Character Generator?

[Estyre Legends]

Hello members!

So we've been rolling around an idea for some time now and since we've been unable to make a decision we've come to you for advice.

We've been thinking about creating a character creator for Estyre using Silhouettes, it will be created with flash and have a simple to use drag and drop interface that lets you chose the body parts from up to or even more than 100 different creatures so you'll be able to create the perfect mimic of your character. Of course these will only be the outlines, you're free to save it and edit it further, maybe draw in the features and such, but we thought it might be a good way for people to reference your character. Sometimes it can be hard to describe a heavily mutated creature accurately and we all view our characters differently, it may help to clear up some confusion.

Anyway the idea is open to votes and criticism, ultimately you will have the final say on exactly how it would work should we choose to continue with it. I've given you an example of how it can be used as well as the original image you would be working with. Tell us what you think.

[xexes]

Only if : it already exists.

Flash is no easy thing to learn, and it's going to be a lot of work to program from scratch. Not to mention that everyone will always be asking for more things added to it, so it will be a never-ending support nightmare for something that people use for 5 minutes and forget about (I feel that work required >>>>> use it will get ). While I like the idea that anyone can obtain art for their character, I think it would be more productive to simply suggest things that already exist rather than making one from scratch. Especially right now, when the materials and informations are all still being written up, I feel that information is much more important.

Wolf Maker : www.azaleasdolls.com/game_wolfmaker.html great for coloring, it also has some accessories like collars and scars

Fantasy Wolf Maker : www.dolldivine.com/wolf-maker.php wings and stuff

(various others like that : www.dolldivine.com/animal-makers.php?page_num=0 )

If what you're really aiming for is for people to have art for their characters, I feel you will get a much better bang for your buck by incentivizing people to make art for others / art requests and studios . (Worth nothing: because the site's skin quality and art is already superb, so you're bound to attract other high-level artists like yourself. )

[Estyre Legends]

You've made some very good points that I hadn't considered, in all honesty I can definitely see it becoming a pain to keep up with requests and the like and as I'd planned on commissioning a friend to create it for me it would have to be a one off creation that couldn't be edited.

I think it might be beneficial to create the list, as you suggested, and make it available for easy reference. Regardless on whether or not an Estyre specific generator is created.

I've started to organize an art board, you can see the empty category on the front page, and I'd planned on leaving it till last but I think everyone would like a board to request or show off their own art, yes? So I'll move it's creation up the cue.

Would be a better idea to post something similar in a PDF file, with all the parts available and people can just drag the layers around.

[xexes]

PDF? I think you meant to say PST file, heh.

Yeah, that might work better, and if you make it clear that it is what it is and they can always ask other people to help with art. I just want to be really, really careful that staff aren't bogged down with art, as all it does in the long run is tire them out. I think GIMP is the second most widely used, so a XCF might also be helpful. If you post the PST, I can post the XCF for you, it only takes a moment.

I know that it sounds super fickle to like the idea of a PST file and not a flash application that does the same thing, but I just hate to see you spend any more money on something that's going to take a long time and not be used all that much. Another advantage of PST/XCF is that it's already in the editor, so they can do as they please, and because it's already in the editor, it gives this vibe "Hey, this can be cool, but it's going to be a little bit of work, so you'll have to get your hands dirty". With something like a flash application, it comes with the mentality "I just press a magic button and it reads my mind!" (no program can do that, heh) . TL;DR PST/XCF sets the expectations and level of difficulty right up front, no money involved, and has less steps to get it into an editor.

ALSO, suggestion: Specify how wide art should be, sometimes downsizing can hurt the quality, especially for fine details. I think it's 520px max width with this skin?

[Deleted]

I say no to the flash but yes to a PST file but i think we should also have a png image for those who use paint n stuff.

[Estyre Legends]

I think you're right, roughly 520px being the limit for this forum. I think what I'll do is make a format available for some of the major photo/image editing software and a .png version, I'll have them set at around 800px room to work it with clear instructions on how to scale it down to fit the forum, that way people can have a larger version in case they'd like to use if for something else.

I think it would work much better if the members get that sense of accomplishment working with it, which just isn't there with something like flash. Where possible I'll make the images vectors, the quality will be pretty good regardless of what size you make them. I'll also create a board specifically for the silhouettes so that people can offer up their own ideas or offer to help other members work with theirs, that way it's not all on the staffs back.

That sound alright?

[xexes]

Sounds good.
I'm looking forward to writing up some tutorials on how to take those PNG/PSTs a little further, too.