Terraining Mini-Contests: The Victorious [Kino]

[Pharaoh_]

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Username:
Kino
Judged by:
Keiji

Review

I honestly don’t understand why I love this terrain, I don’t even know if I can call it a “terrain”. And maybe that is exactly the reason why I like it so much, because it’s bizarre, it’s curious, and it looks completely bloody badass. Essentially, it’s just a jumble of smoke and fire, or lava, to my eyes seen from above, like some sort of fiery river in a burning landscape, but there’s something really artistic about it. And it certainly fits the profile for minimalism. I even like the birds, the small pixelated things in the middle. I’d love to have a look at it in the editor, if you wouldn’t mind sharing

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Review and Stats

Username: fladdermasken
Judged By: Keiji

Well wretch. Here we are again.
I’m loving every little detail about this terrain, except the round ruin thingy closest to the screen. I don’t know what those doodads are, the ones you used for “roofing” but they are quite clearly overlapping and clipping, if that’s the term, and really ruins the otherwise “perfect” scenery. Other than that, you dirty bastard, I love the details, I love the lighting and I particularly love the magical kind of milky look of the water. Got milk?
I also like the added, though sneaky, plant-life, it kind of gives the terrain some much needed botany. Ta, mate, again. You’re my winner. (again...)

Review and Stats

Username: fladdermasken
Judged By: Keiji

Fladdermasken:

8.5/10

Frankly? General Frankly?! Generally, I’m bloody disappointed. Yeah, I know I’m giving you the highest score, yeah you are the winner of this contest, but that doesn’t mean I won’t harass you, cause I expected better. Doodad placement, lighting, fog/sky transition... All that, superb. Well, most of it anyway. I do not love the arches you used on the house and I think the rivers could be done better, the tiny transition from grass to rock in the bottom right foreground corner looks awkward and those white stalagmites close to the Moria well thing looks weird in combination with it.

I do like the surreal-angled house on the left, though.

Review and Stats

Username: kari0003
Judged by: Bernkastel

The moment I saw this, it reminded me of Red Dead Redemption, perhaps because of the zombies and the terrain of the area. The way you went for this is pretty good.


The angle makes it look like if you were behind the brush observing the situation, making you intrigued of what are the characters intentions. You've done a nice environmental detail with creating a cliff with trees on it.
But you've left a very open space next to it, without any details at all, giving it an unfinished appereance like if something was missing.
Also the ground is not very detailed which could be improved with tile variation and such which is highly suggested, as in a terrain like this, the ground does have quite a role.

I'm amused that you took your chances and decided to make the sky by yourself, but there are some suggestions I have for you to improve the skies of your future terrains.
Make the sky doodad bigger or move it further so it will not be infront of the other objcets that you have placed. Then I must note you about the cloud that's inside the tree, it has a strange light on it,
hard to say if it's intentional or not, but it's very odd. Yet, I do appreciate the attempt.


The sky itself is rather dull and lacks a lightsource. Having one would have an improving effect on the whole terrain, granting a more unique look.
Placement of the buildings is nicely executed for a little town such as this, but the buildings themself could use a bit more details.
And the fact that the barricade has been built to the middle of the town is quite strange, considering that they're built to defend after all.

Proportions in your terrain are good and you have given it thought while making this. Your high usage of unit models, does not appease me though.
However I could say that you're steadily improving, and with practice anyone can get far.

Review and Stats

Username: elredil
Location:

(Romania)
Judged by: Keiji

Obviously, the reference picture looks way more epic than the terrain. Mostly because of its details and staggering camera angle, I’m not going to hold any of those against you however, considering both the details and camera angle of that reference picture would be a total bitch to pull off in the world editor. I must admit to always having liked your style, elredir, and this terrain is no exception. You have a good way of capturing specific emotions within your terrains by the use of doodad tinting, nice fog use and clever lighting and atmosphere. There is, however, some few things I still would like to address with this terrain, which also goes for most of your terrains in total. You seem to me to poorly chose some of your doodads, such as those rock models you seem to be so fond of using in all your terrains, those ones from XGM. Granted, at far enough a distance, or by using clever blending techniques, these rocks may not look entirely horrible, but you seem to not be doing either. They do, much like that tree model you’ve used on the left-hand foreground, have horrible textures.
For the rocks, I would recommend you use felsen or steinlord rocks in your future terrains, while both probably takes some getting used to, you’ll find they are just as versatile and easy to use as any rock model and in the end they will simply look better. For that tree, I would’ve suggested you’d used a collaboration of the “Deathwoods” trees from the UTM instead of the one your currently using, that is, if I’m naming the right doodads <.< Won’t say I’m too fond of the roots of the tree either, probably texture problem there, too.
Personally, I’d say the camera angle is a tad too close to the foreground as well, you really do get to see that horrible tile-texture, and really.. Don’t be fooled, EVERY tile looks horrible when zoomed close enough
Other than that, there’s not much I would like to point out in terms of what I dislike. I love the castle, I love the lighting and I love the atmosphere, bravo.