Guild of Writers

First five pages of Mini-Concept Art are up:

Page 1 - Linking Book Stand, Kora Lamp, Levi-Tram design, Journey Cloth image, process of Nara to Kora (rough)
http://img168.imageshack.us/my.php?image=ca1bj8.jpg

Page 2 - Sehv'ahno book, Bahro Door and reward, Ke'mur trees, Path pillars, Path of the Stone symbol
http://img168.imageshack.us/my.php?image=ca2ff4.jpg

Page 3 - Distant Pod (interior and exterior), Bahro Cave, Hut design, Hut doors, Generator Pyramid, "PotStone" image process
http://img182.imageshack.us/my.php?image=ca3hs7.jpg

Page 4 - Elemental Gyro, Pod Energy Levels, Sehv'ahno magnets, Pod Structure (floor by floor)
http://img251.imageshack.us/my.php?image=ca4ug5.jpg

Page 5 - Lever designs, Counterweight Puzzle, Pod elevator, Tram Links, Nara Door Locks, Worker's Journal, Unused Sampling Pod
http://img182.imageshack.us/my.php?image=ca5hi8.jpg

Enjoy and I hope this gives you all a further idea of Sehv'ahno

NOTE: The pod structure is incomplete because I'm still considering what might go on the third and fourth floors...

I hate to pry, Lontahv, but is there anything else coming with Sehv'ahno?

I'm working on newer concept art (among other things) and also trying to stir up some publicity between friends of mine, but I need to hear if you'll be working on it still.

If you have other projects, that's fine with me.

Nek

I'm pretty busy with other GoW related things. And since it looks like a biggish project I think it's best left to someone else. Sorry I didn't get tell you this before now but I thought I might find a good time to work on Sehv'ahno(I didn't). I will however offer tips on building techniques(I watch the forums pretty closely).

-Lontahv

Alright, I'll bring this before my friends

Okay, Nek'rahm asked me to take a look at the blend file, and try to help do some things with it to give you guys a better idea of the lay out and the terrain.

I took a look at the file. The concept sketch has a lot of merit, and the initial blend geometry does help to give you a basic idea.
However, the scale was way too small. Anyone linking in would find themselves a giant with the islands about as big a dirt clods in a puddle.

So I scaled it up quite a bit. The problem with this is that the initial terrain meshes are very coarse. In order to have you terrain look good, the mesh itself has comprise of many faces, so that you can manipulate them and make the mountainous islands look more natural.

I tried subdividing the meshes, and was able to make them look a little bit more realistic, especially after enabling smoothing, but as you'll see in the pics, the peaks and edges still look too sharp and jagged.

What I recomend, is that the terrain be remade, using either a terrain editor, and then imported into the blend file, or to resculpt the terrain here. This will make the mesh look much more natural.

Textures in here, I simply threw in some textures quickly, including a sky dome and some light, so I could link in and take pics.

The texture suggested was something that looks like the volcano in the cleft. Unfortunately, that's easier said than done. The textures used in the cleft and on the volcano are a blend of several texture, not just one, and it takes quite a bit of time to get it just right and looking good. This was time that I didn't have right now, so I simply used one of Trylon's rock textures, and made it more orangy looking.
Same for the water. It's just a basic water texture, but as you can see, it's transparent! hehehe, sorry about that, I'm so used to making the water transparent that I did it without thinking. Normally it would be more opaque so that you can't see the mesh of the islands under the water!

One last suggestion: From what I understand, this Age is to be on the huge side, with travel to the other Islands possible. When an Age starts to get that big, it can be very hard to handle, and putting in more and more detail difficult.
I would recommend splitting the age up in to several prp files. This is what is done with huge Ages.

Okay, here's few shots of me messing around with it:

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The terrain should use as little vertices as possible. Using textures, it is possible to go quite far in simulating detail.

Using several texture layers of different scales, (gotta love the Map-To panel) you can effectively assign both fine detail, and coarse outlines on your objects (and even a lightmap).

That way you can avoid repeating small tiles, but also avoid too little detail.

Extra tips, now that I'm writing anyway :
With the detail texture, take exceptional care that the texutre [b]must]/b] be uniform.
The "Make seamless" option in GIMP doesn't work magic. Even in the best cases, it leaves a circular area that is a little faded out.
I usually fix that by making a copy of the layer, sharpening it up, and masking it around that circular area, then carefully setting layer opacity helps making it uniform.

A nice overlay detail texture can be made in gimp/photoshop by using the result from an "Edge Detect" function as a layer mask.

Sweet ^_^

This is looking BEASTLY thank you SO much dude.

Maybe a more rocky texture for the islands tho... like the walls in Ae'gura or something of that degree.

Anywho, I can't complain one bit ^_^

Just a quick update on Sehv'ahno.

I've got a friend working with me in Blender. However, it's just the two of us so it's going slow.

ANY help would be greatly appreciated. The two of us are very... unskilled, to say the least.

I'm still working and it'll keep going in progression, just give us some time.