Mountain Trolls - critics please

scott · Post by **scott** » October 8th, 2005, 11:43 pm

Neorice moves into mentor role, spawning new neos. Nice.

The proportions on the new troll are really good, but I think it's too big. Is it, or is that just me?

nonobots · Post by **nonobots** » October 8th, 2005, 11:47 pm

scott wrote:Neorice moves into mentor role, spawning new neos. Nice.

The proportions on the new troll are really good, but I think it's too big. Is it, or is that just me?

It's The Big One, meant to be the high-level hero in my campaign... I'm already working on the whelp and it is a lot smaller... I think he'll end up even smaller than the current one.

nonobots · Post by **nonobots** » October 8th, 2005, 11:47 pm

Who did the current trolls?

Post by **Neoriceisgood** » October 9th, 2005, 12:12 am

I'd bet money on it that Fmunoz did them.

nonobots · Post by **nonobots** » October 9th, 2005, 12:28 am

The base for the whelp. With the current one to compare.

Remember Mountain Troll will be less strong but more agile than the common ones. Taller and thinner they are.

nonobots · Post by **nonobots** » October 9th, 2005, 1:56 am

Three sizes now.

There something wrong with them but I can't really put my finger on it. When I put them in game they feel weird. May be the colors aren't good or the way the outline is done.

I think the size and shape is good though. Big one could be too much.

Post by **Jetrel** » October 9th, 2005, 5:53 am

Neoriceisgood wrote:Well that image is still better than what 90% of the forum go-ers could pull off, good job on it so far.

Indeed. Good show.

I think what's pulling them away from the in-game units is the shading - it's too smooth, almost like a straight gradient. For a proper way of shading in the sprite style you're using, look at some of neo's drakes, or his Sea Serpent.

Also, the limbs are not articulated into musculature - even the skinny trolls will be gnarled and wiry.

Post by **Neoriceisgood** » October 9th, 2005, 1:02 pm

They also don't have a shadow

nonobots · Post by **nonobots** » October 9th, 2005, 3:00 pm

Jetryl wrote:Indeed. Good show.

I think what's pulling them away from the in-game units is the shading - it's too smooth, almost like a straight gradient. For a proper way of shading in the sprite style you're using, look at some of neo's drakes, or his Sea Serpent.

Also, the limbs are not articulated into musculature - even the skinny trolls will be gnarled and wiry.

Thanks - will look at those sprites.

Thing his, I listened to Neo's advice, but mainly studied Fmunoz's sprites... To complete my training, I now need Fmunoz' advice and I will study Neo's sprites.

I'm not sure I get what you say about the muscles. They should me more defined? I may have gone too far making them thin. There's not much flesh left to define its shape.

Post by **Neoriceisgood** » October 9th, 2005, 3:03 pm

Yeah your trolls are to smooth, you could easily make the whelp pink; and paste a female head on it; and hey, nude lady;

They should have more accent on muscles, and be somewhat wrinkly; to make it more clear they're big ugly trolls.

Post by **fmunoz** » October 9th, 2005, 3:16 pm

Ok, good work... but they still look a bit bland to me.
Use shadows to give them a bit of more detail in the limbs.

nonobots · Post by **nonobots** » October 9th, 2005, 5:40 pm

More muscular whelp... well I mean less muscular than the current whelp but more than my previous one.

The color is better I think.

nonobots · Post by **nonobots** » October 9th, 2005, 7:46 pm

Got a better one.

- More muscular
- Better colors and shading
- Mohak back in fashion

It seems to fit well with the game. This screenshot is from the first scenario in the campaign a friend and I are working on.

I think I got my method hammered out too. I draw them a lot bigger to get the pose and color, shrink them to sprite size, clean the transparent pixels, correct the shading with highlights and dark colors dithering. The large drawings will be used almost as-is for the portraits in the campaign.

It's too hard for me to draw the shape in the final size... but it means more cleanup. I guess you need a lot of time and practice to develop the ability to draw at this size...

Thanks, Jetryl, Neo and Fmunoz - you have given me lots of tips and feedback.

Post by **Neoriceisgood** » October 9th, 2005, 7:47 pm

Could you please not have it stick it's butt out so far? It's really bothering me.

nonobots · Post by **nonobots** » October 9th, 2005, 7:57 pm

Neoriceisgood wrote:Could you please not have it stick it's butt out so far? It's really bothering me.

It will make sense once I finish the hulahoop animation.

Or: It will make sense in the campaign, as villages will be replaced by toilets.

Seriously, you are right I'll work on that.

I'm still not sure about the fur patterns. It looks like a friggin Hula dancer's dress. color is about right, but the way it's placed on the body needs work. Maybe just the groin and shoulders instead of this... tutu.

Or maybe: the campaign will be about a hawaian hula dancer teleported to Wesnoth and turned into a troll by an evil witch. Kinda like the Wizard of Oz, but with lots more action. I juste have to make flying monkeys and colorful dwarfs. Through the campaign she develops a romance with a real troll and at the end she decides to stay. Gold!