A Very Bad Place
Between updating my Battle of the Builds module and creating a new utility program for NWN2 players called Peek-a-BIC, my progress in the Faithless module has been slow. A few days ago, I managed to get my groove back when I resumed work on an interior area that had temporarily taken a backseat.
When I started working on it, this particular area disgusted me. I mean that quite literally. There was something about how the area looked that almost induced in me a gag reflex. Perhaps it had something to do with the greenish brown muck on the floor that, when coupled with the darkness of the place, made me think of sewers. That wouldn't have been so bad if I had been designing a sewer area, but it's actually supposed to be some bad guy's fortress. The fact that I was using the crypt tileset explains why the place looked filthy. The area would have looked more like a fortress if I had used the castle tileset instead, but I liked the chains hanging from the rafters that only the crypt tileset has. They add a sense of menace that is normally lacking in generic castles.
Hence, I had to disguise the area considerably to make it look like a bad guy's fortress while retaining the chains on the rafters. At the same time, I had to convey to the players that this was no ordinary castle but some psycho nut case's playground. To this end, I believe that I am succeeding. The fortress is far from finished, but I have completed most of the ground level to my satisfaction. A few props here, some lights there, and voila -- I've transformed a crypt into a castle that will leave no doubt in the players' minds that this is a very bad place.
When I started working on it, this particular area disgusted me. I mean that quite literally. There was something about how the area looked that almost induced in me a gag reflex. Perhaps it had something to do with the greenish brown muck on the floor that, when coupled with the darkness of the place, made me think of sewers. That wouldn't have been so bad if I had been designing a sewer area, but it's actually supposed to be some bad guy's fortress. The fact that I was using the crypt tileset explains why the place looked filthy. The area would have looked more like a fortress if I had used the castle tileset instead, but I liked the chains hanging from the rafters that only the crypt tileset has. They add a sense of menace that is normally lacking in generic castles.
Hence, I had to disguise the area considerably to make it look like a bad guy's fortress while retaining the chains on the rafters. At the same time, I had to convey to the players that this was no ordinary castle but some psycho nut case's playground. To this end, I believe that I am succeeding. The fortress is far from finished, but I have completed most of the ground level to my satisfaction. A few props here, some lights there, and voila -- I've transformed a crypt into a castle that will leave no doubt in the players' minds that this is a very bad place.
Comments
Nice job. Definitely looks like the place of a mad man.
I know what you mean though, the Crypt tileset really does look and feel kind of like a sewer. Course that's not a bad thing really :).
It's nice to be able to change the look of these things with just a few placables and well placed lights though :).