Reinventing Old Terrains

[fladdermasken]

So. A while back there was some buzz about redoing old dated pieces with fresh techniques and resources. And this one has been a long time coming.

This is the first piece I ever did that I felt pride over, and it's also the reason why I got into this atmospheric shit that I'm so damn into today. So basically this was a huge fucking challenge, yadda yadda. Few of you probably remember it still, but here it is.

Lone Wanderer (original) vs. Lone Wanderer 2.1.

Changelog

Lone Wanderer 2.0 (first attempt)


Lone Wanderer 2.1 (second attempt)
<see attachment at bottom post>

• Changed fog colour in the chasm
• Switched out the titan for another monster
• Silhouette him against the background to make his contours distinguishable
• Removed some light focus from the bridge
• Extended handrails
• Added environmental details

I terrained the original, and bobviously this piece too, to Thomas Newman's American Beauty.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=al21Vtlsg4A

Comment and shit!

 

[Kristopher]

Who's this giant?

 

[Celaquil]

Reinventing Old Terrains

That's my term! D:

-

I like everything, except the pines, which I think would look better as the standard
pines, and the giant, the old giant had a more... Looming sort of presence, I guess
the reason for that, to me, is that his arms are a bit too stretched. They should be
closer to the body, I think. (He actually looks like a robot, rather than some mythical
beast.)

The colour scheme is amazing, the lighthouse, although it doesn't work exactly as I see
you intended, is nice too. And that shack is just plain amazing. Nice one.

 

[johannesr]

Looks great! Except for two things that bother me. The house is hollow and the bridge starts before the handrails?

 

[fladdermasken]

Who's this giant?

Some lonely colossus dude being drawn to the light of the abandoned lighthouse to seek company. Cruel twist of fate was the central, albeit very much not clear, theme of the terrain.

That's my term! D:

I'm two for two, bitch!

except the pines, which I think would look better as the standard pines

Which standard pines? Yuu mean the ones of the same pack that aren't malformed? Or the ones I used in the old one? GIVE ME SOMETHING.

and the giant, the old giant had a more... Looming sort of presence, I guess the reason for that, to me, is that his arms are a bit too stretched. They should be closer to the body, I think. (He actually looks like a robot, rather than some mythical beast.)

Second one today that describes it as looming. Cool beans. But yeah, I hear you. I may try switching it out for the WoW export version of the Ancient of War, as to not take too much of the old one away conceptually.

The colour scheme is amazing, the lighthouse, although it doesn't work exactly as I see you intended, is nice too. And that shack is just plain amazing. Nice one.

Thank you, thank you and thank you! Also, how do you think I intended it?

Looks great! Except for two things that bother me. The house is hollow and the bridge starts before the handrails?

Yeah. The hollowed out house was both to try and emphasize that it was a poor human craftmanship and that the place was semi-abandoned and worn out ages ago. I may actually even replace the lanterns with something else that emits less light as to not draw too much focus to the bridge itself. The handrails should definitely extend further, good point.

 

[Celaquil]

Pretty sure you tried to make some sort of torch-light effect from the lighthouse toward
the background of the terrain, instead of toward the camera.

 

[Heinvers]

I really like this turnaround.

Unlike some other gents here(glares at Keiji), I kinda like that giant/cyborg-ish creature behind

 

[Celaquil]

Yeah, okay. That was pretty much the plan. Is it any better now?

Actually, no. Now it looks too bright, and as I said: I can see what you tried doing, but
it didn't work. Mostly because an effect like that would be extremely hard to pull off, I
wager. I liked the fainter version from the first version better.

As I said: Even though it didn't work, it was a cool effect, added to the mysticism of the terrain.

For the update, I love the monster. Sadly, though, I don't much appreciate the other
changes. Now, to me, it's a bit too dark, and I don't really agree about that hint you
got on wc3c, the bridge didn't steal away from the monster because it was there, it
did so because the monster was too faint and wrong. I always liked the fact of having
the monster not being the main focal point of the terrain, so as to give you the creeps
when you actually notice it.

So, yeah, lighting wise, I think you should revert a little to the style you had before,
but if you're so intent on sticking to the update, the at least compromise halfway

 

[Strydhaizer]

I love the old one than the new one for some reason, it is either the old one shows the background more clearly than the new one and the giant seems more sexy there or maybe i am just a guy who love monocolored terrains.

---

I am still hoping you will improve this terrain you made 5 years ago, it's pretty cool , or making something similar to this.

 

[fladdermasken]

Actually, no. Now it looks too bright, and as I said: I can see what you tried doing, but it didn't work. Mostly because an effect like that would be extremely hard to pull off, I wager. I liked the fainter version from the first version better.

Fair enough. But without the glow to support the silhouette, the monster isn't distinguishable from the background apart from the eyes. And believe me, I tried many different ways of trying to make him show better. As I see it now, it ain't happening without supporting light.

Actually. What might work is using a fainter glow behind him that almost blends with the background. Gonna try that out.

For the update, I love the monster. Sadly, though, I don't much appreciate the other changes. Now, to me, it's a bit too dark, and I don't really agree about that hint you got on wc3c, the bridge didn't steal away from the monster because it was there, it did so because the monster was too faint and wrong.

But that's what you were asking me to do with it a second ago!

EDIT: Okay, how is this?

I always liked the fact of having the monster not being the main focal point of the terrain, so as to give you the creeps when you actually notice it.

To be fair, in the old one it was properly silhouetted and had an entire skyline to support it. But yeah, I hear you. Just not sure how to pull it off without sorcery.

So, yeah, lighting wise, I think you should revert a little to the style you had before, but if you're so intent on sticking to the update, the at least compromise halfway

Wait, where did I say that?

I am still hoping you will improve this terrain you made 5 years ago, it's pretty cool , or making something similar to this.

Holy fuck! Where did you dig that up from? Pretty sure I did those on a dare that I couldn't do skyscrapers in WE. Ain't nothing to a boss.

 

[Celaquil]

But that's what you were asking me to do with it a second ago!

No, you misunderstand. I meant the light from the lighthouse, that it should be fainter
like the first version. Not the monster.

Actually. What might work is using a fainter glow behind him that almost blends with the background. Gonna try that out.

Exactly. Whose to say a monster can't faintly glow?

Wait, where did I say that?

Jedi mind trick.

EDIT: Okay, how is this?

Can't say, it's sunny bright right now! D: (In the real world)

 

[johannesr]

I like the 2.1 version the most, with some light behind the giant.

 

[NightStalker]

Well; I'm not here to give feedback but I came here to learn things

I have some questions:

1) How did you manage to make a perfect sky? I'm sure this is not a default warcraft sky.

2) How did you manage to make the golem/creature's behind eyes glow?

3) And finally, is it just fog that makes the terrain darker?

 

[fladdermasken]

1. http://www.hiveworkshop.com/forums/general-mapping-tutorials-278/enhancing-skies-201315/ / http://www.hiveworkshop.com/forums/...s-278/fundamental-principles-lighting-263152/

2. Glow models.

3. Animated DNC Light Models (see Fundamental Principles of Lighting).

 

[NightStalker]

Thanks these will surely improve my terraining a lot ^^