[SC2] - The very first Terraining contest -- Theme discussion -

[Statharas]

I'd go for a Zerg Graveyard. The place where all zerg go to rest.

 

[Ribenamania]

Hmm, might join if I got bored

 

[AIagremm]

Statharas, actually zerg dont die of age, and their wounds get regenerated so quickly they simply cannot die of them. The only way for a zerg to die really, is to be killed.

However a place where thousands of zergs were killed could do

 

[Dr Super Good]

Theme ideas...
Research base
Xelnaga ruins
Jungle
Forrest facitiy
Millitry base
City at war

 

[johannesr]

Id prefer some nature theme rather than urban.

 

[AIagremm]

Perhaps the best theme would be portrait an important moment from SCI campaign?

For example the Ion Cannon being destroyed, Kerrigan surrounded by the zerg while fighting in New Gettysburg, destruction of the Protoss sacred temple and the coming of the Overmind to Aiur, honorable sacrifice of Tassadar nd the death of the Overmind.
Luckily Brood War inmy opinion has as many possibilities. The refugees from Aiur watching the plains of Shakuras after coming through the Warp Gate, the activasion of Shakuras Xel'naga temple by Zeratul and Artanis, UED finding the Psi-Disruptor and conquering Korhal, the destruction of the Psi-Disruptor and the rise of New Overmind, or his overtaking by the UED, Kerrigan's betrayal and Zeratul discovering the horrible secrets on the dark moon...

 

[Rui]

Either a place full of flora, or a military base, or a war, or a zerg planet. The rest doesn't really have enough material to be worked with. Wastelands such as planet Shakuras possess nearly no doodads, for example.

 

[fladdermasken]

The rest doesn't really have enough material to be worked with.

Urban enviroments and any registered independent should be no problem in particular pulling off.
Note however that this is an implication based on modest observation, not experience, so don't quote me on it.

Now as far as the theme goes:

Either a place full of flora, or a military base, or a war, or a zerg planet.

What bothers me with the listed themes is that there is next to no room for any source of artistic creativity.

Although I suppose it's be high time to settle whether this contest is for playable terrain or terrain art.
Appears to be mixed perceptions on that matter.

 

[Asomath]

What bothers me with the listed themes is that there is next to no room for any source of artistic creativity.

Although I suppose it's be high time to settle whether this contest is for playable terrain or terrain art.
Appears to be mixed perceptions on that matter.

What’s said here is the key question.

If you’re doing a game play terrain contest, then the more specific concepts such as a research center or forest are acceptable. This is due to the concept that its less of an artistic interpretation and more of game designers creativity. Instead of interpreting the theme, the terrain designer will have to figure out how to creatively and uniquely use elements of the theme to affect a player’s game strategy.

If however, you’re doing terrain artwork, the theme should be more of an idea to be interpreted then a setting to be created. Think harmony, corruption, and hope, things an artist can take, process, and incorporate into their terrain.


~Asomath

 

[Jazztastic]

Proper jazz night in the neon lights. Contestants must portray a cruel night for a struggling musician trying to endure frostbite.

In all seriousness, some form of emotion-invoking city piece wouldn't be too far fetched a theme.
It's also rather artistic.

I can't believe you picked Coltrane over the Duke (Solitude comes to mind) or Silver (Lonely Woman comes to mind) for slow emotion-invoking music. Coltrane, I personally believe, is best playing at high speeds, something he does so incredibly well. Giant Steps is a great album however, Mr. P.C. is my favorite from it.

On-topic though, I think this is going to have some great terrain. I wish I could participate, but no SCII

 

[Celaquil]

Proper jazz night in the neon lights. Contestants must portray a cruel night for a struggling musician trying to endure frostbite.

In all seriousness, some form of emotion-invoking city piece wouldn't be too far fetched a theme.
It's also rather artistic.

To build a little further on this idea: Steampunk.

 

[Dr Super Good]

Jungle. There are enough models for that.

The whole idea could be around interaction with jungle. For example terrans cutting it down for buildings, zerg infesting it, protoss ruins getting covered by it, terran coexisting with it etc.

 

[2-P]

In lighting you can now control the tints of the various omni lights. Shadows are real so can have their angles customized. You also have access to HDR meaning more realistic brightness.

Yeah, already looking forward to a lot of bright stuff.

 

[Krl70]

Great! I can't wait to see this! There's not a lot of resources, but the way you can make terrain look in Starcraft II is SO BEAUTIFUL!

 

[Adiktuz]

this is interesting... ^_^

 

[Tleno]

Jungle. There are enough models for that.

The whole idea could be around interaction with jungle. For example terrans cutting it down for buildings, zerg infesting it, protoss ruins getting covered by it, terran coexisting with it etc.

That's a nice idea, but I only dislike it kinda limits the nqature doodads t0o more tropical ones. What about just "Co-existance with nature"? Then you could make like other kinda of forests or whatever - more mild climate, or some more exotic one.

 

[AIagremm]

I still propose that the theme should be a moment from SCI campaign. Any moment at all, as long as it looks just like it and is nicely done.

 

[fladdermasken]

I'm raising this point again since I only really got one concrete response: Will this contest be for gameplay terrain or terrain art?
The theme should be discussed accordingly:

If you’re doing a game play terrain contest, then the more specific concepts such as a research center or forest are acceptable. This is due to the concept that its less of an artistic interpretation and more of game designers creativity. Instead of interpreting the theme, the terrain designer will have to figure out how to creatively and uniquely use elements of the theme to affect a player’s game strategy.

If however, you’re doing terrain artwork, the theme should be more of an idea to be interpreted then a setting to be created. Think harmony, corruption, and hope, things an artist can take, process, and incorporate into their terrain.

---

I can't believe you picked Coltrane over the Duke (Solitude comes to mind) or Silver (Lonely Woman comes to mind) for slow emotion-invoking music.

Individual preferences and nostalgia. I'm raised with Coltrane as a matter of fact, not as much Duke Ellington and Horace Silver. But yes, superb musicians both of them.
And actually, Naima pin-points my interpretation of an emotion-invoking piece relating to cruel urban settings

Coltrane, I personally believe, is best playing at high speeds, something he does so incredibly well.

I think he manages quite well with slower paced tunes - Equinox for instance.

To build a little further on this idea: Steampunk.

I don't see any correlation in particular, but I approve : crows in top hats are awesome despite the two components being perfectly unrelated.

 

[AIagremm]

Terrain art probably. Allows you to focus on a certain moment and location. Perhaps people should get some practice before making a full gameplay terrain, that could be for the second contest.

P.S.
Steampunk would be awesome as a theme.

 

[Tleno]

Terrain art probably. Allows you to focus on a certain moment and location. Perhaps people should get some practice before making a full gameplay terrain, that could be for the second contest.

P.S.
Steampunk would be awesome as a theme.

That would be terribly awesome, too bad there are not much of pure-steampunk models... like pipes.

Wait... what about... Cyberpunk?!

 

[AIagremm]

Cyberpunk? That would be excellent, yes yes!

Too bad the snowy tileset will only appear in HotS >>

 

[Tleno]

Cyberpunk? That would be excellent, yes yes!

Too bad the snowy tileset will only appear in HotS >>

I've seen some immprovizations with Xil tileset and some ashes falling from the sky... I swear, it looks just like a snow!

 

[Xian]

I've seen some immprovizations with Xil tileset and some ashes falling from the sky... I swear, it looks just like a snow!

well yeah

 

[JackRCDF]

It's easy enough to make a custom snow tileset. There's been one somewhere around since beta. In fact someone here should give making one a go, following this: http://www.galaxywiki.net/Custom_Terrain_Textures

 

[AIagremm]

But is it allowed to use it? I mean it's not a public resource.

And besides, it can be snowy, but it wont look as awesome as the snow tileset of HotS =(

 

[JackRCDF]

Alagremm, upload it to the hive database and it's a public resource ;0 and that isn't far off the method blizzard would have used, except they probably didn't google for their stock photos.

 

[AIagremm]

True, true...

 

[Celaquil]

I don't see any correlation in particular, but I approve : crows in top hats are awesome despite the two components being perfectly unrelated.

I wasn't at all hinting to any kind of co-relation between the two, rather seeing how that of which you described could be a very interesting concept to terrain within a frames of a Steampunk setting, so to speak. And thus, at one and the same time, suggesting steampunk for theme.
- I would've thought you got that.

Anyways, I've got to quite disagree about there "not" being Steampunk models in the Sc2 editor, unless there's been ommitted doodads since I last worked my magic with it. That, however, might just differ a bit concidering what view on "steampunk" people have.

 

[Oziris]

I totally like Fladds idea.
Steampunk also.
And might I propose a theme, it should be named "lights" The SCII editor has an outstanding light system, so the goal would be to make a better atmosphere, a pretty wide open theme considering the lack of doodads that SCII has to display at the moment.
Lets make a poll now! So the themes for the poll would be:

1.Life of a musician
2.Steampunk
3.Forest
4.Battlegrounds
5.Urban
6.SCII scene
7.Lights

 

[AIagremm]

SCII scene or SCI scene?

 

[Bugz]

What about doing a terrain from the lore?

 

[Celaquil]

SCII scene or SCI scene?

My thought on that is that Sc2 scene would be the more suiteable, considering people have to have sc2 to enter this contest, and have, as thus, more sertainly played through the campaign of sc2 than sc1.
- Not EVERYONE have played Sc1, surprisingly enough.

That, and I personally think a theme should not require to play/have played or do/have done something which does not regard the game of which the contest is in conclusion.

 

[fladdermasken]

So, assuming this will be a terrain art contest then.

I wasn't at all hinting to any kind of co-relation between the two, rather seeing how that of which you described could be a very interesting concept to terrain within a frames of a Steampunk setting, so to speak. And thus, at one and the same time, suggesting steampunk for theme.
- I would've thought you got that.

I did get that (hence crows with top hats) - I was hinting at a merger of concept.
But yes, steampunk in general sounds less far fetched a theme than to actually merge the two aspects.

I totally like Fladds idea.

I honestly didn't expect to get as much support as all that :]

1.Life of a musician
5.Urban

These two aspects match: life of a musician would be demonstrated in an urban (or suburban) setting.

 

[Jazztastic]

I totally like Fladds idea.
Steampunk also.
And might I propose a theme, it should be named "lights" The SCII editor has an outstanding light system, so the goal would be to make a better atmosphere, a pretty wide open theme considering the lack of doodads that SCII has to display at the moment.
Lets make a poll now! So the themes for the poll would be:

1.Life of a musician
2.Steampunk
3.Forest
4.Battlegrounds
5.Urban
6.SCII scene
7.Lights

For the limited amount of starcraft resources, working on using lighting to make a more intense atmosphere with less focus on doodads would probably be the best option, until the sc2 stuff fills up.

 

[Tleno]

Hey, what about recreating the areas from other games? I mean, any game that is not Starcraft. Any genre. Any location... imagine how many different submissions we'd have...

 

[AIagremm]

Hm, I like Tleno's idea. However Keiji also has a good point there, about requiring to have played something.

 

[M0rbid]

What Keiji says, and once again the lack of fitting doodads would ruin it, especially because some sceneries just cannot be compensated with doodad play since they are toooo significant for those areas.

 

[Tleno]

What Keiji says, and once again the lack of fitting doodads would ruin it, especially because some sceneries just cannot be compensated with doodad play since they are toooo significant for those areas.

Well yes... now when we're limited by doodads we have, we can't really create so many different things as we could like for example do with WC3 where we have a whole stack of various models to use.

 

[RiotZ]

I just have to ask a stupid question... Is there any *way the terrain in SC2 could be done poorly lol?

 

[AIagremm]

The question is indeed stupid. Because I cant even understand what you're asking.

 

[RiotZ]

The question is indeed stupid. Because I cant even understand what you're asking.

How can you judge the terrain in SC2, it all looks good.

 

[AIagremm]

Oh. Trust me, some people can make a horrible terrain even with SCII.

 

[RiotZ]

Oh. Trust me, some people can make a horrible terrain even with SCII.

Lol, are there any templates around yet? It'd be nice to see what people are doing.

 

[Tleno]

Well, there is only one terrain template on THW, uploaded by me...

 

[2-P]

I've yet to see a SC2 terrain that comes even close to the top WC3 terrains.

 

[Jazztastic]

I've yet to see a SC2 terrain that comes even close to the top WC3 terrains.

Because everyone here loves wc3 too much to transition. Plus I don't think my computer can run it, don't know about everyone else (shitty ass 144 vraam graphics card, but 4 gigs of raam. Can't load a pretty picture, but I can load that picture really fucking fast)

 

[Bugz]

Because everyone here loves wc3 too much to transition. Plus I don't think my computer can run it, don't know about everyone else (shitty ass 144 vraam graphics card, but 4 gigs of raam. Can't load a pretty picture, but I can load that picture really fucking fast)

my computer is a fast computer, but not a gamer -.-' i would buy starcraft 2 and join if i had another computer..

 

[MGCǂSpectre]

I've yet to see a SC2 terrain that comes even close to the top WC3 terrains.

You must be joking right? SC2 terrain is like a movie with these graphics, wc3 is still cartoony... Get sc2 then think again.

 

[Oziris]

Imtor, 2-P is right. Graphic aren't all. Wc3 terrains are still far better then Starcrafts.

 

[Bugz]

If the graphics in wc3 was the same as starcraft 2, it would be awesome.. :/ yet its not what matters..