Nov. 20, 2011: Weapon Upgrade (FINISHED!)

Even the lowly sling gets an update around here...

that looks cool
real smart

The Amethyst Dragon wrote:

Eric of Atrophy wrote:Also, would it be useful to have a bug thread that details the particular weapons changed by Project Reforged? Like the magic bug list, just as a way to keep track of these things ...

Like, this one from back in March?

Oh, yeah ... how about that! Reposting there!

Had some serious model-making burnout going, so I pretty much stopped any work on Project Reforged back in October.

I can safely say I'm through with that, since I just spent a day buried in gmax working on ammunition.

New bullet icons are done. Basic bullet, arrow, and bolt models are started. All-new in-flight models for arrows, bolts, bullets, darts, shuriken, and throwing axes are done (including the ones with VFXs (acid, electrical, fire, frost, sonic)). Electrical ones will no longer "drip" magic but are instead covered in short bolts of energy, fire looks like fire (and covers an entire arrow), sonic ones give off waves of vibrations, acid ones drip properly, and frost ones are frosty...all based off the normal weapon VFXs, rather than the original projectile ones. They look much better during my in-game testing.

The fire ones even light up the ground as they pass over it toward their target.

Once I finish with all the new arrow and bolt models and icons, then I'll go back and finish the longbows, light crossbows, and heavy crossbows.

That's deluxe, to get the fire arrows to radiate light!

Creative quandry...stupid arrow icons.

Just based on the size of an arrow (let along a quiver full of them), I think BioWare should have made the arrow inventory icon 1x3 squares (32x96 pixels) instead of 1x2 squares (32x64 pixels). The things are supposed to be longer than a shortsword, and definitely longer than a crossbow bolt. But nah, let's make The Amethyst Dragon try to cram a long weapon into a short space....

I could try to make the icon taller (via bigger icons and a change to baseitems.2da), but that'd likely cause issues with existing character inventories and prevent easy overriding of existing icons.

I can shrink the entire arrow down, but too much detail on the arrowhead and fletching is lost. It looks like I'm going to have to go with version 3 (with the "cut" arrow shaft) to make it work. I don't like it, but it preserves more details. What do you guys and gals think?



The big image is the single arrow model in the toolset (yes, ammunition will likely be getting new "ground" models...at the very least a replacement of the default quiver/case/bag with something new). Using a single one to make updated icons, then I may do an actual bundle of arrows for the ground model.

And a note on the original NWN icon...who has a large supply of blue feathers they can use for every single mundane arrow in the world?

The Amethyst Dragon wrote:Creative quandry...stupid arrow icons.

I think BioWare should have made the arrow inventory icon 1x3 squares (32x96 pixels) instead of 1x2 squares (32x64 pixels).

I can shrink the entire arrow down, but too much detail on the arrowhead and fletching is lost. It looks like I'm going to have to go with version 3 (with the "cut" arrow shaft) to make it work. I don't like it, but it preserves more details.

I'm not crazy abut v3 personally, but I really like v2 "slant".

I too also like the v2 "slant", but I could see it being troublesome later if you wanted to add "effects" in the same way you have for rods/wands etc.... EDIT :: Just checked and Aenean Ammunition already has the mentioned effects in the toolset, so this would mean that they would need updating for slanted images too... ... ...

v3 "cut" seems like the best option, it depends on if there is any real detail being lost by cutting the shaft for the icons. I don't think many will mind that the icon isn't exactly the same as the physical model, and at the very least the shaft still gets into the icon.... I actually think I'd prefer the icon to focus more on the feather and point then the shaft.... ...

Generally I love detailing, but for something that goes in a space so small as ammunition, I'd opt for V1, the long and narrow straight vertical look. As long as you can differentiate at least the colorations for different types of arrows.

The slanted one just really doesn't work for my feelings, it makes me feel that the arrows are just tossed about untidily and not straight in the quiver and ready to fly. But such a feeling is a minor point, and I'm sure I'd get used to it and after a bit I'd not think twice about it.

The really important thing is to be able to quickly and easily see the colorations and other type and effect indications, so that one can know what's up to be shot, without having to run the mouse over it.

That's why I like the v3... upright, straight, ready to fly... with all the detail of the icon focused on the feathers and the point... with 's elemental glow's and colours as a "bottom" you will be able to tell at a glance what ammunition is currently loaded...

It's unlikely that the arrows will have the same feathers/point but a slight variation in the shaft colour to distinguish between two different types so you want the icon to focus on the ends.... the v1 looses alot of the detail in the tips and (for me) the whole icon centralises on the shaft....

Although admittedly, I don't own a ranged user to really have enough of an input here.... ...

I agree with the ideas Rusty has expressed in theory, however, I like all three models for different reasons. I think v1 does proportionally use too much icon real-estate on the shaft as thew only relevant detail I see regarding the shaft is coloration. v3 seems the best compromise, as I agree with Ramana's assessment of the v2 'hapahazard' aspect of its tilt/angle.

Going with the "cut" style of arrow icon, just without a visible line. Also doing some "re-proportioning"...shrinking the fletching a little, while enlarging the arrowheads. Here's some results...just doesn't show the in-game transparency.

First shows parts 1, color 1. Second shows parts 2, color 2. Third is parts 3, color 3. Fourth shows some Aenea-only fletching and arrowhead colors.



Not too bad for having had to do a lot of work on them. I still have to make new versions of the ones with "effects" in the icons, but those shouldn't take too long since I'll just be re-using parts of those icons and some of the new models.

The "quiver on the ground" model will be replaced by an arrow model that matches the inventory icons....since I made the icons from (so far) 95 actual new weapon models. It just looks like a single arrow on the ground, but it's not too hard to see (and will only be visible if a PC drops them anyway, since arrows are pretty much always in loot or shops).

I'm also making a minor change so that arrow icons will rotate sideways in the quickslots, keeping more detail there.

Oh, and I'm not making it so you can wield an arrow in your hands. It looks funny (especially with arrows with elemental damage), and such arrows in quickslots put the arrows into the main hand instead of the arrow slot for firing. If you want a "hand held arrow", use a dart.
... yeah, I tested the concept out tonight.

Work in progress. Model work is done, onto the inventory icons for crossbows.




Edited to add: Original model for comparison.

The Amethyst Dragon wrote:
Edited to add: Original model for comparison.

Wow, that's amazing.

Extremely nice work; appears sim to the more FX current Skyrim Dawnguard ceossbow. That one must have taken some time!

Lovely modeling, the woodgrain is especially nice! Another wonderful immersing detail for your lovely world, !

Though, I can't figure out what the pokey flange coming off the bottom of the butt is for. Does this point to the side, or does it point towards the rear (so that it's liable to impale a wielder if he holds it up against his shoulder)?

It's decorative, and instead of poking into the user's shoulder, it will now go under the armpit.

Not exactly historically accurate, but neither is the original one. And it actually sticks out to the side less than the original. I describe the new crossbows as a mix of historical + fantasy + "works with NWN".

The crossbows did take some time. Now I've got to make new models for the bolts to go with them.

The Amethyst Dragon wrote:
I describe the new crossbows as a mix of historical + fantasy + "works with NWN".

So plenty of artistic licensing then ... this really made me laugh today. And I needed a laugh so much. Thankye .

Oh.. and the new model looks ace, makes me wish one of my PC's would strive to use them effectively.... maybe in the future, when I get around to it.........

Holy. Crap.




I'm...done.




Project Reforged is finished.




81 texture files
5,063 model files
7,381 inventory icon files

I just finished the last of the inventory icons for bolts, which were the last thing I needed to finish the ranged weapons and the entirety of Project Reforged.

Now I just need to package the new files up into the hak, compress it, and upload it sometime this weekend (family is still sick, so computer time has been limited for the last week and half).

PARTY TIME

Woo HOO.... and when I can log back into the vault I'll speed run the entire list of Project Reforged weapons and comment/vote on all of them.

PS. Does anybody know if there are any problems with the password reset option on the vault ?... Still haven't recieved my new password (since I forgot my old one)....

RustyDios wrote:Woo HOO.... and when I can log back into the vault I'll speed run the entire list of Project Reforged weapons and comment/vote on all of them.

PS. Does anybody know if there are any problems with the password reset option on the vault ?... Still haven't recieved my new password (since I forgot my old one)....

That utility hasn't worked for a long time, and IGN isn't bothering to fix it. The entire NWN Vault is pretty much just done on a volunteer basis by Maximus. You'll need to email Rolo Kipp or Maximus (I think there's a form on the Vault site) and they can manually set your password for you.

The last of the weapon icons and models are in today's hak files.

The "u" hak is updated just as a dumping spot for a bunch of blank models and icons (color 0) so that higher part number CEP weapon parts will once again show up in the toolset drop-downs for appearances. Those older CEP content parts likely won't line up perfectly with the Reforged weapon models, and definitely won't with the newer icons, but they are there for custom reward items if you really like them.

Congrats!















Oh and by the way....