[Visigothan]

Wow...That's ALOT of stained glass (?)...

Overall it looks OK, but I'd stick with walls made of stone more, and then the occasional gigantic glass window. But that's just my personal preference...

[Sharga]

Yes, stained glass does look a bit odd there, but remember this is no ordinary manor either. Its a "Mansion of Chaos" and things look a bit strange in some areas. On the second pic what you see in the back is water flowing up. What do you think of the pictures at the site?
Remember, these places aren't built just for the sake of making a picture, they're for people to wonder through. I'm thinking after this is finished I might create some setting just so I can take nice pictures of them and not for any actual game.

[Jezebel]

I've played around with mapping... lots of fun.

I've looked at the pictures on your site and I think the outside shots of the mansion are the best. Either way, I think it could use a little more detailing with the architecture though. Especially on the inside, just little things that stick out so the walls aren't so flat if that makes sense. Really good textures could help as well. Try and keep your textures more commonly colored I think, it creates more mood and connects everything together better that way I'm no level designer so I can't offer too much advice.

Here's a map that might help show you what I mean. One of the level designers for the mod team I'm with did it, it'll be released with the game. I did the textures. I really like this shot and I think our mapper did an excellent job





Looking nice... I definitely consider level design art. I like looking at new maps.

Beth

[h*sync]

As for the thief ones, hrmm. Coming from a past heavily influanced by level design (Half Life/CounterStrike) and texture design, I'd have to say that I don't really like them. There's a lot of simple mistakes that detract from the picture, such as misaligned textures and undetailed arcitechture. Even the lighting is pretty erred. I don't know what system Thief uses, but you'd probably want to tweak light bounces, so you don't get those unnatural pitch black shadows. Also, add some more detail such as trim around the floor and ceiling

[Impaler]

I did level design for 2 years. It is the hardest and most tedious 3D work you can EVER do. Each brush, hand-crafted to your satisfaction. It's like, carving the rock elephant inside of a rock elephant.

It's the zeitgeist of the game, and what makes the game fun.

mmm.

Sharga-- ditch Thief. The game, albeit fun and scary, is ugly and archaic. Go do some stuff in Quake 3: Arena or UT. You're on a good idea, though, Game Photography.

Jezebeth-- What game is that for? I remember your original thread with that picture, except that I forgot that it was you that did it and what game the mod was intended for. I dig the whole marble checkboard tile thing in that picture.

[Zidji]

ehhh... you should try some colored light sources..., meybe red or green...

*ok I'm drunk but WTF*

/ Zidji

[ June 09, 2001: Message edited by: Zidji ]

[Shaded]

Heyo Sharga, nice to see you hop in here from ttlg.

Keep it coming boi.

[h*sync]

Impaler: true dat, that's why I quit, totally unsatisfactory. I'm into 2D stuff right now, but if I ever went into 3D modeling, it would probably be a lot more enjoyable than level design, simply because you don't have to make a friggin layout that players enjoy.

Oh yeah and don't forget having visible sources of light, not just invisible brightness

[Sharga]

I'm new here and actually found this place from the "Wanna fight?" post about the rabbits. What I'm wondering is what you guys think towards 3d archetectural art. Right now I'm using the Thief� engine to create a mission and I really enjoy taking pictures of my work, or creating pictures from an official game. I usually take into consideration the placement of objects, lighting and angle of viewer.
A quick example of my type of pictures:


Note- I did a little touching up in photoshop since the game is rather dark.

To see more of my pictures go here: http://sharga.homestead.com/sharga.html

And I created some pictures for a thief play (starting at the bottom of act 5 and contuniung to the end) http://www.thief-thecircle.com/fanworks/oldquarter/5.asp
Some of them I created from scratch and some started with an official Thief mission as a base. Most of these weren't edited in photoshop so they may not appear as clearly.

Please tell me what you think,

Thank yas, �

[Sharga]

Thank you all very much for the replies.

Jezebel: (where'd you get the name btw?) Good points, its rather plain but to be honest the mission is so big I can't even change it anymore because it takes like an hour to portalize. As fof that picture...its suhhwwwwweeeeeeeeeet! And also, without a doubt, impossible for thief. (is it done with UT?)


h*sync- Thats as detailed as Thief 1 textures get...and thief 1 lighting is rather pathetic and not usually realistic.

Impaler- I hear ya bro! It's muy difficult. As for thief, its a damn fun game and no person should go without playing it...but after this mission I'm greatly limiting my use of its engine (just too much pain and sorrow, I've been working on this one mission for one and 3/4 years and its still not out becauseof the many bugs and other difficulties I've encountered.

Jidji- Colored lighting is impossible in Thief 1

Shaded (who I assume is Shades)- Thanks, good to see a familiar face

So...though Thief is fun to play it really isn't a good example for gaming pictures. Thief 2 has more detail and better lighting but is still greatly limited when compaired to UT's and Quake3's abilities. If I'm gonna make a map for picture's sake I'm deffinitely moving to something else.

I'm considering UT, since I had it for a while. Anyone know how to use the engine and where to get it? I'm sure its much easier than Thief (which is very complex). I'd like to know some more about it and if its easy to use. All the fan made maps I saw when I played were pretty crappy but I only saw about three so I hope there are some better ones out there.

Thanks again for comments, glad you like the idea.

�

[Jezebel]

Heya,

This is a mod for Quake 3.

Beth

[edit] Oh.. my name, hehe. I gotta look mean when I play Quake I guess, hehehe

Story from dictionary.com:

jezebel chaste, the daughter of Ethbaal, the king of the Zidonians, and the wife of Ahab, the king of Israel (1 Kings 16:31). This was the "first time that a king of Israel had allied himself by marriage with a heathen princess; and the alliance was in this case of a peculiarly disastrous kind. Jezebel has stamped her name on history as the representative of all that is designing, crafty, malicious, revengeful, and cruel. She is the first great instigator of persecution against the saints of God. Guided by no principle, restrained by no fear of either God or man, passionate in her attachment to her heathen worship, she spared no pains to maintain idolatry around her in all its splendour. Four hundred and fifty prophets ministered under her care to Baal, besides four hundred prophets of the groves [R.V., 'prophets of the Asherah'], which ate at her table (1 Kings 18:19). The idolatry, too, was of the most debased and sensual kind." Her conduct was in many respects very disastrous to the kingdom both of Israel and Judah (21:1-29). At length she came to an untimely end. As Jehu rode into the gates of Jezreel, she looked out at the window of the palace, and said, "Had Zimri peace, who slew his master?" He looked up and called to her chamberlains, who instantly threw her from the window, so that she was dashed in pieces on the street, and his horses trod her under their feet. She was immediately consumed by the dogs of the street (2 Kings 9:7-37), according to the word of Elijah the Tishbite (1 Kings 21:19). Her name afterwards came to be used as the synonym for a wicked woman (Rev. 2: 20). It may be noted that she is said to have been the grand-aunt of Dido, the founder of Carthage.[/edit]

[ June 10, 2001: Message edited by: Jezebel ]

[Sharga]

Yes, that's the person that came to mind when I read your name. One of the cruelest female figures I know, deffinitely something fitting for Quake

I like you're photography by the way, especially the Black and Whites...but that's a little off topic I suppose.

�