Middle Earth: Battle For Arda - Official Thread

[Hepps]

@alkexr And if you want to make a final decision on the Title of this new work I can include a decorative title banner to the Bottom left hand corner of the map.

[Hepps]

@redrum And we know... I am all about appearing professional.

[prastle]

@hepps gigglez

need your banner in donations drive bro

[Hepps]

@prastle You mean the thermometer?

[prastle]

@hepps si

[Hepps]

@prastle Way to hijack a thread for your own purposes!

[prastle]

@hepps Im evil like that

[alkexr]

@redrum You mean something like

Not Hepps-quality (yet!), but this is the first ever time I try pixel art. I didn't know I could do something like this.

Not promising anything though. Let's get the map going first.

[alkexr]

Wow. TripleA supports all sorts of weird characters in territory names? That does make things easier.

[Cernel]

@alkexr I think that is already about the quality of the current units images of 270BC, that I believe are at least decent. Personally, I like the units style of LotR. Maybe I used the wrong words, but what I meant is that now the units and the rest of the graphics are strikingly different in style.

I believe hobbits should have bigger feet?

[Cernel]

Also, is having hobbits as combat units sensible at all with the lore? I remember little about the books, but someone that knows it better than me (I assume) told me that it makes no sense to have hobbits as military units (we were talking about the regular TA LotR).

I personally like both the current units of 270BC (they can be improved, as @Hepps showed, but I think they are already quite good) and the units of LotR; so I was talking just relatively with matching the rest of the graphic. On this regard, your new proposal clearly matches it much better. Also good idea about the white around the picture, to make it easier to spot, but I'm worried that may make sometimes hard to read the white stack numbers (not sure).

EDIT: Almost forgot. If you (or anyone) are going to redo the units 270BC (Civilization II) style, I strongly suggest them being at least 64x64 pixels, even tho such a dimension is currently not fully supported by the program.

[alkexr]

@cernel Hobbits did fight a "battle" in the War of the Ring (Battle of Bywater), and they also sent several hundred archers to help out Arnor against the Witch-King. But that's basically everything, so no, not too sensible. But then again, we never saw the Shire come under serious attack, and Hobbits are very resilient and enduring; I think it is reasonable to assume that the Enemy would have been surprised at the resistance he would have met, had he invaded them.

[Hepps]

Very nearing completion.

Here is the coast of Gondor...

[alkexr]

@hepps Wow.

[Hepps]

@alkexr

Now you are going to have to stretch those hamstrings for unit drawing.

[Hepps]

Was taking a stroll last night through the Civ Fanatics forum...

Probably all the resources you need to change all the units to more detailed versions is there if you want. Here is an example of what I did quickly with just 2 of the units I found there...

[alkexr]

@hepps I declare that ugly-looking hobbit a strawman. (Straw-Hobbit. Whatever.) Most units really aren't that bad, especially after some kyu-level graphicsmancy. It feels good to move them around, and they don't feel out of place.

Before:

After:

[Hepps]

@alkexr Here is a little ditty for the Fire of Orthanc....

[Hepps]

@alkexr Also do you want formal flags for each of the nations?

I started doodling... but I will only continue if you want them.

[alkexr]

@hepps Unsure. That's another thing players have to learn. But I can see you used player colors, so I guess it won't be that difficult. (As if I took the same argument into consideration when creating 50 different units with wildly different ability sets... yeah.)