Mod: Community Sprites Update Mod v1.06

[Burnsaber]

Originally Posted by Globu

I imagine it won't conflict one way or another with Nova Deus, given that it's only changing sprites, correct?

Correct.

[Gregstrom]

Originally Posted by Globu

Succubus:
Yes, I recognize as much on the succubus. Again, sheer gratuity. You guys feel it's something that would be best left out or kept separate?

Why not just have a comment with each unit's name just above the entry modifying the unit sprite. Then people can comment out (or delete) any units where they prefer the vanilla sprite.

[Globu]

That seems to be the easiest way that introduces the least complications. In fact, that's likely to be the case with more sprites than just the succubus.


Diving into it Nova Deus, I found some judgment calls to be made. Some will probably be "clearly" preferable to most people, while others will likely be more a matter of finicky preference.

"Clearly," by my best estimation and opinion, the replacements for the following sprites contained in it are definite inclusions:

Arch Druid
Arch Mage
Crone
Freak Lord
Lord of Fertility
Sphinx

The ones that seem to me subject to more differing opinion -- *not* because they are "worse," but because they (a) involve a definite shift in thematic elements and/or flavor, or (b) because the original sprite is quite up to standards are:

The Dragons (red, blue, green, carrion) -- beautiful artwork, but definite change in flavor toward more fantastical dragons

Phoenix (The second form modded by the Nova Deus version would be on the definite list, I think, but vanilla only has one form, and thus we're only considering Zepath's et al.'s firstform -- the smaller, plain white heron. Where the gorgeous fiery phoenix of the second form isn't part of the deal, I know *I* still prefer the original over the little white heron, nice as it is.)

Earth Mother (Not sure -- maybe this goes in the definite list? Higher quality, but it does seem to be less reminiscent of the old fertility goddess idols.)

Vampire Queen (Very different feel, at least to me.)

Prince of Death (This one I have to confess looks very off somehow, while the original is quite decent. It seems to be a definite shift of theme in a different direction, but it may be that it just rubs me the wrong way.)

Moloch (Same base sprite as PoD, but works better. Otherwise same as PoD above.)

Lich and Master Lich (I personally prefer them, but they are *definitely* quite at variance with the originals in theme and style.)


I think that's all, though I may have missed one. I think the rest are all in the nature of additions rather than changes.


Thoughts? Other things to include?

Attached is a preview to get a sense of it. I didn't include vanilla action sprites in order to keep the image size down.

[Burnsaber]

Originally Posted by Gregstrom

Why not just have a comment with each unit's name just above the entry modifying the unit sprite. Then people can comment out (or delete) any units where they prefer the vanilla sprite.

On this vein, why just put them all in, but comment out those that seem a bit "undominions", then people can just replace a few marks to get the Zepath's dragons if they want to get those.

Because the mod would make only cosmetic changes, all players in a MP game could a widely different versions of the mod without any chances of hosting errors and the like. So you wouldn't have to fear incompactibility issues.

[linlin]

here is a try for the Ermor standard.. i'm not sure at all of the format needed, and the alpha thing.. so dont hesite to tell me if i need to change something, and to comment the sprite

[linlin]

maybe some time it will be possible..

[Globu]

Nice work, Lain. A bit different from the style of the other Ermorian units, but it does look pretty good.

Yeah, Dom3 seems to be a bit picky about the alpha, and displays those poorly, making them the typical dark "halo" around the sprite. The general convention here is based on the method used by Kristoffer O -- plain sprites with no alpha, using 0,0,0 as background transparency and, as you know, 255,0,255, for shadow.

(The game apparently can handle alpha transparency, but it's not really clear to me how it does it or how to properly take advantage of it, from what I've read. I'm still trying to figure it out.)

You may or may not know about it (you're clearly far more advanced in graphical artwork skill than I am -- I'm still most definitely a beginner), but, in case it happens to be helpful, a great short post giving some information about it can be found here.

[llamabeast]

I think none of the ones *not* on your list of definites should be included.

Additionally I don't like Zepath's crone, lord of fertility or sphinx.

When in doubt I think the vanilla sprite should be used. The unfamiliarity of a new sprite is only worthwhile when the new sprite is actually better.

Your enchantress is great.

[llamabeast]

Oh, actually I do like Zepath's dragons better than the originals. Though it's a pity their necks are so long.

I think I might like my dragons even more, but that's assuming I ever get round to finishing them.

[Sombre]

I honestly think few of those are actually better than the originals.

The kind of graphical improvement I'd really like to use would be one that attempted to clean up and sharpen up the graphics in the same style as KO has. Just making them less blocky and lowres, without adding too much detail or replacing them with a graphic that's basically taken from somewhere else (as many graphics are, though usually modified).