City of Heroes: Live Forum Archive

Discussion: Announcing the City of Heroes Design a Loading Screen Contest!

Alexander_Drako

By Alexander_Drako,
Posted on: 2010-08-20 20:49 in News, Events and Announcement Discussion

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Noble Savage View Post
We're excited to see what you guys come up with. If you have any questions at all, please post 'em here. I'll be reading the thread daily.
can we get the issue of the log in and loading screens fixed first?

I have a widescreen monitor and with GR they went to smooshed FS mode. Luckily the character selection screen and in game arent affected.

 

Posted

I'm also looking for a clarification on "NO character should appear on the screenshots. The focus should be on the zones themselves;" since some shots will look better with NPC and some will be near impossible to obtain without them.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Patteroast View Post
I noticed a zone that isn't listed as either eligible or ineligible... but I can't say I'm surprised that even the devs forgot about the Tunnels of the Trolls.
Good catch. Mildly disappointed that the Abandoned Sewer Network isn't eligible.

 

Posted

1)
Are we allowed to alter the loading screen framework?.

2)
Are we allowed to alter the font/colours of the loading screens title name? (The zone).

I think peoples main issue when it comes to the loading screens is how "dated" the frames look, not the actual screenwork.



Quote:
Originally Posted by Haggard4Life View Post
The "highest Ultra Mode setting" part makes me wonder... Will those of us that have non-UM compliant computers be at a big disadvantage because our screenshots won't have UM stuff, like shadows, in them?
I think the reason they had created this event is because they are wanting the loading images to be updated to the standards of the new Praetoria screens. So in essence, Ultra Mode shows the best of the best as we see it right now, which means they'd probably opt for UM over no-UM.

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Golden Girl View Post
By the way, for those of you entering, don't forget that quite a few of the normally crowded "landmark" areas of the game - like Atlas Plaza, for example, can be accessed in peace and quiet via AE
People can also go on the Test Server to take their screenshots.

Arc ID 104041 Attack of the Mini Phalanx Solo Friendly; Custom Characters; Comedy.
Arc ID 292449 The Shadow of Eihbon Solo Friendly; Canon Related; Magic.

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Newty View Post
I think the reason they had created this event is because they are wanting the loading images to be updated to the standards of the new Praetoria screens. So in essence, Ultra Mode shows the best of the best as we see it right now, which means they'd probably opt for UM over no-UM.
Y'know, I think I'll enter the contest anyway to try to prove that the game looks great without Ultra Mode.

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dinah View Post
If it happens that all entries for a particular zone are terrible (let's be honest, some got it, some don't), are you going to be forced to use a terrible user submitted loading screen, or will you go out and take your own screenshots for it so that we end up with quality screens?
I suspect that's why the prize is worded as:

"*Possible entry inclusion in the City of Heroes® game (No retail value)"

Cascade, level 50 Blaster (NRG/NRG since before it was cool)
Mechmeister, level 50 Bots / Traps MM
FAR too many non-50 alts to name

[u]Arcs[u]
The Scavenger Hunt: 187076
The Instant Lair Delivery Service: 206636

 

Posted

YAR i cannot be openin' these files neither! Cursed, be they, and vexxed, be I...!

In non-pirate speak: I'm using PS CS. Yup, the first CS. I know it's dated... but seriously, you couldn't turn on "maximize compatibility"? It's ONE CLICK!

EDIT: Ok, so i downloaded and installed Photoshop elements from the link YOU GUYS PROVIDED... and it STILL doesn't work! I was able to see thumbnails but not open the files. Oh, and apparently that program likes to keep in constant contact with adobe and sucks up massive amounts of processor cycles and internet bandwidth just to do so which is far too weird.

PS: Putting pictures on the war walls? really?

-STEELE =)


Allied to all sides so that no matter what, I'll come out on top!
Oh, and Crimson demands you play this arc-> Twisted Knives (MA Arc #397769)

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Evilanna View Post
I know this isn't a contest question, but...

Any chance we can get widescreen loading screens any time soon for the game?
Redo-ing all the various loadscreens for widescreen would be difficult. Thinking about some targeted appliations of this though...

David Nakayama, Lead Concept Artist
COH Concept Art Gallery now open at http://pixelsaurus.deviantart.com/

 

Posted

This is awesome. I've been waiting for this to hit for a very, very long time. I'm not entering, as my computer is close to exploding even today...but I can't wait to see what comes out of this.

Also: SPECULATE MADLY!

Quote:
Zones NOT included in this contest:
  • Cimerora (NEWISH ZONE)
  • Pocket D (DOESN'T REALLY NEED ONE, NOT MUCH TO SEE)
  • Midnighter Club (NEWISH ZONE)
  • Shadow Shard (Not ANY of FOUR zones? !!!!!! )
  • Abandoned Sewer Network (DOESN'T REALLY NEED ONE, NOT MUCH TO SEE)

There are no words for what this community, and the friends I have made here mean to me. Please know that I care for all of you, yes, even you. If you Twitter, I'm MrThan. If you're Unleashed, I'm dumps. I'll try and get registered on the Titan Forums as well. Peace, and thanks for the best nine years anyone could ever ask for.

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Orion_Star_EU View Post
  1. I have everything in all the prize packs (aside from the gametime, I guess), if I win, could I forfeit some/all of it for a Praetorian PD code? :P
  2. Does 'no characters' include Trainers/Contacts/Civvies etc?
  3. I'm not in a position to download and view the templates where I am currently, but are they the same as the current ones? And if so, are the Hero ones adjustable for the location of each zone (Or will you guys do that?).
  4. Edit: What Evilanna said.... Widescreen? Should we make the entries viable to be resized to widescreen format if needed?

Cheers, and this is probably the best contest so far. Well, apart from the exclusion of the Praetorian PD codes from the prizes. This game has turned me into an obsessive completionist

Edit again: Two more:
  1. It says you are allowed to submit more than one entry - Is there a limit? Can we submit one for each zone? Multiple for one zone?
  2. Any editing or filters allowed on the screenshots?

Sorry for all the questions
1a. Someone in OCR will have to answer this one.

2a. Do your best to avoid shooting characters, but on live, we realize that this will be difficult. We'll probably photoshop out any npcs/players that happen to sneak through.

3a. You'll need to use the provided frames for this contest. Hero side has an new format, for starters.

4a. Widescreen is not something you'll need to worry about for this contest. Use the provided frames, and you'll be golden.

1b. Submit as many as you like--there are a lot of zones to cover, and we want to have as many good choices as we can get.

2b. No.

Thanks!

David Nakayama, Lead Concept Artist
COH Concept Art Gallery now open at http://pixelsaurus.deviantart.com/

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Soul Storm View Post
Got a few questions myself...

1) Are we limited to the existing elements provided? Am I able to alter or manipulate any of the layers that you have provided me in order to design a completely new and fresh looking loading screen or do you just want me to drop a couple of screenshots into the numbered areas and thats it?

2) Is there any limit to how many times you can enter (i.e. if you do one for each zone and put them ALL in a pack does that count as one entry?) or do you have to pick one specific zone and enter that one zone once?

3) Is there anything that would stop me entering this contest if I have previously won a contest?

Think that's all I can think of right now...
1. This is a photography contest, so keep the frames as-is, and we'll be judging you guys strictly on your mad camera skillz.

2. There's no limit per se. I'd prefer one entry for each zone from each entrant, but you could conceivably do more. You won't be penalized for it. I'm mainly worried about not getting entries for the more obscure zones.

3. Is this in the rules? OCR?

David Nakayama, Lead Concept Artist
COH Concept Art Gallery now open at http://pixelsaurus.deviantart.com/

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by EmperorSteele View Post
I've been looking forward to this! Let's see what we got...

And NO characters? I realize this is so that some overly egotistical goofball doesn't put their character in every shot, but what showcases AP better than a crowded Atlas plaza (besides which fact is, good luck getting atlas not-crowded on freedom or virtue XD), or IP better than a giant octopus? Can't you change the rule to say "don't make YOUR CHARACTER/supergroup the center of attention in any picture"?

You guys probably had discussions in-office about all this though, so mweh. Good luck to everyone!
This is a good point. If the npc crowds actually enhance the shot, I might be okay with it. Still would like to avoid clear shots of player characters though--those will be edited out.

David Nakayama, Lead Concept Artist
COH Concept Art Gallery now open at http://pixelsaurus.deviantart.com/

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Patteroast View Post
I noticed a zone that isn't listed as either eligible or ineligible... but I can't say I'm surprised that even the devs forgot about the Tunnels of the Trolls.
Please feel free to pick the appropriate frame and make this for us. It's not an IOM or mission loadscreen, right?

David Nakayama, Lead Concept Artist
COH Concept Art Gallery now open at http://pixelsaurus.deviantart.com/

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Noble Savage View Post
1a. Someone in OCR will have to answer this one.

2a. Do your best to avoid shooting characters, but on live, we realize that this will be difficult. We'll probably photoshop out any npcs/players that happen to sneak through.

3a. You'll need to use the provided frames for this contest. Hero side has an new format, for starters.

4a. Widescreen is not something you'll need to worry about for this contest. Use the provided frames, and you'll be golden.

1b. Submit as many as you like--there are a lot of zones to cover, and we want to have as many good choices as we can get.

2b. No.

Thanks!
Awesome, thanks for the answers.

I'm still a bit fuzzy on the NPCs though, Lusca and Hamidon would be great for example, as would some of the signature NPCs and crowds of enemies in some places, as they are all part of the zone so to speak.

[CENTER]Euro side: [B]@Orion Star[/B] & [B]@Orions Star[/B][/CENTER]

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Haggard4Life View Post
The "highest Ultra Mode setting" part makes me wonder... Will those of us that have non-UM compliant computers be at a big disadvantage because our screenshots won't have UM stuff, like shadows, in them?
It's true that we'll be looking for sexy, Ultramode-enhanced shots (that's the driving force behind updating these screens, after all), but hopefully even the lower-end computers will be able to turn on the relevant settings (shadows, texture quality, reflections, FSAA, and ambient occlusion) long enough to grab a shot. We hope this enables most players to participate in the contest.

David Nakayama, Lead Concept Artist
COH Concept Art Gallery now open at http://pixelsaurus.deviantart.com/

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Noble Savage View Post
Please feel free to pick the appropriate frame and make this for us. It's not an IOM or mission loadscreen, right?
Looks like a pretty standard one. Dunno what IOM means :P



http://wiki.cohtitan.com/wiki/File:Splash_Tunnels.jpg

[CENTER]Euro side: [B]@Orion Star[/B] & [B]@Orions Star[/B][/CENTER]

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dinah View Post
If it happens that all entries for a particular zone are terrible (let's be honest, some got it, some don't), are you going to be forced to use a terrible user submitted loading screen, or will you go out and take your own screenshots for it so that we end up with quality screens?
Of course we'll take our own shots if we have to, but I'd so much rather get the players' work into the game! It'd be a last resort.

David Nakayama, Lead Concept Artist
COH Concept Art Gallery now open at http://pixelsaurus.deviantart.com/

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Orion_Star_EU View Post
Looks like a pretty standard one. Dunno what IOM means :P



http://wiki.cohtitan.com/wiki/File:Splash_Tunnels.jpg
Ah, cool. Thanks! Yeah, please use a hero-side blue frame to redo that one. IOM is an outdoor mission map (has a different type of frame).

However, because it's an indoor mapset, you may find that there's not a lot you can do to enhance this (maybe ambient occlusion). Would be interested to see you prove me wrong though.

David Nakayama, Lead Concept Artist
COH Concept Art Gallery now open at http://pixelsaurus.deviantart.com/

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Noble Savage View Post
Ah, cool. Thanks! Yeah, please use a hero-side blue frame to redo that one. IOM is an outdoor mission map (has a different type of frame).

However, because it's an indoor mapset, you may find that there's not a lot you can do to enhance this (maybe ambient occlusion). Would be interested to see you prove me wrong though.
Yeah I was about to say. It's just...tunnels... and Trolls...

Also, this got lost at the end of the last page:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Orion_Star_EU View Post
Awesome, thanks for the answers.

I'm still a bit fuzzy on the NPCs though, Lusca and Hamidon would be great for example, as would some of the signature NPCs and crowds of enemies in some zones, as they are all part of the zone so to speak.

[CENTER]Euro side: [B]@Orion Star[/B] & [B]@Orions Star[/B][/CENTER]

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by StormSurvivor View Post

Edit: Another question. Is mild 'fix' tweaking allowed? Such as slightly brightening dark screenshots? Or is this strictly a copy, crop, and paste job?

Edit #2: Oh dear, another question. Title consistency: When entering the name of the zone, do you want the title all in caps, first letter in upper case, or what? I think some consistency needs to be established for the screens to look good in-game. The default text would imply all caps, but I was hoping for some clarity.
1. That'd be okay, but please do it w/ a non-lossy adjustment layer, so we have the ability to make further edits.

2. Hmm, good question. Let's go with all caps for now, which is the precedent set by the rest of the game. We'll may need to go back and tweak this later, but that's easy to do.

David Nakayama, Lead Concept Artist
COH Concept Art Gallery now open at http://pixelsaurus.deviantart.com/

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Orion_Star_EU View Post
I'm still a bit fuzzy on the NPCs though, Lusca and Hamidon would be great for example, as would some of the signature NPCs and crowds of enemies in some zones, as they are all part of the zone so to speak.
Focus on the environments. Try to leave the characters out if at all possible (definitely no Hamidon; might consider sig. npcs, but only at a distance). Inevitably, some npcs will make it into these shots, but do you best to keep 'em to a minimum.

David Nakayama, Lead Concept Artist
COH Concept Art Gallery now open at http://pixelsaurus.deviantart.com/

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Golden Girl View Post
By the way, for those of you entering, don't forget that quite a few of the normally crowded "landmark" areas of the game - like Atlas Plaza, for example, can be accessed in peace and quiet via AE
*giant faceplam* GG, that's genius--why didn't I think of that?! Guys, this would be ideal. No npcs will definitely make the post-processing easier on us, so yeah, bonus points if you do this. Not going to require it, but it'll definitely help your shots.

David Nakayama, Lead Concept Artist
COH Concept Art Gallery now open at http://pixelsaurus.deviantart.com/

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Noble Savage View Post
Focus on the environments. Try to leave the characters out if at all possible (definitely no Hamidon; might consider sig. npcs, but only at a distance). Inevitably, some npcs will make it into these shots, but do you best to keep 'em to a minimum.
Thanks for the clarification (and all the other answers)

Now to brainstorm.... I have a lot of screenshots to take when I get home!

[CENTER]Euro side: [B]@Orion Star[/B] & [B]@Orions Star[/B][/CENTER]

 

Posted

Alternately, you could demorecord the area, then go back and just edit out all the civilians (and even change the timecode if you want it at night vs daytime or whatever), then play it back and get your screencap.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

Dark_Respite's Farewell Video: "One Last Day"
THE COURSE OF SUPERHERO ROMANCE CONTINUES!
Book I: A Tale of Nerd Flirting! ~*~ Book II: Courtship and Crime Fighting - Chap Nine live!
MA Arcs - 3430: Hell Hath No Fury / 3515: Positron Gets Some / 6600: Dyne of the Times / 351572: For All the Wrong Reasons
378944: Too Clever by Half / 459581: Kill or Cure / 551680: Clerical Errors (NEW!)

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Noble Savage View Post
Redo-ing all the various loadscreens for widescreen would be difficult. Thinking about some targeted appliations of this though...
Cool. Thank you Mr. Savage.