Training Range(http://darkabstraction.com/showOff/tails/training-range-preview.png)
View model in browser (~2.5MB) (http://darkabstraction.com/showOff/tails/training-range.html).
The target (at various distances away):
(http://darkabstraction.com/showOff/tails/target-circle-reduction.png)
I post this target reduction here in case anyone wants to figure out a better looking target (or just something more FFT-style). And, as always, please help me improve this map via suggestions. Thanks.
--
Suggestions:- Bigger map.
- Less dangerous arrangement of targets.
This is really cool Lirmont, well done.
Woah, it's been so long since the last map update :o Nice job though, reminds me a lot of Golgorand Execution Site (at least the tiles used anyway).
@Elric: Thanks!
@Jumza: You guessed it, though the wood references were At the Gate of Lionel Castle (http://ffhacktics.com/maps.php?id=12).
That really matches the FFT maps' style.
Great work Lirmont! Good to see a visual update.
I feel like it could have a bit more to it... like another section with a different topology. Kinda weird that the targets face each other (and so, the shooters face each other), but I won't judge :P
Aside from those suggestions though, looks freakin smooooth.
I really wanted to post that one strip from Foxtrot where Jason and his friend Marcus are doing archery fencing, but I couldn't find it. Oh well.
Anyway, it does seem pretty dangerous. At least the target's are offset from each other and the archers aren't shooting directly at one another. What are the forward (inward) slanting panels for? Just for looks? Or something I just don't know about target practice?
@lijj: Thanks!
@Choto: Before the map took shape, I was trying to find a place to stick weapons like these:
(http://darkabstraction.com/showOff/ffhackticks/weapons.png)
Nowhere covered except for the lower part of the perch, though. Maybe a tent in some kind of extension? Don't have a good idea for this.
@Jumza: I wasn't envisioning people standing in the crossfire. I was thinking they'd stand along the stone paths behind the targets, popping out from cover, firing across, then returning to the cover of the target (which I think would be a generally interesting change to ranged attacking).
As to the propping pieces in general, I was just thinking of them as missing target boards. If the fictional instructors wanted to add more targets, they'd bring more target boards out, propping them up with those. If it doesn't read that way, I can remove them.
Actually Choto made a really good point.. make the near side have the weapon cases shown instead of targets they could be facing the same direction as the targets.
Crossbow & Table
(http://darkabstraction.com/showOff/tails/wip/training-range/paper-craft-crossbow.png)
Targets on one side
(http://darkabstraction.com/showOff/tails/wip/training-range/wip-001.png)
The crossbow (one of the weapons I mentioned earlier) is done. The rest of the additions aren't done. In doing these blocky objects, I've had an idea that's basically papercraft except for 3d modeling. So, I'm going to extend my auto-tracer to do that. The ladder, the crossbow, and the table are all examples of something auto-traced. Basically, it will be able to interpret an image and fold it automatically. That means you don't even need to know how to 3d model to make a new object (if you understand how to generally make a papercraft template); you can just draw it out in an image. Since most of these objects are basically some type of cube, it'll speed up the workflow of remaking these things when there's a simple error.
Automated 3-D map elements?! I like that.. nice and easy.
Looking better; I like the crossbow.. maybe if the bow part was one 'pixel' in height it'd be better; but it works.
This is an update about the feature I mentioned writing (and not directly about the map). Work on the map will resume tomorrow with this new feature.
Result (3d object)
(http://darkabstraction.com/showOff/ffhackticks/traced-table-result.png)
Input File
(http://darkabstraction.com/showOff/ffhackticks/table-craft.png)
Program View of Input File
(http://darkabstraction.com/showOff/ffhackticks/traced-table.png)
Green in a Color Picker
(http://darkabstraction.com/showOff/ffhackticks/trace-fold-color.png)
For anyone wondering about the lines that get automatically collapsed, the lines tell the program's algorithm what degree to rotate the piece by (if you have the algorithm turned on). If the colors (white and green) are interpreted as HSV colors (hue, saturation, and value), the hue is already measured in degrees from 0 to 359. The algorithm only looks for colors that have max saturation and value in addition to the one-off color white (which is 0 degrees but also 0 saturation). So, the algorithm sees the color green, gets the hue value (90 degrees), and later rotates the piece by 90 degrees (along with any other rotation required by the pieces its connected to).
Long story short, you no longer need to know how to 3d model to make FFT-like map accessories. You might need to understand papercraft and probably still need to understand pixel art, though.
--
Weapons
(http://darkabstraction.com/showOff/tails/wip/training-range/wip-105.png)
(http://darkabstraction.com/showOff/tails/wip/training-range/wip-106.png)
Templates (for auto-folding)
Crossbow: (http://darkabstraction.com/showOff/tails/wip/training-range/crossbow.png)
Sword: (http://darkabstraction.com/showOff/tails/wip/training-range/sword.png)
Stand: (http://darkabstraction.com/showOff/tails/wip/training-range/stand.png)
Crossbow Papercraft Template
(http://darkabstraction.com/showOff/tails/wip/training-range/papercraft-crossbow.png)
Sword Papercraft Template
(http://darkabstraction.com/showOff/tails/wip/training-range/papercraft-sword.png)