I've started work on the Umbra, here's some progress.
Still some parts to make, after ill give it some detail in Zbrush.
Wed, 05/14/2014 - 04:05
#1
Umbra
Edited by: Revada on 05/14/2014 - 04:06
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I've imported some swords just to get an idea of polycounts, texture sizes and layout. The size of the umbra, is it meant to be this long? both the swords i think are claymores so they are already at the big end of the scale.
I tweaked it so the hilts were similar in size but I'm thinking it needs to be scale'd down.
As a direct upgrade of the original, it looks great. However, since the original was just a retexture of the ebony/glass longsword model, maybe use this for one of those and somebody here (maybe even myself if I ever get off my lazy ass and pick up a pen and paper, haha) can draw up a more unique concept for Umbra.
Yeah a bit of a redesign makes sense. The idea of the umbra is to trap souls so i definantly think i need to incorporate a soul gem into the design
I'm thinking of having some sort of markings on the blade, a Lighting/roots pattern that flows from the blade edge to the hilt of the sword where the soul gem will be. So a soul flows through the sword when someone is killed.
Maybe markings inscribed by Naenra Waerr on the blade. (the witch who forged it.)
But yeah ideas and concepts welcome!
Quick paint over
Can you see what i see? Full of WIN :)
Done some stuff with the blade, each end is a different spec and a tweaked diffuse
this is looking very good so far :)
Will the soulgem be a unique color? Obviously it wouldn't be black. Hmmm...
Just texture detail and coloring todo now, model 2k.
Why not black for the soul gem?
for consistency I guess we could copy the colours and shader usage of the skyrim black soul gem. The texturing is tight, nicely done.
this was one of my favourites in oblivion! awesome job! :D
i would go for the black soul gem, didn't the sword absorb humanoid souls too?
I feel lore-wise, a black soul gem would limit the type of soul. As cool as it would look, it would not be the best choice... take Azuras star for example in Skyrim. Or the mages guild controversy in Oblivion which banned black soul gems... Just my two cents, feel free to go with your instincts. I would suggest a dark Purple.
As far as Morrowind was concerned, it was impossible to trap the souls of NPCs and Umbra's soultrap enchantment only worked on creatures. Then again, Umbra's presentation in lore makes it clear it was intended to be used on human/mer combatants. Personally, I think a black soul gem would be most fitting with the lore but in the interest of keeping it consistent with Morrowind, a plain soul gem might be preferable.
Dark purple could work(very dark purple of course), also thinking the same for the glow map.
Keep it black, I say. Umbra predates the retconned reason for why playable races couldn't be soultrapped. The lore of the time of Morrowind held that any soul could be trapped in a soulgem. That they couldn't in Morrowind was a failure of mechanics. And later, that failure was turned into stupid lore canon by Oblivion.
Yagrum Almalexia and Vivec could be soul trapped in Morrowind using Azura's Star. Many of the artifacts were powered by the souls of powerful wizards or, in the case of Umbra, by 'mortal' souls as well. The black soulgem bullshit is a holdover from Oblivion. If we're keeping with black and white soul bullshit then Unbra's gem ahould be black. Hell, maybe the gems it transfers souls to could BECOME black soulgems. Same with any other unique artifacts with soul trap as their thing.
We should at least make sure that a random low level bandit's or pauper's soul is NOT more powerful than a Golden Saint. That was stupid and lazy on the part of Oblivion's team.
Maybe we make different grades of black soul gems, and rate the soul of mortals on their levels. A level 2 diseased orphan on the street should not have a soul as powerful as Divayth Fyr. Bethesda really didn't think their decision through.
First look in game
And some tweaking with a glow map, all is still kinda W.I.P.
Kinda dark atm. open the images in a new tab for a better look.
<3 just specular, or cubemap too?
that's insane man! :D can't wait to dash it all over the place! :D
- damn double post -
I absolutely love that sword. Looks reasonably realistic and viable for use, but has that very unique, fantasy shape. Just a really good upgrade from the original. Very well done sir!
Now... Since that sword was enchanted with Soul trap in Morrowind and had that purple shimmer... How about a subtle particle effect? Some purple lights swirling around it, perhaps purple lightnings jumping on the blade (since the carvings on it already look like electricity patterns...) And it would look best if the effects activate when the weapon is drawn. Is that doable?
And the soulgem can stay black. Last time I played Morrowind soulgems were all kinds of shapes and colours. It could do with some internal glow though, perhaps as well only when drawn.
WOW, superb work!!!
It's maybe a little too dark in my opinion and the soulgem shouldn't be so shiny...
Otherwise Kudos! :)
I realize you're not done, but this also usually the best time to give critique. Right now it's fairly monochromatic purple, might I suggest breaking the color scheme into 3 parts, guard, blade, handle.
Some minor changes,
Only spec no cubemaps.
i think its still a little too monochromatic
I'm definitely up for doing a particle effect for it but no clu how...
calling it kinda finished as color tweaks can be done later on.
This looks really good :D
Wow, Umbra and the Redoran interiors at the same time? Dayum.