13 replies to this topic

[Cyborne Elemental]

I've always wished that I could put standard camo specs on my 2 hero mechs I've owned.

Particularly in the case of my BJ-Arrow.

Not just for the "wolf in sheeps clothing" aspect of allowing Camo specs, but because some of these hero's have some really odd paintjobs.

Such as with my ARROW, I can change the color set of the mech, but it always has that shiny blue layer of paint over the entire thing, and no matter what colors I use it looks really ugly on alot of maps.

These are the mechs that we payed $$ for, I just think it would be nice to have the choice.

Do you guys think its a good idea to have access to regular camo paintjobs on your hero mechs?

[Durant Carlyle]

No, I don't think it's a good idea. I know my view is unpopular, but I definitely prefer all of the unique 'Mechs (Founders, Sarah's, Phoenix, Sabre, Invasion, Heroes, and any others I forgot) to stay in their unique patterns. I would have preferred that the colors remain fixed as well, but they already changed that.

[Myke Pantera]

Durant Carlyle, on 22 October 2014 - 06:38 AM, said:

No, I don't think it's a good idea. I know my view is unpopular, but I definitely prefer all of the unique 'Mechs (Founders, Sarah's, Phoenix, Sabre, Invasion, Heroes, and any others I forgot) to stay in their unique patterns. I would have preferred that the colors remain fixed as well, but they already changed that.

Any good reason for this?

My counter arguments are:

• Some patterns don't work with unit color schemes. E.g. Wang (only 2 colors), Firestarter (Mostly blue-greyish no matter the colors)
  
• Some heros have a big disadvantage like the Yen-Low-Wang. If you see a Wang pattern, you go for the right arm.
  
• Paid content with less flexibility than standard gear
  
• No Camo MC income on heros

Edited by Myke Pantera, 05 November 2014 - 02:35 PM.

[Moses Lanknau]

just give the xp and c-bill bonus to the specail camos, not to the mech ... and evry thing is fine!

[Andi Nagasia]

ok i think i can help on this one,
the reason special variants have special camos?

its because of the special Geometry, unique models,
to everyone that doesn't know models and how texture mapping work
every model has a texture map that wraps around it, covering every space,
think if you have a orange, then took off the skin all in one square piece,
that piece would be a texture map, and the actual orange the model,


the problem with universal textures on special variants,
using the new atlas as an example, the slash on its eye,
normal atlas variants don't have that slash,

so normal textures would look weird on the special atlas,
the slash would be on the model, but not on the texture,

[Moses Lanknau]

its better to arrange diffrent uv maps for different mechs on the same corlormap (2d mapped 3d vertex positions), mwo does that but for some mechs the uv map could be better ... like the 'crusader' colormap seems just made for the timberwolf model but on the adder it looks just aful so the adder just needs another uv-map for the colormap/image.

[Cyborne Elemental]

As far as the new Atlas, I agree with you there.

Don't almost all of the other IS mechs and Heroes use a unified texture map?
Most professional 3d modelers and texture artists would do that just for simplicity.

Weapons and additional parts probably have their own unique texture maps elsewhere, but camo's and your basic map isn't going to change from variant to variant really, heroes included.

I don't know the specifics of their texture hierarchy, but after seeing the UVW maps on the Awesome and the amount of skill behind its layout and the efficiency that the mapper used, I really doubt that each variant would have its own unique UV map + all that space needed for unique "per variant" textures.

I used to 3d model and Uv map all my work on my own, and you don't want to do that much work more than once.

Hero's might have different textures, but the uv map isn't going to change unless under very specific circumstances, such as with the new Atlas-S.

I'm willing to bet that all the mechs and their camo alignments as far as the UV map goes, haven't changed from variant to variant, and it would be as easy to allow regular camo as editing a single line of code.

Edited by Mister D, 24 October 2014 - 05:31 AM.

[Cyborne Elemental]

Keep it coming

[Navid A1]

I agree that founder and maybe invasion variants need new textures (they have different base textures). But keep in mind that neither the UV maps nor the base texture on the model need any change. every mech has it's own base texture. The pattern you see on the texture is just an RGB overlay giving it the camo specs (RGB channels represent the three customizable colors... clan invasion files do not have a blue channel, so no 3rd color). The process of adding this overlay to an EXISTING texture is far more easier than a new texture mapping.

Posted this earlier somewhere as an example for battlemaster (standard, phoenix (unique geometry), and a tiger camo). You can see that they are EXACTLY the same with different overlays.!

Spoiler

Standard 1:

Spoiler

Phoenix 1:

Spoiler

Tiger 1:

Spoiler

Standard 2:

Spoiler

Phoenix 2:

Spoiler

Tiger 2:

Spoiler

Edited by Navid A1, 29 October 2014 - 10:00 AM.

[Quicksilver Aberration]

The base texture contains nothing about unique geometry, all unique geometry textures are placed within the variant textures. Battlemaster is a good one to pick as for some non-standard camos (haven't checked all files before) have color channels even for unique geometry.

This whole deal over unique geometry is nothing (except for maybe the new reward mechs) as on many the unique geometry is already accounted for within the camos.

Edited by WM Quicksilver, 29 October 2014 - 06:15 PM.

[Cyborne Elemental]

Bump for love.

[Mordric]

I'm not saying I don't appreciate the unique mechs, I'd just like the option to change their colors at the very lest. and thank you for the expiation, Andi Nagasia

Edited by Mordric, 11 December 2014 - 04:27 PM.

[Twilight Fenrir]

Durant Carlyle, on 22 October 2014 - 06:38 AM, said:

No, I don't think it's a good idea. I know my view is unpopular, but I definitely prefer all of the unique 'Mechs (Founders, Sarah's, Phoenix, Sabre, Invasion, Heroes, and any others I forgot) to stay in their unique patterns. I would have preferred that the colors remain fixed as well, but they already changed that.

I actually agree with you on that one. I don't have any reasons to justify it... other than they were purchased as unique mechs. They are supposed to be mechs, configured and painted to match the 'canon' pilot.

I haven't touched the paint on any of my mechs. And it always makes me smile to either run around in, or come across someone else in a Founder's mech, left original paint.

And I wouldn't repaint Big Pink for all the tea in China

Actually, I've considered raising a fuss that they changed the right arm on the Yen Lo Wang after I bought it. I don't like the new style, and the hero mechs, ostensibly, have unique geometry. I know why they did it, to make it possible to see the multiple weapon hardpoints... but still... it's ugly now.

Just, a completely unrelated side note... Why is the Yen Lo Wang painted with the Japanese rising sun to begin with? >_> The Capellan Confederation, (And Saint Ives Copact) is NOT of Japanese descent. That's the Draconis Combine.

Edited by Twilight Fenrir, 11 December 2014 - 12:20 PM.

[Urdasein]

I would rather being able to choose my hero "skin" than having some unique geometry.