Easily creating individual NPC / PC portraits

[The Envoy]

Hey there!

I just found an incredible way to generate an infinite number of high quality portraits for my NPCs, but I have given the same opportunity to my players.

I think it is really nice to just open my laptop and show to my players: "Look, this is <insert name here> you are talking to!"

Players will have a memorable face attached to that NPC. Also, the way of generating portraits I am talking about allows to display certain emotions.
Just look at the attachments to get an idea.

This is how it works:
1. You go to:
http://www.eveonline.com

2. Download and install the game (for free)

3. Setup a trial account.
The trial account will only last for a limited amount of days (and is free of charge of course!). But you can register as many trial accounts as you'd like, using the same e-mail adress everytime. The trial account is totally sufficient to create the portraits.

4. Fire up the game using the trial account.

5. Create a character, but stop at step 4 ("Portrait"). Now hit the Print-Key. In windows, the screenshot will be located at:
C:\Users\<your windows username>\Documents\EVE\capture\Screenshots

6. Go back in the character generation and try the different factions / races to get different results. Hint: At the top left corner, there are two twisted arrows as an icon, allowing you to randomize a character. This way, you can create a vast number of individual NPCs within a short period of time.

 

[phavoc]

Clones aren't allowed in Traveller! Pod's are too small to be fitted with jump drives.

No, really!

Ok, just kidding....

It's an Eve joke...

 

[FreeTrav]

Actually, you don't need EveOnline if you have The Sims 2 or The Sims 3 already; you can use Create-a-Sim. If you look at the Freelance Traveller article on Shuchithra, the picture is of a Sim. It's a small pic because at the time, I didn't know how to get higher-res than that; now I can.

 

[Condottiere]

It's a neat complement to a gaming session.

 

[The Envoy]

Actually, you don't need EveOnline if you have The Sims 2 or The Sims 3 already; you can use Create-a-Sim. If you look at the Freelance Traveller article on Shuchithra, the picture is of a Sim. It's a small pic because at the time, I didn't know how to get higher-res than that; now I can.

Sure, in theory you could use any character generator. But I think that the current EvE editor excels in terms of options, as well as overall quality.

There are so many things which you can adjust, you can even morph the underlying bone structure of the face and the body. And when taking pictures, you can select the lighting to create a dramatic scene.

 

[ShawnDriscoll]

Do people still use Second Life?

 

[darue]

Do people still use Second Life?

It still has a solid user base, not growing super fast anymore, and I think the corporate advertising landrush is long gone, and I doubt people are making major money building things for people in it any more. Could be wrong on that. But... it does look like there'd be real potential to use it to "map out" a combat encounter, etc. The avatars construction ability looks to be on par with eve at this point. and it's possible to get a lot out of it for free I think.

hmmm, interesting :idea:

 

[The Envoy]

it does look like there'd be real potential to use it to "map out" a combat encounter, etc.

I could totally imagine to build the player's starship including its interior. I did this already in the game "Space Engineers" but I have to say: That game is too limited as of now (still alpha), especially when it comes to interior items.