"Eye of the Beholder" SP Game

[Darsnan]

That suit jumped out at me, not in a good way, when I found the picture. I'll see what I can find in a quick search. I'll probably put Yang's collar on top of it, too.

I'm considering pasting him over the Pimp My Yang file- Setroc already hue-shifted the bases, and I already did the logos. On the other hand, people who want alternate Hives to play together will probably want seven, so I'd not save time, just put off the work. I know I'd end up going back and making one of them different...

I'd say the Hive background/ pimp my Yang is good enough for now (or at least for me).

I'm thinking her order is "Sisters of the Divine Pioneer"- or "Explorer". We need a Catholic to chime in and tell us what has the right ring to it, or suggest something...
On the other hand I need to declare her finished and walk away or I'll never get any other work done. I'll make it your call. Hmmm?

PM sent with my thoughts on this.

***
BTW, I've posted the two factions I've already done for this on my webpage- Would it be cool to add your text files, so as to make them complete faction zips? They would work independently of your mod if the file names were changed, right?

When I've done them all, I plan to set them apart in their own section, complete with the red pictures and the heading "Alternate Original Factions".

When I'm done with the texts you can review and if you want post them at that time.

Now to work on EotB!

D

[Buster Crabbe's Uncle]

I did paste it over MC Yangsalot. I wanted to get it finished. Consequently, the zip has hive 2 & 3 files, 'cause I'd done them for the greened Hive logos.

I had to draw that Nehru-jacket dictator uniform thingie you asked for. Nothing I tried to paste in could be made to fit. It may not look like much of anything but a future suit in the game, but that's good too, not being a contemporary suit and all.

[Darsnan]

I had to draw that Nehru-jacket dictator uniform thingie you asked for. Nothing I tried to paste in could be made to fit. It may not look like much of anything but a future suit in the game, but that's good too, not being a contemporary suit and all.

The "Nehru-cacket" works quite well. I've dl'd both the Shin and Prudence files and added them to my EotB folder. I updated the game map last night, and am starting work on the faction.txt and alphax.txt files. Once thats done I'll do some playtesting, update with observations, and then release. Probably be around next weekend when its done.

D

[Buster Crabbe's Uncle]

I've dl'd both the Shin and Prudence files and added them to my EotB folder.

...Not Zhukov? (Sniffle.)

[Darsnan]

...Not Zhukov? (Sniffle.)

I will dl Zhukov, but not for EotB: there are reasons for this, namely to do with how I want the game to play out (and if you want me to go into detail on this I can send you a PM with my reasoning). I'm only changing one faction from the original setup, which is to put in the Morganites in place of the Angels. Otherwise I think the factions I've got in place are ideal for this scenario.


D

[Buster Crabbe's Uncle]

Okay; I don't understand, but ok. I mean, are you changing it back to Santiago, ect.?

I should get on the Morganites next, I guess.

I've gone ahead and set this new stuff apart on my custom factions page. I mention EotB in the header, so I linked this page. The change should be posted shortly. I have no idea if anyone goes there, though.

[Darsnan]

Okay; I don't understand, but ok. I mean, are you changing it back to Santiago, ect.?

were the Spartans in this scenario? The version I'm working off of didn't have them in it. By chance are you going referring to the SMAC version of the scenario instead?

I should get on the Morganites next, I guess.

If you want that would be great! And just so we're clear, the factions I am using for SMAX are as follows:

Believers
Hive
Drones
Caretakers (Autochthone)
Morganites
Uni's
Consciousness

I've gone ahead and set this new stuff apart on my custom factions page. I mention EotB in the header, so I linked this page. The change should be posted shortly. I have no idea if anyone goes there, though.

What, you don't track traffic for marketing purposes? Anyways, I'll see about going by there later today.

D

[Buster Crabbe's Uncle]

Ahhh. There's the problem. I thought I was working on the SMAC version.

Well, Zhukov was worth doing anyway. I'll tackle your list first and then I think I'll do the rest of the originals, too. (Though I see that the reason for a SMAC version maybe makes custom factions pointless.)

The changes to the webpage are ready to post. (The version of Front page I have is horrible to work with for anything but the simplest layout, BTW. I can't for the life of me quite grok the logic of why it keeps changing things I do.)

***
A side note: the way you introduce the scenario in this thread surely makes it a WTF? moment when a user first commences play and finds himself playing the Protectorate, not the Autochthone (which you have presented as a human Planet Cult splinter faction). I'm sure that's just to do with differences in the versions and/or upgrades to the scenario since you began, but I think some editing is called for, to make all that clearer.

[Darsnan]

Well, Zhukov was worth doing anyway.

Yes, he definately is. I already see a lot of promise in how I can re-write his factional bullet statements, especially the antagonistic ones.

***
A side note: the way you introduce the scenario in this thread surely makes it a WTF? moment when a user first commences play and finds himself playing the Protectorate, not the Autochthone (which you have presented as a human Planet Cult splinter faction). I'm sure that's just to do with differences in the versions and/or upgrades to the scenario since you began, but I think some editing is called for, to make all that clearer.

I plan on posting a completely new thread, as the updated scenario (and completely new intro/ backstory) will be different enough to warrant a new thread.

btw I did a little playtesting at lunch: when I did a worldview to look where Shin had landed and to see his bases I had a heckuva time locating them on the worldview: Shin's base colors are close enough to the terrain color that my old eyes had a real hard time locating them.

D

[Buster Crabbe's Uncle]

btw I did a little playtesting at lunch: when I did a worldview to look where Shin had landed and to see his bases I had a heckuva time locating them on the worldview: Shin's base colors are close enough to the terrain color that my old eyes had a real hard time locating them.

I'll get on that. It's often a problem when trying to come up with a unique shade for a faction. I'm not playtesting these before I post, so be sure to let me know about stuff like that- bases looking right in the game, not too light or dark comes up too, and getting the logo's look right on the F4 screen also comes up,.


***

Here's Morgenthau. You didn't have Morganites in the current iteration of the SMACX version, and he's clearly not Asian Salwe, so I named him Heinrik Morganthau in the .pcx credits- easy to change, and I'm sure no one looks anyway. I'm calling the faction the Morgan Franchise.

-I re-colored his clothes, with a green collar. When I removed the tie, he looked like a laborer. I messed with it a while, and he looked like a professor with a sweater over his button-up shirt, though I hadn't drawn buttons. I gave up and gave him a plain round collar, a Logan's Run sorta look, and he looked like a priest. I drew a small v in the top front of the collar, and well. Now he looks like a businessman from outeeerrr sppaaaaace!

Other than that, I barely touched him. Much.

He looks stupid swimming in his money like Scroodge McDuck, BTW.

***

The Drones are up next on your list. I note that you didn't name a new faction leader in the datalinks in what I have-- noting a general trend that we've been whitening the leaders, I'm going to look for a cover of Caesar Chavez. I think I've seen one. The Worker's Union; yeah.


[Attached zip updated One Last Time (I hope) see thumbnail, right - no longer doing the McDuck trick! -And name corrected.]

[Buster Crabbe's Uncle]

Cesar Chavez

I just googled this. Here it's good that he looks like a laborer, and I hate to touch the shirt. I'm gonna see about putting him in front of a science fiction-y background. That should do the trick.

[Buster Crabbe's Uncle]

Updates!

Okay, I playtested all four factions in this thread, and there went about two hours.

I've updated all four zips I've posted in this thread -so far- and replaced them. The changes to faction colors are not all that much, but look better in the game. Only New Sparta had a good enough faction color. All they needed was a text color that wasn't quite so close to University white. The Protectorate and Morgan Franchise are both less green now, and their at-rest small report logos look better on the F4 screen. Conclave colors are less yellow than before, though still lighter orange than the Believers. I think they're all good enough, now.

In-game, the bases of the Conclave and Morgan Franchise are too light for my blood, but they'll do. The other two look pretty good.

***

Now on to Chavez and the United Workers. He's ready to go. Maybe tonight...

[Buster Crabbe's Uncle]

United Workers

Yes, tonight. Here it is.

I've gotten a lot faster at this. When I began in February, I'd have been the better part of a week putting together the elements and fiddling. Now, once the portrait is ready for scan lines I can slap together this kind of project in a few hours. That's all the hue-shifting, redrawing the small report logos, pasting stuff back and forth, tweaking the faction colors and all- even putting in my vain-ass credits and making a thumbnail to go with the post. In fact, I've already posted the United Workers on my page, all in four hours.

If I had it to do over. I'd have spent more time looking for portraits of Chavez. This one just didn't want to look right; too washed-out. But I've playtested it, and it looks pretty good now.

I took a few screenshots to illustrate- but the worldmap colors look better in the game...


[Updated and moved zip to page four (finally did something about his collar that works) 4/8/09]

[Darsnan]

I'll get on that. It's often a problem when trying to come up with a unique shade for a faction. I'm not playtesting these before I post, so be sure to let me know about stuff like that- bases looking right in the game, not too light or dark comes up too, and getting the logo's look right on the F4 screen also comes up,.

will do.

Here's Morgenthau. You didn't have Morganites in the current iteration of the SMACX version, and he's clearly not Asian Salwe, so I named him Heinrik Morganthau in the .pcx credits- easy to change, and I'm sure no one looks anyway. I'm calling the faction the Morgan Franchise.

-I re-colored his clothes, with a green collar.
He looks stupid swimming in his money like Scroodge McDuck, BTW.

Yeah, I kinda have to agree concerning the money, other than that I really like it.
In regards to the background - maybe put some sort of oppulance in the background instead?

***

The Drones are up next on your list. I note that you didn't name a new faction leader in the datalinks in what I have-- noting a general trend that we've been whitening the leaders, I'm going to look for a cover of Caesar Chavez. I think I've seen one. The Worker's Union; yeah.

re: the whitening of leaders: glad you caught that, and good that your including Chavez. I can definately work with him in EotB.

I've updated all four zips I've posted in this thread -so far- and replaced them.

OK, I'll DL these by tomorrow evening (when I plan my first significant playtest) just so I can see how things pan out visually.

D

[Buster Crabbe's Uncle]

Yeah, I kinda have to agree concerning the money, other than that I really like it.
In regards to the background - maybe put some sort of oppulance in the background instead?

I think, take out the money in front of him/draw in more space shirt at the bottom. I can probably do it in an hour or so.