HTML Inner Empire [v1.7] [Defiant Explorer]

[ffive]

OK, bloody thing took a while to finish, but it's finally done -- another character portrait mod, because two clearly weren't enough. Should cover everything in v1.7 of the game.

I wanted them in a style that's be a better fit with the other graphic elements of the game (scene maps and such) i.e. basically something along the lines of high fidelity comic books, rather than the usual ai "realism". Tried to preserve the original skin tones, clothing and character features where i could too.

Made it for myself but figured maybe someone else could have use for it too, so... here it is. Attached to the post. To use it, unpack in the game directory and overwrite existing files.

MC preview, to give some sense what can be expected:

 

[Defiant Explorer]

OK, bloody thing took a while to finish, but it's finally done -- another character portrait mod, because two clearly weren't enough. Should cover everything in v1.7 of the game.

I wanted them in a style that's be a better fit with the other graphic elements of the game (scene maps and such) i.e. basically something along the lines of high fidelity comic books, rather than the usual ai "realism". Tried to preserve the original skin tones, clothing and character features where i could too.

Made it for myself but figured maybe someone else could have use for it too, so... here it is. Attached to the post. To use it, unpack in the game directory and overwrite existing files.

MC preview, to give some sense what can be expected:

View attachment 3911230

Added the link to the main post. Also added the versions of the game for which they are relevant. However, even earlier ones will work fine, just won't cover portraits from the latest updates. And given that I tend to add characters with almost every update...

Oh, almost forgot, thanks! I like it. And yes, skin tone and ethnicities are conveyed, indeed, accurately.

 

[Lord Ja'aM of Roland]

Dear, D.E
I come to you with a question of great importance will you make a signature for Inner Empire?
Yours truly, Ja'aM

 

[Defiant Explorer]

Dear, D.E
I come to you with a question of great importance will you make a signature for Inner Empire?
Yours truly, Ja'aM

If only I knew how to make them... As for drawing skills, erm, they're not my strongest part. How can you tell from the game mods what other people are making xD

 

[damnedfrog]

OK, bloody thing took a while to finish, but it's finally done -- another character portrait mod, because two clearly weren't enough. Should cover everything in v1.7 of the game.

I wanted them in a style that's be a better fit with the other graphic elements of the game (scene maps and such) i.e. basically something along the lines of high fidelity comic books, rather than the usual ai "realism". Tried to preserve the original skin tones, clothing and character features where i could too.

Made it for myself but figured maybe someone else could have use for it too, so... here it is. Attached to the post. To use it, unpack in the game directory and overwrite existing files.

MC preview, to give some sense what can be expected:

View attachment 3911230

Wow!
They are beautiful!

 

[Defiant Explorer]

Well since almost no one is discussing the latest mod...

Let's start with a tiny-little-bit nitpick:



What a lovely old lady... Except Jardissa's in her 40s. This might create a misperception when talking to her about the last war with the Republic and Alliance, which was in her childhood. This was shortly before Selene was born, about 20 years before the game's events. But judging by Jardissa's portrait from the mod, it might seem like the last war was about 40 years ago. Or even all of 50.

But yeah, that's trivia, episodic character, and optional dialog branch, blah blah blah.

And this one is priceless:



Pale skin, red hair, glimmering red eyes. 100% hit. And those veins (tattoos?) on her face I should have imagined on my own. Damn! Oh, well. Such an exact hit on a character whose nature (oh, you have no idea!) isn't clear - is worth a lot. I'm fighting the temptation to steal it for my avatar.

 

[ffive]

Let's start with a tiny-little-bit nitpick:

View attachment 3915048

What a lovely old lady... Except Jardissa's in her 40s. This might create a misperception when talking to her about the last war with the Republic and Alliance, which was in her childhood. This was shortly before Selene was born, about 20 years before the game's events. But judging by Jardissa's portrait from the mod, it might seem like the last war was about 40 years ago. Or even all of 50.

But yeah, that's trivia, episodic character, and optional dialog branch, blah blah blah.

Ahh, i wasn't sure about Jardissa -- i think the game described her as middle-aged, so i got this idea of "a woman in her 50's from a backwater village in bronze age, someone who didn't have luxury of 21st century skin care products available to her for her entire life, and who saw enough disturbing shit to start turning gray early".

Thought it also made a sensible explanation why her husband would stop being as interested/capable in performing his marital duties as before.

But it's easy enough to address that and turn the clock back a little. I could put something like this as replacement in the next revision, if it's better..?

And this one is priceless:

View attachment 3915050

Pale skin, red hair, glimmering red eyes. 100% hit. And those veins (tattoos?) on her face I should have imagined on my own. Damn! Oh, well. Such an exact hit on a character whose nature (oh, you have no idea!) isn't clear - is worth a lot. I'm fighting the temptation to steal it for my avatar.

We're on pirate forum, no one will frown at stealing here. /s

As for the face marks, these are sort of blood splatters:



but then maybe she's just painted them herself? Who can know for sure with scary and sus ladies you run into in nightmares~

 

[Defiant Explorer]

But it's easy enough to address that and turn the clock back a little. I could put something like this as replacement in the next revision, if it's better..?

View attachment 3915435

Oh, no no no. I'm not insisting on anything. That would be super brazen of me. However, if you're planning on doing updates, maybe for the next update you could, um, younger her a little bit? Although it's not really obligatory or anything. As I wrote earlier, it can be a bit confusing if the player talks to her at all and if then asks her about a certain topic and if the player stares hard at the portrait trying to figure out her age and when those events happened. Too many of those ifs to be a really important thing.

View attachment 3915514

but then maybe she's just painted them herself? Who can know for sure with scary and sus ladies you run into in nightmares~

Nah, I don't think she'd put blood on her face to impress anyone out there. If she even has a face... Or if she's even a she... Oh, what am I talking about? I have no idea. It was just a stupid nightmare, as Iolanta would say. Actually, I think that's what she said.

 

[Rinalivi]

OK, bloody thing took a while to finish, but it's finally done -- another character portrait mod, because two clearly weren't enough. Should cover everything in v1.7 of the game.

I wanted them in a style that's be a better fit with the other graphic elements of the game (scene maps and such) i.e. basically something along the lines of high fidelity comic books, rather than the usual ai "realism". Tried to preserve the original skin tones, clothing and character features where i could too.

Made it for myself but figured maybe someone else could have use for it too, so... here it is. Attached to the post. To use it, unpack in the game directory and overwrite existing files.

MC preview, to give some sense what can be expected:

View attachment 3911230

They looked amazing. Thank you for sharing.

By the way since the red mistress was mentioned, where does she show up in the game? i don't remember her in any of my playthroughs.

 

[Lord Ja'aM of Roland]

They looked amazing. Thank you for sharing.

By the way since the red mistress was mentioned, where does she show up in the game? i don't remember her in any of my playthroughs.

Try Playing a Survivor

 

[Rinalivi]

Try Playing a Survivor

I think i did played a while ago, but it was like a long time ago, my memory may be failing me here. But thanks i'll check it out.

 

[ffive]

However, if you're planning on doing updates, maybe for the next update you could, um, younger her a little bit?

Yeah, it's not a problem. Just to make sure i get this right though, when you say making her younger, do you mean even more than the tweaked version in my previous post?

 

[Defiant Explorer]

Yeah, it's not a problem. Just to make sure i get this right though, when you say making her younger, do you mean even more than the tweaked version in my previous post?

Hmm... I envision her as a mature woman, kind of a milf type. In one of her dialog options, she can complain to Selene about her husband never being able to make her a child in 10 years, and Selene can respond... well, differently. But there's such context there that it would be a weird exchange of lines with a 50+ woman who obviously has no reason to wait to have kids.

So I'd give Jardissa between 38 and 45 years old, roughly.

 

[Defiant Explorer]

I think i did played a while ago, but it was like a long time ago, my memory may be failing me here. But thanks i'll check it out.

Survivor Origin is just the first step. And that's for a face-to-face (ahem... not quite, but okay) meeting. Anyway, all Origins can contact her. Well, in a way. Although it's not like many people paid attention to one single sentence in a certain place.

Actually, I'd better shut up. It's weird to do secret or non-obvious scenes and then tell people how to find them or what they mean. I'm sure you'll soon be told how to find her scene and all that.

 

[Shevian]

Daamn, that is a nice image pack.

 

[ffive]

Hmm... I envision her as a mature woman, kind of a milf type. In one of her dialog options, she can complain to Selene about her husband never being able to make her a child in 10 years, and Selene can respond... well, differently. But there's such context there that it would be a weird exchange of lines with a 50+ woman who obviously has no reason to wait to have kids.

So I'd give Jardissa between 38 and 45 years old, roughly.

KK, i'll remember that and try to give her a little makeover when the 1.8 update lands -- since i'm guessing it'll introduce a few more portraits that the mod will have to catch up with.

Something for Nereus to look forward to.

 

[Defiant Explorer]

KK, i'll remember that and try to give her a little makeover when the 1.8 update lands -- since i'm guessing it'll introduce a few more portraits that the mod will have to catch up with.

Something for Nereus to look forward to.

I'm heartened by your desire to support the mod, and not abandon it. Let's hope this desire will not dry up by the time of the next update.

After all, I am quite satisfied with the minimalistic style of the original portraits, but I am well aware that for many people they are a downside. And comments along the lines of "Oh, those kids are so ugly!" Huh, as they say, try to do better with a tool that isn't designed for portraits and that just doesn't have kid patterns in it. But will little things like that stop me from trying? Nope.

I'm even thinking about how I can help modders. Like, a lore-friendly guide to ethnicities? Because in a primitive society, a difference in appearance signals that this is an outsider, and an outsider means danger, hence fear and discrimination. And even a little thing like eye color can play a role. For example, did you know that the most common eyes in the Civilized Realms are brown and amber and everything in between? Well, except, of course, for the emerald-eyed Ranalians. The closer to Inuatar (west) the more common amber, and the closer to the Dominion (east) the more common brown. In the original portraits (and descriptions in the game), this is not emphasized specifically, but it is shown. Yuturna, by the way, has amber eyes. It's a small thing, but so easy to miss.

Ahem, I guess I got carried away again.

 

[ffive]

For example, did you know that the most common eyes in the Civilized Realms are brown and amber and everything in between? Well, except, of course, for the emerald-eyed Ranalians. The closer to Inuatar (west) the more common amber, and the closer to the Dominion (east) the more common brown. In the original portraits (and descriptions in the game), this is not emphasized specifically, but it is shown. Yuturna, by the way, has amber eyes. It's a small thing, but so easy to miss.

Yeah, fortunately i think i've read that earlier in the thread, so unless mentioned otherwise the characters in the mod fit that. For some it's just kind of hard to tell at such small size.

Though i didn't know about the amber and Inuatar connection. So they ended up with a deeper, reddish brown instead. I should probably tweak that at some point.

 

[bolondro2]

What a lovely old lady... Except Jardissa's in her 40s. This might create a misperception when talking to her about the last war with the Republic and Alliance, which was in her childhood. This was shortly before Selene was born, about 20 years before the game's events. But judging by Jardissa's portrait from the mod, it might seem like the last war was about 40 years ago. Or even all of 50.

Really? check some photographs from the late S XIX (and S XIX it´s no bronce age). You can find women in her late 30´s/early 40´s and with no modern makeup, no hair dies, no photoshop, no mascara, no health care, bad alimentation, and a life of hardship they will sell one leg lo look like this lady.

If you don´t like it and prefer otherwise, it´s perfectly fine. But this would be a choice of a "comic realism" or "fantasy realism". Not sure if I´m making my point

 

[Defiant Explorer]

... they will sell one leg lo look like this lady.