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Thread: Ambush site

  1. #1
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    Default Ambush site

    Here is the site of a road ambush by highwaymen...

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Ambush site.png 
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    As you can see, the crafty rogues hide themselves behind camouflaged mantlets (I made these for the occasion, and posted them on Bogie's thread)


    I don't know how much I like this map, it could almost certainly use some improvement. Getting rid of the line of rocks between the hill and the road would help prettify the map. But this is a tactical element (the hill is much steeper there, forcing the players to climb while under fire or taking the longer way around it -in which the bandits have dug some spear pits) and I wanted it to be clearly represented on the map...

    The place also look a bit green... But, he, it is suppose to be the end of summer so that kind of make sense...
    Last edited by Simon33600; 04-05-2013 at 05:49 AM.

  2. #2
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    I think the boulder to the SW looks a bit lonely and mis-aligned with the hillside. Perhaps rotating it and adding a few others along the line of the hill top and bottom to break up the edge would help? It also looks a bit like it's floating against the background.

    Maybe some shadowed ruts in the road, along with some grass in the less worn center?

    The manlets need some shadows too.

  3. #3
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    All very good advices! Thanks!

    Here is an updated version.
    I did work on the rocks and added the shadows... I also tried to add some patches of grass in the middle of the road but was not really happy as to how they turned out and removed them...

    I also worked on my rock face through another approach (basically, sticking some bits of mountains I stole from dundjinni) and I think it looks better, although I can't seem to be able to get the shadows to work to add a real feeling of depth to it...

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Ambush site.png 
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  4. #4
    Guild Expert Facebook Connected Meshon's Avatar
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    I'm liking that cliff. I haven't found a satisfactory way to do them, but I think you're on to something!

    cheers,
    Meshon

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    Wow, thanks.

    As I said, the actual hard word was made by the guy that created the original object...

  6. #6
    Guild Artisan Neyjour's Avatar
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    Looking good so far! I also like how the cliff is shaping up.

    A few suggestions:

    1) Try reducing your dirt/soil texture for the road considerably. As it is now, the dirt granules are much too large for the scale of your map.

    2) For offset shadows, this is something you can try (which I've been experimenting with myself recently): take the object in question (one of the trees, for example) and make a duplicate of it on another layer. Adjust the brightness/contrast until the duplicate is solid black, then position it where you want the shadow to fall. Place that layer under the tree, then apply a gaussian blur and adjust the opacity until you've got the effect you want.

    3) Your boulder looks very blurry. Try sharpening it up a bit.

    Hope that helps!

    EDIT: I've attached a quick example for the offset shadows. (Gaussian Blur: 5.00 / Layer Opacity: 70%)
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Offset Shadow Example.jpg 
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    Last edited by Neyjour; 04-05-2013 at 08:16 PM. Reason: adding example pic

  7. #7
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    Hello Neyjour... Thanks for the advices!

    Here is a modified version, with my "progress-report" to follow:
    Click image for larger version. 

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    Yep, I have used a technique quite similar to the one you describe before (for example in my "Golden Elk" map).
    It works best if you want your illumination to be almost vertical, but; in this case, I was looking for longer shadows, mostly because I thought my sign post looked crummy and felt the longer shadows were needed to help give the impression of a taller structure...
    Still, the example you gave looks really nice... so I tried compromising... I might have blurred it a little bit too much, however, and might revisit this particular layer...

    The gravel texture I used did not like being reduced that much. At that point, a very clear tilling effect was quite evident. So I ended up using a different texture. It came with a bit of problem on its own (once reduced; it was not longer tillable, but I fix it reasonably well, I think). Now the only problem I have is that the road appears... under the grass... I made sense before, but now it kinda feel wrong... I might have to revisit that too (I will just use the clone tool to remove the stones that are half-covered by the grass, it should do the trick...).

    As for the stones, well, for some of them, the only version I had was as blurry as you see it so I had to change several of them but this was pretty straightforward...

    While I was at it, I changed the puddles on the road so that they would sneak between the stones, which make more sense, and redid the spear lining on the stone and its shadow... I am quite unreasonably proud of this shadow!




    Anyway, thanks again for the advices, that's why I like this forum so much, it really helps me a lot...

    Ps- The grass texture on your example is really pretty, do you remember where you found it?

  8. #8
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    Well, quick update...

    I changed the colour of the road grid as it did not seem to match the one one of the new road texture...
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Ambush site.png 
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    I took the opportunity to move the texture a bit to the left to try and hide the seam under the grid a bit...
    Slightly better now, I think and I am looking forward to more advices...

  9. #9
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    Great progress! Really looking good.

    I think the puddles are a bit lost. Maybe try selecting the between-the-cobbles area and filling that with a darker water texture to give the impression of water between the stones? You could do a stretch along one edge and increase the green in the nearby grass to indicate a low/wet spot.

    Maybe a few clumps of weedy grass along the road to break up the edge a bit?

    Nice work!

  10. #10
    Guild Artisan Neyjour's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Simon33600 View Post
    Anyway, thanks again for the advices, that's why I like this forum so much, it really helps me a lot...

    Ps- The grass texture on your example is really pretty, do you remember where you found it?
    You're welcome. The texture is from CGTextures. You can download it here:
    Grass by Jacobo Cortés Ferreira

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