HM3: A slight change in plan

I've spent all morning gathering reference for the Insignia-Nature set, and I'm overwhelmed. I'm thinking there's no way to fit everything in under that one heading. So I will probably separate it out into Elements (rain, wind, ice, fire, earth, tornadoes, hurricanes, etc.); Plants (trees, leaf icons, acorns, etc.); and Animals (animal heads, paw prints, insects, etc.).

But that's a ton of work, easily several hundred items. So I am going to backtrack here a bit and shelve the remainder of the Insignia until I get the remainder of the slots without Standard items done, as I'd originally planned. I'm going to do Companions first, because it's easy and fast. In the meantime, let me know in the comments what slot you want to see get a set of Standard items next. I think the remaining ones after Companions are:

  • Background
  • Belt
  • Facial Hair (there's one CALLED standard at the moment, but it's very incomplete)
  • Shoulders

As a reminder, "Auras" will be sort of built in to the Body, Hand, and Foot slots so you can get a more accurate outline. Similarly, a lot of slots will have an "Extras" set for odds and ends like scars, pockets, bullet holes, etc., things that aren't complete items in and of themselves but which are intended to enhance others.

42 Responses to HM3: A slight change in plan

  1. Anarchangel says:

    I definitely think that belts need a few more additions. I only ever use one or two of them

  2. Lyogi says:

    I’d say shoulders or belts first.

  3. TigerGuy786 says:

    I would say shoulders. I’d like to see more “cyberpunk” kind of stuff. Like what you might see in Mass Effect or Star Wars, not just in Shoulders either but in all of them.

    Thanks Jeff, this is turning out great!

  4. violodion says:

    We’re slave drivers, we are. 🙂

    Vote for next, in preference:
    * Patterns (only 13 vs 24 ‘Facial Hair’)
    * Backgrounds
    * Shoulders
    * Belt
    * Facial Hair

    While “Backgrounds”, but still digesting it…

    Other choices to consider which presumably are being compressed into a different category:
    > HM2 ‘Skin’ option
    > > Pattern/Texture does not replace this
    > > Options for HM2 Lava, Diamond, Rivet, Surfer, Wood, etc

    > Tops (~99 thus far)
    > > Coat
    > > Neckware
    > > Overshirt
    > > Undershirt

    > Legwear (~67 thus far)
    > > Leggings
    > > Overleggings

  5. Kaldath says:

    My vote would be for Belts Then Shoulders

  6. Steve says:

    I agree, a much more diverse array of hipwear/belts would be a great addition…that and pants.

  7. RSC5 says:

    Belts/holsters/hipwear, most assuredly. Then backgrounds.

  8. Hey, could there be an option to rotate, move, and transform the patterns independent of the object they are transforming? On the tails especially, the patterns fail to cover the entire tail, and there’s no way to change it.

  9. The Dudemeister says:

    I’d also say belts and hipwear (like holsters, “energy swords”, etc. I also would like more Pant options, but I suppose that will come in time.

  10. Jeff Hebert says:

    @thefaithfulmind (#8): For some patterns, use the “Patterns” slot in the drop-down menu, and Mask it onto whatever you want it to be on. That has the advantage of letting you apply two colors to the pattern, scaling, transforming, rotating, etc. at the cost of not having all the patterns available.

  11. jude says:

    i still would like a sewn together mouth

  12. Mkall says:

    If you’re doing companions, I’d like to see several water dwelling critters please like sharks and fish and squid and crabs.

    Thanks for all the hard work!

  13. Mr. Q says:

    We definitely need a better expansion on belts. I like the additions such as buckles, pockets, and gun holsters but the rest is rather limited. How about putting in complete and partial belts of Batman’s utility belt, Punisher’s gun belt, and so on?

    Mr. Q

  14. Conor says:

    All the items are brilliant so far but their isn’t any female items, bodys or hair. I think that should be done next.

    Thanks Jeff 🙂

  15. hofter says:

    belts/shoulders/neckwear/aura/weapons and shields

  16. Dan Gonzalez says:

    Please don’t forget neckwear!

  17. Jeff Hebert says:

    @Dan: Neckwear’s going in Tops, Dan.

  18. Brambles says:

    Will an eye patch be included in “extras”?

  19. Jeff Hebert says:

    @Brambles: There’s already an eyepatch in “Headwear-Military”.

  20. JR says:

    my last post:# JR Says:
    April 24th, 2009 at 10:56 am

    we’re missing the companions slot:
    *a couple type of dogs
    *wraith
    *lots of different types of dragons (on shoulders, heads,etc.)
    *hell hound
    *dark matter
    *Trent
    *hypogriff
    *griffin
    *mythological minions(and lots of different kids and styles)
    *demon
    *gremlin
    *couple types of females(different eras,poses, clothing styles,etc.)
    *cerbrus
    * maybe a make a companion?

    for aruras:
    super realistic fire
    levatating objects such as knives, weapons, books, and other assorted items
    for insignas:
    *fight the power fist
    *elemental ruins:
    air
    fire
    water
    light
    darkness
    cosmos
    earth
    metal
    magic
    dark magic
    white magic
    101st air division
    fighting tigers volunteer squadron
    88th air division
    army rangers
    marine raiders
    marine green berets
    navy seals
    marine core insignia
    army core of engineers insig
    the USA insigna(eagle with arrows and snake,etc.)
    for neck wear:
    lossened tie
    medalions(and lots of ‘em but all different)
    tailismans(lots of different kinds)

    wheewww…wow.. ok(panting..lol)..*think*..i ..am..done..doh!
    nope. but hose can wait until u r working on the body… i’m going to calgary comic expo( my first comic expo ever!)
    this week end. wish me luck! 😀 i luv every thing so far jeff!

  21. Socrates says:

    i’d like to see different gunbelts, especially a low-slung variety, also detatchable sheathes and pouches for belts, different belt and shoulder holsters (especially like the one Steve McQueen wears in Bullitt) maybe some different belt buckles, and a WWF championship belt even! Also, though this is a little off the subject it would be cool to have a pair of boots in the footwear section that fit right with the knee-breeches without having to be adjusted because i can never get it to look right. as for shoulders, maybe different types of epaulettes would be nice. in the extras section, a few things i would like to see are a pocket watch, military medals, rings for fingers and other jewelery, maybe some different feathers and bands that can be put in hats. And some slings for various long guns.

  22. violodion says:

    Looks like belts wins.

    As noted in post#13 and post#21, good to have a *Belt Maker* (why not? got a “Maker” for everything else! 🙂 ).

    Seriously, though…belt accessories to build up on. HM2 already has a few nice belts (esp Expansion1), but those are all-in-one:
    * Belt > Standard > ww2
    * Belt > Standard > tech
    * Belt > Standard > ammo
    * Belt > Standard > whip
    * Belt > Standard > shoulderholster
    * Belt > Expansion1 > ww2empty
    * Belt > Expansion1 > alicegear
    * Belt > Expansion1 > twotone-left
    * Belt > Expansion1 > pouches
    * Belt > Expansion1 > circles
    * etc…

  23. JR says:

    i second socrates (#21) request

  24. Jeff Hebert says:

    Yeah, the belts will be done like the swords and the tops, broken into pieces and also, where appropriate, conglomerated into one main item. You have some of this in the current belts, with separate buckles, and that will continue.

  25. Scorpidius says:

    Glad the belts are looking popular for the next item to be done.

    I am dying to get the belt that goes up over the shoulder!! I used it so much in 2.5.

    Scorp

  26. Jeff Hebert says:

    Scorp, do you mean the cross-shoulder strap that’s in the current Shoulder slots?

  27. kryptkal says:

    First off, I think you’re doing a great job, I look forward to HM3 more and more everyday.

    I vote shoulders go next because I want to see a greater diversity. I’ve said this before, but it think bigger or broader shoulders would be good. Tech kinds like Iron Man’s and stuff of that nature. A lot of my characters have some kind of big shoulder plate or something, so a number of those kinds would be good.

  28. Danny Beaty says:

    Belts:
    A bandelero.
    The criss-crossing over the chest harness belt from HM2.5.

  29. TigerGuy786 says:

    Glitch Report:
    It happens when I am building swords, and it happens frequently…
    I wish I could define it more accurately, but here goes: I make a sword (handle, hilt/crossbeam/whatever-its-called, and blade and while I am tinkering with which of each I want at some point one piece will get stuck, it will be impossible to remove. The only way to fix it is to refresh the page. I can’t pinpoint an exact cause, except maybe a certain number of modifications. Let me know if I need to explain more.

  30. Damien says:

    I’ve had the same glitchy problem, and let me tell you…without an file-save option [I can see why THAT would be complicated to program] it kind of KILLS me whenever I have that perfect look going. It happened twice yesterday.

    Anyway, as for the companion, I’d appreciate an updated version of the rock-golem-grizzly-beastie, preferably all on screen. [The last was cut off.]

    Thanks!

  31. thejay says:

    also had a bug: turns out that if you have multiple hand-items – swords etc – you can only mask one of them in a fist. my hero couldn’t hold a sword in each hand, because they’re both in the rightitem slot.
    i’ve managed to make a bow from two scimitar blades and one thin straight blade. pretty proud of myself, but that ain’t working too well.
    when you get to work on belts. pay attention to scabbards. there’s only one scabbard available and it’s driving me nuts. arched swords have to have their arched scabbard, daggers have to have the short slightly triangular ones… you get the picture. it can’t work otherwise.

  32. RJ mcd says:

    jeff is there a way we can have a utlity belt with small tubes instead of pouches?

  33. violodion says:

    @TigerGuy786 & @Damien: It *is* alpha. Take lots of screenshots! (Have had up to 15 for some of mine which I _knew_ were getting complicated.)

    To mitigate things, build up the character with no color, no pattern, and no mask to position everything. When coloring, texturing, and masking a better feel for the applet’s strain can be felt.

    Just saying.

    @thejay: Gotta be clever about it. One mask is for one item.

    Use the supplied multiple parts to build the desired item. (Built in this way, the item has more color options, which is cool.) For instance — img530.imageshack.us/img530/802/twohands.png

    Have not been concerned with scabbards, as my creations simply put their weapon into their defeated opponent, when needed. muhahuhauhuaha ha. 🙂

  34. Jeff Hebert says:

    Yeah, I’m sorry about the crashitudinousness of this thing so far. It’s honestly better than I hoped it would be at this stage, but clearly there’s still a lot of work to do on that score. But it’s early days yet, believe it or not, this too shall get better!

    @RJ: belt with vials should be no problem.

    @V: Thanks for the screen shot and recommendations!

  35. Damien says:

    @violodion: My computer SUCKS, and I was waiting to finish the design so I could add the patterns [I get 60-second lag time between clicks after I add patterns.]

  36. RJ mcd says:

    jeff how come i’m blocked from the gallieries was i bad asking for to many things?

  37. Jeff Hebert says:

    What galleries, RJ? I haven’t banned anyone for anything as far as I know.

  38. violodion says:

    @Jeff: It is a UGO problem. Cropped up over the past couple days…non-members cannot view UGO attachments. Put another way, anonymous users cannot see those UGO attachments.

    Peeps posting on UGO will probably need to use another host to supplement it. (Photobucket is good.)

  39. RJ mcd says:

    thanks v i was scared i was driving jeff nuts with my requests

  40. violodion says:

    @Damien: Yeah, get CPU spikes & corresponding delays, too. It has been mentioned elsewhere, patterns are the biggest contributor. Fairly certain heavy scaling & frequent scaling further contributes to the CPU load/delays. Start using 5, 10, or more, and the spikes are longer & longer. Mousing over the canvas at this time is certainly un-fun.

    Sooo….been skipping patterns as much as I’d like to add lots more. Taking extra screenshots are good when I have the patience, and feel like chancing it (outracing a crash or seeming freeze, that is).

    Trying an experiment now to see if the issue can be mitigated another way….

  41. Socrates says:

    The belt with the shoulder strap is a Sam Browne belt