Hard Light Productions Forums
Hosted Projects - FS2 Required => Blue Planet => Topic started by: The E on February 10, 2014, 02:50:20 pm
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As you guys know, UEF Frigates all carry elaborate Nameplates. Now, For the next release, there's going to be a few new Frigates that haven't entered the field yet, and they too want their shiny stuff.
Now, as I rate myself a bad artist at best, I decided to outsource these. Here are the specs:
-Each nameplate is a 1024x256 png with transparent background.
-The font used is called "Gunship", and is available here: http://www.dafont.com/gunship.font
Here are the ship names:
FG2103 Ridwan
FG2104 Hebrides
FG2105 Vallis Marineris
FG2106 Bradbury
FG2107 Tigris
FA2308 Hesperia
FG2110 Ultima
FG3106 Ardent
Ridwan and Hebrides, Vallis Marineris and Bradbury, Tigris and Hesperia are all part of the same FrigRons. Feel free to use similarly themed designs for them, similar to how the Indus/Yangtze designs were similar to each other.
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Do you require shinemaps, glowmaps, and normals as well?
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Looking through the files, it seems like you have one for the Ridwan.
Also how do you usually deal with long names like the Vallis Marineris? Just make the font smaller?
edit: dekker: nope, a single transparent image with no wear effects. Look in the bp files for stuff like "akula.dds" edit2: bp2-visuals1.vp edit3: spelling
edit4: So I did the text of all of them, leaving a 128x256 area for the logo (in most cases this can be as big as necessary but 256x256 would crowd a few names). For the Vallis I kept the size ratio of name:number about the same. Need some inspiration for the logos... maybe give some backstory about each ship, if it's available?
(http://i.imgur.com/1Uq5sMR.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/HA59jsg.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/05x9829.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/aSuSjGL.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/QmZbDol.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/KplCYc3.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/LlC6S0h.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/1QJ92jx.png)
edit5: the vallis marineris looks a bit weird so I did an alternate one (http://i.imgur.com/JCn2ysO.png) :7
edit6: lulz (http://i.imgur.com/SFXkFVb.png)
edit7: is vallis marineris supposed to be valles marineris (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valles_Marineris)
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For comparison's sake these were done a while back, but I expect others are able to make much better ones!
(http://i.imgur.com/1TsoL0o.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/dfChRoX.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/BaqZQ2Y.jpg)
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oh christ that hebrides image
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How exactly would you go about creating an image for the Vallis one? a scar in a red circle?
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What about the actual outline of the Vallis upon Mars?
Edit: Never mind just looked it up. That thing is bloody huge^^
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On it.
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Hebrides, may touch it up a bit more. Will continue on the rest tomorrow. But just to give an idea. It's based on the flag of the outer Hebrides islands. Second one with the islands depicted. Third with tighter waves.
(http://s23.postimg.org/djjgrnf3f/hebrides.png)
(http://s29.postimg.org/90lypsdev/hebrides.png)
(http://s16.postimg.org/e6nphnkgl/hebrides3.png)
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HI SARA
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wb sara!
I'm sure everyone's noticed but I ****ed up the Hesperia template 'cause I'm dumb - change it to "FA" if you use it!
I made a crappy attempt at the Valathil Vallis Marineris:
I plonked mars next to the name oh god I'm so not lazy
(http://i.imgur.com/lUoKkZ2.png)
Oh my god I figured out how to use the posterize effect (not sure about colors here it kinda sucks)
(http://i.imgur.com/YzhQCHG.png)
I kinda thought about using mars for the Bradbury as well but that's just because I only really know him for the martian chronicles because I'm not well-read (and Fahrenheit 451 obvs)
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I kinda thought about using mars for the Bradbury as well but that's just because I only really know him for the martian chronicles because I'm not well-read (and Fahrenheit 451 obvs)
Just draw a bunch of other ships falling over and assume it's named after that other famous Bradbury. (http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Bradbury_(speed_skater)). :D
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You know if you wanted something subtle, you could try a Mars rover instead--NASA did name the Curiosity landing site Bradbury Landing, so that's also a thing.
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Or take a stylised shipdyard for Bradbury :D
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The Martian Chronicles was my first thought for Bradbury too; I'm thinking you could take this (http://www.joblo.com/images_arrownews/martian_chronicles_2.jpg) cover art and maybe doll it up a bit to better fit the style of an ident?
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Use the Fahrenheit 451 cover with the guy on fire.
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I am really **** at art but the Vallis Marineris one could work as just the outline of the geological structure itself.
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I'm working on a thing for the Hesperia. Because I have a knack for putting way too much work into certain things, it'll take me a few more days to poast.
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Well, "a few days" wound up meaning "almost two weeks". What can I do?
I can offer my attempt at a passable emblem:
(http://i1102.photobucket.com/albums/g449/Ironcitadel99/hesperia.png)
Before anybody starts poking holes in my meager art skills, I'll address what I see as the main issues:
1) Obviously I didn't nail down the transparency 100%. That's easy to fix.
2) I'm not sure how to address her skirt near the bottom of the frame.
3) And most importantly, I don't have a lot of experience with digital coloration. I *might* be able to produce better colors given some time, or I might just make a pig's ear of it.
What you see doesn't need to be the absolute final product, I'm more looking for validation of the design ethos in its own right.
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Me gusta.
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One nitpick: It's "FA 2308", not "FG 2308"
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One nitpick: It's "FA 2308", not "FG 2308"
Ah, I see now. I had grabbed the nameplate from the "empty" template, which has "FG 2308". Easy enough to fix in future work.
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I don't know if this was posted publically already, but just for future reference, here's the scheme used for ship registry numbers:
Each ship has a registry nnumber made up of two components: Category designation and hull number. Categories are as follows:
PB - Patrol boat
CA - Cruiser
FG - Frigate/General Purpose
FA - Frigate/Assault
FX - Frigate/Experimental
DD - Destroyer
DX - Destroyer/Experimental
Hull numbers are four-digit numbers. They follow the following rules:
1 - First digit is fleet number
2 - Second digit is class-dependant. PBs get a 0, CAs a 1, FGs a 2, and FAs a 3. FX ships use a 2 or 3, depending on role.
3 - Two-digit number assigned according to placement within the Fleet. This can change over the course of a ship's lifetime, as reassignments may happen.
DDs, due to their status as fleet flagships, use their fleet number as their hull number.
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Wait what qualifies as DX? Sanctuary?
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I'll leave you to your own conclusions.
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(http://i1102.photobucket.com/albums/g449/Ironcitadel99/hesperia.png)
2) I'm not sure how to address her skirt near the bottom of the frame.
I can't speak for the BP team, but I actually quite like the idea here Beer (definitely give some shading if possible, even if it means handing over to a second person; shading adds so much to any pic IMO, but as you say this is just proof of concept). I was going to mention for 2) I've sometimes felt gradient 'fade-outs' as opposed to solid lines in situations like that (where something is going out of shot) looks nicer, and would be easily added with a layer, but then again that might just be me so go when you get your official response (from BP dudes) go with them.
But yeah, a decent job I vote :yes:. Same for Sara and Shivan Hunter; well chosen pics. Definitely prefer original to posterised version in case of SHs but then again pic will likely be over the top of hull texture and under light so I can't be sure of final look.
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I'll leave you to your own conclusions.
I recon an experimental destroyer that rips through subspace with quantum pulses and materializes shivan reinforcements where needed. Plus, it houses the best coffee making machines.
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T-man: thx! It was very low-effort since I was working on class stuff at the time, I might revisit it especially if I get ideas for any other nameplates.
also yeah I screwed up the FG on that one ship, didn't see the "FA" in the OP.
I'll leave you to your own conclusions.
hmm! It's my guess that it's a temporary designation, possibly when the capabilities of a ship are still being field tested, so it used to apply to the Karuna and (more recently) Narayana. May apply to Byrne's secret project if it involves a new ship.
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It's my guess that it's a temporary designation, possibly when the capabilities of a ship are still being field tested, so it used to apply to the Karuna and (more recently) Narayana.
You think the Karuna and Narayana used to be classified as experimental destroyers? :P
While it is possible that the DX designation could apply to something of Byrne's, I think swashmebuckle hit the most likely usage; the Sanctuary probably counts as an experimental destroyer.
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There's an FX designation as well :P
And the Sanctuary is definitely something that doesn't really fit into the usual UEF fleet doctrine (hell, I don't know how capable in the Sol theater it even is; they were living off scraps and salvage, while the UEF has been actively developing using the resources and infrastructure in Sol), but I don't think that would give it the "experimental" designation unless they're retrofitting it and re-testing its effectiveness. Which they could very well be, I suppose.
Does the UEF use any old Orion-class destroyers in fleets? What are their designations?
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Does the UEF use any old Orion-class destroyers in fleets? What are their designations?
Nope, that question has been asked before and the answer was no.
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I would expect that whatever the DX ship is, it isn't just an effort to build a more powerful combatant. It would be pretty out of character for this story if the UEF rolled out a kickass supercap just before the big battle. I want something that can warp between dimensions at will or house an advanced ETAK/Nagari thing or be a meson suicide fireship or a supernova trigger that pulls down the Vishnans' underpants. I'm guessing it's the Lucifer and it can do all of those things, but only if Laporte blows up the one she loves.
Or maybe it's just the Carthage, and the experiment is "will it blend?"
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In a secret base in Sol
Admiral Byrne
Muragan
And then...
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In a secret base,
DX waits for the battle,
Suddenly, chaos.
~Haiku by Axem
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I presumed the Toutatis accounted for DX what with its XBOX HUEG mass drivers etc. but maybe there's something more to it.
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Since it is kind of an open question, I should probably pipe up.
I am willing to let some other, more capable artist perform shading on my initial Hesperia emblem. Were I more talented/experienced, I'd do it myself, but I've learned to recognize my limitations.
Anybody who wants to take a crack at shading my version of the Hesperia emblem, get my attention somehow. I can pass along the original working .psd file for the Prospective Artist's use.
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Adding my bit to the thread:
(http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r306/SypheDeath/0zwejpx7.png) (http://s147.photobucket.com/user/SypheDeath/media/0zwejpx7.png.html)
I used the golden apple as the art for Hesperia. I had the Yangtze and the Indus be the basis for my inspiration (I really wanted the apple to be a white outline, but then the meaning would have gotten lost.)
I'm looking forward to seeing better attempts at the nameplate arts by others like Iron Beer and Sara. I'm not very happy with mine, but I'm hoping it's a decent start.