[DavideMiragliaPH]

DEVOURED ALIVE
[Bild: Devoured_Alive.jpg]

Time taken: 1h.

Description:
For this digger, it might be too late. A minecrawler did immobilize him from the back and it is going to bite the poor guy's neck. We can only hope that the Guards will come to kill the crawlers in time...but the area seems like a remote tunnel: after all, there's only darkness around. Only Beliar himself knows how many unexplored passages are located inside of the mine!!! Who would think that even minecrawler warriors would be inside there?!

Notes:
- I did create this artwork inside of the Old Mine.
- This strange location is a small, secret, unreachable area up in the massive ceiling near Ashgan (of course, the area lies on the other side of the gate, not in the area filled with humans!). There's nothing interesting up there...only rocks and red pipes. I never tried to reach this area while in meatbug/bloodfly form, however, I guess you can only reach it with the free camera mode (marvin mode).
- Believe me or not, I didn't cast any spell that emits red light (as I remember, army of darkness does that): the reddish light is...vanilla! It looks like the red pipes up there are able to emit some light. Looks very weird and mysterious, though.
- I did place a minecrawler warrior because I wanted to avoid to spawn two clones of the "common" crawler. Since there are lots of unexplored passages inside of the mine, it's not impossible that warriors are living inside there too!


______

@Lali
Is there any information about this weird, secret area inside of the Old Mine? Might be the reddish light a developer's leftover? I wouldn't be surprised if most players never discovered it. It's not like a secret reachable area like the upper part of the tavern's waterfall...

[DavideMiragliaPH]

A NEW CONCEPT ANIMATION
* forget about the canyon (LOL it's just a test) and about the bad sword position: instead, it should be a short sword and it should be placed in the opposite side (like if the guy was trying to stab the shark in order to free his boot)...an invisible NPC will hold it for the guy in trouble.
[Bild: Film_e_TV_27_02_2022_19_15_26.png]

Since I'm at home because of an injury, I do have a lot of spare time (on Tuesday I'll get back to work) and I invented this new animation.

Today I did try to create a swampshark attack artwork, but the swamp looks an horrible place for artworks. It's about the colors...if you have to add details they might melt with the surrounding nature..so..it's like not having details.
I tried to put a shark and some NPCs in the swamp near the sea (the light colored sky is perfect for details), but the game did crash after an hour of wasted work.
Tomorrow I will try again. But I was thinking about a shark attack inside of the Sect. I'm not sure which would be the perfect spot, though...
If you've got some good ideas, I'm listening..but it must be a realistic location (sharks inside of the temple is a big no LOL)

[DavideMiragliaPH]

SWAMPSHARK ATTACK
[Bild: Swampshark_Attack.jpg]

Time taken: 1,45h.

Description:
A swampshark is getting too close to the Sect Camp. A light infantry unit (mostly skirmishers or other types of missile fighters) under the lead of the fearless Gor Na Ran is taking care of the giant worm. A templar seems in big troubles, but his leader is going to do everything in order to save him from certain death. Will the group of warriors survive to the attack?! May the Sleeper protect them!

Notes:
- This is the first artwork where you can see a skirmisher while he is dynamically throwing a javelin. Unlike in the artwork "The test of (un)faith" - where a rogue is holding a javelin in his right hand - here you can see a javelin traveling in mid-air.
- Two skirmshers are playing the "sharpening wheel" animation. This particular animation gives us the illusion that someone did just stop running and did just release a throwing weapon.
- The swampshark is probably lifting up a templar in order to throw him away. Or maybe it is just carrying him away from his companions, so that he can kill him safely.
- I did create the artwork just behind the wooden building of the Sect blacksmith.
- Swampshark chitin is somewhat resistant to human weapons: the worm doesn't seem to care that much about the javelin stuck on its back. But a javelin that hits a vital area of the body might make it bleed very quickly.
- The heavy templar armor is somewhat glitchy: Gor Na Ran is missing a knee LOL

[JudgeKyle]

Too cool how the Swamp Shark is lifting the templar up in the air.

[DavideMiragliaPH]

AN UNEXPECTED RETURN
[Bild: An_Unexpected_Return.jpg]

Time taken: 1,45h? Who does remember after more than 1 year?! xD

Description:
The Nameless Hero and the three templars were able to retrieve something way more powerful than minecrawler secretion. However, even if he is going to retrieve the eggs, Cor Kalom is staring at the Hero just like he didn't do nothing relevant. What an arrogant!

Notes:
- I was tired to hide this artwork. I guess it remained buried in my pc for at least one year. It's nothing special, but now I feel free xD
- I'm going to remember that not everybody in the Sect Camp is bald: just look at the Sleeper Evocation video. So, that hairy novice on the right is 100% legit.
- During chapter 2, there is no way to obtain the artwork bow. I just thought the textures would fit the Shadow armor. This is not the first time where I combine a Shadow armor with the war bow: check "Rain of fire", for instance.
- Look at Caine's face LOL

[JudgeKyle]

Nothing special? Maybe, but still nice to see more content.

Is it really true, that there are sect members with hair? I never saw that during all my playthroughs.

[DavideMiragliaPH]

Only during the Great Invocation VIDEO. There are no sect members with hair during gameplay. Only you, if you did choose to belong to the Brotherhood.
As I remember, in the video I did recognize 5 guys with hair. They are difficult to notice because of bad video quality. Two of them are pretty easy to see...they are templars...one of them wears medium armor, while the other one wears light armor.

Probably PB did create the video sequence when the game was still in beta development...but I guess it would make sense that not everybody is without hair, especially if they are low grade novices. Real life example: not every rastafarian wears dreadlocks.

[Bild: Sleeper_Invocation_cutscene.png]

EDIT: I can see another novice with hair (light armor, bare chest). He's near my "?" symbol, on the right. I didn't use the marker on him. So...there are at least five persons with hair...I did remember correctly...but maybe they are six.

[JudgeKyle]

Very interesting, I never saw that before. I also think the video was made during the Beta development in an early stage of the game.

[DavideMiragliaPH]

THE FALLING APPLE
[Bild: The_Falling_Apple.jpg]

Time taken: 1,45/1,50h

Description: (fantasy artwork - it's my representation about unused in-game content)
Some days ago, the Old Camp shadows did find out where one of the groups of bandits was hiding. These criminals were continuously attacking the exchange plaza in order to steal the King's supplies from Gomez's soldiers.
After a quick meeting, the Ore Barons decided to send some army units to take over the gang outpost located in the mountains. The soldiers did win the battle with minimal casualties and they were able to capture their leader - Quentin - who didn't expect a direct confrontation against his unprepared gangsters.
An execution platoon commanded by the crossbowmen's chief in command (Scorpio) is going to shoot at Quentin, thus ending his illegal activities forever.

Notes:
- Between the judge and the dual wielding black soldier, you can notice an apple falling to the ground. Over the apple, I did even place a trajectory cloud (actually, a Fist of Wind fx) that tells us informations about the apple's falling direction. The trajectory might not be that noticeable because of its grey color that somewhat melts with the color of the sky, which is similar.
- This is the first time where I use a "trajectory fx" in an artwork.
- Ironically, the artwork's title "The falling apple" doesn't refer to the real falling apple, but is a joke about Quentin's imminent death.
- This is the first time where you can see a crossbowmen tactical formation (a front line of crouched soldiers and a second line of standing soldiers). While a line reloads, the other is ready to shoot!
- Scorpio is wearing heavy armor because he is a chief...I think that's a better representation of him.
- If you pay attention to the platoon, you can notice Orry, who did guard the exchange plaza along with another unknown soldier.
- There's a judge in this scene...I'm supposing the Old Camp does have its own judge...maybe criminals did kill a real judge during the uprising....

[JudgeKyle]

Nice idea!

[lali]

Very interesting, I never saw that before. I also think the video was made during the Beta development in an early stage of the game.

No, it was done in a late stage of the game.
In early stages the stone temple didn't even exist. Instead the temple tree.

[JudgeKyle]

No, it was done in a late stage of the game.
In early stages the stone temple didn't even exist. Instead the temple tree.

You're right! I just forgot about the temple tree.

[DavideMiragliaPH]

THE ABANDONED HUT
[Bild: The_Abandoned_Hut.jpg]

Time taken: I don't know...maybe 2 hours...it just started as a test artwork to test my wooden planks, then I decided to proceed.

Description:
A digger named "Guy" (what a creative name, PB ) shows us where to stay in the Old Camp! There's an abandoned hut in the Arena District. The entrance is barred, we'll just have to remove the planks, clean the interior...then, we will finally get a nap in our cozy bed!!!

Notes:
- This is the first Gothic Evolution artwork where I use my custom wooden planks. A plank is a resized brush (the cleaning tool used by Syra in order to clean the Ore Barons' house floor). Each of the 3 dimensions (height, depth, width) of the brush has been edited with the integrated Hero Import/Export feature.
- Even if you did already know my recent technique about trajectories (check the artwork "The Fallen Apple"), this time I did place the FX of the fist of wind spell behind the hero's feet: now, the picture becomes somewhat dynamic, because you can notice even better that he is walking, as his feet lift some dust from the dirty ground.
- In order to create the planks' spikes, I did use 4 digger spiked maces.

[JudgeKyle]

Finally a new artwork! Hoping for more!

[lali]

@Lali
Is there any information about this weird, secret area inside of the Old Mine? Might be the reddish light a developer's leftover? I wouldn't be surprised if most players never discovered it. It's not like a secret reachable area like the upper part of the tavern's waterfall...

Just saw this. No, actually I have no idea.
And don't remember this. But I'm curious and will take a look, maybe it gives some inspiration. What do you mean with the "tavern's waterfall"? The new camp one? And why do you consider this a reachable secret area? There's nothing to find there, isn't?

[DavideMiragliaPH]

@JudgeKyle since I created a long platter for chefs, I was thinking about a new, specific artwork. Snaf should be the guy involved. Another scene could be Omid and Balam serving the Ore Barons...



@lali If you can't find that secret area, just tell me and I will create a private video for you. Remember: it's not in the ceiling where Ashgan and the other humans are working. It's in the dark area at the other side of the crawlers gate.
Go to the other side of the gate. Now, go up in the dark ramp/hallway. At the end of the ramp/hallway, there's a giant room. Look for the secret area over there. You will need to use free camera to spot it.
Investigate the upper part of red pipes.

I consider the New Camp waterfall near the tavern a reachable secret area because you can reach it with acrobatics from somewhere. There's nothing interesting inside of the cave over there, by the way. It's just an area with some weirdly placed water.