This project is officially come back to life. A zombie if you will. I've been doing (and not doing) other things for a while and kinda let this whole project slip my mind. Going back to scratch though, didn't like the way things were working out before. Will still have the same style, but needs a little refining. Look forward to an update tomorrow.
So I made some shovels and I must say that I am rather impressed with myself because every time I think something is going to be too difficult I manage to find a way to make something nice (sorry for boasting).
The shovels:
I think that they look great, and the material progression is nicely detailed.
...
However, they don't look very "Japanese" to me. I mean sure they fit within my art style, but they're just too RPG-ish for my tastes. So, once again, I need comments and critiques to help point me in the right direction.
I'm currently thinking that maybe they're too thick and that I should try and trim them down to look a little more realistic. I'm also thinking of dropping the RPG "item progression" look of the wood and diamond shovels, keeping the same general shape through all the shovels. And I need to decide whether I want square or rounded "spades".
After bunch of chicken noodle soup, honey lemon drink, vitamins, and rest- I'm finally on the recovering end of a throat infection. Still have a few symptoms that bug me, but I will be well soon enough.
To commemorate my recovery I will have a working tool set up for your viewing and critiquing pleasure. It will also include the fishing rod and all the swords. I expect to have it done in a few days but that may get put off as I've been a shut-in while sick and desperately needs me some fresh air... loads of it... frequently.
Quote from Ghaskamin »
It might not make sense, but at least it's logic following the conditions. You make a bucket with a bucket-like shape of iron/steel. You then scoop up something liquid (in this case, lava) and it ends up in the bucket.
That's exactly how I see it. Could not have said it better myself.
Lol. I thought that I stated it before but I guess I will officially clarify:
This pack will use 16x16 textures. Not 32x32. Why? Because I think that I can get away with good, clean looking textures at 16x16. I also do not want the users to have to install any mods to use pack. I've yet to post any terrain textures, btw.
The swords are blown up to 128x128 so that you can see them clearly and critique them. I will post an items.png soon so that you can see them in action. They don't look too bad, though I'll likely adjust the colors and lighting before I'm done.
Thanks to Zeruel I found an idea that I like.
It's not quite a temple door but I'm sure that I can make it at my current texture resolution and it should look good as a single door as well as a double.
As for the fish and sushi idea- it's out. My original justification was that you used the sticks to cook the rice for the sushi- but I never came around to accepting it. Instead I have a more unique idea: You catch octopi and the cooked version is a tentacle (cooked) on a stick. Expect cute octopi.
As for the base skin, it will be a simple kimono with split legs. The fundoshi would not look right given the current models (it was originally a joke anyway).
I plan to finish all the items (except armor!) before I move on to terrain. They're easier and it will help give an overall aesthetic to work from.
I'm also toying around with mob ideas. The zombie has the most possibilities- it could be an undead samurai, a ghost samurai, or a chinese jumping demon. The skeleton will probably be an undead looking archer. The creeper will either be a ghost or a hair demon (imagine The Ring chick). Pigmen will be half demons (not sure what I'm going to do here), and Zombie pigmen will be full demons (oni).
There won't (currently) be shuriken, as I don't like using the current bow and arrow recipes to make shurikens and I have no intention of using or requiring the use of mods. I may- MAY use shurikens in place of snow balls... maybe.
Once again thanks for all the support and comments.
Edited the first one to get this:
________vs________
I just removed the attempt at a curved sword point. It makes the sword longer, which is nice, but it also makes it look completely straight (there are straight katana!). Also lightened the grip a tad.
Once again please tell me which one you think is better and any critiques would be helpful.
Edit: I could also reduce the handle size a pixel and increase the blade length. Not sure if the blade-handle ratio is correct right now (or whether it looks the best).
Blade-Handle ratio comparison:
________vs________
RAWR!!! It's not easy making a sword look distinctly like a katana.
Here are my two current attempts at an iron katana.
I'm kind of pleased with the first one but it could probably use some work. I find the second one to be too thick and short. Looks more like a long knife.
Thanks for the support, work has been slow due but I'm still going at it. Going to bust ass and get an update for the end of the weekend.
Shuriken are an awesome idea, I just need to figure out a way to make it work with the bow and arrows. Making arrows into shuriken is nice, but I'm big on things matching aesthetically and functionally (?), so I'd have to figure out what to do with the bow.
I was on the fence about what to do with the doors, as they would traditionally be sliding rice paper doors (but I love the functionality of doors with windows!). The temple style doors are certainly a nice idea, and are something I will keep in mind when designing the doors.
The gui is totally out. I realized that I was going for something far too complex for MC, and that I need to keep it simple. Problem is that I'm good at design critique but not so much the creative aspect (I'm a trial and error kind of designer). Expect something very simple.
On the same note, I'm no longer on the fence about 16x16 or 32x32 textures. I'm going to keep it simple. It may take more time- but I don't want anyone to have to install any mods to be able to use the texture pack. I also want to challenge myself. I expect that first completed version will be too 'clean', so I will probably rework the textures to be a little more noisy after I have a completed design. This pack will be constantly updated even when it's 'finished'.
Update:
Tweaked the bow and arrow sprites and the arrow texture slightly. I also added outlined ones for comparison.
Did some work on the hot bar.
Originally I wanted to have a larger and lighter bamboo box as the selector, but apparently the bottom pixel is cut off from the selector's space. So I tried to use calligraphy strokes as the selector, but I could use some suggestions. I'm considering replacing the bamboo with something else that matches the calligraphy, but I don't know what. Is it possible to use a higher resolution GUI?
Here are the game-sized images if anyone wants to test them out:
Also, I need a new image hosting site and a file hosting site. Tiny pic is free but slow for uploading and I don't know what people prefer for file hosting sites.
After seeing the screen shots of SineDeviance's 16x16 take on Doku's RPG pack [here], it is very likely that I'll be using 32x32 textures.
About collaboration, I'm kind of doing this as both practice and a serious project so don't drop yours because of me. I will see this to the end because I want the practice and to test myself. Bu~t, this will probably take a while as I am a perfectionist. If anyone does some awesome work on a Japanese/Oriental pack and needs some contribution I will offer what I can.
So far, I have a bow done:
Going to see how the items look without borders. I like how it turned out considering it's my second sprite ever (first was Vivi Ornitier).Trying to put the lighting from a top-left to bottom-right perspective, think it still needs a little work. Next my agenda is the Arrow, Paper Lantern, and GUI.
Crits and comments please.
Edit: Arrow
Keeping the wood color from the bow as a base, so that when I decide on the color that I am using for planks I can just swap it out of all my wooden items. Still need to do the arrow map texture.
I also made the bow slightly darker by adjusting the levels, so that it looks better when equipped.
Rawr!: Arrow Map
Made the poison looking arrows have a purple tip and darker feathers. Hope we get to use them.
Well that's it for today, and probably this weekend (going drinking to celebrate me birthday). When I update next I will just edit the original post, since I will actually have some usable resources then... well more usable ones since the arrow map is already usable.
I think this is a great idea. I've been seeing a lot of "realistic" or "simple" textures, but nothing with an actual theme. I've been doing some item texturing lately, and I'm a fan of 32x32. I think it would work here since it seems like the items you're planning are very detailed.
Wow, this is exactly the kind of help I was looking for. I'm not sure if I will go with 32x32 yet, because (as far as I know) the terrain.png is the only thing you can upscale. That said, I've tried my hand at zen garden rocks/sand and lanterns, and I can definitely see hitting a wall with 16x16 textures. I hope Notch implements full HQ texture support (i.e. items and char).
I'm currently playing around with outlines on the items and whether or not I want to use solid black, dark outlines, or no outlines. I like the small bit of extra detail but visibility concerns me.
I'm also planning on documenting what can be reskinned and how it all works. From what I've seen in the forums, we lack a newbie texturing guide that lists what does what, what can be resized, and how things work in general. It would be a nice compendium sticky for getting started- kind of a goto for basic info that's probably scattered all throughout the forums.
However, I too am not that great of an artist to be able to make what you seek. Sorry.
I'm not asking for anyone to make it for me, I really want to do the work myself. I just don't have much experience with LQ textures so I could use some pointing in the right direction.
Once I have some work to post I'm hoping some of the better artists can give me tips and suggestions.
Also, I could totally use suggestions from anyone with a fervor for Japan, or just generally good oriental ideas. Things like what to use for apples, or how I might go about texturing a square boat to look oriental.
Quote from »
Sounds like a good idea. I like the thought of using clay for stone gardens, since brick might look a bit out of place in a feudal japan world. What I'd love to see also is somehow being able to create paper walls for the interior of castles, although I'm not sure what you could replace for that.
I really liked the idea of making an oriental looking garden using small stones, bamboo, and Japanese flowers or bonsais.
I'm planning on making some paintings into a rice paper walls and/or folding screens.
Official title is now "Shogun.Craft", formerly "Japan.Craft".
This a texture overhaul to create a Japanese theme and ambiance in Minecraft. All textures, sprites, and GUI elements will be redone. I will update as I go and keep track of my work and results here. Progress may be slow but I will trudge through to the end.
Progress and Plans:
11.06.2010 - Bow and Arrow item sprites are complete.
11.08.2010 - Bow and Arrow designs tweaked and a rough GUI design is attempted. (currently that GUI design is abandoned)
11.19.2010 - Sword design is complete and all swords have been made into katanas (with the exception of the stone sword which is a jutte).
11.27.2010 - Rough shovel designs are complete, need tweaking.
I will post a zip once the shovels are done, and screenshots will come once some terrain textures are done.
Samples and progress are posted throughout the thread, so check regularly for tidbits and updates.
Comments and critiques are welcome and appreciated.
0
0
The shovels:
I think that they look great, and the material progression is nicely detailed.
...
However, they don't look very "Japanese" to me. I mean sure they fit within my art style, but they're just too RPG-ish for my tastes. So, once again, I need comments and critiques to help point me in the right direction.
I'm currently thinking that maybe they're too thick and that I should try and trim them down to look a little more realistic. I'm also thinking of dropping the RPG "item progression" look of the wood and diamond shovels, keeping the same general shape through all the shovels. And I need to decide whether I want square or rounded "spades".
Comment!
0
You might try using the negative space created by the ores to make simple dragons shapes or outlines.
0
To commemorate my recovery I will have a working tool set up for your viewing and critiquing pleasure. It will also include the fishing rod and all the swords. I expect to have it done in a few days but that may get put off as I've been a shut-in while sick and desperately needs me some fresh air... loads of it... frequently.
That's exactly how I see it. Could not have said it better myself.
0
0
This pack will use 16x16 textures. Not 32x32. Why? Because I think that I can get away with good, clean looking textures at 16x16. I also do not want the users to have to install any mods to use pack. I've yet to post any terrain textures, btw.
The swords are blown up to 128x128 so that you can see them clearly and critique them. I will post an items.png soon so that you can see them in action. They don't look too bad, though I'll likely adjust the colors and lighting before I'm done.
Thanks to Zeruel I found an idea that I like.
It's not quite a temple door but I'm sure that I can make it at my current texture resolution and it should look good as a single door as well as a double.
As for the fish and sushi idea- it's out. My original justification was that you used the sticks to cook the rice for the sushi- but I never came around to accepting it. Instead I have a more unique idea: You catch octopi and the cooked version is a tentacle (cooked) on a stick. Expect cute octopi.
As for the base skin, it will be a simple kimono with split legs. The fundoshi would not look right given the current models (it was originally a joke anyway).
I plan to finish all the items (except armor!) before I move on to terrain. They're easier and it will help give an overall aesthetic to work from.
I'm also toying around with mob ideas. The zombie has the most possibilities- it could be an undead samurai, a ghost samurai, or a chinese jumping demon. The skeleton will probably be an undead looking archer. The creeper will either be a ghost or a hair demon (imagine The Ring chick). Pigmen will be half demons (not sure what I'm going to do here), and Zombie pigmen will be full demons (oni).
There won't (currently) be shuriken, as I don't like using the current bow and arrow recipes to make shurikens and I have no intention of using or requiring the use of mods. I may- MAY use shurikens in place of snow balls... maybe.
Once again thanks for all the support and comments.
0
Give me yoar oppinions.
0
________vs________
I just removed the attempt at a curved sword point. It makes the sword longer, which is nice, but it also makes it look completely straight (there are straight katana!). Also lightened the grip a tad.
Once again please tell me which one you think is better and any critiques would be helpful.
Edit: I could also reduce the handle size a pixel and increase the blade length. Not sure if the blade-handle ratio is correct right now (or whether it looks the best).
Blade-Handle ratio comparison:
________vs________
0
Here are my two current attempts at an iron katana.
I'm kind of pleased with the first one but it could probably use some work. I find the second one to be too thick and short. Looks more like a long knife.
I need critiques and comments.
0
Shuriken are an awesome idea, I just need to figure out a way to make it work with the bow and arrows. Making arrows into shuriken is nice, but I'm big on things matching aesthetically and functionally (?), so I'd have to figure out what to do with the bow.
I was on the fence about what to do with the doors, as they would traditionally be sliding rice paper doors (but I love the functionality of doors with windows!). The temple style doors are certainly a nice idea, and are something I will keep in mind when designing the doors.
The gui is totally out. I realized that I was going for something far too complex for MC, and that I need to keep it simple. Problem is that I'm good at design critique but not so much the creative aspect (I'm a trial and error kind of designer). Expect something very simple.
On the same note, I'm no longer on the fence about 16x16 or 32x32 textures. I'm going to keep it simple. It may take more time- but I don't want anyone to have to install any mods to be able to use the texture pack. I also want to challenge myself. I expect that first completed version will be too 'clean', so I will probably rework the textures to be a little more noisy after I have a completed design. This pack will be constantly updated even when it's 'finished'.
0
Tweaked the bow and arrow sprites and the arrow texture slightly. I also added outlined ones for comparison.
Did some work on the hot bar.
Originally I wanted to have a larger and lighter bamboo box as the selector, but apparently the bottom pixel is cut off from the selector's space. So I tried to use calligraphy strokes as the selector, but I could use some suggestions. I'm considering replacing the bamboo with something else that matches the calligraphy, but I don't know what. Is it possible to use a higher resolution GUI?
Here are the game-sized images if anyone wants to test them out:
Also, I need a new image hosting site and a file hosting site. Tiny pic is free but slow for uploading and I don't know what people prefer for file hosting sites.
0
About collaboration, I'm kind of doing this as both practice and a serious project so don't drop yours because of me. I will see this to the end because I want the practice and to test myself. Bu~t, this will probably take a while as I am a perfectionist. If anyone does some awesome work on a Japanese/Oriental pack and needs some contribution I will offer what I can.
So far, I have a bow done:
Going to see how the items look without borders. I like how it turned out considering it's my second sprite ever (first was Vivi Ornitier).Trying to put the lighting from a top-left to bottom-right perspective, think it still needs a little work. Next my agenda is the Arrow, Paper Lantern, and GUI.
Crits and comments please.
Edit: Arrow
Keeping the wood color from the bow as a base, so that when I decide on the color that I am using for planks I can just swap it out of all my wooden items. Still need to do the arrow map texture.
I also made the bow slightly darker by adjusting the levels, so that it looks better when equipped.
Rawr!: Arrow Map
Made the poison looking arrows have a purple tip and darker feathers. Hope we get to use them.
Well that's it for today, and probably this weekend (going drinking to celebrate me birthday). When I update next I will just edit the original post, since I will actually have some usable resources then... well more usable ones since the arrow map is already usable.
Till next time.
0
Wow, this is exactly the kind of help I was looking for. I'm not sure if I will go with 32x32 yet, because (as far as I know) the terrain.png is the only thing you can upscale. That said, I've tried my hand at zen garden rocks/sand and lanterns, and I can definitely see hitting a wall with 16x16 textures. I hope Notch implements full HQ texture support (i.e. items and char).
I'm currently playing around with outlines on the items and whether or not I want to use solid black, dark outlines, or no outlines. I like the small bit of extra detail but visibility concerns me.
I'm also planning on documenting what can be reskinned and how it all works. From what I've seen in the forums, we lack a newbie texturing guide that lists what does what, what can be resized, and how things work in general. It would be a nice compendium sticky for getting started- kind of a goto for basic info that's probably scattered all throughout the forums.
0
I'm not asking for anyone to make it for me, I really want to do the work myself. I just don't have much experience with LQ textures so I could use some pointing in the right direction.
Once I have some work to post I'm hoping some of the better artists can give me tips and suggestions.
Also, I could totally use suggestions from anyone with a fervor for Japan, or just generally good oriental ideas. Things like what to use for apples, or how I might go about texturing a square boat to look oriental.
I really liked the idea of making an oriental looking garden using small stones, bamboo, and Japanese flowers or bonsais.
I'm planning on making some paintings into a rice paper walls and/or folding screens.
0
This a texture overhaul to create a Japanese theme and ambiance in Minecraft. All textures, sprites, and GUI elements will be redone. I will update as I go and keep track of my work and results here. Progress may be slow but I will trudge through to the end.
Progress and Plans:
11.06.2010 - Bow and Arrow item sprites are complete.
11.08.2010 - Bow and Arrow designs tweaked and a rough GUI design is attempted. (currently that GUI design is abandoned)
11.19.2010 - Sword design is complete and all swords have been made into katanas (with the exception of the stone sword which is a jutte).
11.27.2010 - Rough shovel designs are complete, need tweaking.
I will post a zip once the shovels are done, and screenshots will come once some terrain textures are done.
Samples and progress are posted throughout the thread, so check regularly for tidbits and updates.
Comments and critiques are welcome and appreciated.