Development Screenshots

[BigRob]

There's still a random spot of light on the roof (one of those things to ask about, I suppose), but it does look better. Depending on how it looks once that's gone, you might also want to think about altering the Bhaal symbols on the left there to the version with the shadow on the other side (I have this odd thing about symmetry).

[Domi]

I got some good advice on light in the area, so I hope to experiemnt tomorrow and over the weekend to give the area the more sinsiter look. Dunno if I will get into updating the prefab with the shadows though

[Xaltar]

Looking pretty cool so far, I especialy like the outdoor areas. I have just started trying to figure out the toolset and I can see how much work has gone into this.

 

I would suggest that you get rid of some of the Baal icons on the walls, perhaps every second one, it gives the impression of a lazy mapper rather than a temple of devout worshipers. Try replacing some of them with wall hangings and the like. Also, get rid of some of the torches in the eyes, maybe have only a few with both eyes lit and possibly 1 or 2 with only 1 eye lit. This will all go a long way towards making your temple look more ominous.

 

As for the lighting, the best way to approch this is to set a very dull ambient light for the whole area then place point lights on or near your lightsources (candles lamps etc.) Never set your light color to white, always use different intensities of base colors, reds, yellows, blues, orange etc. Think fire. The ambient light will light up the whole area to the level you set it to thus eleviating the need to have overlapping pointlights. So, set your ambient light to the darkest setting you want in the room then use point lights to highlight the areas you want better lit. Lighting is critical for atmosphere, get it wrong and you can turn your nice gloomy cript into land of the unicorns. I am no expert myself, I'm just parroting the advice frequently given on the various 3d and game art forums I frequent.

 

Please don't take my comments the wrong way, I mean them constructively.

 

If you would like some help with custom character heads I would be happy to oblige. I have just posted up a custom head pack in the vault so feel free to give it a look. You are more than welcome to use it in your mod provided credit is given for my work

 

I could also try and make custom heads for your NPCs based on the origional character portraits from BG/BG2 provided you can send me the images or post them here. The likeness will likely not be exact but it should be close enough to give your companions a more unique look from the OC.

 

Anyway, enough jabbering. Great stuff so far, I look forward to seeing more.

[Domi]

Thank you for the advice! That's great. I was just thinking myself about nuking some of the ovals! I actually pulled the plug on the lighting all together, and I like it better atm. Don't want to add extra clutter of the screeshots, but I am planning to ask for critiquing/suggestions on polish once I am done with Saemon's join-in dialogue

 

Custom heads? Oh, my. You do realize that you've just offered me a moon from the sky? The ones I particulary would love to see in custom are Jaheira, Khalid, Imoen (but for a child Imoen; it could be tough and it might have to use halfling or gnome head as a base to have a properly scaled avatar), Sarevok (as a 12-13 yo - same as Imoen) and Amelyssan - the ones that are the most familiar to the player. If you cna give those a shot, yay!

 

And you forgot to give a linkie to your pack

[Xaltar]

Cool

 

I'll see if I can dig up the portraits. As for the child versions I would just customize the scale of the NPC in the toolset. My export tools only seem to work for human based models (IE, the ones that use the human skeleton) anything else seems to break on export

 

Here is the linkage to my pack.

 

http://nwvault.ign.com/View.php?view=NWN2H...;comment_page=2

 

Oh and which Jahiera do you want? If I remember corectly their were 2 versions of her..

[Domi]

I think her BG2 version since it is more familiar.

 

And I've been rooting for someone to strip N_ heads from hair for a while, so it's great that you are doing it! Plus, yes, WB's hair rule.

[Xaltar]

Yeah, WB's hair pack makes the game a whole lot nicer on the eyes.

 

Cool so I'll go with the more elvish looking Jahiera, just as well seeing as I have misplaced my BG1 disks somewhere in my travels over the last 6 years. I have BG2 and TOB still though, I'll never loose those

 

Could you provide me with portraits of the characters not found in BG2 and in the mean time I'll get to making Jahiera and Kalid. They will be human heads I'm afraid but I can do the elf ears and such so they don't look to be.

[Guest Guest]

Does NWN use 'normal' bump maps, like oblivion does?

 

image of a normal map

http://planetpixelemporium.com/tutorialpag...sample.jjpg.jpg

 

they really add a lot of depth to any model

 

Sir-Kill

[Domi]

They will all be in BG2, apart from Khalid. His portrait is still selectable from the player portraits list in BG2:

 

http://www.bioware.com/games/baldurs_gate/...ages/khalid.jpg

[Xaltar]

Cool, I'll see what I can throw together.

[Domi]

New screenshot with the player studying the area (yep, trying to use the skills):

 

[BigRob]

Nice. Gives you a good reason to actually have skills like Survival. Not sure that skill's really used for anything in the main game.

[Domi]

Tracking. It's actually very useful in the OC. Not in MotB iirc. And thanks!

[Domi]

A snippet from the intro talk with Saemon Havarian:

 

[Domi]

A couple more screenshots from the just off the press romantic scene: