all. Just picking from the variety of symbols availiable for them is hard enough I imagine.

Marginon. Red, Orange, Black. Inquisitors and fire. Could use a classic French Coat of Arms for this and it would be semi-appropriate. Or something to do with the Chalice.

Pangaea. Green, brown, nature colors, maybe their shield could be woodish, or something else 'natural'.

Machaka. Brown, Red, Orange, Black. Spiders are of course preference here http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: Flag Mod V0.01
 

A couple of the shields are a bit undistinctive:

Arco. Looks like the Dallas Cowboys.
Marignon. What is it? Looks like a leaky faucet.
Mictlan is Black Power? I would've though Machaka if anyone. A hand holding up a still-beating heart, or something with feathers, might be better... Gory, but thematic for Aztecs.
Man: I don't like the skull. Why not an embossed paladin, with a prominant jousting lance?
Pythium. Does NOT make me think Pythium. A hydra or leigonairre's helmet might work...
I like all the others.

Now, for the background shields:

Abysia: A yellow flame on a red shield, or the current flame on a coal-black shield, would be good.

Atlantis: Add some seaweed. A sea-blue background with green seaweed and a trident (gleaming gold?) would look nice. I'm unsure of the trident color, though.

Machaka: Make the shield orange.

Caelum: Maybe a white wing on a blue background, with snow falling? Little fuzzy white circles would suffice for snow. Hmmm... but red seems very un-Caelean.

Ulm: I like it, but maybe... Ulm Dark Blue anvil, Ulm Dark Blue steel for the hammer, and orangey sparks at the contact point? Or else light gray stuff on an Ulm Dark Blue shield...

Overall, I like these a lot! So feel free to toss my suggestions=) But one thing I suggest you NOT ignore:

Put all your icons, and your readme, in a subfolder, so the only additions to the mod folder are your subfolder and the dm file. therwise it gets cluttered, and readmes overwrite each other.

-Cherry

Edit: If you change shield shapes, I suppose it should be obvious which goes with what=) But some nations have no shields. So... Again, for Ermor... maybe no shield, but just a tattered, decaying flag? And Man, I think, would look better with a kite than round shield, if it had a paladin emblem.

[ January 14, 2004, 04:37: Message edited by: Saber Cherry ]

Re: Flag Mod V0.01
 

Imagine a Nataraja with a cowboy hat, chaps, 4 six shooters and a toothpick in her teeth. A John Wayne accent and a drawl saying ... "I'm the Sherrif 'round these parts"

Cracks me up every time I look at Arco.

Or Alternatively thinking of all the units wearing Dallas Cowboy helmets and a "Hut hut hut hut hut" in the background every battle.

[ January 14, 2004, 21:26: Message edited by: Zen ]

Re: Flag Mod V0.01
 

After a somewhat lengthy wait, I present my Flag Mod v2.0. This time with actual flags.

This time, I actually submitted it to Illwinter too... it's almost like I'm getting organized in my old age.

Here you go

Re: Flag Mod V0.01
 

They're freakin' amazin'! Making a good game look better. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Re: Flag Mod V0.01
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I agree! I've updated my site's files page to host this latest incarnation of the mod. You've out-done yourself, and superbly!