I'm glad you resolved the issue. However, it is not compatible with BLC. Unless the properties file gets pushed down to dynamic naming, I'm afraid it never will be. It would take a lot of work by one of us to make that happen.
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I'm glad you resolved the issue. However, it is not compatible with BLC. Unless the properties file gets pushed down to dynamic naming, I'm afraid it never will be. It would take a lot of work by one of us to make that happen.
@Crackd: While I think your work looks amazing, most of your portraits have one issue: The eyes.
Most of the eyes look a bit unnatural, and it gives most of the portraits sort of an uncanny valley feel.
For example, most of the eyes in this image feel slightly off:
The only eyes that feel quite right are the green guy's and the guy in the upper-right corner, and perhaps the guy in the middle on the left.
Most of the eyes look a bit unnatural, and it gives most of the portraits sort of an uncanny valley feel.
For example, most of the eyes in this image feel slightly off:
The only eyes that feel quite right are the green guy's and the guy in the upper-right corner, and perhaps the guy in the middle on the left.
If you start at top left as #1, 2nd row is #7, the eyes that are not weird: 6, 7, 8, 11
#9 (green guy Meneth likes) is almost there but the eyes are way too slanted down on the outer corners.
In general they're a bit too small and far apart.
#9 (green guy Meneth likes) is almost there but the eyes are way too slanted down on the outer corners.
In general they're a bit too small and far apart.
The references I used featured small eyes, as did most miniature paintings of them. There are a few kinks to work out, but I'm worried more about the facial hair and hair that I need to finish to get the Seljuks in a download ready state. After that is all done, I can worry about tweaking the eyes. The criticism of the green-turban wearing Turk is probably also from the headgear overlap. There's more forehead under that wrap, haha.
Unfortunately, I just don't have a lot of free time. I've been battling a bout of food poisoning from pork chops the last two days.
Small eyes are okay. The problem is that some of them feel very dead. The eyes on the very last guy for example, makes him look like an extremely well-preserved corpse rather than a live human.
I think the issue might be that the eyes and the area around them generally lack emotion. Guy #7's eyes look alive for example, as it looks like he's slightly pissed off. The Pope (or something) works as he looks a bit worried. The very last guy just looks like he's staring right through the world.
I think the issue might be that the eyes and the area around them generally lack emotion. Guy #7's eyes look alive for example, as it looks like he's slightly pissed off. The Pope (or something) works as he looks a bit worried. The very last guy just looks like he's staring right through the world.
The last five are actually just the first five again, and none of those faces are randomized. I'm assuming the same criticism applies to the fifth person because they are the same?
IMHO the faces do not look dead, nor the areas around the eyes, I think though the eyes themselves could be tweaked a little. ATM the eyes are a little too shiny, they have a certain artificial glare, glassy shinyness, and I guess that is what makes the whole face look artificial to some people.
I don't think the faces in and of themselves look dead. The problem is that for me, on some of the portraits, the eyes look so dead the person looks like a well-preserved corpse. The issues you mention are definitely part of it, but the lack of emotion in the eyes as well makes a big difference.
Any more artificial than vanilla?
And, part of it also comes from a subtle difference not present in the actual ones uploaded for use. The ones you see above have rough undercoloring in the base sets that were corrected for the release. The template I use for lining up clothing and headgear doesn't have the tweaked facial pieces and color, which presents subtle tonal differences along the noses and cheeks, in particular, that are not present in-game.And, if you would be so kind as to point out which ones in particular. I've personally had it in mind to tweak #2, 4, 5, and 6. The "technique" developed as I did more of them, which makes an interesting scenario where the quality increases as you go from left to right, haha. Does the same criticism apply to images from within the game? The ones above are not randomized, after all.
1: Slightly off, looks a bit too strained.
2: Seems okay. Not perfect, but okay. Slightly dead look.
3: Looks pretty good.
4: Bit too small. Don't have the "dead" look though.
5: Definitely looks dead.
6: Looks great.
7: Looks great. Not quite as good as 6, but still great.
8: Looks a bit strange due to being almost closed.
9: Looks great. The left eye does slope a bit much though.
10: Looks good.
11: Dead
12: Dead
13: Look alive, but too slanted
Does that help?
"Does the same criticism apply to images from within the game?"
The portraits definitely look much more real than vanilla, and that's part of the problem. It looks real enough that small things, like the eyes, can make the entire thing seem off. The uncanny valley as I referenced earlier.
Vanilla doesn't have this problem, as the portraits aren't realistic.
Does that help?
Yes, in fact. If only I could half the people who look at my deviantart paintings to give such thorough criticisms.
I'm familiar with the concept of the Uncanny Valley, but I will disagree on the vanilla portraits being 'realistic,' as that definitely was the goal. Otherwise, they could've done painterly style or even cel-shading, or the standard CKI format.
In fact... That provides me with an idea to do a comic-book style set to replace vanilla...
great idea, but you know what would be even sweeter? take a look at this. like in the style of illuminations of medieval books. not so very stylized maybe.
They're realistic to some degree of course, but not realistic enough to fall into the valley
Did you still do something on portraits? I have some suggestions.
I quote mysoelf from Better Looking Characters:
I quote mysoelf from Better Looking Characters:
I plan on doing this to every culture.
Realistically, the Western set will be broken into its normal set and a darker skinned version for Italians, Spaniards, Greeks, etc.
Everyone will have their own clothing and headgear sets.
There will be Africans.
But, first, I'm still finishing the Turks. After that, I will probably do the Africans.
This is what I did for Sengoku...
I believe that you don't like these graphics (at least for CK2!), but a comic book style is a good way to represent characters with more emotions as you can see on the picture.
Culturally-specific gear should have a chance at being represented, yes.
This is what I did for Sengoku...
It's good work. I can't disagree with that. I just have a thing against anime, for the most part. It comes from using deviantart, where a lot of very bad anime is from. That, and otaku kids. But, that's a story for another time. Obviously, I want to finish what I already have going before tackling another project like that. My time is limited enough as-is, haha.