Species Icons

Development of artwork, requests, suggestions, samples, or if you have artwork to offer. Primarily for the artists.
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eleazar
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Re: Species Icons

#31 Post by eleazar »

utilae wrote:Omg there's so many ! Good thread !

I like the idea of assigning these to minor races, maybe space monsters.

Good to see my creation the Gyisache in this game :)
Hmm, not sure about them not having hands. Maybe they have some form of psyonic powers limited only for basic manipulation of objects.
Thanks.

IIRC the Gyisache have fingers on their eyestalks. That detail is just too small for the icon.

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utilae
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Re: Species Icons

#32 Post by utilae »

eleazar wrote: IIRC the Gyisache have fingers on their eyestalks. That detail is just too small for the icon.
That's right ... it's been so long

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Adrian
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Re: Species Icons

#33 Post by Adrian »

I think they're awesome, but isn't the game of a rather serious character, meaning it contains only biologically/physically realistic lifeforms? Part of the icons are conceivable animals and robots, but others look like cartoon characters to me.

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eleazar
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Re: Species Icons

#34 Post by eleazar »

Adrian wrote:I think they're awesome, but isn't the game of a rather serious character, meaning it contains only biologically/physically realistic lifeforms? Part of the icons are conceivable animals and robots, but others look like cartoon characters to me.
No, this game does not strive for realism.

Anyway, nobody agrees on what realistic would be in the xenobiological realm. Though at least i've clearly avoided the 90% anthropoid biped line-up that you usually see.

I'm primarily motivated by visual necessities: making each icon simple and unique enough that it can be distinguished from all the others at small sizes. The visual techniques required for this have a lot in common with the techniques of cartoon-ifying something.

My secondary goals are alternatively to a) make original aliens, and b) hit most of the popular alien archetypes that many players would want for their custom species.


EDIT: that said, I freely admit the quality and style varies somewhat between icons as I've been trying to find the right ballance between time and quality, detail and readability.

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eleazar
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Re: Species Icons

#35 Post by eleazar »

An update.
FO-species.jpg
FO-species.jpg (377.08 KiB) Viewed 5942 times
:arrow: The icons highlighted with purple are recommended to those who want a jumping-off place for writing up a new species. But of course you can use any of them not in the top 2 rows.

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eleazar
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Re: Species Icons

#36 Post by eleazar »

I did some testing of various 500 star galaxies. With species and planets set to high, the number of planets seldom got much above 1600. While stars may have 10 planets most don't, and "no_stars" & black holes, usually have none.
If we assume Gas Giants and Asteroids will be equally plentiful compared to the other planet types (currently they are much more common), that leave ~1300 planets habitable for natives.

Assuming at most a 20% chance of a native on any given planet, there could be a maximum of ~ 260 inhabited planets in the game. That only requires me to double the number of icons to make every one unique. That's reasonably possible before 1.0.

Of course I'd like more detailed images for the 'Pedia, and Diplomacy, which is a much larger job than the icons. But i think it is important to start with the icons, because if you start big, it would be very easy to end up with a bunch of species who cannot be distinguished at icon size.

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Geoff the Medio
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Re: Species Icons

#37 Post by Geoff the Medio »

Is this the intended icon for Raaagh?
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raaagh pedia entry
raaagh pedia entry
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eleazar
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Re: Species Icons

#38 Post by eleazar »

Geoff the Medio wrote:Is this the intended icon for Raaagh?
No, it's just the most glaring instance of a species concept not having a tailor-made icon, so i grabbed the closest i could find.

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Geoff the Medio
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Re: Species Icons

#39 Post by Geoff the Medio »

Bipedal 1 or 9 seem more suitably mammalian.

Edit: unless they're taken, I suppose, which I'm not inclined to check.

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MatGB
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Re: Species Icons

#40 Post by MatGB »

I like that icon-I vote rewrite the description :-D (I hadn't actually noticed the text made little sense TBH)
Mat Bowles

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eleazar
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Re: Species Icons

#41 Post by eleazar »

OK, new kitty-monster icon added.

revision 6244.

The description is sorta integral to the concept which is a homage/parody of a common sci-fi stereotype. Don't know if anyone gets it but me, but a guy can hope.

If you like the godzilla icon, eventually, hopefully you can pick it for your custom starting species.

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Dilvish
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Re: Species Icons

#42 Post by Dilvish »

I really like seeing the larger versions of the icons; I wish they could appear in more places than just the pedia. It seems like the tooltip for the population meter has enough space for one (though it might need a slight bit of customization to add an icon there). Would you be open to one being added there?
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