Matrix Games Forums

I would like some feedback as to which type of thumbnails people prefer.

In the screenshot you can see three different styles.

The black and white one's are mostly the default pics that come with the game, but I have added a few extra to fill in the gaps with the right kind of equipment.

The second colour thumbs are mostly art, or very well made models. There is plenty of pics from the web to populate the list, with the correct kind of equipment. Of course some may have copy writes so would require Panther Games to purchase some if they were going to use it in game.

The third list of thumbs are stylised taken from one of my games. There were not enough thumbs of the correct kind of equipment so I have just filled the gaps with random stuff. They are uniform in design and style, as you would expect from that kind of 3D game. In the encyclopaedia that they come from they even rotate, and hatches open etc.
This kind of artwork looks very professional but would probably require Panther Games to employ a graphics artist, or buy some from another games company?

Anyway which do you prefer?

The black and white as they add flavour to the game?

The colour because they are easier to see the type of equipment, and well....its colour....we stopped taking black and white pictures for a reason right?

Or the professional looking stylised uniform art of a modern graphics artist. baring in mind that these ones don't necessarily depict the style of this game as there for another, so custom ones for this game would probably use different colours, and styles if done properly.

P.S how do you do a poll in this forum?

Welll I'm trying to follow these instructions from the FAQ thread, but I can't see the button anywhere...some one help me find my glasses please [;)]

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First is my fav. Not keen on the drawings\mini's...rather have just drawings say osprey publishing style would be cool. The third looks OK but to general..if you could get the actual unit represented cool..but appears some are used as placeholders and aren't giving a proper impression of what the unit looked like now if you could get them to look how they should then that would be OK aswell.

So for me either B&W photo's or Drawings using the same style like Osprey publishing or find some side on drawings of tanks by the same artist etc. I don't like seeing a mish mash of styles like in the middle one.

My opinion:

1. Best - B/W - realistic, atmosphere, authentic

2. OK - Color thumbs - nice art, easy to see type of equipment

3. Worst - like from common game, no atmosphere

I second Wodin with either B/W or Osprey style stuff, with the B/W beeing my faves.

Hi,

B/W hands down.

Thanks for taking the time to create the new thumbnails!

Rob.

1-color
2-B&W
3 the third column

Great work!
PS) Why is the 7.92mm leMG42 pictured as a Pz IV ausf F.2 in that third one ? [:)]

Ok it looks like we are going with B&W then.

That was actually my preference too, although some of the models I have seen looking for the pictures, are of amazing detail, and quality, but don't reduce well down to such small pictures, as a lot of that detail is lost.

I also took a look at the Osprey art and there are some great works of art there, but I would imagine they would be very expensive to purchase.

So as I'm in Photoshop I'll try to clean up the B&W pictures a bit and see how it looks then, sometime over the next few days.

Some of them are very over exposed and could do with visit to the curves tool I think [;)]

Daz..thee are a fair few items with no pic either..so if you can fill them up it would be cool.

ORIGINAL: navwarcol

1-color
2-B&W
3 the third column

Great work!
PS) Why is the 7.92mm leMG42 pictured as a Pz IV ausf F.2 in that third one ? [:)]

There were none of the right kind of equipment in that style, so rather than leave it blank, I just threw in some random stuff [;)]

ORIGINAL: wodin

Daz..thee are a fair few items with no pic either..so if you can fill them up it would be cool.

Do you mean in the ESTABS in game wodin?

That's beyond the scope of what I am doing here I'm afraid mate.

This is just a concept idea, and its focused on what you would see if you were to select I Bn HQ 1 Pz SS Regt, using its icon on map or in the OB tab.

First column is the original as posted before for comparison.

The second column has been retouched.

The third column has been retouched then a green colour cast, (taken from the interface border) added to make it look like I belongs to the game. I may have overdone the opacity a bit, but I can turn it up or down as needed.

Hopefully you don't prefer the first one [:'(]

I prefer the third column, good job!

Very nice images dazkaz [:)]

Just one word of advice. Keep a copy of your image collection with their actual filenames. There are a few important changes coming soon on how images are bound to a estab, which should ease significantly working on the image set associated to vehicles and weapons.

Third row.

1. Second row
2. Third row

Third column !!

Very nice job !!

[:)]

Txema

+1 3rd Column

Door number 2...........

Nice work!!!!!!!!!!


Rob.

Like the way you've made sure they face all the same way aswell..good thinking Batman.