Texture Packs?

[Val Ritz]

I'm just spitballing here cause I don't know the format for the game, but since it's a tile-based map, wouldn't it be possible to design sort of texture packs for it a la Minecraft? It would have to be more in-depth what with the huge amount of resources, but I'm just wondering.

[Randomizer]

Jeff isn't the best at graphics and is slow to upgrade. He'll reuse them from his other games as long as they are compatible. Poser was used for Geneforge and Second Avernum Trilogy.

 

Read this topic about graphics. Players here hated recycled graphics that replaced the First Avernum Trilogy.

[Val Ritz]

Makes sense. I was referring to something more akin to a fan project than an official thing, though.

[Aran]

Well, it's certainly possible; you're just going to need the right tools, drawing skills and plenty of time. I'm pretty sure no such project exists right now.

 

The sprites used in Exile and the first Avernum trilogy are compatible with the respective Blades platforms, so you have vast stores of custom graphics to choose from.

 

The later games have more complex graphics, and use a lot more animation frames, so it'd be much more work.

 

(Obviously there's no way to pick a texture pack in-game. You would have to replace the existing graphics folder.)

 

((I'm also not sure about distribution, but as long as your pack includes no game files or non-original graphics, you should be fine.)

[nikki.]

Didn't somebody do this for A:EftP?

 

Edit: Yes. Yes they did: http://spiderwebforu...e__hl__graphics

[Trenton.]

Here's a Slithzerikai.

 

I'm currently working on everything else. Be patient.

[Student of Trinity]

I really wouldn't like to meet one of those in a dark alley.

[Trenton.]

Feel free to upload it any time you like.

[Val Ritz]

What horrors hath magical science wrought?

[Mosquito---Slayer]

What does a slith do with a paintbrush that large?

[stranger]

What does a slith do with a paintbrush that large?

Whack humans, the paintbrush is mightier than the sword, etc...

[The Reverend]

Is it shaving under its chain? I didn't realize Sliths grew hair there ...

[Aran]

Here's a Slithzerikai.

 

I'm currently working on everything else. Be patient.

 

You should send Jeff a job application for designing the next game's graphics.

[Goldengirl]

Magical speciesism is a serious issue, guys. Of course Slithzerikai can grow hair under their chins, be artists, and wander with peaceful intentions through dark alleys. Not all Slithzerikai are Sss-Thsss, and some of the greatest heroes of Avernum have been Slithzerikai*!

 

*in my playthroughs, at least

[The Reverend]

Magical speciesism is a serious issue, guys. Of course Slithzerikai can grow hair under their chins, be artists, and wander with peaceful intentions through dark alleys.

My apologies to any Slithzerikai I may have offended with my facial hair commentary ...

[Tyranicus]

Is it shaving under its chain? I didn't realize Sliths grew hair there ...

I didn't realize reptiles grew hair anywhere.

[Student of Trinity]

A wizard did it.

[The Reverend]

http://news.national...izard-hair.html

 

"But the origins of hair date back to an unknown reptile ancestor that lived more than 300 million years ago, in the Paleozoic era, the new study says."

[Tyranicus]

http://news.national...izard-hair.html

 

"But the origins of hair date back to an unknown reptile ancestor that lived more than 300 million years ago, in the Paleozoic era, the new study says."

 

From the same article:

Günter Wagner, a professor of evolutionary biology at Yale University, said the new study shows that that hair growth wasn't just a matter of having keratin genes.

 

Only in mammals, however, did keratin evolve into strands.

 

The reptiles with these genes do not grow hair. Hair would serve no biological purpose for a cold-blooded animal.

[The Reverend]

The study lead also says it's possible (but unlikely) that " The very first whiskery hairs may even have sprouted on reptiles". He's probably never been to Avernum to study Sliths, though ...

 

 

 

"Texture Packs" to "Reptilian Hair Genes". Excellent topic drift!

[Dikiyoba]

The problem is, "reptile" means many things. For most people, it means any scaly, cold-blooded animal that lays eggs on land, like snakes and lizards. If you're a herpetologist, a more technical but similar definition probably works as well (emphasis on probably--I'm just guessing here). If you're a paleontologist, taxonomist, or evolutionary scientist, then "reptile" is a confusing hodgepodge of animals, because birds descended from reptiles, and based on what we currently consider a reptile, so did mammals: specifically, from the synapsids, or mammal-like reptiles. Most synapsids, including the famous Dimetrodon, were cold-blooded and scaly, but somewhere along the line they developed hair and warm-bloodedness. So hair definitely appeared on reptiles first, and then those reptiles finished evolving into true mammals. But evolution is irrelevant to the slitherzaki anyway, because they aren't following normal reptile rules. They lay eggs in water, something no reptile does. So they're clearly just called reptiles because they are cold-blooded and scaly. And if you want to assume they grow hair in places where they don't have scales, there's nothing to stop you; after all, they're already violating part of the common definition of reptile anyway.

 

Dikiyoba is going to assume that he's painting his face pink in preparation to cheer on his favorite sports team, the Almarian Drones, at the Avernum Mushroom Rugby Championships.

[Alorael at Large]

Fur would work just as well to keep heat in a reptile as in a mammal. The principle's really the same as covering a bread basket or a pot to keep the contents warm. Yes, it'll eventually get cold without internal heat generation, but the covering helps keep it warm longer.

 

—Alorael, who has to imagine that the downsides and expenses of hair exceed the benefits for reptiles since they have to live somewhere warm enough anyway. But there are plenty of useless adaptations that are probably only for display purposes. Like beards, for instance! Yes, beards evolved from useful fur, but there's no reason sliths couldn't evolve similar protrusions. But really they should have chin frills.

[Val Ritz]

Not exactly, no. Hair would actually keep the reptile cold, similar to how a cooler keeps drinks cold instead of warming them up. If they could take off their hair and warm up, maybe, but that's about it.

[Alorael at Large]

Fur mostly acts by trapping a layer of insulating air. The lizards would just need a way to move hairs to either trap air or release it depending on whether they were basking or trying to retain heat.

 

—Alorael, who is not an expert on fur biology, but it seems like an evolutionary engineering challenge that could be met. But probably not very well, or evolution would already have provided more furry ectotherms.

[adc.]

Here's a Slithzerikai.

 

I'm currently working on everything else. Be patient.

 

As a n3wb would say:

I tried adding that in game, and the slithzerkai graphics turned into a black walking rectangle sprite ( Any ways to resolve this?

-----

-Nightwatcher

[Lilith]

Fur mostly acts by trapping a layer of insulating air. The lizards would just need a way to move hairs to either trap air or release it depending on whether they were basking or trying to retain heat.

 

—Alorael, who is not an expert on fur biology, but it seems like an evolutionary engineering challenge that could be met. But probably not very well, or evolution would already have provided more furry ectotherms.

 

[Dikiyoba]

A quick search indicates that Kiwa hirsute[/r] doesn't use its "hair" as insulation, though, but rather as bacteria habitat (and then presumably it eats the bacteria). A better example would be bumblebees, which are adapted to being out and active in colder weather than other pollinators. Admittedly, bumblebees can generate their own body heat using their flight muscles, rather than relying solely on environmental heat.

 

Dikiyoba.

[Student of Trinity]

I refrain from posting images out of consideration for He Who Must Not Be Named Arancaytar, but we may all pause respectfully to remember that some spiders are hairy.

[Trenton.]

i got ur nephilim

 

us it wisly

[Xaiya]

i got ur nephilim

 

us it wisly

Peculiar. Do all Nephilim decapitate themselves with light sabers?

[Randomizer]

It was a shaving accident getting that last spot on the neck.

[The Reverend]

i got ur nephilim

 

us it wisly

Watch out, two pincer robots are trying to steal your potato chip ...

[Aran]

i got ur nephilim

 

us it wisly

 

It's eating tiny people's arms and then tossing the rest away!

[Student of Trinity]

And it looks happy doing it! Oh the tiny little humanity.

[Goldengirl]

Fascinating. The Nephilim clearly are an advanced species, with red flintlock pistols, oversized potato peelers that function as guillotines and can cut peoples' arms off, and leaves in their hair. What an amazing time to be alive.

[Alorael at Large]

Flintlocks? That's a lightsaber! They've discovered the Force and elegant weapons for a more civilized age!

 

—Alorael, who fully believes that nephil fur is actually also just a habitat for microorganisms. Micro-organelles, really. They're just growing subsidized housing for midi-chlorians.

[adc.]

Dear Spiderwebbers.

Behold the truth and elegance behind Trenton's beautiful art.

 

And Jeff's typical reaction.

 

-----

-Nightwatcher

[Xaiya]

*snip*

Green heart on a charred stick vs paint brush? Powerful forces here at play.

[Death Knight]

Jeff isn't the best at graphics and is slow to upgrade. He'll reuse them from his other games as long as they are compatible. Poser was used for Geneforge and Second Avernum Trilogy.

 

Read this topic about graphics. Players here hated recycled graphics that replaced the First Avernum Trilogy.

 

My thoughts on his games are this-As long as they are isometric and look like anything from Avernum 4, Geneforge 1-5 and Avadon/newer games, I can't complain. The more the game looks like some infinity engine games, the more I want to play it. It may not look as nice as them but it still looks awesome to me.

 

I didn't like Temple of Elemental Evil's graphics because they slow down the already buggy game. Fallout 1 and 2 and even Tactics were good graphics in my opinion. I just don't like it when the emphasis is on the looks to the point where the game takes more than 20 seconds to load. As soon as you tell me I got to get a high tech computer to play the game, my interest is gone.

[Trenton.]

This has to be the best art thread ever made ever.