All Things Art - FX Edition
By
AkuTenshiiZero,
Posted on: 2011-05-11 15:59 in CoH and CoV General Discussions
Hi all! We are thrilled that you are given this opportunity by our very own Tunnel Rat but we would also like to remind you not to compare or contrast with other games, however tempting it may be. It would be a lot more useful if you could elaborate on your suggestions and give us details on how you suggest they would work in City of Heroes. And don't forget to keep in mind Tunnel Rat's Guide to feasible Suggesions at all times!
Thank you all!
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Hello Tunnel Rat:
Welcome to the the forums 
. I have some FX ideas for character auras here. I hope some of them can be of your likes. Here i go:
I love the Flies aura that is currently available in the game and it will be awesome that we can have a variety of flying insects since there is a lot of us who love have a insect character on Paragon City, Praetoria or the Rogue Isles. How about Bee Swarms auras? i will love those, but not only Bees, Wasps, Hornets. In additional to the great standard flies aura, i think we can have Dragon Flies, Butterflies and Moths for aura. If we can use this as Color Tintable, this auras will look more beautiful. Butterflies can have some minimum glowing or sparkling with them.
If i think of an insect aura that will look good around our characters feet, that will be the Ant aura. It can look impressive or even a little spooky depending on the character concept, but it will look good. Specially Fire Ants aura.
Just like the flies aura, the wide variety of insect auras will look good at our characters torsos, over our characters heads or some all around balance. I think they will look good no matter what.
Another flying animal aura that will be perfect for some that we love this is a Bat Aura. There is a wide variety of Vampires on this community and for me this aura will not be only useful for Vampires, for freely characters too , i will suggest this ones as Color Tintable too, because purple and pink bats are always needed. :P
Bats will look good around our characters back going into a direction above and close to our arms too.
I think this suggestions can be possible for you guys to implement them in game, since you have done a lot more complicated things already. I can wait for them without any problem.
Thanks again for posting a new All Things art suggestion thread. I know that no matter which technique you use in this type of concepts, they will look very good. I'm very up to pay for a aura packs for Flying Insects and any Flying animals. Because there is a very wide variety of Birds that can look very good and beautiful here.
I would like to see different power FX for Stone Melee and Fire Melee ; replacing the mallets and swords with essentially the same kind of power FX as other attacks get (rocky fists for Stone Melee, flaming hands for Fire Melee).
Being forced to alternate between bare fists and weapons is a complaint that I've often seen against these powersets, an annoyance that I share. Having a weapon materialize out of thin air and vanish a second after just doesn't make much sense to some of us. For many concepts, it just doesn't work.
It could be argued the animations, unchanged, might look slightly odd as a result, without their intended FX. Personally, playing in /suppressclosefxdist 255 and /suppressclosefx 1, which lets me not see the fire swords on my own character, I don't think it looks bad.
Alternate power look for Fire Sword.
Welcome to the forums, Tunnel Rat.
"Champion (the Community Server... or GTFO) is like a small town where everyone knows each other's names, for better or worse." -kojirodensetsu.
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Hey Tunnel Rat!
I absolutely enjoyed your part in the live chat UStream.
I love VFX.
I have a couple of suggestions.
Speed power pool
Would love to have new upgraded and if possible not very noticeable FX for the speed power pool. Hasten is too fiery now... I think it doesnt looks like you have a recharge buff on your powers, just looks like white fire.
Same for superspeed. I would love to have a minimun FX option, or an new updated less noticeable FX.
For superspeed maybe a shadow (colour tintable) of the character, like the bullet rain dual pistols FX, when the character run with superspeed on.
For hasten something similar to the FX for leadership pool, just a little effect around the character.
APP & PPP Power customization
Another thing would be cool is to have power customization for Ancillary power pools and Epic power pools. Our concepts and characters will thank you till the world ends.
Ancillary would be easier because those powers already exists and are tintable on their archetype versions. Epics, I know, hard work.
Upgrade old powers FX to current awesome new powers FX
Fire, Im looking at you. Blazing aura have an awful effect, I dont know a single player that actually like it. Fire armor in general could use a revamp.
For example, old fire blast... Not bad FX, but compared with the fire of Pyronic judgement, theres a difference. I would like if all the fire FX had the same FX, theres a huge difference between the old fire FX and the new one, and I think all the fire should look the same for all fire powers.
Elemental auras, toogles, etc... Make them less noticeable
Add a slide to customize the FX, I dont know... Sometimes we cant see our character costume because is hiding under tons of layers of our own toogle powers (electric, dark, fire armor...), teammates buffs (thermal radiation, bubbles, kinetics). I think sometimes is just too much power FX on the screen... I wish I could turn off some of those FX, or at least, have a minimun FX or less noticeable FX options.
Here's a few ideas:
Costume change emotes
* Pillar of light. Completely engulfs the character, shoots up, and dissipates. Bonus if it were somehow color tintable.
* Being able to use certain existing power animations to change costumes (Whirling hands, Footstomp, Short Circuit, breaking-out-of-Hibernation etc). Maybe add a quick flash or something to cover up the costume change?
Auras
* Sun surface: Pretty much how the surface of the sun looks. Flamy tendrils whipping out, some dissipate, some return back into the main body.
* Adding APP armor FX to be added as normal auras for characters who aren't level 50 yet, or for effects that you can't get on your AT or powerset (like Minerals for a Defender... won't actually protect the user, but let them use the aura for RP or design purposes)
That's all i got =/
-STEELE =)
Allied to all sides so that no matter what, I'll come out on top!
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In the same vein, it might be nice to see the reverse - fire sword and earth mallet attacks for all the attacks in their respective sets. One of my characters is SUPPOSED to have the earthy hammer, and switching to the fist is mildly jarring. Not so much that I pout, but it'd be a nice thing that hopefully wouldn't take longer than a tweak to the existing alternate FX and animations for those sets.
If power pool customization ever comes, it would be great if the attacks from the pools had themes that matched the power themes we have for primary and secondary. For example, my Super Strength Tanker has and regularly uses Air Superiority, so a theme that matches the glowing arms and impact balls of light that SS uses would make it fit in. Other themes would naturally include Fire, Ice, Electricity, Energy, Negative Energy, and Stone, and the Martial Arts "whooses and stars" dealie and whirrs and glows of Kinetic Melee. And any other melee sets I missed.
Obviously none of the damage types or effects would change, the themes would just give the pool attacks' the same visual aesthetic as the powers we already have. I think there would need to be themes for Boxing, Kick, Air Superiority, Flurry, and Jump Kick.
Issue 16 made me feel like this.
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Ah, another year, another opportunity to beg for a couple changes that I have wanted to see for a loooong time:
Hasten would benefit from a minimal effects setting please. Speed need not be expressed by catching on fire.
The Medicine pool seems limited as is by it's tech looking effect. Something that could be generically used to represent energies that might be magic or mutant powers would also be nice, just some gestures or whatnot.
Edit: for example with the medicine pool, I used to have a sword and sorcery type knight that would interrupt aid self back when that was possible with the victory emote. emotes also did not yet make one's weapon disappear during the emote. The result was he would raise his magic sword over his head (I have the power! haha) and would glow green as his magic blade healed some of his woulds. Also worked nice with the attack emote combined with aid other and the blade would seem to cast healing energies on allies. That rocked. Being able to use magic again for healing in some way instead of using the medicine pool tricorder would be great, even if we can't keep our weapons out anymore.. though being able to have effects with various powers that use our current weapon model would be fantastic.
Hi Tunnel Rat.
Welcome to the forums.
How about glowing swords, or swords with aura.
Colour tintable btw. 
Based on the comments in this thread, where people are reporting power animations causing nausea, migraines, and potentially epileptic seizures, I'd like to see a "minimalist effects" mode, where power effects are drawn in a symbolic rather than realistic form. For example, Static Field (one of the more common offenders) would be a simple blue-white disk on the ground, while the various shield effects would be reduced to simple tinted spheres.
There's only two auras that can be placed exclusively on feet and don't have to be set for the whole body. One is a smoke-style one which is pretty anemic and hard to see (it was one of the original lvl 30 auras) and a "crumbling stone" one, also in the lvl 30 set. I would like to see more auras available as "feet only" so we can wreathe our feet in flames or mist or smoke or whatever else.
I'd have to say that epic/patron pool color customization is at the top of my lists.
So many of my visual concepts are thrown off by the armors... but I'm not going to skip them just because they are ugly, so I wind up playing characters that annoy me to look at.
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I'd like to see lots of things, of course, but few I'll post that haven't already been mentioned.
Magic casting effects for many powers, so you invoke spells against your targets in a more obvious looking fashion. Demon Summoning has a terrific example of these already with its summon and upgrade power animations.
I'd like to see ice and rock armor gain 'smooth' variants of their shields. No more jagged lumps, but a smooth body coating instead. This can help get around some obscuring things, especially with ice. Heck, a smoothed ice Armour with the right color would look like a power armor shield, and that would be neat.
I know customizing weapon based powers isn't here yet, but I'd love to see an LRM animation where you pull out an actual missile launcher, not just fire one from a regular rifle. Given the long animation and interrupt, it give's one an opportunity to give the animation some depth. Pull out the launcher, flip open the targeting sight, and aim then fire. FESHEEEEW KABLAMO!
Give gun drone a different pet option. Some sets already use this, like earth control, so safe to assume it's possible. I'd like something sorta reminiscent of a tau heavy gun-drone, if possible. (Also please make gun drone not suck, most underwhelming T9 ever, but that's another topic)
Edit: Ah, and a taller tornado ala water spout. That actually looks like a mini twister, not just a nasty sidewalk dust-nado.
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Hasten....Please!
Auras on weapons would be great.
The FX on the temp power rune of warding is amazing anything like that would be great.
I am sure I will have more to add to this thread before it is over.
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I am with you Tunnel Rat in wanting to revisit the Fire power set FX and auras. The set is old and could use your expertise and skills. : D Perhaps you will get some consideration from the devs if enough people agree that fire sets need some overhauling. Your work is great and I'm sure it could only improve upon the set's existing FX.
I would like to see footprints left over from some power sets. That would be cool. Like when in ice armor or power surge you would leave chilling footsteps as if liquid nitrogen leaked on the floor or a live wire was exposed to water. These could last only a second or two but would be an added effect that makes sense and look awesome.
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I've been wanting a customizable Granite Armor for a long time. It was a troublesome power for Back Alley when customization came out, and he was looking into it before his departure. (I realize this likely doesn't fall into Sprites or Auras, I just wanted to get it out there).
Hasten and Super Speed are two powers I wish has a cleaner effect. Something like a momentary gleam when Hasten first fires, but doesn't stay around(Sort of a 'moment frozen in time').
I've never been all that fond of the "Disc of Light" we run on with. It would be freaky-awesome with a blur effect(much as Synapse has); perhaps a diminished version to cut down on the inevitable lag.
Sprint(and its various versions) still leave its 'dirt trail' on any surface, and occasionlly in flight if you fly too close to the ground with a Sprint power on. If there was a way to diminish its effect or lose the dirt trail entirely. Sprinting has never been a superpower, and i think less is more in its case.
Emotes:
Phoenix/Fire Costume change! I've love cce Evillaugh, but would love a more heroic version
I love EmperorSteele's "Pillar of Light" idea. That's a must have!
I have a few characters who have their helmets on/off for two costumes. A "reach for mask/helmet" cc emote would rock. (okay, okay, not FX, but still nifty)
Since the animal pack, I thought a "spirit animal" emote would be sweet. A ghostly animal totem appears above the character just before the costume change.
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Hasten....Please!
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Not sure if this is FX or not, but I'd love to see more glowing weapons, like Tech Sword or Vanguard weapons.
Also would love to see customizable arrows for archery, so black rularuu arrows, or glowing vanguard arrows, as an option to go with power custimization.
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Any hope for more of the pixelated web type effects that the PPD uses? Would really like to see those as an option for some player powers .
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Welcome, Tunnel Rat. Big X sends his regards.
Lots of good ideas so far. I particularly like the insects one and changing Hasten. I actually avoid Hasten because of how it looks. Maybe some sort of brief shimmery effect, as if we're looking at our character through the heat of a fire, and a very mellow Willpower-like reminder that it's active.
I think modifying existing auras would be easiest. Like the Wisps aura -- put some faces on them and call them ghosts. Turn them into lightning and call them, uh, lightning. (Or those shocky demon things from CoV.)
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Originally Posted by reiella
Any hope for more of the pixelated web type effects that the PPD uses? Would really like to see those as an option for some player powers
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The Alt Alphabet ~ OPC: Other People's Characters ~ Terrific Screenshots of Cool ~ Superhero Fiction
...and does turning Rifles and Pistols into Laser Guns fall under FX? Because we've been needing those since forever.
The Alt Alphabet ~ OPC: Other People's Characters ~ Terrific Screenshots of Cool ~ Superhero Fiction
As promised, here is the new, shiny All Things Art FX Edition suggestion thread. Got some great ideas for new auras, power effects, power customization, or environment effects? Please post them here! Its a surefire way to get the Paragon FX artists to see them. Ill be checking this thread several times a week, if not daily, and will comment and answer questions as my work schedule allows.
VFX is a really broad term, so allow me to clarify what FX artists working on CoH actually do. Basically, we do all the sprite-based animation in the game. Things like superpower effects and auras, as well as depictions of natural phenomena like wind, dust devils, fire, etc., are all part of our repertoire. Ultimately, we design how these things look in the game, but not how they behave. While we work very closely with designers, we don't actually develop game mechanics or write content. On the same note, we rely a lot on programming to add new capabilities to our engine, and need their help with features requiring new tech. So keep in mind when requesting things like new powersets or new systems that FX are only a small part of the equation.
I do want you to be as creative and unrestricted in your suggestions as possible, though, so if I see a really killer suggestion for a powerset, or something similar, I'll check with the right people at the studio to see if it's a possibility. Just realize that some requests will need the go-ahead from other departments, in addition to the FX team's.
To keep things efficient and friendly, I have a few requests to make.
1. No drama! Please keep your posts limited to suggestions and questions about FX processes and capabilities, and avoid shooting down your fellow players ideas. Feel free to voice support for suggestions you like, though. If you want to have a debate about the merit of someone elses idea, please start another thread for that. This is to optimize the process so I can review ideas more quickly.
2. Everythings possible. Not everything is probable. If you have an idea that would consume a lot of time and studio resources, feel free to suggest it. BUT!!omg!! Please realize that suggestions that require the creation of new systems, or involve several departments, are time-consuming and expensive to implement, and would have to be pretty revolutionary to be seriously considered.
If youre not sure whether your suggestion is feasible or not, heres a handy little guide:
Tunnel Rats Guide to Feasible Suggestions
1. Your suggestion involves existing tech or features. (Examples: New themes for auras, alternate FX for powers, ambient environmental effects, etc. Basically, fleshing out a feature that already exists in the game.)
2. Implementing your suggestion would mostly require an FX artists time, with limited or no involvement from other disciplines. (Examples: Similar to the examples for #1. Suggestions like a weather system for outdoor zones are cool ideas, but would require lots of time from the coding department, and are less likely to be implemented.)
3. Your suggestion is something that would be popular with a large portion of the player base. (Will your idea be appropriate for a lot of character concepts Generally, I'm trying to stay away from suggestions like, "I recolored Energy Blast to look like Cheez Whiz, please make an American cheese slice aura." Be creative, but be practical, too.)
4. Still not sure? Just ask. Ill try to be open about what we can currently do, and whether commonly requested features are within our reach.
A lot of you have made some great FX suggestions in previous All Things Art threads. Ive tried to keep up with them, and have even implemented several. But if youre concerned that an FX artist is not aware of your ideas, I encourage you to repost in this thread.