264 replies to this topic

[Deathsangel]

These are just mind blowing.

On the miniquest; I agree with more outcomes. Heck I am to add outcomes to BG2 quests. I would like to point out that in Candlekeep there should be little people that would have poison or kill for money. After all, the two that try to kill the PC. They are exceptions as can be seen from the monks reaction if you tell the truth.

[Big Poppa]

Yeah, good ideas

A few more. I'm also doing 2 areas that I said I'd do for the classic adventures mod and deathsangel right now so again only small areas. A guest house and the infirmary. All areas with fires or rayburns have animations for such things. There is a cheap trick to making these with using the flickering shadow idea as supposed to actual flames but looks effective.

Edited by Big Poppa, 18 November 2007 - 05:01 AM.

[Jazhara7]

The grind stone sounds pretty cool actually. I might make an animation of one in use that is somehow crank operated as supposed to man power. I plan on having a watermill at some stage but not in the keep walls.

I'm glad I could be of service.


I have to correct myself, though. I called the stones "Grindstones", but the correct term is "Millstone". While you do indeed "grind" the corn, a grindstone is used for sharpening blades and the like. A millstone looks similar, but has some differences (like grooves so that the flour can fall out at the sides. Also, it's pretty difficult to balance keeping the stones close enough together to actually break the corn while not having them so close together that they will set the freshly ground flour afire [a spark or fire in a bakery or mill easily creates the worst case scenario for those environments: Dust explosions. That's why they have air filters in modern bakeries, to keep flour from floating in the air and thus reduce the possibility of a dust explosion.]). My mistake.



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[Miloch]

A few more. I'm also doing 2 areas that I said I'd do for the classic adventures mod and deathsangel right now so again only small areas.

Doh! I knew they'd rope you into doing custom areas! Don't do it!

Heh, j/k... but I think you're so close with this whole Candlekeep thing, you really should finish it. The new stuff looks good, but is it just me, or is it supposed to be really dark in there? Maybe you just need to turn your contrast/brightness settings up a notch when doing the screenshot (on your monitor it may look fine - hard to tell in screenshots sometimes).

Incidentally, when you say "rayburn" do you mean a forge, fireplace or something else? I guess I'm just not familiar with that term in common English.

I think the windmill would be really cool, somewhere outside the walls. If you do decide to do it maybe it'd look something like this?

And might look something like this on the inside, only less complicated:

[Big Poppa]

Yeah, the areas are kinda dark but they look fine when playing. All the above areas are lit by small wall candles so would be dark I guess and makes them feel more medievalish and part of the non electrical age. Also, some of the above shots have dark spots cos of the shadows cast by walls. The last guest house screen with the 2 fires for example has the whole right side darkened because of this. When I do the temple and tavern, they will be alot brighter because of grander lighting.
A rayburn is an old country house style metal central heating system that runs on wood, maybe coal etc. I just rendered something similar and ran some copper pipes around the beams as if they radiated the heat about.

The windmill looks cool, a good reference.
It will be even better if I can manage to animate the thing too


Here's a storehouse

Edited by Big Poppa, 19 November 2007 - 04:52 AM.

[Big Poppa]

A few more. Bathhouse and stream under the well

[Kaeloree]

They look fantastic!

Did you recieve my PM, Big Poppa? If not, I'll send another.

[Salk]

Very good job!

My only remarks to the beautiful Candlekeep map: I don't like the fountains. Perhaps because they seem too polished for one thing (no sign of age on them) and because their style doesn't fit at all with the rest of the architecture (in my opinion). Also, I believe there is something strange with the perspective of the windows of the Priest's house.

For all the rest, just "wow"...

Keep it up!

[Big Poppa]

The fountains are actually pretty aged when you get a closeup. They are not as messed up as the keep but certainly aint showroom material. As for the windows there, they are on a diagonal slant so...... I added a strange blue glow too that isn't very realistic but looked nice and a mit more fantasy-ish.

[Kulyok]

You're probably pretty close to the release/getting a forum(and good job, too! Note how I'm carefully not asking you to do an area for me ), so it might be a good idea to mention this: get a proofreader. The areas have a professional look(I know, I know, you've been told dozens of times already), but if the punctuation/grammar is messed up/there're more than a few typos, the overall impression of the mod will go down.

[Big Poppa]

Hehehe, it's funny. I just checked the last 50 entries to the dlgtlk which covers info points etc because of your post and despite all the attention I paid to how the areas look, it seems that I didn't once look at the actual texts for map notes and info points. Writing was never my strong point but I was supprised at some of the dumb shit I put in there . Fixed up anyway. Thx

[IronOx]

This? THIS is how Baldur's Gate 1 should have been done in the first place. It looks DIVINE! The texture is mind-blowing and it has a dark feel to it. My hat off to you

[Big Poppa]

Thx I like the darkness too. Gives it that medieval touch. I also think the objects and textures were a little too clean in bg1 and 2 to be honest. Wood was always polished and everything seemed to be perfectly square. Adding some discolouration and some wonkyness is much more realistic for the kinda era that these games are based on.

As a side project, here's an area I made for the classic adventures mod. I don't think Leahnkain will mind if I show it. Their forums are over here http://www.shsforums...p?showforum=259

Edited by Big Poppa, 24 November 2007 - 02:07 AM.

[leahnkain]

Classic Adventures is very pleased to have your help with creating such a tricky area. This is going to be used as the fortress for the classic d&d series Against the Giants (G1-2-3). This module is from 1981. This is the map for G1 Steading of the Hill Giant Chief. We are very grateful to recieve more of your help with the interior as well. Thank you once again!

[Big Poppa]

Gonna be offline for a week or so I expect so I thought I'd post this B4. Made a quick change as I didn't think it was obvious to spot the stairway down under the stairwell so lit it up a bit. All lamps and fires are animated.

PS. I have had no luck in finding a sizzling griddle sound to use. There are fire like sounds in bg2 and IWD but nothing that sounds like bacon in a pan. Anyone have a sound like this or remember a sound in the game like this?

Edited by Big Poppa, 26 November 2007 - 05:21 AM.

[Sir BillyBob]

I can't think of one. It would probably be merged into one of the guesthouse WAV sounds used for the different taverns in the game. Most only use one ambient with multiple sounds inside that WAV file. Then there is the area music (usually harps) playing throughout the area. A sizzle sound may be in one of the spell casting effects. NI lets you listen to each WAV file but they have cryptic names (EMF_0000) so it may require hours of listening to find the "right one" that you are looking for.

BTW, I look forward to using your maps. Maps are the biggest limitation of a mod using new areas, no one wants to walk through Beregost everytime they come to a small town and no one wants to go through Nalia's castle for each quest. Any other artist out there that wants to contribute to the community is always welcome. I'm sure other modders would love to expand their ideas but are currently limited by the community's small pool of maps.

[Miloch]

The windmill looks cool, a good reference.
It will be even better if I can manage to animate the thing too

I forgot there's a windmill in Nashkel too. Unfortunately though, it isn't animated or even used at all really, and I'm sure whatever you could come up with would be better.

PS. I have had no luck in finding a sizzling griddle sound to use.

Here are some that might work:
 baconfry.wav   127.48K   246 downloads  fireburn.wav   121.37K   238 downloads  sizzle.wav   124.47K   235 downloadsIf you need others, let me know - I've a whole library of the stuff.

I'm sure other modders would love to expand their ideas but are currently limited by the community's small pool of maps.

All too true, sadly.

[Big Poppa]

Ah cool, thx alot. Did you record those sounds yourself with a mic? They will work well anyway. What other kinda sounds have you got there? You have any kind of list going?

Anyway, here's the upper and lower levels to the candlekeep tavern. The basement is obviously new, the bed section is just a moddified version of the bg1 area. I figured it looked good enough after being altered to match my darker pallet.

As for the windmill, I'm pretty sure I can come up with something nice. Does anyone know the maximum size of an animation file before crashing? pixel size that is.

Edited by Big Poppa, 29 November 2007 - 06:46 AM.

[Choo Choo]

Oooh, nice work. Although how to get that room so cold when it's next to a warm room? I'd place it in a cellar. Unless the freezy thing is magical, of course.

Edited by Choo Choo, 29 November 2007 - 06:22 AM.

[Big Poppa]

Well the whole floor is in the cellar. Those are supposed to be buckets and pits of ice and I used a submarine style door with a steering wheel style handle to try n make it look like a cold room.

Edited by Big Poppa, 29 November 2007 - 06:48 AM.