Eh, why not? This is the complete set...

Tachyon360 · Le Croissant Joined: 16 Mar 2005 Posts: 740

Well, as soon as I heard the latest REO Trimonthly Contest, I quickly went and brainstormed. The chip would be modern-artsy, with an abstract space-like look to match Stream. It'd be brushed aluminum. It would have a special edition logo etched in. It? No, it would be a limited edition series of chips with a press release to go with it!

So I went to work on those designs. Suddenly I came upon a startling revelation. "Wait a sec... It doesn't say how many chips per entry are allowed!" Then I remembered my mother's saying "Kto pyta, nie błądzi." (Uhm, yeah. It's a Polish saying, that literally means "Who asks, doesn't err.") So I followed that advice and asked Ryouko.

Well, to cut a long story short, Ryouko pointed out that it would take too long to judge all the entries if several designs were submitted. I'm glad I asked, because I submitted my entry before Ryouko clarified that little tidbit in one of her updates.

I figured I shouldn't let these go to waste. I won't post the design I submitted until after the contest is over, so here are the other three for now. *Edit: Yay, I can post it now... I guess.*

Vortex Nova
Warm Light <-- This one got submitted.
Plasma Rain
Aurora Illusion

Feel free to bash it, flame me, and utterly tear it apart. I welcome brutal honesty as much as praise and constructive criticism.

SamBarry · Posted: Mon May 23, 2005 4:00 pm Post subject:

:O methinks you made them a little too artsy. Most chip art I've seen (such as from the games) is simpler in appearance. what do the chips you made do?
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Tachyon360 · Le Croissant Joined: 16 Mar 2005 Posts: 740

I only worked out Vortex Nova and Warm Light. I pretty much gave up on the rest after I submitted my entry.

If you want it,

moocowbob44 · Posted: Mon May 23, 2005 4:30 pm Post subject:

:O Those are really cool how did you do that that looks like... google worthie
how did you do the Aurora one?
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Tachyon360 · Le Croissant Joined: 16 Mar 2005 Posts: 740

Google-worthy? What do you mean by that?

As for how I made them, I don't really remember. I just started with a starfield I made a long time ago, and started brushing and playing with filters as I saw fit, at each individual step.

HeatShadow · Posted: Mon May 23, 2005 7:34 pm Post subject:

I agree with Sam Barrey; while the art is very nice to look at and shows that you have some serious skill with an art program, it just looks out of place as art for a battlechip.
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Raijin · Posted: Mon May 23, 2005 7:53 pm Post subject:

I don't see why chip pictures can't be complex like that. I actually think the first two make pretty good chip pics, although the last one looks way too...messy. Yeah, it looks like it embodies the "aurora" concept well enough, but it's still just a bunch of colours. You should have had something else in the picture to add some kind of focus. Like in most actual battlechips for widespread effects like that you'd see a navi or virus in the background suffereing the effects of chip. Like the AntiElec chip would just be a bunch of electricity if it weren't for the normal navi in there getting zapped by it.

Tachyon360 · Le Croissant Joined: 16 Mar 2005 Posts: 740

Well, messy is kinda the point of the chip's effects.

Anyway, there's a reason that one wasn't submitted. I know there isn't a focused subject of the picture, but what would you put in there without breaking the theme? I can't think of anything.

Raijin · Posted: Tue May 24, 2005 4:29 pm Post subject:

Well since it seems to cause a kind of confusion to opponents, I'd just put a picture of a bewildered navi behind the aurora. Or since it affects the field, perhaps a picture of the battle platform like in the Repair chip. There has to be something distinct in a chip picture or there's no point in having a chip picture. It doesn't matter if the effect of the chip causes uncertainty, that doesn't mean the chip picture should.

Tachyon360 · Le Croissant Joined: 16 Mar 2005 Posts: 740

I'm going with a semi-abstract theme here, though. I suppose an isometric view of a 6x3 glowing grid could work, but a confused Navi would definitely break the theme.

Tachyon360 · Le Croissant Joined: 16 Mar 2005 Posts: 740

Yay, the judging is finally over!

I'm curious how my submitted chip compares to my other three in the opinion of anyone that decides to post.

http://i.1asphost.com/Tachyon/Warm%20Light.jpg

Ming Yi · Nebula Joined: 17 Apr 2005 Posts: 562

I love the details you put into the chip itself. Not only with the image but with the metallic part as well. I envy you. :puku:
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Raijin · Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2005 6:22 pm Post subject:

Hmm, I woulda gone with Plasma Rain or Vortex Nova for the chip pics, but I guess Warm Light has the most original effects.

Though I think the strong point of your submission was the background "press release". That's the sort of creative edge I wish I thought of. Of course my chip was more of a joke than the kind with a story behind it, but you know what I'm talking about.

It seems all the entries either took the serious approach (making a mini-fanfic story to go along with the chip), the un-serious approach (just a silly joke), or the game mechanics approach (chip was designed specifically as one that would fit in an actual game, and sounded like one the actual game designers would think of themselves one day). I personally liked the former approaches myself.

Vanilla_Go_Rilla · Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2005 6:35 pm Post subject:

It looks to be a very well-CG'd battle chip. Good use of aluminum effects on the chip's body, and it has that whole dramatic "Northern Lights" look to it. A little artsy for a Battle Chip, but still very nicely done...goodness knows I couldn't do this. A promising entry; good luck in the contest!

Raijin · Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2005 6:43 pm Post subject:

Uh...good luck? The results are already posted.

Tachyon360 · Le Croissant Joined: 16 Mar 2005 Posts: 740

Raijin · Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2005 11:32 pm Post subject:

I'm "Ryan". I don't know why they took that name instead of Raijin. Must have been because it showed up as the title for my e-mail adress when i sent it in. So yeah, I went with the special technique of my version of Skullman.exe.

My original idea for a submission was more in the "game mechanics" approach, but like yours, it was actually four chips that I didn't think would go well separated. I probably should have used it anyway somehow. The chip idea I was originally going to use was a shot that would attach a certain elemental weakness to the target for a few seconds. OilSlick (fire), FungusSpores (wood), WaterSpray (elec), and IceCrystals (aqua). Had a virus design to go wit them too. Now I'm about inspired enough to draw them up anyway.

SamBarry · Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2005 10:30 am Post subject:

Mine was Worldshaper. I had a flavor description (what it does in anime/manga) in my mind when I first looked at the contest, but then went with a function description (what it does in game) when I saw Pyo's sample description.
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Unknown Neo · Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2005 12:31 pm Post subject:

Wow now that's an interesting set of chips. Nice work.