against or for custom portrait backgrounds

[henk brouwer]

The backgrounds don't go well with some of the games screens, especially during race selection and in screens such as the one for stellar manipulation. These screens aren't used often but somehow it bothers me.

I do like backgrounds on weapon platforms, and groundunits, which don't have the above issues. A well done background can give some idea of the sort of environment the race lives in (I did this for the United Flora). This is also true for the race portrait. I reworked some of the raceportraits to use backgrounds; a hightech background for the xiati, and organic-looking backgrounds for organic races. That, and good speech files can add a lot to the character of a race, and the atmosphere of the game. It somehow looks out of place when used on ships though.

Henk