ice terrain?

[Christophe33]

If the scenarios with Konrad are going further north, or for some winter scenarios, it might be interesting to have some ice/frozen river&lake&ocean.
Here is my attemp to freeze the ocean. I used a few filter under photoshop. I don't know how to test the effect on large scale in a map to adjust the junction of the tiles.

[Dave]

Ice terrain is a great idea, and I like the graphics you've provided. To do the adjacent versions, see the examples in images/terrain.

To try out your terrain, make it into a png, and then add a new terrain type in data/terrain.cfg, and add some ice to an existing map.

David

[Eponymous-Archon]

I don't know how to test the effect on large scale in a map to adjust the junction of the tiles.

I'm fairly sure PS has a tool that can help you create seamless tiles. Google "seamless tiles in Photoshop" vel sim.

There are also other apps that can. It's a big web-design thing, as you know, so tools are out there.

[Christophe33]

I hadn't time to look for a seamless tiles function in PS but I tried to use the ice terrain in a map by replacing shallow water and it look quite good, no obvious seam. There might be too many ice ripple in large scale but I didn't wanted the ice to look too homogenous neither, more like old ice. I'm sure sthere are ice expert who can improve it... I haven't real ice since many years except in a ice skating ring and in my freezer.
I will do some moer test on tomorrow.

[Eponymous-Archon]

I hadn't time to look for a seamless tiles function in PS but I tried to use the ice terrain in a map by replacing shallow water and it look quite good, no obvious seam.

http://www.mccannas.com/book/chapter4/ptile1.htm.

Use filter/other/offset.

[fmunoz]

Yes there are seamless terrain functions insome programs ... but only for square tiles.. not for hexagonal ones..
but there are lots of tutorials out there about how to make seamless tiles by hand in a graphical program and the technique could be adapted with a bit of work to hex tiles.

[Christophe33]

I tried the offset filter for the ice terrain but it doesn't seem to be really usefull in that case. I looked at a more icy map (Bay of peral with all water replaced by ice) and it still looks fine in term of seam or repetition of motif.
On the other hand, it might be better tomake the blue less blue (so reduce a bit the contrast) and/or reduce the amount of ripple to get a more icy effect on large scale.
I tried to take snapshot but it doesn't work with this computer since I have to stay in full screen. If I tried to switch to window mode, BoW crashes, even in 800x600 mode. It is probably because I have only a 15" screen. My homecomputer is 17" and I have no problem in window mode, so I might do snapshot with it later. Maybe it would be good if someone else will try it.

[Dave]

If I tried to switch to window mode, BoW crashes, even in 800x600 mode. It is probably because I have only a 15" screen. My homecomputer is 17" and I have no problem in window mode, so I might do snapshot with it later.

Wesnoth should not crash under any circumstances.

Please give details of the kind of system you are using, and any other diagnostic information you can give us.

David

[Christophe33]

No more crashing when switching from full screen to window mode. I upgraded the system from OS10.1.3 to 10.2.8 and now BoW works fine in window mode. So tomorrow I will be able to do a snapshot for people to evaluate and help correcting the ice terrain.

[Christophe33]

Here is a display of ice in the Bay of Pearl map. I changed shallow water and deep water into ice but not the edge (black marking). I also tested my Nordic raider by exchanging the Merman picture with his to see how it looks on terrain like ice...probably need to contrast more the unit.
Suggestion for the ice terrain?

[Eponymous-Archon]

I think the ice should be a bit smoother, and the bumps shouldn't look so much like frozen waves. Maybe just a mottled blue? Darker too, unless you want it snow covered.

[Dave]

It looks good to me....but maybe you should post a screenshot showing ice and snow together, to see how they complement each other?

Once we get the transition images, we can add it to the game

David

[Christophe33]

After some delay due to rpoblems with photoshop I manage to work again on pictures. Here is a new version of ice terrain. While I made some differences to reduce the contrast, it is not really apparent on the snapshot. I also included a "broken_ice" terrain just to bring some variation... the borken ice is actually the same. I would be cool though to have some broken ice terrain that could crack under the weight of units and drown/freeze them. I haven't any map with both snow and water/ice field to use.
Dave, do you want me to make the coastal transition with this ice terrain?

[Dave]

Looks great

It'd be good if you could make transition images for the ice, then we can add it.

I'm not sure if we'll be able to add in a feature where the ice can break open....but I'll see what we can do If nothing else, the cracks can just look good.

David

[quartex]

I'm against the idea of random patches of ice that break, realistic yes, but annoying as hell. When marching my units across the ice I would have to be very careful they didn't walk over cracked ice, because the pathfinding mechanism probably wouldn't know any better. I really like the current art for ice and cracked ice, it's subtle and looks really nice, but if cracked ice is going to be a danger the player has to avoid, then the image would have to be made more obvious, right now it is way too subtle, especially with players who might have trouble seeing detail.

I really like your ice terrain artwork, and I don't want you to change it, I'm just saying that cracking ice turning into water, would just make moving units across the ice a very slow and tedious process as I check each hex to make sure it is safe.