[AlexCraig]

Damn, very impressive! I'll have to DL those at some point here

[Umran]

Originally Posted by T0m

Cool. Let us know if you release your Virtual Landscapes book as an ebook! (Or is it already out there?)

Not yet, few weeks(hopefully)

Cheers Alex!

[acidbearboy]

Great work on the Panorama's Umran.

Also liked the screens in your deviantart gallery DC_PLAYER/KIREEKPSO.

Can I ask what you guys used to make such beautiful screenshots?

[Umran]

Originally Posted by acidbearboy

Great work on the Panorama's Umran.

Also liked the screens in your deviantart gallery DC_PLAYER/KIREEKPSO.

Can I ask what you guys used to make such beautiful screenshots?

Cheers! PSO was probably the hardest game I've done so far. Normally you just find a good spot, this can be tricky as you have to think in a 360 manner(what looks good around you, and not just in front) you then need a first person mode, disable HUD/menu/ etc...take several screenshots (manually rotating view), then stick with Kolor Autopano Giga, and tweak in PS CS5, takes about 26 shots to get a decent panorama....

PSO:BB was a nightmare, first you can't disable the HUD/onscreen stuff easily, secondly the character ruins the shots(most programs like Autopano Giga get confused when they try and identify which angle the pic is from if there is one constant fixed part of the image i.e the character)

Even disabling the character leaves a shadow=won't work. After about 4 months of messing around(tried various things) I eventually came across a few mod tools(hacks essentially-sorry, hope that's not against the forum rules) that allowed me to disable the hud/shrink the character. Finding a good location was easy, as I knew the game well, compiling shots was ok (resolution wasn't great), but I had to do ALOT of work in PS to remove shadows and other issues, Autopano Giga in the end refused to stich but Microsoft ICE did(very odd!) ended up with a few wonky images,



Which then need fixing in PS...at the end of that you MAY have a good shot, or a great one, I normally repeat for any one environment from a number of different locations to get a great shot.

I developed this process over trial and error over about 20-30 games, and it work pretty well(inc emulators like the N64!), all for my PhD work, one part is to reflect and share on some of the Virtual Landscapes I've (and other people) have enjoyed over the years!

[acidbearboy]

Well I really appreciate your work and it is testament to the greatness of PSO that people are still doing new and interesting things with the game. Did you write an analysis for the game beyond the words on the blog? Would love to read it if so.

[DC_PLAYER]

My screenshots are nothing but tweaks in the ATI graphic board options + common hacks.

All the caractheristics are in the deviant art screenshot description, it certainly makes the game look good but pushes the Graphic board to a limit, let's be fair, ATI hd 4670 is nothing amazing, but it's still far ahead considering the recomended specs to run PSO BB.
Some areas run slowly but i wasn't in the mood to get good framerates for screenshots.

As for common hacks, warp, WTW, instant char reposition, making char invisible, hud removal,..... were necessary, everything else was just trial and error, for some pictures i even required the help of the admins on a server (probably same server where Umran got the tools), that was about it.

[Mystic_Nessly]

Originally Posted by Umran

Also in case anyone is interested I have also given PSU: AOTI the same treatment...pics to be posted soon......

I highly anticipate the AoTI photos! (Ok, I now see you posted them on the PSU subsection! Great!)

Props to DC_PLAYER as well for his equally awesome environment captures!

Thanks to both of you for sharing all this. It's great how something so small can make someone's day.

[Umran]

Originally Posted by acidbearboy

Well I really appreciate your work and it is testament to the greatness of PSO that people are still doing new and interesting things with the game. Did you write an analysis for the game beyond the words on the blog? Would love to read it if so.

I wrote a small analysis on PSU:AOTI's landscape in particular the Mizuraki Conservation District,

"The majority of natural landscapes one observes in games today are in fact often western loaded representations of the natural environment. Forests often exemplify this occurrence, most games that include a representation of a forest are based on tropical and boreal 'biome's', which can either intentionally or unintentionally trigger associations and memories based on the cultural experiences of the gamers viewing them.

Since the natural environment has the power to evoke these psychological reactions, designers should take into account the cultural dimension of these representations: a Japanese player may respond very differently to a virtual representation of an environment based on their actual physical environment. This in turn begs the question: Should natural enviornment designers therefore consider how these cultural dimensions of triggered memories/associations either reinforce or break the immersivness of the game?



The Mizuraki Conservation District, on the planet Neudaiz, embodies a quintessential Japanese landscape in Autumn. The strong crimson reds from the maple and sakura tree's create a unique atmosphere, bringing a unique take on the classic western cliched forest landscapes found in most games. This autumn forest environment perhaps is inspired by the cultural experiences of the games artists & designers.

'Momijigari' an ancient tradition dating back to the 'Heain' era (794-1185) was a refined hobby practiced by noblemen in ancient Japan. Momijigari, still widely practiced today literally translated to 'maple hunting'; a practice in which it is customary to visit forests in Japan around autumn to view and admire the tree's turning deep and rich shades of red. The Japanese maple tree in particular, takes on rich and deep vibrant shades of red in Autumn, coupled with the sakura's tree's, Japanese forests in Autumn are often vibrant shades of pink and red. This cultural phenomena demonstrates that an autumn inspired forest environment (as in PSO:AOTI's case) may have a specific emotional resonance to a Japanese gamer, evoking feeling of contemplation, reflection, calmness, due to the cultural phenomena of 'Momijigari' that may not be triggered in a non Japanese gamer.

Not sure if any Japanese gamers here would agree with me?

[Ithildin]

Love it

NOT psu tho

[Nytesong]

just wish i had enough desktop space to make this fit without the black borders! looks great.