Heptagon on 18/4/2005 at 13:37
A Nice Stroll:
This one was ok, but it didn't do that much for me. Not a bad idea, I just thought the textures and architecture were a bit plain and repetitive.
Hazelshade Cemetery:
Astounding atmosphere... the mist was simply mind boggling, and the individual tombstones were great fun and added alot to the realism. The only thing that might have improved the atmosphere and immersion is a custom ambient, but that's a minor nitpick. This is one of the best.
Requiem for a Thief:
A neat idea, well executed. The voice acting was well done, and the light effects and the stained glass windows reflecting on the floor were a great touch. The best use of sunlight I've seen in a recent mission. I thought this cathedral was much nicer than St. Lazarius, even if the architecture wasn't quite as detailed.
Ride the Butterfly:
As Thiefsie Fool said, outdoor scenes are not easy to pull off and this one has a lot of nice things going on. It was very tranquil, but I would have liked to see more details in the terrain (the rock walls around the valley and the ground). The distant art was very nicely done.
St. Lazarius:
It's obvious who the self-indulgent author of this one is. While well-executed, the architecture is repetitive and the layout is unimaginative. The same intricate pillars and archway cut-and-pasted twenty times down a corridor doesn't do it for me. The textures are of course impressive but way overdone, and I didn't care for any of the sounds used. I certainly hope the upcoming huge campaign is more interesting than this. There wasn't much to the atmosphere in this one for me at all... the author could learn a thing or two about atmosphere from the authors of Cemetery, Requiem and Clocktower.
Surrounded by the Metal Age:
This is a really impressive effort given the lack of custom resources used. Just goes to show how nice a setting a talented Dromeder can create with stock resources, and that you don't need a bizillion hand-painted textures to create atmosphere. Even though it's small, I prefer it to St. Lazarius.
The Clocktower:
Wow, what can I say... while I found the number of objects a little excessive, the atmosphere is certainly there, as is attention to detail. Easily the best lightning/thunder effects I've seen in any FM. The only problem with them is their concurrency... the lightning should sometimes be seen a few seconds before thunder (as if some of it is off in the distance).
I'm currently undecided between Clocktower and Cemetery, and I guess Requiem would be third. Too bad we can't vote for the top three and then have them weighted by points (1st place vote gets 3 points, 2nd place 2 points, and 3rd place 1 point).
SlyFoxx on 18/4/2005 at 14:15
Clocktower got my vote. Detail and atmosphere were outstanding. This has to be part of a real mission some day. Actually, all the maps would make great platforms for a mission.
Kudos to Surrounded By The Metal Age for making a traditional OM like map and showing what can be done with that tool set.
NeKoeNMa on 18/4/2005 at 14:55
I couldn't allow multiple choices voting because most people would vote for all the entries!
Personally the Clocktower got my vote, but the Cemetery is also very astonishing. :wot: I couldn't really decide.
And you have to wait for the authors. :cheeky: St.Lazarius is a... Give away, actually, but everyone knows that.
Renault on 18/4/2005 at 15:46
Although, if I had to formulate some guesses (leaving the obvious one out)...
Clocktower - Ottoj55
Cemetary - Yandros
Requiem - Nameless Voice
Surrounded - Demagogue
Butterfly - Moghedian?
Stroll - No idea
I wanted to say Cemetary was William The Taffer, because I remember him talking about doing that floor reflection effect that's inside the masoleum building, but he hasn't been around in a while.
Master Garett on 18/4/2005 at 15:49
The cemetary was absolutely beautiful!!! I votes for this one because I feel it's the most innovative one of them all.
Fingernail on 18/4/2005 at 15:51
Now why don't all FMs look like these ones?
I was torn between Clocktower and Cemetery tbh, but clocktower has an intense amount of detail and realism to it. Cemetery has some gorgeous effects; that swirling fog is magical.
Dark Engine gets a facelift! I honestly couldn't believe what I saw from some of these entries; absolutely fantastic work, all of them. Some great things to learn from. :sly:
TURN INTO REAL FMS NOW PLZ K THANKS IN ADVANCE :thumb:
PinkDot on 18/4/2005 at 15:56
I love Clocktower and HazelShade Cemetery and haven't decided yet. Both are very impressive. The only thing I would change in Cemetery is the speed of fog movement. It looks a bit like the water. But the textures are very well done.
I like the amount of details in Clocktower and the architecture and the atmosphere of presence of someone who is not present actually...
The 'Requiem...' is also very good. Surrounded has the most interesting atmosphere and the message but it's visually too poor. I would use more custom textures and differ those two worlds using the colour contrast. Now we have to guess what author wanted to express.
Those four are the best of this contest, in my opinion.
But contrgratulations go to all of the contestants! :thumb:
EDIT:
I've played those missions once more and I've changed my mind - I voted on 'Surrounded by the Metal Age' even if it's not the most 'eye-candy' mission. The atmosphere was the most strongest argument... Graphics is only the means to achieve it. SBTMA did it mostly by the sound and the concept.
And this mission is nearest to be called 'work of art' because it force people to think, not only to say WOW! :thumb:
TF on 18/4/2005 at 17:01
Fingernail, because everyone showed no restraint because they know they wouldn't have to care about brush/object limits, or worry about coplanars/stuff in the long run.
It forces people to think? How so?
Alexius on 18/4/2005 at 17:03
yep.
Dromed has limit of:
60'000 cells
730 lights
250 textures
and so on...
