Community Discussion Thread

[Bidmaron]

Can we get a new forum area where we can discuss other things that help with world building that aren't Realmworks? This would be an area where we can discuss things like map building, good source material for use in realm works, and other fantasy gaming topics.

[Dark Lord Galen]

Originally Posted by Bidmaron

Can we get a new forum area where we can discuss other things that help with world building that aren't Realmworks? This would be an area where we can discuss things like map building, good source material for use in realm works, and other fantasy gaming topics.

Agree with the idea, and several other topic type categories to better segregate and traverse information (brought this up years ago when Liz first came on board) but the response then was "that would detract from working on the product, which nobody wants".

With LW limited resources, something like this would probably fall onto a plate already full .. (ie David or Colen I would guess...).

So... unless there is a paradigm shift... what is.. is probably what is....
Though I have approached this on other sites with established members of the community managing that piece as moderators.... but don't see LW going that direction..

[daplunk]

Honestly, start a thread and let the discussion begin. The Dev's are all head's down preparing the content market. I don't think they would mind if we have some healthy discussion about using their tool. It would give people something to focus on instead of counting the beans that pass while waiting for the content market.

[kbs666]

Here's one I've been considering for a while, there is a wealth of amazing photographs available now. I've been using them when I thought they were appropriate, particularly for buildings and landscapes. I still wind up using a lot of fantasy art for NPC's.

I don't always get a great reaction from my players when I display a photo. Has anyone else used photos and what was their player's reaction to them?

[daplunk]

I use alot of pictures. My player's have come to expect it. I generally use art (not photos) though of mainly monsters and npcs. My player's really appreciate this and will prompt me if I don't put something up, especially if it's something they have not encountered before.

[Dark Lord Galen]

Originally Posted by kbs666

Here's one I've been considering for a while, there is a wealth of amazing photographs available now. I've been using them when I thought they were appropriate, particularly for buildings and landscapes. I still wind up using a lot of fantasy art for NPC's.

I don't always get a great reaction from my players when I display a photo. Has anyone else used photos and what was their player's reaction to them?

Originally Posted by daplunk

I use alot of pictures. My player's have come to expect it. I generally use art (not photos) though of mainly monsters and npcs. My player's really appreciate this and will prompt me if I don't put something up, especially if it's something they have not encountered before.

Have to agree with Kbs666Daplunk... my players have come to expect it.. we utilize pictures for LOTS of things..
Monsters obviously...
magic items (rings, charms, etc are easy to find in bulk in advertisements such as jewelry stores)
NPCs (Utilizing DAZ I have a nearly endless supply)
Landscapes (utilizing Bryce, and other software)
Flora and Fauna is easily googled to discern tree/ plant types and with alittle creative "photoshoping I can turn a birch tree into a "Bronzewood Dale" by just changing the gamma.

Not to mention we use pictures as hints of past, present, and future in game events and People / Places / Things that they have created an acronym of sorts called PHoTips (Photograph Tips). Correctly identified PhoTips earn "Gamer points" paid in a "currency" that they can "purchase" re-rolls or mundane items. I do this monthly (first game of the new month). Whatever goes unsolved gets archived...with the possibility of that returning somewhere in the future.




As they say.. sometimes a "picture says a thousand words"
DLG

[daplunk]

Daz... tell me more... show me more. This looks too good to be true. How much have you had to spend on extras?

[daplunk]

This looks like a bottomless pit of opportunity and cost. Very dangerous.

[mazzy]

Originally Posted by daplunk

This looks like a bottomless pit of opportunity and cost. Very dangerous.

DAZ is actually a great tool and comes with plenty of free resources to get started with, if you want to keep costs low. Of course, you could make an initial investment in a model or two and just rehash them for your different npc's. Really depends on how much time you want to put into it

EDIT: I forgot to mention, they have quite a bit of free items in their shop and they are constantly offering some pretty awesome deals.

[Dark Lord Galen]

Originally Posted by daplunk

This looks like a bottomless pit of opportunity and cost. Very dangerous.

Originally Posted by mazzy

DAZ is actually a great tool and comes with plenty of free resources to get started with, if you want to keep costs low. Of course, you could make an initial investment in a model or two and just rehash them for your different npc's. Really depends on how much time you want to put into it

EDIT: I forgot to mention, they have quite a bit of free items in their shop and they are constantly offering some pretty awesome deals.

Daplunk is correct... haha it "could be a cash pit... so restraint is needed... Cause Mazzy is correct too... there are always sales to keep cost low and other sites that make decent add-ons as well.
http://www.most-digital-creations.com/freestuff.htm

I tend to have an idea of what I want the NPC (and players certainly have their ideas) of what the "look" they are going for....

the biggest "Cost" is TIME..... getting the initial wireframes setup fpr PCs and NPCs (where more detail is desired) takes time.. but once done, you then only tweak the views, or the costumes...

Here is a hurried Collage... Some are just DAZ out of the can, others are mine, some are a good friend of mine from another forum (Canonfire) that goes by Dungeonmeister (I'm a rookie compared to his work check it out on link below) and even one isnt DAZ (the B/W one)but a program called Fotosketcher.
Fotosketcher is archaic by DAZ standards but still makes nice sketch type pictures (and it helps to have a few art/camerabuff friends)I just use Gimp to mod parts of pictures we like and cut n paste then turn to a sketch...

http://dungeonmeister.deviantart.com/
https://www.fosshub.com/FotoSketcher.html
https://photofunia.com/effects/sketch