Author Topic: Medals  (Read 20266 times)

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Offline mjn.mixael

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Wow! That get's an A+ from me!
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Offline Kolgena

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Will I get yelled at if I ask for an AO bake?

 

Offline Zacam

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Stick a fork in them, they're done.

And an AO bake? Why? I mean, I wouldn't mind seeing what one looks like, but...
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Offline Kolgena

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The medals themselves look very very CG. Some form of global illumination is the best way to get rid of that, I usually find.

(Also reflections off the shiny bits would be unbelievably badass, but probably not worth the effort :P)

 

Offline Lucika

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Lattest atempt.

(whinygitsaboutimagesbecausetheyusetinyscreens)
For comparison.
I quite like your Epsilon Pegasi medal, your Vasudan Imperium medal, your Nebula Star campaign medal (though the light is too bright from the lower right really), All the pins are perfect too, and your GTVA Legion of Honour (although the stars should probably be brighter)
Personally, though, your Meretorious Unit's star spokes are too thin at the edges, NTF Victory Campaign star looks kinda bland and again too brightly effected by the lighting, the reefs on the intel cross are a bit too small, and most importantly, the SoC Unit Crest is too 'primary colour' cartoony, which makes the previously best medal in retail right next to it - look the worst out of yours, the Service Medallion looks like it was designed by the person who designed big bird's looks, the Lion, although it LOOKs like it's more detailed; it's details are super-cartoony, and it's colour is off putting, if it was done right in that style it would still look bad, the coat of arms centre pieces are not meant to be on medals, and the base part of the medal looks like http://www.kaizenbonsai.com/shop/images/ct1004_spade.jpg <-- ...

So the good with the bad.

The Allied Defence Citation I'm not sure about, I'd like to see it closer up first, but it looks ok, kinda depends on if the galaxy-swirls are on the pins or not.
And I think I'd probably like the Order of the Galatea if it was a bit darker...
The Distinguished Flying Cross would also probably look fine without such highly contrasted colours because of the lighting..
« Last Edit: February 26, 2011, 03:17:08 pm by QuantumDelta »
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Offline Shade

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Pretty much agree with what QuantumDelta just said. I especially want to point out the SOC service medallion for some extra work, though: The lion just looks... wrong. It's supposed to look like it is made out of worked metal, and currently it looks like some paper decal glued on top. Additionally, the medal seems to have grown kinda fat - Using This Image as a reference, the original is like the '11' version and your new one is the '2'. Personally, I prefer the original slimmer look.

Besides that, one thing you don't seem to have worried about yet is having the medals sunk into appropriately-shaped slots in the surface, rather than just resting on top of it. I realize you've probably just decided to do that last, when the medals are all done, but thought I'd mention it just in case.

That said, overall excellent work on this, and I have no doubt that with a bit more effort you'll get them all just right :)
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Offline CAP1331

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Well... I posted all those WIP pics a while ago so that I would have all this kind of problems solved weeks ago, BEFORE I went on rendering these things. But I am a bit perfectionist so I will agree on some of those points.
0- It's a 1076x786 image 'cause that's all the game can handle. There are no bigger interface images, just stretched ones.
1- the SOC Medallion. I'll remake the shield in the SOC medallion, since too much people seams to have a problem with it. But I don't understand what kind of lion they would like. The original just looks like a standing baboon to me. I like the one I have, maybe it's not perfect, but I'm pretty sure it's the best I can do. It's a shield with a rampart lion on it. I doubt a real lion could get in that position. So, what kind of lion do you think it may be? Also, if it was a plain lion over the shield that would really look like a sticker but if you look at the previous pics you should see that it's not the case. It's the camera angle that makes it look like plain.
2- the SOC Unit Crest. I will desaturate the colors. That's easy.
3- the Meritorious Unit. It's a star. It should be pointy. But I'll see what I can do.
4- the NTF Victory Campaign. I'll make the Perseus darker. That should help, but there's not much more that I can do.
5- the Defense Citation. It has 4 golden swirls.
6- the infamous bevels around medals. I'll try to do them, but I've already stated that I don't like them very much.

Finally, I'll work on this for this week, but the next weekend I'll do the final renders and that's it.
I know that any change is problematic 'cause people like what they had or think that the new stuff could be better, so you can never make everybody happy. But I want people to consider that this is my work, and I will do it in a way that I'm happy with it. If anyone thinks they could do it better, just do it.
I hope I didn't step on anyone's toes, it's not my intention to offend anyone...

 

Offline Kolgena

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Your lion is not proportioned correctly (not meaning to be harsh, but it's kinda the case here) Look at the proportions in the head/neck, the lower torso, and the legs. It looks stretchy or blobby, and is what's making it appear more like a caricature rather than serious medal material. You don't want real-life lion proportions, but you could aim for something like these:


(Also, if there's supposed to be the lion's shadow somewhere in there, get rid of it).


Also, I think the bevels are best handled by normal maps. Modeling them in might be more difficult and more prone to look awkward.

 
Cap's lion much more resembles a lion you would see on a coat of arms, and in fact looks very similar to the two real-life images above. The one in game is more proportioned like a real lion.

 

Offline Kolgena

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I meant that in CAP's lion, one hind leg is much thicker than the other and are of different lengths, the head is the size of of one of the front paws, which are on limbs too short and wide compared to the hind limbs. Also, the way the torso, shoulders, and neck join together doesn't actually make any sense.

I think the best approach to remaking the lion (if at all) is to take a template similar to the one I posted and work on the details from there.

 

Offline CAP1331

  • 24
Here's the one I used as reference. I see what you mean, yours are slimmer. The one in the middle looks quite nice but it has no details, and my imagination and drawing skills are not good enougth to make a detailed thing from that.
Modelling the bevels will be easier than using a normal map 'cause there are bumps for medals to fit already modelled, but they're so tight that once the medals are on, they are unnoticeable. Making a 30° or 45° bevel from there is doable, but will take time. Fitting a normal map over the model will take longer and I think it won't fit as well.
I guess that a slimmer lion is doable, but it will take longer and will probably look as plain as this one. I may give it a try, depending on my available time.

[attachment deleted by ninja]

 

Offline SypheDMar

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Might wanna wait for the 70th Blue Lion's texture from HT first to do that one, though. Looks like a recolor in retail, anyway.

 

Offline CAP1331

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Hi guys!
If anyone wondered I'm still here but I've been having a lot of work in RL so there is no much progress to show. And all the magnificent work that's been going on here just made me try to make everything better.
Now, it may have took me too long to realise it but I've learned how to use VPVIEW (yes, I'm still a newbie :nervous:) and now I'm using the original VP images to get the medals the way they should be.
I haven't change the lion, but I'll think about it once I'm done with the rest now that I have a clear frontal view of it.
Here's what I've (re)done so far.

[attachment deleted by ninja]

 
*nods approvingly*
Especially the order of the galatea <3
"Neutrality means that you don't really care, cuz the struggle goes on even when you're not there: Blind and unaware."

"We still believe in all the things that we stood by before,
and after everything we've seen here maybe even more.
I know we're not the only ones, and we were not the first,
and unapologetically we'll stand behind each word."

 

Offline Kolgena

  • 211
Looking good/better!

 
Well, I like all the versions, just thought I would say. Also, I dont see the lion as a huge problem.
Fat people are harder to kidnap :ha:

 

Offline Ulala

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These are excellent. I agree on the Lion medal have a "thinner" feel, as I remember noticing that detail when I first played FS2. Keep up the fantastic work!
I am a revolutionary.

 

Offline CAP1331

  • 24
New update. Thanks for the approval so far. It's too late to work now so I'll leave the NTF Campaign Victory Star for later.

[attachment deleted by ninja]

 

Offline Kolgena

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I love how faithful you are to the original designs. Many many likes.