- Jun 26, 2022
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- Thread starter The Japanese
- Start date
- Oct 11, 2020
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Any tips for my Nora? I'm just about to start making them all, along with trying to figure the ones that aren't done. I've down light finetuning, mainly to fix the jaw line. Also Merry late Christmas
Contrary to what i said earlier somewhere in the thread lol, looks like you gotta tone down the lana and up the paige or aria.
Take a look, you be the judge:
their stats are the same position, left is left, right is right:
the righthand one looks pretty darn close to me, though it could just be her facial expression is more "nora-ish" than the left.
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- Jun 22, 2021
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Thanks! Merry Christmas for y'all (a li'l late, but better late than sorry, right?) and a happy new year (an now I'm ahead of the schedule
)!
- Jun 22, 2021
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Yeah... I think one should start with a mix of Lana and Aria and, then, do a lot of expressions comparing with screenshots of the game to calibrate (and also try some morphs of the base DO package and the 200 Plus heads). Expressions change the face a lot and it's hard to guess (because, in the end, expressions are just morphs that zero when you zero the pose... There's no technical difference between them and facial shape morphs other than that... Well some of them are just controllers for the basic DO expressions package, but, the basic expressions package are, then, the morphs).
Played around with Lindsay last night... was wondering if she was some paige splashed in since going with his habit of including mixtures of those same 3 models for a bunch of the characters....but no - if anything I think she's closer to the stock G8 just with Lana skin....compare for yourselves:
50% Aria, nothing else:
25% Aria, nothing else:
0% Aria, nothing else, G8F stock head shape:
50% definitely gives a "cuter" head appearance, but if you look closely at her in game renders, her face is slightly 'longer' than that, I think 25%~35% might be closer, maybe still has a bit of something else mixed in (but it's not paige or lana, I tested mixtures with both of those and those are clearly wrong)
50% Aria, nothing else:
25% Aria, nothing else:
0% Aria, nothing else, G8F stock head shape:
50% definitely gives a "cuter" head appearance, but if you look closely at her in game renders, her face is slightly 'longer' than that, I think 25%~35% might be closer, maybe still has a bit of something else mixed in (but it's not paige or lana, I tested mixtures with both of those and those are clearly wrong)
- Jul 3, 2021
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Yeah, I have run across a few other game characters which surprised me with being just the stock G8F, some with new skins, some without. It's surprising how much different hair can change their overall look. Elena from Being a DIK is G8F with a different skin. There was another game as well, The Office Wife. I thought she was Paige at first as well, but it turned out that she was also just G8F which used the default G8F skin (with something weird done to the nipples). It's a nice looking character by itself with some subtle modifications and the right hair.
Nice find anyhow.
SUPER weird. I remember the character being fairly hot but she had these weird droopy nipples that looked like tara reid post plastic surgery.
Agreed though - people spend so much time on tweaking morphs when in reality a character skin texture (with right makeup) and hair is like 85% there.
- Jun 22, 2021
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Indeed. Throw in some expressions and you can hardly tell. I find the base G8F (and G3F which is the same or 99% the same) a little brute -- and there's a reason for that, because it's
But, honestly, I really admire devs who put some effort in creating unique characters (as far as Daz character can look unique). I excuse the earlier games which are classic by now (and those the I played first without knowing too much about Daz), but, now, in 2025 (and a few years earlier, like, 2023), I can't stand those games in which the dev just put those same characters or even others, but out-of-the-box, without any customization, some looking cute-but-bland and many looking all the same. Some devs even not only use the morph with the default skin but ALSO use the same hair used on the promos! I won't name names, but there are some games that the girls are kinda cuteish but I really have a hard time telling one from another. For extras, OK; for side girls? At least swap skins. For main girls? Oh... Do some effort and customize them. Ok... I know not everyone has the talent to create good talents, but, at least, mix some heads, change the skin or whatever to make them look unique (but, please, never use G9, which is trash...).
B.T.W., I really liked this Mastering the Pink Box game from your sig. Are you the dev/involved in development or just a fan?
- Jun 26, 2022
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also some thing is many characters are based on real people so i would always advice for main charcters to look more unique (mix morph not 100% and other skins) but also the optic of a character can change so much to lighting and expressinon
and college kings has some characters that are mostly 100% but i think there were multipal artists and so sometimes some charcters change from scene to scene
also like when charcters laught or smile sad angry expressions the base line where the skin budges and rinkles are at the same points mostly so many look sameish when the same expression sets are aplyed at 100% when chloe or riley smile i thought there mouths look alike in first episode
Heh not only that - worst is when it's same skin same morphs same hair AND they name the character the same! Like meet "Steph" in game.... talking about the height of no creativity. (itll be stephanie 8 with same hair from promos, whitney or leyton)
But yah totally agree -customization is generally good, only problem is when some go overboard. Both of you probably know the look I'm talking about, it's a very specific look - when you put too many additive morphs on the face - (usually you're safe with the sum staying at or under 100-150%), but people will do things stacking head morphs like 100% of this, 100% of that, 100% of that, and it ends up up looking like a star trek vulcan or romulan character.
A great example of this is something like Horton Bay Stories (eg) - I originally thought it was an artistic choice by the dev but the more you use daz you realize that's the exact look of too many nose and cheek morphs stacked on top of each other.
Not directly involved in development persay, though I was one of the earlier supporters and we talk regularly, bouncing ideas off each other for both his game and my own upcoming projects- so I'd like to think I've contributed a few good ideas. Original plan was to have this intro section lasting over a real year's worth of updates - I didn't think that would fly with players so I advocated an accelerated timeline; now, the next release (should be this month or next) will be the big end of the intro stuff where people see what the story's really about.
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- Jun 22, 2021
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Hahaha! Indeed! Unless it's ironic, it's unforgivable. Well, perhaps, only Where the Heart Is because I like that game a lot. Maybe it's a joke, but they have Jolina which the model is Jolina and she uses Jolina hair
Oh! I discovered this when I started to use Daz! I though about creating a character which would be the base from others, but I went overboard. Then, I couldn't add any other morph without getting this weird appearance. I agree with you and reached the same conclusion: of course, it depends on the morphs used, but it's usually between 100% and 150%. 120% is usually safe. On the other hand, rare are those characters that look good with the dials all at 100%. I prefer to keep it around 80%; that's why I always end up adding something to compensate. I used to aim a mix of 120% but now, sometimes, I don't even reach that because I also to customize a lot with the base and Zev0 morphs, and create my own characters. I use characters too, but mostly as a jump-start, so, in the end, I don't know what the total is because of the other localized morphs (cheek, nose, jaws, etc). Bodies, I'm almost quitting using because I don't like most of them or, sometimes, I dial around 50% so each character looks different, but I do my breast, butts, and everything else.
But I love this Horton Bay game. My favorite one right now, actually. I think it's intentional though the guy may have discovered by chance like us have. Another one that is like that is A Family Venture. I really like the game, but the characters are overloaded with morphs. There's even a fan art thread where the dev posted the DUFs and we can see that. Well... We can see that just looking at the characters, but with the DUFs we have the proof of the crime. But maybe it's intentional too. Both games are more on the comic/tongue-in-cheek side, so the characters fit in in the style. It's bad when someone is trying to do one of those realistic/serious games and the characters look odd.
Nice to know! I played the first time in the last episode and loved it. Really fun to play. Looking forward to the next update. What about your project? It's still to be released, right? Any date planned?
- Jun 26, 2022
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I some times i give them names that are a play on the assets to remember itHahaha! Indeed! Unless it's ironic, it's unforgivable. Well, perhaps, only Where the Heart Is because I like that game a lot. Maybe it's a joke, but they have Jolina which the model is Jolina and she uses Jolina hair
Oh! I discovered this when I started to use Daz! I though about creating a character which would be the base from others, but I went overboard. Then, I couldn't add any other morph without getting this weird appearance. I agree with you and reached the same conclusion: of course, it depends on the morphs used, but it's usually between 100% and 150%. 120% is usually safe. On the other hand, rare are those characters that look good with the dials all at 100%.
And i discovered it also quick that often more is less in % but if you do aliens or fantasy creatures it comes in handy to make something new with it like my avatar
I think it's ok to use standard character morphs for side characters as long as they dont't look better than the maincast it sometimes is hard to do many characters(20+) and let them be all unique while not working to long on them aldo i am guilty of working to long on some characters .
Lastly i think there are some assets that are overusesed and people that know Daz roll there eyes but most people that play VN's don't care/know if they are immeresed in the story and like the characters.
I don't think it's controversial to suggest those same assets that are overused are some of the best looking overall.
I could make a main character right now with Aria face and Linda ponytail, and I guarantee she'd be a crowd-pleaser
testing....shoulda spent more time on hair and makeup, but
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- Jun 22, 2021
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Yeah. I'm not against using a stock character even for a main role, but I suggest being smart enough to chose one that has never been used to avoid comparisons.I some times i give them names that are a play on the assets to remember it
And i discovered it also quick that often more is less in % but if you do aliens or fantasy creatures it comes in handy to make something new with it like my avatar
I think it's ok to use standard character morphs for side characters as long as they dont't look better than the maincast it sometimes is hard to do many characters(20+) and let them be all unique while not working to long on them aldo i am guilty of working to long on some characters .
Lastly i think there are some assets that are overusesed and people that know Daz roll there eyes but most people that play VN's don't care/know if they are immeresed in the story and like the characters.
I think the guys (or the guy, since it was probably in the beginning) from CK have been smart, because P3D Aria is awesome and I don't remember seing her anywhere else back than (now, I did, but not back then... If she was, it was in a minor/not famous game). Nora too. The stock character loads with cartoon proportions, but the guys were smart enough to notice she could be a pretty character and fix that.
BaDIK too. Though those characters like P3D Imogen and Aurore have been used a lot, DPC was smart to use them either first (in former case) or characterize them a lot so she look unique (the latter, in case of Quinn).
But I agree with you. Those who don't know Daz don't care, at least when they're newbies in the AVN world. But I think they'll grow tired of seeing the same characters over and over. Though I think I should rephrase my opinion because there are some characters I like to see over and over (like they were actresses or even actors because there are some cool male stock models too). I think the problem is when some dev do some "casting" wherein the characters all look the same. Being overused is also a fatigue-factor, but a bad casting is even worse. I'll give you an example. Those Mousso characters -- though I like many of them (and even own many of them I bought cheaply on Daz sales -- many are Daz Originals that can be bought for less than 2 bucks during some special sale) --, many of them look the same. So, unless you're doing a game that's not even incest but Alabama Extended Family, casting them together, for me, it's a conceptual mistake. Considering that many have been already, if you see those characters you seen before with others that are similar, for me, it feels bad. Same for those SASE characters, that are all cute, but also look really similar one to another. During the Genesis 3 era, it was those FW(SA) characters that are also cool, but many are the same character with a few tweaks. So, my opinion is either 1) don't use them together; or 2) customize them so they don't look the same; or 3) mix them with some cartoon morph and make a cartoon game like those where every character look the same and the only difference is they are "color coded" (that is, distinguished only by outfits, hair, and also a color palette they're associated).
And I also guilty of spending a lot of time creating/customizing characters. The problem is I like it. I could spend all day creating characters and dressing them, stopping only when I'm physically tired. In contrast, I hate doing environments... That's probably one of the reasons I keep postponing my projects: doing characters over and over while avoiding doing environments like the plague.
Yeah... I think my comments above serve here. I'm guilty of complaining about samey and overused characters, but there are some I'm a sucker for and I'll play any game with them unless they're really bad and unplayable. Aria is really a gorgeus girl. I'd play your game with her in a Linda Ponytail (or even Voss Hair) if everything else is good.I don't think it's controversial to suggest those same assets that are overused are some of the best looking overall.
I could make a main character right now with Aria face and Linda ponytail, and I guarantee she'd be a crowd-pleaser
testing....shoulda spent more time on hair and makeup, butYou don't have permission to view the spoiler content. Log in or register now.
And, of course, a good story and good writing overrides everything. I love to see creativity at play but, if someone has a good story but doesn't know how to make original characters (doesn't know yet or doesn't want to, it doesn't matter), I totally support moving forward with his or her idea. Just do a good casting (and, maybe, swap some skins, because this is not that hard). A good and varied cast, well characterized, and with personality is mandatory for me (though, if the game is more tongue-in-cheek, I'll be less strict, but I'd like to see this reflected in the characters, like Horton Bay).
- Jun 26, 2022
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Yes the 'casting' is a good way to describe it.About Mousso models i like them a lot espacily the skins but as you say mix and match is the way to go with them,also Lauren(Dior100%) and Amber are casted right aldo they are like Sebastian and Cris where they where assets no one used before.
About the Enviorments..... i work on my first VN and they are like work much work ,where the characters are love to make and storys come to mind when i see them,Enviorments on the other hand even if they are cool or where easy, the lighting of a place with a character is also hard to find the right balance and it made me realize why so many VN's are a college/urban setting because other setting have less assets(also clothes are rare) and limitations(could make a whole tierlist for that
).I still hate the light changes that made so many assets that had good indoor light completly dark.It gets better with time and knowlege to make enviorments but alone a cliff can make for a great challenge.
- Jun 22, 2021
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I think, when it comes to environments, I'll be just the opposite of what I preach about characters: I'll only use out-of-the-box stuff because I hate doing decoration... Even in my real-world homeYes the 'casting' is a good way to describe it.About Mousso models i like them a lot espacily the skins but as you say mix and match is the way to go with them,also Lauren(Dior100%) and Amber are casted right aldo they are like Sebastian and Cris where they where assets no one used before.
About the Enviorments..... i work on my first VN and they are like work much work ,where the characters are love to make and storys come to mind when i see them,Enviorments on the other hand even if they are cool or where easy, the lighting of a place with a character is also hard to find the right balance and it made me realize why so many VN's are a college/urban setting because other setting have less assets(also clothes are rare) and limitations(could make a whole tierlist for that
It gets better with time and knowlege to make enviorments but alone a cliff can make for a great challenge.
But maybe I'll change my mind once I get used to it...About the indoor lighting, I think the trick is get rid of the ceiling and all the walls that don't show up on camera (unless it creates some weird/shadow lighting) and use an HDRI. I think it was here there was some talking about the difference between doing fan art and mass producing shots for a game. Indeed, you gotta find a basic setup you can do most scenes and only tweak when it's necessary when producing for a game. I like to use and HRDI plus 2 to 3 ghost lights and it's just that. Only now that I've been playing with this toon filament stuff that I stated using spots and other lights (no ghost lights allowed there... well... they are, but they light nothing
).
- Jun 26, 2022
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oh with point lights you have to go to milions and then work your way up or down otherwise you will see nothing or change to watts etc..I think, when it comes to environments, I'll be just the opposite of what I preach about characters: I'll only use out-of-the-box stuff because I hate doing decoration... Even in my real-world home
About the indoor lighting, I think the trick is get rid of the ceiling and all the walls that don't show up on camera (unless it creates some weird/shadow lighting) and use an HDRI. I think it was here there was some talking about the difference between doing fan art and mass producing shots for a game. Indeed, you gotta find a basic setup you can do most scenes and only tweak when it's necessary when producing for a game. I like to use and HRDI plus 2 to 3 ghost lights and it's just that. Only now that I've been playing with this toon filament stuff that I stated using spots and other lights (no ghost lights allowed there... well... they are, but they light nothing
and 'the trick is get rid of the ceiling and all the walls that don't show up on camera unless it creates some weird/shadow lighting' well it often does so theres that,it works with normal rooms and for outdoor hdri is often enought but building temples and citys is a bit more complex
what would your VN's be about/setting? mine is set in Greek with Gods and Fantasy creatures