Zero's art

[Zerovirus]

Two first-page posts in spoilers below, both outdated to varying degrees.

Spoiler:

Update.

Steelhive died again.

I'm doing Mermen. You all should know this. I am so tired of fish people. Fish fish fish everywhere. Do you know I had fish for dinner last night? I hate fish now. ARRRGGGHHHHhhhh...

Spoiler:

I've been playing Battle for Wesnoth now for a few months, lurking around on the forums, most notably the open Art development forums, and finally decided to get some aid and general critiquing on the few sprites I made...

I have an idea for a faction. I think I understand how Wesnoth gameplay works, but I have zero knowledge of WML. First off, I know that they're readable by text editors, but I have no idea where these files are located in the Wesnoth folder. Could someone tell me where, say, some unit files are located?

Anyways, onto the actual sprites. Or just sprite; I have just the one, and it rather... Sucks. To be honest. This one's not my first sprite, but it is somewhere in the area of 2nd to 5th sprite. And, yes, no shadow yet. I suck at shadows, and Paint can't support transparency anyways.



Critique?

(As a sidenote, what's the policy on frankensteins that you made from other people's sprites? Do you have to give credit for the parts you used?)

[Turuk]

(As a sidenote, what's the policy on frankensteins that you made from other people's sprites? Do you have to give credit for the parts you used?)

It never hurts to ask, but everything released is under GPL, and so is fair game for anyone else to borrow to use.

I have an idea for a faction. I think I understand how Wesnoth gameplay works, but I have zero knowledge of WML. First off, I know that they're readable by text editors, but I have no idea where these files are located in the Wesnoth folder. Could someone tell me where, say, some unit files are located?

My suggestion for you if you want to make a faction would be to download a faction from the add-on server, and then find it in your userdata folder so you can open the files to see how it is done.

[Huston]

1) get paint.NET it's pretty much the same as paint just it has more support features like transparency. ( i like paint and tried going to gimp. didn't work out so well.)

2) for coding wml check out the reference wiki

3) on windows. find your wesnoth folder. from there goto.

data>core>units
there you will find folders that contain all the units included in mainline.

[Zerovirus]

Okay, thanks guys.

Since apparently frankensteins are allowed, I'll post, I think 2 more units.

First, the first Wesnoth sprite I made. It's some sort of Elven bodybuilder gangster with blings dude. Not much to say. Almost completely scratched besides the head and the Loincloth, which I edited off the primeval guys' loincloth from Bad Moon Rising. My apologies to the artist for not being able to remember his name.



This next one's an Ascended Human. Basically the upgrade to the guy in the first post. I nicknamed him "Victory for Creeping Biggerism" because really, he represents that very accurately.



I borrowed about 50% of him from various sources. The legs are modified versions of the Deathbaron, who I think Eternal made. The body is modified off that one Celestials unit whose name I'm not sure of, Claimant or Herald. Head is recolored and edited from the first post guy. Arms fully scratched. Sword full scratched. Pelvic armor fully scratched. He's completely teamcolor magenta because he's made of bubblegum He's meant to be a huge glowing giant colored according to your team.

Again, Critique? Preferably some for the knight guy in my first post as well...

[melinath]

Frankensteins are generally harder to critique than other sprites, since there's less input from the artist. But the elf guy isn't really a frankenstein. These look pretty good compared to some work I've seen here. The only thing I notice right away is that your hands and feet could be a bit bigger. Just a little bit on the elf guy, but a lot bigger on the guy in the first post. This is if you want the sprites to be wesnoth-style, which slightly exaggerates these features.

EDIT:: Also, I fully recommend GIMP. I've used it for years, find it easy to understand, and always enjoy finding out how to use even more of its wonderful features.

[A-Red]

For the elf: take everything from the waist up, and slide it over a pixel. His two halves look disconnected (if he were real, his back would be broken in that pose), but I think that small slide is actually all you need to do to correct it.

Also, it's really noticeable that the head is in a different style from everything else. You're good enough to make one yourself, I think.

[Zerovirus]

Revival time.

The head... Yeah. Haven't had time to fine tune the custom head... This is what I have now. The new one should be (painfully) obvious.



I should do something with the eyes and the head proportions to make him look less... Fat. But what?

[melinath]

Making the head a little taller/thinner might help. I think it got smaller with the hairdo change, which made everything else look big.

[Zerovirus]

Revival.

Again.

Seems like being a noob doesn't do anything in the way of attracting posters.

Based off Shadow Master's most excellent Rayblade, I present the Vector Blade.

In Two Versions.

The first was my first Wesnoth-based sprite and almost completely custom save for the head that I edited.


The second and newest I did a few minutes ago. I think I'm improving in terms of shading and pallete usage.


Oh, and an update to the Channeler. I removed a lot of the outline shadings around his chin and that helped emphasize his face and make him not so obese.



Comments and Critique?

[stimj]

The channeler's head seems a bit small for wesnoth (but pretty good for real life).

[Zerovirus]

New one. I have an upgrade path designed for this one and the new version Vector Blade.

No they don't upgrade into the other. That would be a really weird path.

EDIT:

Teh Robot Army is attacking! All warriors, knights, mages, and other beings of combative ability, TO ARMS!

For ease in identifying enemies of Wesnoth a chart has been provided detailing the appearances of various robotic units.



Top Row:
L1: Steel Slasher
Your average run-of-the mill drone with slashing arms and glowing gems. Can be crushed with relatively little opposition.

L2: Steel Vector
A bit stronger. Wait, he has arms now! Oh no! Oh well. A few archers will kill it quickly enough due to his lack of ranged attacks.

L3: Steel Vorpal
A lot stronger. Now with... Um... No change from the previous version in terms of design. Avoid at all costs. Do not attempt to confront head on due to highly possible lack of vital limbs and organs after battle. That and blood loss. Lots and lots of blood loss.

Bottom Row:

L1: Steel Amniote
These things are so useless. 3 squares of movement per turn on any terrain and 40% defense on any terrain. They can't even attack, and their only combat ability is a defense-only attack. At least they have a lot of health and can be used as ZOC dummies.

L2: Steel Eye
These units can both fire bolts of lightning at our troops and spin their orbiting blades around in a devastating combo strike. However, their health has, ironically, decreased.

L3: Steel Sparkgazer
The most powerful ranged units in the army, these units can shred through a regiment with their razor-sharp, electrified blades while blasting out thunderbolts through its eye to sear our army. Destroy these before anything else as they have a leadership effect due to long-wave broadcasting radio wave commands.

[melinath]

I don't think I'd want to level the amniote up. Perhaps make it a level 0 that doesn't go higher, then add a new lvl one to the eye/sparkgazer line? The roles of the Amniote and the Eye are completely different, not to mention the fact that leveling the amniote is essentially impossible since it can only defend...

[Zerovirus]

Well the amniote only needs 2 XP to level up. With it's higher than normal health it's pretty much a bad idea to attack unless you have really high hit % or something because it only needs to survive 2 attacks to level up. You don't really even need to do work. Just send in like 5 of them and either your opponent gets really tangled by their lv 1 ZoC or you get a bunch of lv 2 units for only 10 gold (price subject to change, contact your local store manager) per unit.

The Amniote was kinda based off the Steppe Rigid from the Steppe Orcs in Ageless Era. I'm not sure of the author, though.

EDIT:

Well, I'm considering making the Steel Eye a lv1, and making a Lv 2 Steel Visionary instead. The Steel Amniote will then be a lv0 which upgrades into a Steel Choriote. The Choriote still can't attack but has 60% defense on everything now.

EDIT AGAIN: (Because since being a small topic obviously does nothing to promote posters...

More Robot Troops have been deployed from the Steelhive! (Faction name) The new units are highly dangerous and must be destroyed at all costs! We must hold the battle line!



Slasher Line:
L1: Steel Slasher
Your average run-of-the mill drone with slashing arms and glowing gems. Can be crushed with relatively little opposition.

L2: Steel Vector (top)
A bit stronger. Wait, he has arms now! Oh no! Oh well. A few archers will kill it quickly enough due to his lack of ranged attacks.

L2: Steel Bladewhirler(bottom)
Some Slashers, instead of developing two limbs, develop a multitude of limbs in an erratic fashion. While the Steelhive is at a loss to explain these anomalies, that does nothing to prevent them from sending these mutant drones into combat anyways. The robots themselves are quite powerful, combining Swarm and Berserker abilities. While extremely powerful at the beginning of combat, its power gradually lowers as the battle continues and its limbs are removed, one by one, until it is no longer able to fight and is easy to destroy. (Swarm+Berserker= lots of damage at beginning but weaker and weaker as the battle continues)

L3: Steel Vorpal
A lot stronger. Now with... Um... No change from the previous version in terms of design. Avoid at all costs. Do not attempt to confront head on due to highly possible lack of vital limbs and organs after battle. That and blood loss. Lots and lots of blood loss.

Amniote Line::

L1: Steel Amniote
These things are so useless. 3 squares of movement per turn on any terrain and 40% defense on any terrain. They can't even attack, and their only combat ability is a defense-only attack. At least they have a lot of health and can be used as ZOC dummies. However, if they can survive 2 battles they thus have 2 XP and can upgrade to the Steel Choriote.

L2: Steel Choriote
The Choriote has gained even stronger defenses- 60% defense on all terrain. They also can now leech energy from enemies using their extremely weak Battery Pulse attack.

Oculus Line:

L1: Steel Oculus
These units can both fire bolts of lightning at our troops and spin their orbiting blades around in a devastating combo strike. They are multi-purpose units and are able to fly over water whereas their landlocked brethren cannot for fear of shortcircuiting.

L2: Steel Sparkgazer
Extremely powerful ranged units in the army, these units can shred through a regiment with their razor-sharp, electrified blades while blasting out thunderbolts through its eye to sear our army.

L3: Steel Boltstriker
The strongest Sparkgazers are augmented by the Hivequeen with more orbiting blades and electricity generators to augment both their slashing and electrical assaults.

Cybercone Line:

L1: Steel Cybercone
These units have no combat moves, period. While this makes them seem useless, they are actually nodes in which an extensive matrix of information travels. As such, they are responsible for broadcasting commands, making them roughly equivalent to a unit with Leadership. They are almost always protected by a phalanx of drones and are not easy to target. This unit upgrades to a Steel Cybercore if it can survive one battle, gaining 1 XP.

L2: Steel Cybercore
When a Cybercone feels that it is threatened by a nearby enemy, it deploys into Core mode. The Core can, like the Steel Choriote, use a Battery Pulse to damage enemies and steal their energy. Its leadership trait is not affected by this change, though, making an attempt to destroy a Cybercone a dangerous proposition.

Planned units:

Steel Drone => Steel Scouter => Steel Recon

Steel Exploder

Steel Welder

[StDrake]

pretty fun robots, one thing to note - most of them would probably look better without the "steel" in their names since the 2nd words are original enough

[melinath]

It's just like Elvish Fighter, Elvish this, Elvish that. Doesn't bother me. I like them.