the crystals are something like autunite(labeled as "uranium" from the source i found them), which is radioactive, so it makes sense in a radioactive environment. the crystals aren't the only thing that'll be popping up; i have more theme-related stuff planned. i don't plan on toxic green being the only color really prevalent, either. i only leave the crystals as they look like something that would grow because of the radiation(however removed from reality that may be).
i may move them to the subterranean forge stuff, though.
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currently working on the runway(launch pad). i just added the isolated radar frames from don_ko's psd file, as it would be pretty difficult for me to cut out the original radar frames from the background(why nwc hadn't previously isolated them, i have no idea). i'll have to work on the radar frames, as the light comes from the wrong direction for what i need. i've already began recoloring/recontrasting the frames to match the existing launchpad. i still have to fix the actual launchpads, as they have the brightness of the old runway lights. i'll have to isolate all the radar frames, as their edges aren't cut exactly; and i'm trying to decide what order i want to do all that in(what would be optimal).
i also fixed a couple of other things; and there are some lights that i have to correct in another def. i took a break yesterday and redid the medusa dwelling(the temple from homm4).
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i re-added the radar frames after i fixed them again(made the edges solid, and recolored/recontrasted them). there are some remaining pixel errors with each frame, which i'll have to fix as i go(also some color issues in some frames after the formula was applied to all of them). but for now i switched back to working on the dump sites. so far i added a pipe with flowing toxic runoff to both defs, which i still have to animate. i played with the water for the initial dump site, so that brighter toxic runoff blends into the rest(and appears to be gradually polluting). after i animate the runoff and toxic waste surrounding the runoff, i'll add the barrels.
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reworking the juggernaut/dreadnaught movement sound.
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the sounds are compete for the juggernaut/dreadnaught(i'm now working on the naga tank movement sound, but everything i'm finding online has too much white noise mixed in), except that i still have that issue with the "click/knock" from the background of the movement sound for the juggernaut.
edit: i found a "click removal" feature in Audacity, and have been using it in various sensitivity settings, but the best i can do is only subdue the sound; i can't remove it entirely. at least i know now that it is termed a "click".
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reworking the juggernaut movement sound from scratch(initial soundbites) again. so far, it sounds good; no clicks. i cut the beginning and end(that had audible, yet faint clicks) of the initial soundbite that i'll be using; atm it is pure servo machinery, without the machine stamping sound. i'm using the "tempo" option instead of the "speed" option, and it seems to negate any clicks becoming audible when dropping the pitch down to where it needs to be after speeding things up.
i'm going to work on each sound seperately, to get the correct tempo of the movements, then add them together when done. that SHOULD fix the issue. i'm crossing my fingers.
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after taking a nap, i improved the Forge pillar of fire. i changed the metal areas to copper, added highlights, and fixed groups of pixels(also fixing the fire to resemble a blowtorch instead of the old fire, which blended too much with the background, like a smaller campfire).
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finished the move sound for the juggernauts/dreadnaughts. no clicks this time, and the overall sound is much better than the first two tries. now i can move on, to complete the naga tank sounds.
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found some decent sounds online(better than i had already) for the naga tank. did some work on them, then i switched off to working on the brute's adventure map dwelling. i have the entrance to fix now, then that'll be done.
the entranceway is done; i fixed the entire front wall on the foremost part in the process. i used the townscreen buildings' entranceway as a model for what i needed to do.
edit: i had a gif posted to show what i did to the brute building, but i noticed more inconsistencies. so i fixed them, and NOW the building is complete. i'd post a new gif showing the last improvements, but i already deleted the old frames.
finished prepping the launchpad fix for the adventure map jet minotaur dwelling.
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i swapped out the new launchpad, but i may still need to darken it. i also did work on the pyro adv map dwelling. i had initially tried to use the original molten napalm(how i think of it) from the townscreen dwelling as a fill layer for the inanimate original pyro dwelling NWC made(which i cut out and used for the core work), but it wasn't satisfactory. namely because the bubbles in the liquid were too big, and i had too much blank area to fill for each frame. so i worked out an adequate liquid base, then filled it with recolored bubbles that i already isolated(you can find them under the lava terrain in my patch). looks good, but i may need to darken the liquid; i haven't decided yet.
an old gif to show the bubble animation(this is before i lightened the dwelling itself. i think the liquid needs more interference other than the bubbles themselves):
the dwellings so far:
i remade the toxic waste pools(compare with above):
i fixed all of the oversized dwellings, to stick with the standard 64-pixel width, for consistency with the other dwellings in the game(i kinda hate doing that to the naga tank[weapons lab] and dreadnaught[weapons refinery] dwellings, but oh well). i also made the grunt's dwelling from the original NWC dwelling, and my first draft of a dump site. i have yet to improve the animation for the pyro dwelling.
i really have to fix the Forge dragon utopia, as it is an eyesore, but i'll save that for later. i have to fix the dwellings and other decor in the townscreen yet.
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fixed the glaring errors on the townscreen launchpads; though i still have fine-tuning to do for them. i shrunk the adv map air vent, and am currently gearing up to fix the Forge dragon utopia.
compared to the old towers, how do the new ones look(i also fixed some pixel issues)?
are the multiple smokestacks too much?