Default +3 Era: Templars

[MudTea]

Hey, folks.

I'm working on an era that is an extended version of the default one. I want to add three races to the standard set, or maybe more if I get some new ideas. Aside from a swamp and a hell/inferno race I'm mainly working on the TEMPLARS right now and am nearly finished.

I just thought it's good to post some stuff here, for teasing and to perhaps get some crits on the sprites.

This is what I got so far. The golems are placeholders, the pegasi too (since they are stolen) and some details still need to be tweaked. I know there's a little perspective and proportions issue (in regard to the normal wesnoth style) but I'm not going to change more than minor details in these sprites, since it's enough work already.

[Reepurr]

Can a moderator move this to Art Workshop, if it's just art?
[/backseat moderating]

Okay, there's no real structure to critique, no unit names for example, so I'll critique your art.

When a Wesnothian unit levels up, it does a lot more than the units in the top left. Those units simply change weapon arms and get a new weapon at level 3, sparing the serpent woman who gets armour. A Wesnoth mainline unit gets bigger (that's an important rule) and has much more glamorous equipment.

Why do the units in the bottom left suddenly lose their swords/staffs at level 4?

Also, all your units are leaning back, and your swords look...naff.

And finally, your level 3 serpent woman shouldn't have a straight edge on her armour. It looks stupid.

[ahyangyi]

The art actually aren't bad. Extending default eras doesn't mean you have to start with mainline quality images.

Something I want to say:
1. If you want to extend the default era, do please balance your factions carefully, against each faction (this is very hard!). It might be a good idea to prepare the unit stats early and paste them here.
2. Try making the lv.3 bladesmen a bit more "shiny", to seperate them from lv.2 more clearly.
3. The magi suddenly abandons their sticks at lv4: is there a thematic reason? or, do you plan to make branches for them?
4. Although the existing units covers melee units, scouts, ranged magi & wose-like impact dealers, I still suggest adding some more units. The more, the fun

[Zerovirus]

Whoo, you finally showed up from Pixeljoint! I was wondering when you'd be here.

Art is just as good as I remember. I note that you changed the lamias' hair with some sadness

Several of your unit's collarlines suffer from straight lines. Curve it up a little, and they won't look so pixelated. This is most notable with the lv3 lamia. As Reepurr said, you could bear with more cool details on higher levels. The lv4 certainly doesn't look lv4 at all. Also, the early mage levels need better staffs, preferably with outlines.

[MudTea]

I'll update the image with some names later, but maybe it should really be moved to art, I don't know if I'm going to post all the stats here..

Yeah, the straight edge looks bad and I should differentiate the swordmen more... I'll see what I can do. The lvl 4 magi are supposed to lose their staffs: I want them to have a permanent glowing aura around their hands. When I'm done with the animation the units should look more like lvl 4 than they do now.

@ahyangyi: Balancing the factions isn't easy indeed. But I've played with this one several times while changing some stats and I think they're balanced enough by now. I'm still working on it though. I don't know if I'll add more units to it, I thought maybe one, six units is a good count.

@Zerovirus: Hey, are you Drazelic from PJ? Thanks for the word "lamia", I didn't knew that and was going to call the unit "Naga" which would've been a bit problematic regarding the fact that there already are Nagas. I agree with the straight lines and staffs, I'll work on that.

Btw, if anyone's interested in my pixelart, here's my gallery: http://www.pixeljoint.com/p/26636.htm .

[IPS]

I'll update the image with some names later, but maybe it should really be moved to art, I don't know if I'm going to post all the stats here..

Posting the stats must help a bit to check the balancing.

Like others, I think this faction does needs more units. I see 2 units with blade mele atack (not incluiding the mage with the sword, its an complement atack only), Aparently 2 lv1 units with impact mele (the pegasi I think it takes the mele pierce at lv2 ) and a may fire ranged atack unit.

I see this faction to weak againist the drake faction. I see only a ranged based atack unit (the mage). Try adding a ranged unit with pierce in the ranged and if its posible in the mele too at lv1

[em3]

Are you going to include the Gorgon with bow from http://www.pixeljoint.com/pixelart/53964.htm in this faction? This would alleviate the balance issue against drakes raised by IPS.

Otherwise... rarely an UMC faction has such good sprites as these.

EDIT: The tails of Lamias, lvl. 2 and 3 especially, looks squashed/cut-off, as if theze were seen from up front, not from front-slightly-from-above, as is the case for other Wesnoth sprites.

[MudTea]

I've updated the overview with unit names and tweaked the lamia:



I'm a bit busy right now but I'll post the stats later..

[Reepurr]

The fact that the armour doesn't have a straight line at the top isn't very obvious, because the sides of the serpent woman (I'm not calling it a lamia because lamias are something like demon queens) sort of blur into the hair. You can't really see the curve.

[IPS]

I do this interesting critic to the Templar's sprites. Why does the lv2 Templar have the sword in the right arm and the staff in the left when the lv3 Templar does have the sword in the left and the staff in the right hand? why this change in this level???

This change of weapons from the arms is so senseless. It should like if you are right-hander and after you are left-hander or ambidextrous .. . if you are right-hander you can't be after a left-hander or to ambidextrous. You born as right-hander you can't change that after.

I do this critic to the lv1 swordsman and to the lv2 swordsman ... same senseless change of weapons to hands.

The fact that the armour doesn't have a straight line at the top isn't very obvious, because the sides of the serpent woman (I'm not calling it a lamia because lamias are something like demon queens) sort of blur into the hair. You can't really see the curve.

It's a naga. Belive me ... this naga does likes more to a naga than the wesnoth's default era naga. If I'm right, the original naga has 6 arms.

[em3]

It's a naga. Belive me ... this naga does likes more to a naga than the wesnoth's default era naga. If I'm right, the original naga has 6 arms.

In which mythology? Hindu? Buddhist? Might and Magic? Dungeons and Dragons?

[MudTea]

My Naga/Lamia was inspired by the Heroes of Might and Magic - Naga. They call it Naga there, but on the other hand: They call some sort of Taurus a Gorgon while originally the Medusa was a Gorgon..

I don't know.. I guess I'll call it Naga in the end, since it's the closest according to mythologies that aren't made up by games.

IPS: I don't know why I changed the 'weapon arms'.. must have been aesthetically reasons. I didn't even think about it I admit. But does it really matter? Would anybody care or even note that change after a unit leveled up?

[Dixie]

I personnally think it's just a nitpick and it's fine, as long as it's aesthetic. Wesnoth sprites are filpped, anyway, so when your unit face the other side, their weapon hands will be switched. I think you shouldn't think about it too much.

[IPS]

I personnally think it's just a nitpick and it's fine, as long as it's aesthetic. Wesnoth sprites are filpped, anyway, so when your unit face the other side, their weapon hands will be switched. I think you shouldn't think about it too much.

This is not very important true, but I think with the other form must be better

My Naga/Lamia was inspired by the Heroes of Might and Magic - Naga. They call it Naga there, but on the other hand: They call some sort of Taurus a Gorgon while originally the Medusa was a Gorgon..

Yay, Herores III Myght and Magic was my base of saying nagas has 6 arms. I play Heroes III and a game named Age of Wonders (version 2 liked me less)

But Heroes III Myght and Magic does haves more units and overall when it has it's 2 expantions

Azure dragon has 1000 hp and it's the strongest unit of all and Peasant has 1 hp and does 1-1 of dammage with 3 movement LOL