Topic: Barbarian Fortress/Citadel Models

Watercolour: While in your images the water looks more realistically it looks less than the water in widelands, it's mostly dark blue. So it should be a bit darker here, too.

This is a well or cistern, not an ocean or river, so I tried for a shallower appearance, sunlight reflecting off the sides of the fixture.

Even in the buckets the water is darker. I didn't say it was not realistic I just said it is different than in other graphics in the game.

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It's better but the bright spots on the wood are irritating. The headquarters wood is a bit blurry, that looks quite good.

At the far right of the inner wall there is a vertical line of grey pixels. I think it is meant to be shadow, but for a moment it looked like a pole, especially the pixels in the water form a vertical line under it, too.

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My 2 cents:
The new models are quite a bit more "barbaric" than the old ones. This is due to the generally darker material stone, and also to the greenish hue that makes them look more weatherstained and mossy.
Until I have seen these models in the game, which I will try today, I cannot say if I prefer this look to the old one on all worlds. I'll come back with this point.
Sirver may be right about the graininess - else, in 2d I'd try to soften the texture a bit by averaging with the neighborhood.
I like the massive look of the citadel, very much so. (both versions, independent of the roof). It comes from the slightly cone-shaped outer walls, I guess. In contrast the fortresses look a bit flimsy - especially the tall variant. I think I'd stick with the material of fortess 2b (seems better than 3) but would try the same slighly cone shape, if that is possible.
As for the roof material, I am of split minds. Your first attempt looks better, more harmonic, but the second one somehow looks "stronger" though also more hostile. Again, I will try this inside the game.
There is one more point that caught my attention: The outer doors.
They are very untypical. For one thing they can be barred far to easily and they won't be strong without a middle pillar. But we want a large opening and also something moving with the animation. So this is not so much about realism, but a nice effect. How about one door sliding out of the wall?
Or like a drawbridge?

Being no programmer, I apologize for all my suggestions that imply undue workload and for other misjudgements due to lack of expertise or relevant skills.
I am on Win32, have no means to compile, and rely on prefabricated distributions (Thanks to Tino).

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@Warnuf - Yes. I'm not really happy with the roof either, on all counts. The vertical line one sees beyond the well is in fact a support post for a catwalk on the outer palisade. (I know,... REALLY tough to make out.) Suggestions, anyone?

@SirVer - That graininess had stumped me. I will definitely check the OSA. Thanks!

@Astuur - The old fortress and citadel struck me as too "clean". Besides, it makes sense to echo the building materials of the headquarters in these buildings. Until I check the OSA settings I've rendered with, I would have to agree that I prefer the walls of fortress2b. As for the outer doors, I think I may borrow yet another element from the headquarters and try a drawbridge, at the main gate anyway.

@Venatrix - 1) The shape of the roof was originally used to depict a thatched roof which accounts for the somewhat rounded nature of its design. You see it in the roofs of many of the civilian buildings. I am now of a mind to abandon that design for a more likely one given wooden shingles as the material. 2) The "someone" who said the circular outer walls "wouldn't fit to the Barbarians" was likely ME. I've always held the opinion that the majority of defensive structures erected by primitive armies of conquest more often than not took the form that the lay of the land dictated. It is easier to build walls to the contours of the land than impose rigid geometry. But we are not here for a discourse on the history of ancient military engineering, are we? More importantly, I think we want to retain as much of the "cuteness" factor as we can. So round defensive walls, it is.

Thank you, all for your very helpful input!

I see little people.

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@SirVer - Activating OSA really softened it up! But it scrambled the texture I was using for the citadel wall material. It took some tweaking, but I think I have something acceptable now. Thanks again.

@Astuur - You might wish to take this citadel model for a spin. Still working on the drawbridge. This graphic has been rendered with oversampling and the lookout building is sporting a different roof design. You might even be able to discern the catwalk.

As always, comments please.

I see little people.

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