@Xetirox: Wha... do you made that armors??? By the way, great duel!!!

Thanks. No, I didn't make the armors. The Dunmer's is wearing Ice Armor (from Bloodmoon) from Ghogiel's Armory, and the Argonian is wearing Kelryn's Phoenix Equipment.

@Xetirox: A Mastermind! You don't see many of those character these days! Well done!

Thanks! Had this guy on reserve for a while, and had the idea for this image for a long time.

Xetirox

Post #22: Really cool picture, I love the reflection in the orb.

Suggestions/questions/answers to questions: How did you get that effect in the orb?

Thanks. As for how I accomplished it, well, that's a bit of a long process in Photoshop. First, we started with the basic screenshot, after a bit of cropping. WIP 0.

1).First, I took this screenshot of mine into Photoshop, cut out a circle of the character, and shrunk small enough to fit within the crystal ball. WIP 1.

2).I decreased the opacity of the layer to 50%, and partially erased the edges with an eraser at 75% opacity to give it a faded effect. WIP 2.

3). Then, I copied the crystal ball, and pasted it in place in a layer above the separate image, and decreased its opacity by 50%, making the image in the ball even more faint, and to give the reflections of light greater power, and intensity, so that they looked as if they were on the surface, and the image was within the crystal. WIP 3.

4). Then, afterward, pulled my usual trick of merging all the layers together and made an adjustment layer, set as a partially transparent Overlay. Usually, I set it at 50%, but this time, it was at 85% to get some more radical-looking lighting changes. Then, I used a partially transparent paintbrush to paint the character, the table, the ball, and throne white, and the rest black, to give an eerie look to the whole thing, as if he's sitting in darkness with only a single glow to light the place up. WIP 4.

5). Then, after merging all those together, I altered the brightness and contrast, giving it a crimson glow, making the light and image really stand out on the ball, and giving it a very sinister-looking crimson light to the entire pic. FINAL IMAGE.

Groo: They might be reposts, but they're new to me (damn you, month-long hiatus! ). The dude has some interesting gear on (I'm really digging the mask), as well as some interesting living arrangements.

Radicus: Now isn't she a haughty thing? The glasses and the expression give that impression anyway, and gives her a very neat appearance. And the blue sunset does look nice, gives the scene a very surreal and alien appearance.

Shadow': Some very pretty characters, and some awesome-looking swords as well. Zero's my favorite you got there, especially with the sunset shot, very pretty. Aiyla's Distant Fire pic is also good; it's an interesting scene, and I think her flaming sword adds a neat touch to it. Did she cause the fire? Nice action shots too, the Dremora impaling is cool; I like how the cold colors of the sword contrast with all the hot colors in the pic, makes it look more heroic. Her expression in the last one is good, looks sad, and the pose of her dead friend is good. Could have done a better job on the blood, though.

Greatfool1: Naughty, naughty, a slight shift with the camera, and you wouldn't be able to use the IMG tags. ~_^ That dude's got some mad tats, though. Too bad for him the red-head didn't appear interested in a ménage à trois.

Floydian1: Excellent lighting in this pic here, especially on the sword, very bright (and it's a wicked weapon in its own right)! And the Balrog looks flippin' cool standing against that starry backdrop; the starry blue heavens give an interesting contrast against his fiery, demonic hide.

Soul Slayer: Mmmm, got a good barbeque going there, and a nice view over here. I like how the reflections of the mountains turned out on the water.

Darziak: Cool sequence of shots. The impaling one is good, his positioning appears authentic, and looks like he was really caught unawares (though the blood could use some work), and I like his falling position. Any specific tricks you did pulling that off?

Rogue Sun: That's...all I can say about this. It's yet another beautiful shot of yours! The angle is good, the nebula is captivating, the sense of depth is spot on (the moon appears considerably closer to us that the nebula), and the glowing star in the corner is the cherry on top to a most excellent composition of the night sky. I would certainly be enjoying it as much as the lass there certainly is.

Highpressure: Ah, the pieces of the sky we can see here is lovely, she better be enjoying it. As for the re-textures, they're looking good so far. The transparencies look spot-on, and the flowery patterns in the lace are very detailed and intricate, especially on the legs. Really like the asymmetry the patterns have going on on them.

Ghinnyfizz: Heh, Deceiving Armor is a fitting name for it; they call it armor, but it hardly protects anything. ^_~

Von Stahlriven: Lil'ith, very fitting name for her, her pose and expression give an air of seduction. Hmm, I'm looking at it, and I'm getting kind of creeped out; her eyes seems to follow you...

Hoo boy...SCOOP, work, flights, relatives, computer problems, packing, Berserk, plasma TVs, school, somewhere amidst all of this, Oblivion screenshots got lost. But regardless, I'm back, for now.

Opposing forces. Argonian versus Dunmer. Fire versus Ice. Vlad versus Cyrus.


Adam Surp, the Mastermind

Woot! new animations! (and these ones aren't idle animations )
http://www.tessource...le.php?id=12722

Those are absolutely brilliant, and will make for some great photo ops! Man, first meshes and textures, now someone's been able to do better animations than Bethesda!

@ Xetirox - Nope! No FPS hit at all, its quite efficient (Streamline helps)!

DAMN, that's hot! Wish my computer didn't suck so much.

The Arrowhead (Togari-ya): Glad you like it, but that's funny, cus that one's on the top of my fixit list. Karimata-ya is the forked one. everyone over at the Akavir Mod likes that one

Huh. Well, never have liked the popular stuff, they piss me off so much ! Well, good luck fixing it.

And has anyone seen Xetirox? I'm beginning to feel a bit - well, I always say guilt is a useless emotion, but a bit - concerned. I didn't mean for SCOOP to take him away entirely!

You put on my neck the Brand of Sacrifi...er, I mean the Authorship of SCOOP, damning me to an eternity of sifting through screenshots in order to complete your evil plan to out-comment me, and then regret it? Grrrrrr! Well, in any case, I'm back, for the time being, and ready to comment. I'm quite surprised, this thread seemed to move slower than the previous ones. Oh well, without further ado...

Chiglet: Ah, with those Dremora dudes, least some of the ladies here now have something to oggle, especially after everything Soul Slayer just posted .

Karandras: Thanks for your comment, looks like I succeeded in making a super-evil Argonian (and finally found a reason to post shots of him). Too bad that a new mod came out that drastically alters Argonian facial structures, so I'll have to see how he looks with that. As for you... ugh, hate it when shots get overwritten, it's especially problematic when your game gets crash-prone. Oh well, good luck replacing them. The ass-kicking shot is cool in any case, and the diving one was really slick. As for your story, it's interesting, but seems to be hampered down by a lot of grammatical errors. The smoking chaos in this shot totally rocks, and I like how relaxed she looks on the roof amongst it all. What a despicable lass.

Floydian1: Excellent display of spell effects, I especially like the dragon here, his cold colors stand out well against the hotter ones of the background. This one has some good anticipation, though it would have been better if this one came after it, as it provides a cool follow-up. And this is a really beautiful portrait, very interesting way of displaying it in Oblivion.

Soul Slayer: Uh, looks like you and Sable have been...busy lately. The new animations are quite...interesting as well. Actually, that somersault dance was pretty cool. And the arrow-riddled corpse was really funny, and I like how it's slumped over the chest. Don't tell me she died protecting it.

Hector the Hooded: The number of fighting enemies is really amazing! Was it bogging down your system real bad though?

Ryu Doppler: Got some more great views as usual! Especially the stormy sky, and Skyrim one. Very gloomy. The action shots are neat too, especially the view through the door, and the face-to-face one. This cloudy sky is quite a view.

Rogue Sun: Awesome sequence of pics! Like the elves' formations and how uniformed they all are. And how'd you get all the arrows on screen. Are they photoshopped? And this is a truly majestic shot!

Alexander Wolf: Even if he's not using a katana, those are still some convincing Samurai pics. The duel behind the screen is stylish, just the kind of thing you expect to see in a Samurai flick. I like this guy too, a lot of his poses (don't tell me there's another new pose mod) have a laid-back feeling to them. Nice atmosphere here.

Darziak: Nice ensemble of characters here (especially the horse, the horse kicks ass). The traveling group pics are neat as well, what a wildly varied troop of characters. I like how that little guy (just...who and what is he anyway) is at point as well, it's a nice touch.

Cosmic-Banana: Samael looks really cool, kinda' like a goth barbarian. Night Meditation is really pretty too, has a beautiful nigt sky, and has a peaceful atmosphere.

Spike 4072: I like this chick, though I have a real weakness for dark angel type characters.

oldmanpoo: Wicked cool group shot! Great variety of unique-looking characters, and the sword up front (with that unnerving eye) is the cherry on top and sets the whole thing up!

VanQa: That's a lovely Auroran. The sleeping pic is great, especially how she's using her gauntlets as a makeshift pillow. Adds some character to the shot.

JazzJR: Always enjoy your Khajiit screens, especially these pirate pics. This shot is fun, the ships in the foreground and one in the background seem to give an impression of a fleet.

Flucidity: Now those are some neat-lookin' arrows! This one's my favorite. And this is one ****ing detailed tattoo! Awesome job!

When you face Vlad Thirsts-Blood...




...There is no such thing as mercy!

These might be the last comments for a while, before I'm swallowed by the Vortex of Souls...er, I mean, the donations of SCOOP.

Highpressure: Sexy-looking mask there, goes well with her, uh..."clothes." Like the look of this chick's face as well, very slender and cocky.

Treetop Smoker: She's got a really good face, very calm and composed.

Alexander Wolf: Now this is a cute image, and just what you'd expect a fairy to do: relax on the water admiring the flowers. The perspective is nice, gives a good view of her of her amiable face, and I like the flowers in her hair. Ditto for this shot, excellent pose.

Darziak: Hmmm, now this looks familiar...alright, kidding, not accusing you of anything! The pic carries its own distinctive style, the dark background really make the flames jump out and glow.

Spike4072: Awesome views, her choice of perch is unique as well, and the glowing katana is boss. Snow has an uncharacteristic arrogant look here (or is it her evil sister? ), though it is kind of funny as well. The Flaming Minotaur looks pretty cool, very demonic.

Zombie216: The new eyes are amazing! The light reflection adds a touch of photorealism to them, and enhances the character greatly. And her expression in that shot is awesome, carries a sultry, haughty, and detached personality.

Floydian1: Is that Sia? The new hair looks pretty good on her. Not quite as wild-looking as before, but the more well-trimmed appearance gives a more...sinister-looking quality to her. That carries out in this earlier one, though oddly, the other one looks innocent. Hmmm...aside from that, the goblin action shots rock, especially the victory pose (), and the water rat looks very cool. And I like the angle here, shows off her hands very well, both the elaborate jewelry and the flames. The glowing eyes are wicked as well. Don't wanna mess with her!

Flucidity: Gorgeous-looking kimonos! And this shot is awesome, very perky, mischievous, and seductive-looking. And the sunset here is beautiful as well, and you chose a good kimono to go with it.

Soul Slayer: Oooh, love the window pic, the angle and pose of the character give a contemplative look to the whole thing, something you don't expect in that kind of stormy weather. And I like the shot in the bushes as well, very alert-looking.

JazzJR: These two shots go very well together. I like his pose, helps add character and authenticity to the scene, and the floating corpse is awesome.

Milera: Hey, welcome! She's a cutie, has an energetic pose.

Rogue Sun: The high kick is awesome, added some spice to the slew of karate kicks we've seen. Dynamic, and the angle the guard is bent at is perfect! And the Inferno shot is ****ing sweet! The fiery light glowing on her makes her look really evil! The view here is beautiful as well, carries the melancholy atmosphere of dusk very well.

Yorkmaster: We have a distinct lack of Orc shots. Very sad, but it makes yours all the more welcome. He looks cool with the bloodshot eyes.

VanQa: Nice compilation of shots. Shows a couple of different sides to her personality, and the view of the statue in the middle is neat.

Windwalker: Interesting character there, kinda' reminds me of Beatrix from FFIX. Has a very devious look here, and you did a good job portraying her twisted nature here; a toast to decaying corpses!

Grimbot: The group shot rocks, shows the diverse nature of this merry band of adventurers! Pretty photogenic location as well, got a nice view of the mountains peeking over the trees, and a waterfall to boot!

Prometheus: That's BEAUTIFUL! Brilliant pose! Brilliant lighting! Very desolate environment, and the clothes are very fitting! and the typeface/logo...wow! Can't wait for the mod to come out!

Finally got the latest issue of Berserk! It's beautiful! Though poor Guts is lookin' even worse for wear. Enough off-topic banter for the time being, let's git down to commentin!'

Soul Slayer: The Orrery looks quite splendid, and you may just have saved some people a couple a bucks.

VanQa: Well, regardless what the situation in the shot is, it's good regardless. I like the way the lighting plays on the characters, helps add a suspenseful mood (that has just been broken a couple of frames ago ^_~).

Floydian1: The spell effects are awesome, and the church makes a good target; long way to fall, and lots of things to bounce off of. And those are some very stylish rings and bracelets she's got on.

Highpressure: The view of the mountains outside the walls is good; they seem to shimmer in the horizon. Like where your character is perched as well, though I have to wonder if she's feeling a little cold...

Karandras: There is no such thing as too much blood. and maybe posting pics ugly characters would be fun...

Leomorg: Those are some seriously awesome pics! The first shot is very slick and stylish, and this one is very intense; the characters' poses, clothes, weather, and weapon all set a very specific theme and mood wonderfully. And no, they are not too dark, the lighting is fitting, the details are not lost, and gloominess prevails throughout them. Excellent work!

Rogue Sun: We have another winner! Love the editing you've done on it, looks very gritty, and the character is really creepy looking.

Treetop Smoker: Now that's an elegant-looking lass. The face looks good, and the earrings are very pretty.

Shadow': Very stylish screens! The environment, in all its simplicity, is very nice-looking and unnerving with how blank the "sky" of the Void looks. The sword-clashing is nice as well. And the finisher was good. The flame effects are really cool, and the view here is pretty, especially the reflections on the water.

Spike4072: Regardless, what we see here is still interesting. The bigotry of Leyawin knows no bounds.

Chiglet: The night shot is cool, especially how the windows of the church glow from the inside. Gives an impression of some activity going on within in an otherwise empty night.

Best anime ever?? Kekko Kammen Can you say "muffication"? hehe, ok, so it's not the best anime out there, but it is damn fun.

Oh man...I wish I didn't know what you were talking about...I really wish I...

Dremora; proud, strong, stoic warriors, masters of warfare, and duty-bound by the highest code of honor. Too bad they don't always get to fall honorably...



Um, about the lightbulb, ah...Sheogorath did it! He put it in her head!

FLCL is the best anime ever. and im not a big anime watcher

That position is reserved by Berserk for me. Well, the manga anyway, the anime in retrospect is fairly mediocre. Still waiting for issue 286 to come...it's been SO LONG! Now, where was I? Oh yes, the comments. That's been too long as well.

Floydian1: No, no, no! You can't call her Meridia! There's already one and she's a goddess, and anyone remotely related to undead abominations like vampires not only makes things confusing, but ironic too! She looks pretty regardless, but not really evil, unless her fangs are bared (nice teef!). This shot is good, looks quite authentic. Nice collection of clock shots too, the clock tower is my favorite in the set.

Trollf: Now those are some impressive character shots there, one for each race. The Breton, Khajiit, Bosmer shots are my favorite of the bunch, very interesting looking characters (and cool spell effect).

Highpressure: The new textures are very good and have a lot of detail! Your fight scenes are awesome as well. The poses of the characters here turned out very nice and dynamic. And the shot here brought a wolfish grin and cackle to ease my sadistic mind. So much blood, so much gore, and some very satisfying death shots here and here as well.

Die 75: [SPOILER WARNINGS IN THE PICS] Got some nice drama going on in those shots, especially in the gate one. And this Paradise shot is superb, love all the thick vegetation you managed to capture in it!

Windwalker: You got some pretty badass shots here, especially this one, the pose and swords go together quite well and the red mood in the sky wraps it all up nicely. And the perspective here is awesome, and quite unique. Under-the-shoulder.

Soul Slayer: WOW! This sky shot is really well done! Very chaotic! And the city views are a lot of fun. The nude shots between Jasmine and Trevaia are tastefully done, as well, and look very beautiful, especially (NUDITY WARNING) here with the light on the water.

cyborgakadjmoose: Wow! She's come out really well in the end! She looks very pretty, but manages to maintain a classic Dunmer look with high cheekbones and fairly gaunt features. Only issue I personally have is that her eyes seem a bit too bright and orange, though it's really just my personal preference that Dark Elves have the more muted red (from rusty to blood-hued) eyes.

Yorkmaster: I have to agree, the night shot of the boat is really cool! The scene is also set up quite nicely, and tells a little story, with how she's peeking through the window. Nice job!

Axil: Got a cool view going on here. Don't know about the Dervish look (mostly 'cause I have no idea what Dervish looks like), but she looks pretty neat regardless, especially the helm.

Spike4072: Ha ha ha, Haruko has a lot of energy! She might wear the pixie out (impressive, considering how hard they have to beat those wings). The poses here are really good as well, very giddy and energetic looking. And man, Snow sure knows how to ruin the fun.

zombie216: Awesome action shots! This one is quite intense, with the skeletons crowding in the foreground, and the sword extending to the screen. The mist effects here are pretty good as well, brings some good atmosphere to the scene.

Ryu Doppler: The open wilderness shots are freaking amazing! By far the greatest view shot I've ever seen! So many trees, so much overgrown vegetation, so great a horizon! Aside from that, the barroom scene is very nice. The poses work very well in capturing the moment, and with the number of characters in it makes it very lively.

Chimera: Those two look like they make quite a team. and I wouldn't say there's anything wrong with green, though I think the golden hair suits her better.

Rumpleteasza: The Cloud Ruler Temple shot is good, the snow gives the image a very serene and melancholy feel. The fireside pic is very good as well, offering a similar feeling, but with a mixture of warmth instead. Very interesting contrast, and the two pictures go quite well together.

Darziak: Hit your buddies to increase their photogenic qualities, eh? I like the way you think. Anyway, the vampire pic is pretty cool, his expression is really wicked.

Chiglet: don't know what you don't like about her (or what your standards for Argonian aesthetics are), so I can't quite help you. I personally find them to be one of the easier races to make look cool (really should prepare some shots for mine). Maybe if you showed her from some alternate angles...

Silmuen: Thanks so much for your earlier comment. You've got some nice pics here yourself. All the light shining here is crazy (and SCOOPalicious)! and this is one of the most colorful action shots I've seen, the red tint gives a real autumn feel to the whole thing, and the mid-air stunts look cool.

Shadow': She's a sexy Dremora (not many of them around). I especially like how this shot came out; the pose and expression are great, and the stormy weather adds a nice touch. And the spell effects with the magic rune look really cool.

lravenwing: The backgrounds in those shots look really cool, and the action is nice, especially in the cross-bladed ones. And great job with the Force lighting!

Karandras: Glad to see you back. The poses in the swordfighting shots are excellently done, she looks damn skilled, especially this one. These latest pics made me laugh. The ride is just so random (and the goggle are a great touch). And those hearts around the guard are hilarious, though very creepy. He looks like the...angry lover type. And thanks for sharing the punk band pic, it's awesome. Definitely not something you expect from Oblivion!

Rogue Sun: [NUDITY WARNING] Calm Sea is very beautiful. The composition is fantastic, with the lovely-looking character up front, and the lighthouse standing in the background. Reminds me of a lot of artful photographs.

Hector the Hooded: Thanks for sharing the Dune shots, this mod is gonna' be big! Can't wait to ride on the new steed (horses are for the birds!), the skeleton is nicely constructed, and the architecture here is amazing!

Grimbot: Aaaagghh, you had to sneak in some pics and comments while I was commenting! Thanks for the comment, and regardless, your action shots are cool as always, with the poses of both characters here adding a lot of suspense, and the demonic light in the background really setting the dangerous mood. And the mass combat scene just kicks ass. Love all the dead satyr(?) bodies scattered all over the place, and the team closing in on that last one. He's toast!

Damn, I knew I missed something fun when I entered this latest gate!


Dremora Gives Cynn a Good Thwack On the Head or Why It's Important to Disable Player.look


Requiem For an Immortal

fyrefae: Amaretha looks pretty good in that, and the dark gear has an interesting contrast with her white face. The mosaic shot doesn't excite me too much, though; I'm too familiar with Photoshop filters.

Spike4072: Hoo boy, Haruko is now about to prove why she's not supposed to sneak off like that. Should be interesting regardless.

Floydian1: Oh man, this is just wicked! Demoness atop her Nightmare steed, galloping across the hellish plains of the Deadlands! Excellent theme going on there! Th shot of the deer is pretty nice as well, though the burnt-up tree and bandit camp in the background kind of stick out a little too much to me. And this is by far the most threatening thing a mudcrab has ever done! The flame effects look really cool here (though a more dynamic pose/expression would have added to the pic), and the sacrifice scene is great too.

Shadow': Okay, okay, just relax, breathe! There's an easy way to cure the sickness. All you need to do is open up your hate and let it flow into me. Okay now? Once again, you've demonstrated excellent posing skill between your characters, especially in this one: there's minimal clipping and she looks so giddy and happy. And the sunset is really gorgeous, the light on the water and glow in the sky makes it look like one of the best ones ever!

Soul Slayer: The rooftop view is very nice, looks like a beautiful day. The lens flare was put to good use here as well, and I like its position of just peeking over the ramparts.

Grimbot: I have to agree with Zombie, your shots always make me jealous ^_~. Always makes me want to upgrade my video card (can't, though...stupid laptop). The mass battle shots with the huge monster are really cool (as usual), and the characters really have some cool equipment (especially the bow! Is it one of Nico's stuff?). The other set of pics are funny too, like how he looks here (ouch!), and this shot would explain that strange scream I heard earlier; damn punk did a rip-n-run with his beard!

Highpressure: Thank you for your comments. Glad I surprised you. Anyways...Awesome! That would be a very unnerving sight to see her descend like that. Very eerie-looking character (and she kind of reminds me of Nocturnal). But this is a really good shot; atmospheric, dark. Evil emanates from it!

Treetop Smoker: The Hunter's Coat is really cool. I like how the high collar blocks out part of her face, makes her look dark and mysterious. And the hat and sword go surprisingly well with it.

A revised version of the Swingin' shot...


...And an outtake of the aftermath.

No time to relax! Gotta' catch up on the past few days and comment!

@lravenwing: Hey, welcome! No need to feel shy. Tallia's a beaut! The golden lighting in some of the shots (like here and here) makes for some pretty imagery. And this scenery makes for a great background.

@Spike4072: So...they're sisters...that last comment of mine is sure awkward...Anyway! I like Denesta, her dress, and her preferred hangout (a graveyard). Very goth-like.

@Rogue Sun: Beautiful! Emotional! Scenic! Is that a modded sky? Amazng! Brooding!

@Highpressure: Those are some really cool scenes, the Hunter's Coat is really neat. That, as well as the muted color schemes really add an air of mystery and mysticism to the pictures. And the pose here rocks. The vampiress shots are good too, I especially like the position and angle here; very seductive and menacing. This shot is very good too, very contemplative.

@Zombie216: The situation in the recent set of pics was pretty funny, especially this one. And the moon shots before that are really cool. The Frostcrag shots are really nice as well; the view is gorgeous and the mood set here is brilliant.

@Treetop Smoker: The teddy bear shots are cute, gives a very childish appearance to these otherwise mature-looking (as in being in their late teens) girls.

@Floydian1: Heh heh, nice teef. Got some great poses here and here, and I like the dude's smile. The dragon night shot is a sight to behold (that sky is very nice), as is this view of the sea!

@Shadow': Oblivion addicting? Tell me about it! Quite a peaceful scene here, by the way, captures the feeling of a cool foggy morning. As for your other shots, words ****ing leave me. The particle effects here are astounding, and the formation and look of the characters in the Dark Army is just...wow! Superb job!

@JazzJR: That's a very unique-looking Khajiit there. The bandana looks really neat on him. And I love the grittiness evident in this pic, seems to stand out among the others which show the brighter world outside of Oblivion.

@Soul Slayer: Ah, more erotic Oblivion goodness. The lighting is especially good in this shot, like how it plays on her wing.

@Ryu Doppler: About this one... That's all I can say. Besides that, the light shots are pretty, and this night shot in particular is ****ing amazing!

@Rumpleteasza: It is quite amazing what a few subtle changes in Photoshop can do. Great job with the editing here, and the lighting is beautiful.

@Flucidity: Nude pixels are bad pixels? Er, if you say so, but I beg to differ . Anyway, what's with the chair in the water? The original Actors in Charge and Madness mods include the sitting animations without having them appear (unlike what the new ones do).

@VanQa: Nice arrangement of shots. Gwen looks good, as usual, and the suit she's wearing looks cool.

@Fyrefae: Great scenery shots, especially in this one. Her pose and clothes are cool too.

@Karandras: The floiage pics aren't bad. The first one seems to obscure to see what she's spying on, but the second one is nice, especially how well she blends in thanks to the muted colors of her garbs.

@cyborgakadjmoose: Nice view, the setting sun over a cloudy sky gives it a very foreboding feel (and Korreen's cape only adds to that).

@Darziak: Excellent screens! This one is very atmospheric and creepy in some strange way, the scenery here is awesome (very bright, beautiful, and relaxed), and the helm in the foreground here is nice, especially how we can pick up the fine details in it.

@Rainer Fenixheart: This is a cool action shot, especially how close to the camera the sword is. That Khajiit is toast!

@Chiglet: Wonderful view! The gold reflecting on the water, the fading mountains in the distance, and the overhanging leaves make for a beautiful composition. If only you didn't have that console cursor in the corner...

Swingin' in!*


Reaching for the Sigil. Easy, right?


There's always something. Being a(n) (anti)hero can be frustrating.


Is this the end?


Or is it?




'Course, we know where this will be going...WHUMP!


*Oh man. After checking some new animations, I just realized there was one that could really look like he was swinging around. Guess I'll have to redo this one tomorrow. >_<

@Zombie216: After what happened last time, I can understand why she'd be a little pissed. Least she doesn't have any blood in her head.

@Highpressure: Oh man, seeing that chick in that hat is making Loreena McKennitt's version of The Highwayman play in my head, especially the one with her on horseback. Which is not a bad thing at all, really.

@Jackmix: You mean that's not an ingame pic? Rats, now I'm disappointed. Still, it's a cool picture, and it shows some great image editing talent!

@Rogue Sun: Somehow, I've become a fan of your shots veeeeery quickly! This would have been an excellent shot in its own right, thanks to its composition (the guard's helmet lying in the foreground away from his body is a fantastic touch), and the filter adds a gritty feel to the whole scene. Serenity (NUDITY WARNING) is quite beautiful as well, a really nice relaxing scene.

@Cosmic Banana: Karate kicks are quite commonplace now, though this one is really good. Managed to get a good pose on the kick-ee, adding some authenticity to the pic.

@Ryu Doppler: Very pretty night shots. Clear skies, crisp-looking (and a bit unnerving) moons, and even a bit of photographic look in this one. Like the dynamics you show between the characters (especially in this first one, they look like dependable partners). In case you're curious, I would say that the cropped Night Preparation shot is better than the wide version; aside from having sharper details (in the moons and characters), it also helps focus the scene on what's important (the wide version shows some unneccesary details, such as the longer tree trunk, that draw the eye away from the characters). Aaand this action shot is awesome (sooooooo much blood!). Sorry his trademark feather hat ain't so unique now.

@Floydian1: She knows style, alright. Like the lighting in the pic, and especially how her ring glows. So illustrious! And this is an interesting pic, how calm she looks amidst all this chaos around her! One would think she started the fire!

@Yorkmaster: Looks like she's slain an entire horde of bandits! Shame if she's where I think she is (Vilveren?), she's going to meet something worse than lowly bandits!

@Darziak: Interesting scenario. Like how you portray the spell effects in his hands, especially in this one. The way the light plays around looks fantastic! And the last panel was pretty funny.

@Shadowj: The Decap City shots brought a good chuckle over here. This one's my favorite, just because of the Redguard's pose; all friendly and amiable, even without a head!

@Spike4072: Sexy, though I'm guessing where this will be leading may not appropriate, even on this board.

@Die 75: The big meeting! Interesting how varied they look standing together, though that won't mean anything for the battle to come. One of my favorite moments in the game.

@Rumpleteasza: Very expressive, you did an excellent job illustrating the unease she's feeling. And the eye picture is wicked!

@Hector the Hooded: 'Bout time, can't wait to see where this goes. This fiery shot looks neat. A demonstration of power?

@Soul Slayer: Sable, eh? She looks good, among other things. Morose being one of them

@JazzJR: Now here's a moody shot. Neat perspective over his shoulder, and how well he blends in with the shadows, calm, collected, and cocky.

The Lock came! the Lock came! None have surviiiiiiiiived! But I will not be stopped!

@MystykStar: Lori's lookin' good. Something looks very wild about her.

@ghaleon1103: Welcome! Thanks for sharing. The goggles look good on her, she has a real retro-futuristic style to her with them and the gear she's wearing here. Neat.

@Treetop Smoker: You've got a cool action shot here. Like the different stances they're all in; with the Legionaires in the exact same ones, as if in formation, and the girls doing their own thing. Shows what different styles and backgrounds these characters have.

@Spike4072: Now that's just cool, there are so many potential screens to make with that cape! And the waterfall shots are very festive and relaxing, especially this one. Snow better watch out, though, her friend is looking like she wants a partner in her skinny dipping.

@Chimera: Good job with the posing here. Looks very cute. Some close-ups would have been nice, though.

@Karandras: Hmm, could use some better, closer shots of her face, but what I see looks good. Very tough, mature, and strong-looking.

@Soul Slayer: Good job with all the karate kicks. You showed those Conjurers what for! And I love the way the light reflects off of the water here, adds an oddly serene look to an otherwise actiony shot.

@Rumplesteasza: Thank you for your comments, and I'm glad you enjoyed my story. I was hoping to emphasize what a powerful and dangerous object the Oghma Infinium is, and what may happen when someone "reads" it, imagining it as something far more spectacular than the game could portray ("Open it up, and increase my Intelligence, Willpower, and Conjuration by 10? That was easy!"). I am curious about the one you mentioned and how similar it is to mine. Would you be willing to share it (if only I can bang my head on the wall in frustration at failing to come up with an original idea )? As for your stuff, there's lot of excellent atmosphere in your shots, especially in this one! Like how the harsh flames seem to add a silhouette effect to the characters, adds dramatic tension. And the pics of her taking the Sigil Stone are awe-inspiring, how the fires engulf her (like here, this one's a keeper)! and the ones that follow are great too, the amber lighting and clear skies give an impression of the calm after the storm, and weariness of heroism. Great job with the hair as well!

@Highpressure: Thank you for your comments. I'm glad I was able to immerse you in Cynn's journey. As for your pics, the mid-air acrobatic combat ones are tight! Don't even want to know what you had to go through to get those positions just right.

@Die 75: The lighting in these latest shots is fantastic, illustrates the nature of the beasts he's fighting very well. I like his expression in this shot, and this pic is very tense. I can imagine seeing them charging down that narrow corridor, apearing in a sea of red from the shadows.

@Floydian1: Wow, she's got some slick dance moves. Those all make a very neat set when put together. And as many have already mentioned, she's wearing some cool stuff here!

@Zombie216: Fool, you should have kept Azura out of danger! The goddess of the same name is a very vain one, and would pull every stop to get rid of this poser!

Well, I've had this shot for a while...

Where can I get one?

Normally, you wouldn't need to. You can change the encoding in your browser (in Firefox and I believe IE, anyway) by going to View -> Character Encoding, and switching to one that might support Japanese characters, such as Japanese and Unicode.

Course, it may not be a problem with you encoding, but the font you're using. You could try getting a Japanese font. You might be able to find both over here.

Yea, major changes to the face didn't turn up anything better so its back to the drawing board for this character I think from now on I'm gonna try to avoid taking pictures at night when its hard to see because i always forget in a screenshot its even harder to see. that whole series was quite lacking actually so I guess oblivion needing a reinstall was a blessing

Thanks for the comments. As for your shots, don't get too discouraged about night time ones. For screen-shooting purposes, I usually carry around some rings enchanted with Light and put them on when needed, and I hear positive things about the Droppable Lit Torches mod.

There should definitely be a single player mode, and I wouldn't mind if there was a multiplayer mode too. Playing with friends would be a very different experience. Especially if people started getting so into it that they began to roleplay as well! Can you imagine how crazy it would get with Floydian, Treetop Smoker, Luchaire, Soul_Slayer, High Pressure, SeV, Shadow', Spike4072, Greatfool, Kalia, Hector the Hooded, JazzJR, Karandras, Rumpleteasza, DIE 75, Xetirox, Me(Ryu), Yorkmaster, Zombie216, Rainer Fenixhart, Cosmic-Banana, Alexander Wolf, Kimory, and anyone else I missed all in the same game at the same time!!!???

I think you got everyone. It...might actually be pretty fun for all of us to be playing together, but unfortunately, the only way I can even envision it being possible is in an MMORPG format, which isn't so fun to me. A fighting minigame where you can take your pimped out avatar and duke it out with others online would be a fun little novelty, but there wold need to be more to it than that to make it a worthwhile feature. And I would personally prefer that Bethesda keeps the focus on the single player aspect, which still has a lot of rough spots, and plenty of room for improvement.

snip

I can understand that point of view, but one thing I never liked about Morrowind's plot was that it never once even tried to motivate you in continuing on with the main quest. You're pushed into completing the prophesy of the main quest just for the sake of...completing the prophesy. But I wanted to know why I would want to do all these tasks. Who is Dagoth Ur? What are his plans and why must he be stopped? What kind of danger does he pose to Vvardenfell, to Morrowind, to Tamriel, or to me? The only clues you have that things are taking a turn for the worst are just numerous pieces of exposition. There's a rumor going around that Dreamers are attacking people on the road. You never actually see such attacks. There's a rumor that the Ghostfence is weakening and blighted creatures are passing through. Throughout the entire plot, however, the Ghostfence remains quite steady. And the worst culprit of all happens after completing the Third Trial. A bounty is placed on your head, and you're warned to stay away from Ordinators. It's only flavor text, really, since Ordinators leave you alone, and no one tries to claim the bounty. Morrowind was just so annoyingly static.

Oblivion, though weak in the immersiveness andworld building side of things, and lacking political intrigue, gave plenty of reason about why the main quest must be done. A city is destroyed, gates to Oblivion begin to appear, Mythic Dawn agents drop their undercover disguises and attack you publicly. The danger in Oblivion was real, and the situation worsens the further into the plot you delve. Oblivion succeeds where Morrowind fails because is does not tell, it shows. Its main weakness, is, yes, it does rush you into things, and never really gives you a reprieve to go off and do your own thing; every step of it is urgent, and I can understand how that can be annoying to some people.

But the two ways to advance a plot to an open-ended game, from "slow-moving-explore-at-your-own-pace" to "imminent-danger-requires-immediate-action" do not need to be mutually-exclusive. The story can start out with things seemingly fine and dandy in the world at large as they were in Morrowind, where the plot can unfold at your own pace realistically, if at all. However, I feel there does need to come a point where things go to hell, and you will be required (plotwise, doesn't need to be gameplay-wise) to take decisive action.

NVM, got it!


But...All I see is Question Marks! I can't translate!

You're probably using a character encoding that doesn't support those characters.

Anyway...

@Highpressure: Those are some sexy pictures, I especially like that snake ornament she's wearing on her leg, goes very wel with her tattoo.

@Soul Slayer: Those are some pretty images, goes well with the previous set. The poses are excellent in the third one, you've even avoided a lot of clipping. Good job!

@Floydian1: Aw, the one where she's laying on her side is cute. Looks so sad and despondent. Did someone just whack her out of the air? Anyway, the fighting shots are cool. The jumping attack in particular came out well (that's an awesome pose!).

@Karandras: The nose...was waaaaay off! Seriously, Barbra Streisand now has someone she can pick on. Good thing you fixed it. Aside from that, interesting perspective. Brings some new life to classic assassination pics, from the perspective of the killer (or where she's unseen). This one's neat, it takes a while to register what's going on, which is what I imagine is happening with that guard dude. As for the second set, a lot of them are pretty dark. The moon one's really good though, and the scaling poses look authentic.

@Trollf: Niiice!. Though I think maybe making the past "positions" of the character slightly transparent would make it look better, to make it appear more like one character doing everything, and not three of them.

@Yorkmaster: Sorry to see that. Dremora have such infuriating facial structure. Seems like Bethesda did some weird $#!% to make them constantly scowling, and one little change in the wrong area (namely the brow), will make them look permanently mopey.

@Rumplesteasza: Ah...this brings a smile to my morbid mind. And you made a good choice in finding a door-opening position. Adds suspense to the picture. Too bad she and her partner are about to realize the real Deadlands party is inside the tower.

@Treetop Smoker: Great pics, especially this one! Great use of dress, equipment, architecture, and poses. Only thing she's missing is the makeup, and we'd have ourselves a nice little geisha!

@Darziak: About this pic... The scene, dialogue, and previous panels really helped build to a funny punchline image here.

It was done. It had taken much out of her over this past month, much blood, energy, and something else she could not quite put her finger on, but the task was completed. If the Mages? Guild found out what she did, she would be expelled. If the Blades found out, she would probably be executed. And if anyone else found, they would most likely shun her.

But what would Cyrus do if he found out?

Cynn felt the flesh around her left eye socket throb painfully, and she violently shook her head, killing that thought where it lay. It?s in the past. He can?t judge you for anything?not now?not anymore?

Atop her steed, she approached the path, a nearly forgotten road in the frozen northwestern reaches of Cyrodiil. After the bridge, it would be a constant trek uphill over icy cliffs, unsuitable for horses, even an undead one like Styx. She promptly dismounted, and passed under the archway. She took one last look at her horse.



?Stay,? she ordered firmly when it took the first few steps to follow her. Styx shook its head, the vertebrae in its neck making a distinctive creak noise. Cynn guessed that if it had nostrils and working vocal chords, it would be snorting in disappointment. But regardless, it complied, and stood still.

Satisfied, Cynn turned back to the road and began walking. She remembered from last time it was a long, strenuous hike, and un-holstered her staff. The snow was falling fast today, which reminded her of how cold it must be.



?Thank Meridia I remembered to buy these fur robes at Bruma,? she said, looking down on the garbs, and set off. It would be a day?s journey going up, and another to go down, and she would not be able to stop for long at any point. So she walked. Up long steep inclines, around winding cliff faces, and across ancient bridges, wet, decaying, and dangling thousands of feet in the air, seemingly ready to fall under the lightest of weights.



Hours passed. The snow did not let up, and the mountain seemed unending. Letting out slow, deep breaths, Cynn stepped off the road to a nearby cliff. Have I been going in circles? It doesn?t?feel like I?ve gone anywhere! She removed her hood and squinted her eye towards the horizon, hoping to see how high she was at this point. But all she could see was an endless blue mist enveloping the world outside the mountain.

Sighing in frustration, she returned to the road. But after a few steps, a jolt of pain shot up in her foot as it collided with something hard.

?Damn!? Cynn cursed, looking down at her stubbed toe with a winced expression?which suddenly turned to a beaming smile! ?The stairs! I?m almost there!?



She strode upon them, measuring her steps tentatively, making sure not to trip over them, or slip on the ice that coated their jagged surfaces. Soon enough, the stairs, the earth, and the snow melted away to give way to her destination: the shrine of Hermaeus Mora, the Woodland Man, Scryer of the Tides of Fate!



The trio of worshippers were still there. They turned to her with unreadable faces. ?You have returned,? the Khajiit said. ?I trust you have completed Lord Mora?s task?? Cynn nodded, and reached into her robe, but he just shook his head. ?Do not give it to me. Give it to Him. He specifically requested that you carry His will out.?

Cynn gulped, and trudged over to the statue. Enormous, formless, eerie. Framed against the harsh blinding snow, with its crab-like pincers turned to the heavens, Mora struck an ominous figure. She wasn?t sure why, really. Was it His inhuman appearance? The garbled echoes of His voice? The nature of His aspect and sphere (what little was known)?



No, there was something different about Him. The other Princes, I, in my, what is probably foolish, curiosity willingly worked for them, willingly, of my own accord. Did not matter what deed they asked, no matter how mundane or despicable it was, I?always did it, without question. But I did not actively seek Mora out, I didn?t even know He had worshippers here?but he specifically sought me.

And being under the close scrutiny of a god was perhaps reason enough to be frightened. But, there was nothing she could do. When a Prince asks you to do something, you have to do it.

And with that final though, Cynn pulled out the object from her robe, a great soul gem, larger than all others she had seen before. And raising her voice, hoping perhaps that Mora would hear, she bellowed:



?Here it is! Ten souls, of every sapient mortal who call themselves citizens of the Empire! Take it!?

The winds picked up, and the mountain trembled! Cynn struggled to maintain her balance, with the earth beneath her shaking, and the air blasting around her like a thousand loosened arrows! The gem took flight from her hands, soared into the misty blue heavens, and was swallowed up into the cascading sheets of snow! And the world all around, as if bourn of the low rumbling of the earth, and the high whining of the numbing winds, the voices of Hermaeus Mora spoke!

?I am pleased that you have done what I have asked! Take the tome of forbidden knowledge, the Oghma Infinium! Read it, learn about yourself!?

The world stopped shaking, the mountain stood still, and the howling winds died down. And in a faint whisper, a voice beguiled ?And find the answers you have sought!?

?What was that?? Cynn exclaimed, looking all around. Her eye fell on the Khajiit worshipper, who was looking quite pleased with her.

?A gift from Lord Mora!? he beamed ?A great boon! Do what He says, such a sacred gift must not be wasted!?

Cynn looked down. Someway, somehow, at some time, a book lay in her hands. I don?t recall this being here. How did?? She blinked and shook her head. Daedra never make sense. But perhaps he is right. Just what does lie in this book?



WHAT AM I?

Cynn did not remember ever opening the tome. She did not remember walking off that slope. She did not remember what had transpired between seeing the Oghma Infinium in her hands, and right now. But here she was, flying in a realm that looked vaguely like the sky at night, or what lie beyond the sky at night, or perhaps an interpretation of the sky at night. She flew through it, naked as the day she was born, with specks of light and clouds of mist of every conceivable color blaring and zooming all around her, mixing, streaking, stretching?

WARNING: NUDITY

WHAT IS MY PATH?

The skies wrapped around her and unfurled themselves once more! She felt her body halt, hovering in space. But the lights spun around her, not as one globe, but like a million wheels of fire, pouring, feeding, devouring, vanishing, growing, fading, expanding?

WARNING: MORE NUDITY

WHAT DO I SEEK?

She saw a man, who she may or may not have known, running through a blizzard, with only a faint red moon to light his way as the night itself chased after him hungry for his blood. She saw Cyrus, with shadows clinging to his gray skin as he walked through walls of fire with a trail of shapeless rendered corpses behind him. She saw Mehrunes Dagon towering victoriously over the ruins of the Imperial City. She saw a red-haired warlock in flame-tinted robes she never met, presiding over a mountain of sewn muscle, indescribable formless atrocities standing before him in ordered formation. And Cynn saw light, searing painful light, much like that which had sped by her, bursting from her chest as if it were a cocoon. It shined and sparkled, and numerous strands all spun around as spokes of a wheel?

WARNING: EVEN MORE NUDITY

?And Cynn awoke. Not in a starry sky, not in a bed, not in prison cell, but that lonely snow-covered mountain. She was still naked, though she did not feel the cold. Nor did she feel the numbness that normally follows. She felt?fine, as if she was dining in the Tiber Septim hotel, warm, safe, carefree.

WARNING: NUD-Oh, you get the point.

Something?s off. She looked at her arm. It was there, completely mobile, but its color had changed. What was once a fleshy pale was now white, white as the snow that surrounded her.

That?s?certainly odd. But not quite it.

Cynn looked over and saw the worshippers staring at her, looking impressed. The Khajiit in particular seemed to be in the middle of an uproarious prayer to his lord. Strangely, despite her nakedness, Cynn found she did not seem concerned, embarrassed, or shamed.



?What?happened?? she breathed lowly, unable to find her voice, or catch her breath.

?You have accessed forbidden knowledge,? the Khajiit replied. ?Knowledge not of this plane of existence. A piece of Lord Mora Himself. No one who reads into the Oghma Infinium ever comes out the same person.?

Cynn flexed her fingers, individually, balling her hands into fists, before bending her arm. No, that?s not it?

?Some are driven mad by the knowledge they have engulfed??

She shut her eyelids tightly, for a few seconds, then opened them again. That?s?something new. Is that what I?m??

??Some acquire new lines of thought they never knew they had possessed before, and new way to perceive their world??

Perceive? She turned her vision, without assistance from her neck, to her right. Seems normal enough?

??Some not only change the way they see the world, change how it sees them??

She looked to her left. It extended further out than it ever did from her memory. Since?Ten years ago. Yes, that?s it. That?s what I?m feeling. That explains it all?



??And some are even able to recover what they lost, perfected, through sheer willpower!?

@Rumpleteasza: Thanks for your comments. And damn, I didn't even notice the drawn ponytail in all of your pics. That must be a pain in the ass, but way to go! Anyway, the silhoetted object in the last pic is the Shrine of Hermaus Mora.

@Karandras: Thanks or your comments, and thanks for the links. Those robes should be very stylish. Oh and, uh, sorry about the gender mixup.

Alright, enough of that, time to comment on some pics!

@Soul Slayer: Heh, the fact that you've managed to make some fairly sexually explicit screens in Oblivion definitely shows you've got talent. Bah, they're not really that explicit, not enough to be pornographic anyway, much more soft and sensual, especially with the way the light plays on them. "Lovey." Beautiful in any case.

@Trollf: [Looks at Rumple's corpse. Decides to follow through and commit sepuku, but can't because his sword is too big]. Those shots are gorgeous! Atmospheric, moody...melancholy, especially in this, this, and this. The skeleton shot is really cool (and the skeleton looks really grumpy), and the Sepia pics came out really well.

@Die 75: This is gem. Love how the bleak, moody sky of Oblivion strongly contrasts with the glowing sword in his left hand, much like a beacon of hope.

@cyborgakadjmoose: Great to see Chandra in action! The wraith shots in particular are cool. Great posing in the first one, seems as if they both anticipated encountering each other.

@Floydian1: Those fairies are as cute as ever (though I imagine she must be feeling a draft), and their poses in the first shot are good. Really authentic-looking, like their getting ready for the shot.

@Spike 4072: The plot thickens! Looks like Snow is going to have her work cut out for her. I like the angle in this shot, classic for cinematic uses.

Hmmm...in vanilla Oblivion, I would say the best was Ultimate Heist. This was a fun dungeon romp, very lengthy, possessing great variety (vampire-infested sewers, to caverns full of undead, to Ayleid ruins with some hidden sentinals), and some neat puzzle elements. The goal was very interesting (), and the reward is one of the funnest items in the game.

With Shivering Isles, I would say that Cylarne was the best quest. Not only do you have a choice to make (side with the Saints or the Seducers), but you also have a lot of ways to go about it. You can have both sides duke it out evenly, trick them into a carefully arranged trap, or make it so that one side sneaks to the flame. And chances are, you may also get to join in on one of the most intense multi-character battles in the whole game!