Kera Commission (not really a map)

[arsheesh]

This was one of two pieces I was commissioned to do several months ago for a new multi-player online game in development called Rise of Emodo. The project was to be funded through Kickstarter and looked to be set to meet its funding goals. However, 15 hours before the funding period closed the project was inexplicably terminated by Kickstarter. The people working on the game have been seeking alternate means of funding but I don't know where things currently stand, or if I'll finish the second piece (depends on whether or not funding is secured), but here is the first piece. As you can see, it isn't really a map per se, but rather just an orbital view of the game's planetary system. The second map was supposed to be more map-like, it was to be a close up of the purple moon Emodo done in the style of an earlier challenge map I did. If and when that map is ever completed I'll post it up as well.

Cheers,
-Arsheesh

[eViLe_eAgLe]

The gas giant looks a bit too distorted/trippy for me, but it isn't really something that needs change.
It looks great - I especially love those kind of titles, they just look awesome.

[Diamond]

Whoah, I love this! Looks like something you'd see in the opening credits of Star Trek.

[arsheesh]

The gas giant looks a bit too distorted/trippy for me, but it isn't really something that needs change.
It looks great - I especially love those kind of titles, they just look awesome.

Yeah the method I used to create the gas giant has the disadvantage of stretching the image along a sphere, which of course leads to pixel distortion. I created a HUGE image of the gas giant and shrunk it down pretty low in the hopes of minimizing the blurriness, but no joy. Problem is, while there are loads of great tutorials for creating gas giants in PS, I've only been able to work out one or two methods for doing them in GIMP, and in neither case have the results been spectacular. Might have to keep playing with this. Or it may be that I'm butting up against one of the limitations of GIMP, don't know till I explore this more.

Whoah, I love this! Looks like something you'd see in the opening credits of Star Trek.

Thanks Diamond, that was sort of the ambiance I was hoping to capture, so I'm really glad to here you say that.

Cheers,
-Arsheesh

[Ilanthar]

Very fine job, arsheesh!

I see a kind of "cinematic" too. I think it's because of your excellent work on the light distribution and contrast.

[arsheesh]

Thanks Ilanthar.

Cheers,
-Arsheesh

[Freehand 5.5]

Nice but the shadow on the rings is wrong.

[arsheesh]

Nice but the shadow on the rings is wrong.

Do you mean that the shadow should have been darker, or that the angle is wrong? I am aware that really the shadows on both the gas giant and the rings ought to be much darker, almost black, but I thought it looked better this way personally.

Cheers,
-Arsheesh

[Freehand 5.5]

I mean that the planet does only throw a shadow onto the section of the rings behind it.
Just have a look at the rings of Saturn. They are lighted evenly (because they form a plain) except the part behind the planet onto where a hard edged stripe of shadow falls (hard edged because there isn't an atmosphere).
Google-Ergebnis für http://pds-rings.seti.org/saturn/vgr1_iss/PIA00335-med.jpg

[arsheesh]

Oh, I see what you mean. You are right, my shadows aren't accurate.