All Things Art - FX Edition

Ground cracks and/or explosions for an aura?

Grass and/or flowers growing if you stand still for an aura, or grassy footsteps.

FX based weapons similar to the FX based shields? I guess that relies on models too...

A dripping aura. Water/acid/blood/soda/whatever.

Heat ripples, which I think already emanate off the Brute fire aura powers?

I'll second the magical type effects for themed characters. Currently I have the runes combat aura on my magic characters. I would love it if the sprites for their powers were runes also. Really any of the origins aura effects like leaves, tarot cards, sparks etc. would be great as alternate animations for the powers effects. I'd also like a no FX option for everything. It would be great to have an invisible themed character with invisible powers.

For auras, maybe Kirby Dots? (That's what they're called, I Googled it. )

I'll get the big one out of the way first:
power pool and ancillary pool power customization.

Now for the smaller ones:
Ability to turn off transparency effects in ALL powers. The previous design decision was for only powers like cloak of darkness that had 100% transparency to have this option. I'd like for it to apply to all of them such as energy cloak from energy aura, including team stealth powers like steamy mist and shadow fall

For sonic resonance and/or force field, a hexagonal Beehive Barrier for the ally and group shields, similar to what the Praetorian Police Department currently uses.
Example screenshot of PPD: http://goingrogue.na.cityofheroes.co..._vs_ppd_04.jpg

Alternate options for the cold domination and thermal radiation shields would be good too. For the thermal shields, trimming down the VFX to only include the orbiting balls of flame would be nice. For cold domination, perhaps new FX similar to what frostworks does, or perhaps sleeker ice armor that's only on the body or forearms.

For storm summoning, a more impressive looking tornado power. It's put to shame by more recent twister powers such as Scirroco's dust devils and water spout which appears in certain versions of leviathan mastery.

I've herd that the energy blaster power set was originally going to be water power. Well looking at it now that's what it looks like to me and not realy energy. It would be nice if it could be remade or added to look more like Anime style energy beams. DBZ martial type, Scifi tech type fired from a weapon, or Nanoha type fired from a magic circle.

Adding elemental auras to weapons.

Pure energy weapons. Not with a solid handle (saber-ish) but pure energy like the fire and ice swords powers.

"power pool and ancillary pool power customization" This is the big outstanding one.

Been waiting to see a thread like this...

Costume Change Emotes

I would like to see some more tech-style costume changes, how about a platform that falls from the sky, the character then steps onto the objet and it then does something similar to how the Mastermind Robot upgrade effect.

Or how about a character taps a wrist controlled and then armour ripples/flips-up along their body (Iron Man Suitcase Armour/Mystique from the X-men movies/The Pretender effect from TF2).

I would also really like to see a pillar of light glowing down from heaven that gets stronger and stronger and in a flash you have changed outfit.

And finally how about an effect where the character summons a force from the ground with their arms out from the side, they slowly levitate into the air (Rebirth of the Phoenix Style) slowly becoming surrounded by said force and then in a burst of power they drop back to the ground in the new costume.

Auras

I really liked the idea of a solar flare aura so im going to second that.

How about the ability to extend an aura over a weapon? I have several characters that really need to have their holy and unholy aura's extend to their attacks. Extending over wings would also be a cool addition.

How about a Magic Circle Aura. Runes is nice but they are often either too faint to see or too random. Imagine the Vanguard Circle from the CCemote but around your fists or on the ground at your feet while you blast away at things.

This next suggestion is a bit more general but how about aura options that swirl ina circle about a characters feet. i.e. the Fire Aura > Ground > Burning Circle.

Finally I would like to see some more "solid" VFX Aura's. Sometimes the translucency of the current effects makes them underwhelming and i would like to see some really solid feeling auras

Powers

As a couple of people have mentioned I think a pass needs to be undertaken to update some of the older power effects with the newer shinier post-Going Rogue options, such as Fire effects. But I would also like to keep the existing effects, better to have both really so no ones carefully selected powers aren't irrevocably altered.

VFX Costumes

My final suggestions (for now) would be some form of VFX's added to various costume items. Like the Bio-lumenescent Armour I would like to see glowing gems or joints in armour illuminated from within. No need to go to Tron extremes but something where I could have say illuminated eyepieces on helmets would be very cool.

- Raith

Glad to see this up! From some posts I made in the general All Things Art:

http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showt...19809&page=109

The posted images continue through page 110

These are concepts for glow-tech skins and corresponding auras for highly energetic and unstable body types.

Ideas for skins cover these themes

• Molten Core
• Core Breach
• Solar Body
• Cosmic Radiance
• Aurora Borealis

• Pyroclastic
• Warp Core Radiance
• Sunspots
• Coronal Ejecta

I just want epic powers and power pools to be recolored too. I would love for my super speed color to match my outfit, kind of like how it does on that other super hero game. Also make flying emotes poses permanent instead of something you have to always type in to do.

Costume change emotes I want, something similar to how the sailor senshi and tuxedo kamen transform in the sailor moon series.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QuVnciGc64&feature=fvsr
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xn1STIzVtXU

Very excited to see how the new path auras work out. Assuming that the tech has options to create floating fx sprites or 3d sprites and not just decals (as the oil drips appear to be) and that glow tech could also be applied to either decals or sprites, would love to see path auras for the following themes:

• Verdant growth of brightly colored flowers in our wake, complete with butterflies (two versions--one with stems and flowers tintable and another with a wide range of brightly colored flowers and only tintable stems)
• Thorny bramble
• Murshroom growth--recycle the mushrooms from Croatoa for this path aura
• Vermin--swarms of roaches, flies and fleas
• Trash (newspapers seen blowing about kings row, trash bags, etc.)
• Radioactive Ooze--tintable glowing puddles in the wake of the character (maybe with corresponding drips from the body?)
• Molten Blobs
• Burning footprints
• A line of fire instead of single footprints
• Wet trail--can any of these fx apply ultramode reflections to them? does that tech exist?
• Prismatic trailers--see the competitions corny take on this one
• Ice chunks and a few lingering snowflakes
• Shadow trails--IF the tech from [shadowy presence] that de-lums the character can be turned into a path aura, please please do so! It would be highly awesome.
• Desaturation trails--same big IF as above--but would be equally awesome to turn everything in your wake monochrome for a second
• EDIT: Sand--how could I forget sand. Seriously, if this could be done I'll bake you a cake and mail it to you TR.
• EDIT: Fissures--echoing a post above, a path aura that opened up fissures (both with and without lava) would be great!

General auras:

• Dripping wet--should be able to be multi purposed IMO as swamp slime, blood or just plain water for the rare aquatic character
• Dust devils--narrow funnels that dance around the caster, separate then recombine. They can be small and spindly BUT like the full body wisps aura should be taller than the character. This should be accompanied by the occasional localized gust as was conveyed via FX in the first mission of the alpha slot arc.
• Prismatic--we need rainbows. Not necessarily crisply defined, but more like how a few of the self buffing powers create a prismatic halo for just a moment. Obviously, tinting on this would be limited if not impossible. Perhaps the tinting just provides the opacity based on color lum?
• Butterflies--no really. It could work.
• Hearts--again, really.
• Confusion or befuddlement or riddles--question marks and other punctuation that pop and throb and then whip around then slow back down. Something for the cosmic riddlers out there.
• Reflective auras?--again I wonder can ultra mode reflections be applied to auras? what would these look like? Thinking about some sort of wormhole wierdness aura. The non-ultra mode version would need to be reverse engineered into an aesthetic approximation I'm sure.
• EDIT:Inspired by a couple posts below, what about a swirling vertigo aura based on those very same mind control FX. Oh the eye aura would be a HOOT!

AURA REQUEST

We have the Leaves Aura, which uses a broadleaf particle is beautifully done. But ... for those of us with more of an anime bent, what we'd really like is a Sakura (cherry blossoms) Aura. You'd probably be able to "get away with" re-using the particle animation patterns from Leaves, including the tumbling of the leaves, and simply change the particles to be smaller (cherry blossom size) and more numerous (but not *too* numerous).

So a sort of Sakura Aura ought to be almost a "gimmie" to do for you.

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EMOTE REQUEST

Would it be possible to update the /emote cellphone to feature a less "brick-like" (and brick-sized!) phone so as to feature something that looks like it was manufactured in this century (as opposed to the previous one!).

Also, please inform the character model animators that on a Female body type, the /emote cellphone involves an elbow turn of greater than 360 degrees that makes the elbow holding the phone look ... *wrong*. I know that's not your area, but figure you'd be in a good position to pass more precise info about this along to them.

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AURA(?) REQUEST

Would it be possible to program an effect that would only be relevant (really) to Jumping? What I'm thinking is something where depending on the vertical (down) speed at the time your character impacts the ground, a "cracked ground" with optional camera shake effect, broadly similar to some of the existing Footstomp animation/effects, will occur. Essentially, you'd set 1 or 2 threshold down velocities and any time your character hits the ground at that speed or higher, a spidercrack impact effect is spawned on the ground.

Obviously, this would be most "relevant" to characters with Super Jump or Zero-G Pack powers active, where they can fall from pretty decent heights and thus generate the necessary high velocity towards ground. Setting up an "effects only" sort of Footstomp via (Super) Jumping, complete with optional camera shaking, would help with the sort of character immersion you'd want to have with characters who are thematically "high density" or otherwise "super strength" or are just simply, really massive in their own right.

I'd like to think that for this sort of thing you'd be able to substantially repurpose already existing art assets (see: Footstomps).

It's the end. But the moment has been prepared for ...

It would be awesome to get the Mind Control set some polished FX. I don't know how difficult of a project this will be, but the swirls are not very smooth.
My suggestion would be, another FX option to choose from.
The simple FX (first picture) below is what I have in mind. If there is an option to remove the not so smooth swirls (second picture) it would be so cool.
Do something epic, but not very over the top, just simple like the first picture...

My number one request for all things animation is to tone down the particle smog, tone it down a lot. I would like to propose the following as a general guideline:

Before turning any player-character particle effect loose on the servers, please play it internally on a team with 8 people all using that particle effect. If you can't see the enemies to click-target them through the smog, redesign the effect.

(Demon Summoning, in particular, is especially awful about this, but none of the powersets are especially good about it.)

You said you guys have heard us about pool customization, so I won't waste your time requesting more travel animations and new medicine animations.



But auras? I've not requested these to death, so here goes:

• Matrix-style digital code aura -- something like the digital transport beam in AE, or like the walls in the secret Matrix room under Peregrine Island (a room, btw, that needs to be used!).
• more footprint auras, including fire footprints and flowers/vines growing in your footsteps.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SilverAgeFan Prismatic--we need rainbows. Not necessarily crisply defined, but more like how a few of the self buffing powers create a prismatic halo for just a moment. Obviously, tinting on this would be limited if not impossible. Perhaps the tinting just provides the opacity based on color lum? Butterflies--no really. It could work. Hearts--again, really. Confusion or befuddlement or riddles--question marks and other punctuation that pop and throb and then whip around then slow back down. Something for the cosmic riddlers out there.

Very good suggestions, and worthy of including in my post.


Thanks for listening,
d

I would really like to see a "no FX" option for Energy Manipulation. Right now there is no martial arts / "natural" melee secondary for Blasters, just Devices which has no real melee attacks. Especially now that we have Dual Pistols, since most true "gun fu" concepts tend to rely on both guns and hand to hand combat... A martial arts based secondary would be great but would take a lot of time to create, so in the interest of feasibility it would make more sense to use an existing set. Energy's punches already look decent for a "natural" character, we just need a way to turn off the glow.

Filthy Rich Aura; take the cog aura and change all the little pieces being dropped and turn them into green bills of money.

Also; Hurray for Tunnel Rat, you're awesome!

Auras:

With the new trailing aura capabilities from steampunk I'd like to see it expanded to match lots of themes (firey footsteps that burn and smoke out, plants/flower that sprout behind you, icicles that sprout from the ground, etc.)

And the maybe not feasible trailing one would be to have 3 to 5 teeny little arachnos spiderbots (or other already in game pet type things) that follow you around.

soap bubbles that float up and pop

a large bubble around the head (this could be faked into a space helmet type thing since that's not currently available)

a flicking reptile tongue

That's all I can think of right now.

Power Effects:

I would love to see more "themes" for powers like Magma for Earth and Metal/Slate/Crystal for spines. One that should be stupidly easy would be to port the light theme that the Legacy Chain has for energy blast/melee to all energy blast/melee powers. It could be used for a light-based blast or just a general change of pace from the same old effect we've been seeing for seven years. Also, as much as devs have said a water set is not going to happen I have seen a Coralax use a water attack that was, as far as I can tell, some variant on power push/energy torrent with a different particle effect. It actually looked pretty good. We don't need ultra mode water for the set, rushing water in game tends to not look like ultra-mode stuff anyway (see any fountain in game ever). It could easily be done with energy blast to make it look like water, as was the original intent according to one of the devs before they decided to go with energy as it "looked better".

In general I'd like to see new themes for all power sets. The alternate animations are nice, but we could always do with some new particle effects to REALLY let us customize. We could have more of a freeze ray effect for ice blasts (ala Mr. Freeze) instead of chunks of ice, something angelic-looking for empathy (like a very soft glow with possible feather particle effects), a lava/magma-type effect for fire powers (Geysers of magma for holds/blasts, earth-style magma fists/weapons for the melee attacks), thinner-looking laser type effects for energy blast to make them look more sleek, or even a theme to turn the bullets from Dual Pistols/Assault Rifle into laser blasts. Those are the suggestions I'd like to see the most, if I could have a magma-spewing fire blaster I might actually play one.

Aura effects:

I'd also like to put in a vote for the drip aura that someone mentioned before. Could use the same basic effect with different textures/glow effects to create a variety of effects with minimal work. Could have several different themes to make it look like either water, oil, magma, toxic ooze, or any number of other drippy things.

Personally I'd love to see an aura that looks like cracks in space-time/reality are sparking around you. Just quick little jagged crack-like effects that pop up in the air around you and then vanish.

And last but not least I'd love to see an improvement to auras to allow light/dark variants and moreso, two color choices. Our powers get two colors apiece and it can be difficult if not impossible to match an aura to our powers. I know it might be alot to ask there but I hope you guys will at least consider it.

Thanks for making the thread TR, we'll look forward to seeing more of you around!

Aura Request: I'd like a new version of the Electricity/Lightning Aura. The current one 'hugs' the body at all times. Make a character that uses the lighting elemental shield, turn it on, and run around. See how the lighting trails behind them? I'd love to see the Lightning Aura do that!

Emote Request: "/em facepalm" is long overdue.

i have suggested a few things in the past none really have been commented on here is the fist on my list. thread is here http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=192217

I call this a good death when you die an alternate animation would play like for a robot pc would fall apart or explode no damage, a magic one would melt turn to a puddle or the energy would leave there body, natural maybe over act the death "must go int to the light " a demonic pc could be sucked back to hell "demon summon example" there are may different ones out there right now any of which could be used or modified with little effort.


second: travel power customization link here http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=195762

jet pack active when fly or jump used like the jet boots for the pack it would unfold from your back could also be used for wings normal and mechanical as do not like that thay stick out while running around on the ground or a winged demon on your back for fly a device they teleports or a runic circle appears and you teleport. I have more Ideas but just getting started. here is some more ideas i posted in another older link

The travel powers would be easy to do with what is in game now a heat shimmer for fly, or punching a few buttons on the arm like summoning pet to open a gate to step through, super sped could trail electric like, and super jump could send out some type of pulse from the feet. I had said some thing like this before but the last time i i said some things that are not in game already these could easily be taken from other places and made to work with the powers. I mean they all ready said they would may just have to wait a bit more down the road I my self love this game and will be here until I get too old to see the keys. A big thank you to all you guys that work on this game with out you a lot of my imagination would have never have thought of some very cool super heroes and there counter parts so thank you some day would love to some of my ideas come true and a major face lift to the game graphic wise.

even an older post i did again coped here for all to see again
What i would like to see is costume parts that inter act with the powers like the jet boots do with fly, like wrist bands that pop up to shoot lasers or automatic weapons fire, (i know its been said but jet packs that pop out of the back to work with the fly power and retract so there out of the way for those who use tech and science origins). Its a cool idea and may have been said before.


third: master mind powers link here were i posted in a thread about this http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=236458

let me expand on this a bit the choice of what powers for the master mind to use with the first would be nice like dual pistols for mercenary's would be nice or electrical for ninjas i really hate the bow and arrow. For the robots electrical would be nice as well and not the lazer gun which would be good for the mercenary's or thugs maybe what i am saying a sub power set under the first.

so there would be a sub set under the other example: pick your pets and pick your power sub with the minions think about it black lightning with zombies would be cool

again coped this from an older post i did here
I know this is off topic but the one thing i would like to see is the master mind primary sets divided to allow chose between the type of pets with the power ups in one list and the attack options in another example (the ninja master mind has a bow which i hate i would like the option to have electricity to go with the storm secondary). which would give the character a ninja magic feel. Going one step further having alternate pets would be great as well so those who do not want the magic route could have some thing besides the oni

most of these can be done with very little difficulty i think but would give so much more to the game and players

Welcome to the forums, Tunnel Rat.

The biggest VFX type things I want to see make it to City of Heroes are:

1. Power customization for Mastermind/Robotics - let the lasers and force fields be customized like Demon and Necromancy can color some of their pets' powers.
2. Particle effect wings, like wings made out of light or fire or ice, et cetera.
3. Combat auras that would go around the weapon based melee sets, like having a fire aura that would radiate around your Broadsword while drawn.
4. Power customization for weapon sets, I.E. changing the color of the particles that fire when you slash people with the weapon sets, the crazy laser thing from Katana/Golden Dragonfly, etc. The one I would like to see most would be Archery/Trick Arrow, actually, because right now the FX for them is extremely tech-themed (silver metal arrows with like, grenades and stuff on them...) which is very counter-intuitive to me - archery should definitely have some support for magic characters.
   • Plain ordinary wooden arrows for powers would work acceptably as a simple(ish) solution to the current inherent technology theme.
   • Arrows made of fire/ice/light/acid/etc would be cool for Blazing/Explosive/Ice/Flash/Acid Arrow/etc.
   • Laser arrows to go with the Vanguard Bow would be neat.
5. Alternate Animations:
   • Weapons for the elemental melee powers that don't have them (I.E. Cremate in Fiery Melee using the fire sword)
   • Non-weapons animations for the elemental melee powers that don't have them (I.E. Fire Sword using a punch in Fiery Melee)
   • Origin themed animations/VFX for blast type powers (Maybe some cool runes and fancy motions for magicy blasts, possibly even adding weapons like a staff or gun to shoot blast powers out of as far as new tech goes)

I24 Proc Chance = (Enhanced Recharge + Activation Time) * (Current PPM * 1.25) / 60*(1 + .75*(.15*Radius - 0.011*Radius*(360-Arc)/30))
Single Target Radius = 0. AoE Non-Cone Arc = 360.

Hello Tunnel Rat,

As awesome as your work is, please consider the concerns being voiced in THIS thread (and in fact, your feedback in that thread would be desperately welcome), as there is a small but distinct population of the game whose physical health/wellbeing is occasionally thrown out of whack by your area of expertise.

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite