So I always loved the Amber armor from shivering isles. It's weird, buglike and has that uniqueness that armor sets in Morrowind had (which if you know anything about me you know I'm a fan). So I'm going to try and update the textures a bit, as the vanilla versions have begun to show their age, and there were some questionable design decisions (green fabric overload).

Hopefully this is worth the effort. Feel free to post your unbridled enthusiasm. That's what fuels mod creation.

Cuirass Male

http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/zz357/themythofanst/NifSkope2011-01-0912-50-11-69.jpg

http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/zz357/themythofanst/NifSkope2011-01-0912-50-16-66.jpg

http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/zz357/themythofanst/NifSkope2011-01-0915-16-43-83.jpg

http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/zz357/themythofanst/NifSkope2011-01-0915-06-10-56.jpg

http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/zz357/themythofanst/NifSkope2011-01-0915-06-03-91.jpg

http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/zz357/themythofanst/NifSkope2011-01-0915-06-00-48.jpg

http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/zz357/themythofanst/NifSkope2011-01-0912-49-02-61.jpg

Greaves Male

http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/zz357/themythofanst/NifSkope2011-01-0918-37-16-69.jpg

http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/zz357/themythofanst/NifSkope2011-01-0918-36-17-20.jpg

http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/zz357/themythofanst/NifSkope2011-01-0918-36-22-03.jpg

http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/zz357/themythofanst/NifSkope2011-01-0918-36-26-86.jpg

http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/zz357/themythofanst/NifSkope2011-01-0918-36-44-16.jpg

Boots Male

http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/zz357/themythofanst/NifSkope2011-01-0919-11-44-23.jpg

http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/zz357/themythofanst/NifSkope2011-01-0919-11-47-09.jpg

http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/zz357/themythofanst/NifSkope2011-01-0919-16-04-37.jpg

http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/zz357/themythofanst/NifSkope2011-01-0919-15-38-22.jpg

Gauntlets Male

http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/zz357/themythofanst/NifSkope2011-01-0919-52-44-56.jpg

http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/zz357/themythofanst/NifSkope2011-01-0919-52-28-62.jpg

http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/zz357/themythofanst/NifSkope2011-01-0919-52-22-81.jpg

http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/zz357/themythofanst/NifSkope2011-01-0919-52-06-45.jpg

Helmet

http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/zz357/themythofanst/NifSkope2011-01-0920-25-08-97.jpg

http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/zz357/themythofanst/NifSkope2011-01-0920-25-14-69.jpg

http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/zz357/themythofanst/NifSkope2011-01-0920-25-18-01.jpg

http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/zz357/themythofanst/NifSkope2011-01-0920-27-27-50.jpg

http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/zz357/themythofanst/NifSkope2011-01-0920-26-42-16.jpg

http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/zz357/themythofanst/NifSkope2011-01-0920-26-46-42.jpg

http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/zz357/themythofanst/NifSkope2011-01-0920-26-38-03.jpg

Shield

http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/zz357/themythofanst/NifSkope2011-01-0921-23-35-83.jpg

http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/zz357/themythofanst/NifSkope2011-01-0921-23-39-11.jpg

http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/zz357/themythofanst/NifSkope2011-01-0921-21-56-26.jpg

http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/zz357/themythofanst/NifSkope2011-01-0921-21-59-55.jpg

http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/zz357/themythofanst/NifSkope2011-01-0921-22-16-70.jpg

http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/zz357/themythofanst/NifSkope2011-01-0921-22-31-09.jpg

http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/zz357/themythofanst/NifSkope2011-01-0921-22-21-39.jpg

In game pics

http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/zz357/themythofanst/Oblivion2011-01-1101-01-52-92.jpg
http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/zz357/themythofanst/Oblivion2011-01-1101-02-07-39.jpg
http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/zz357/themythofanst/Oblivion2011-01-1101-01-45-92.jpg
http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/zz357/themythofanst/Oblivion2011-01-1101-01-34-90.jpg
http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/zz357/themythofanst/Oblivion2011-01-1101-04-33-71.jpg
http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/zz357/themythofanst/Oblivion2011-01-1101-03-56-85.jpg
http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/zz357/themythofanst/Oblivion2011-01-1101-03-10-31.jpg


In game pics female

http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/zz357/themythofanst/Oblivion2011-01-1101-00-02-03.jpg
http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/zz357/themythofanst/Oblivion2011-01-1100-59-51-17.jpg
http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/zz357/themythofanst/Oblivion2011-01-1100-59-38-39.jpg
http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/zz357/themythofanst/Oblivion2011-01-1100-58-00-34.jpg
http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/zz357/themythofanst/Oblivion2011-01-1100-58-05-10.jpg
http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/zz357/themythofanst/Oblivion2011-01-1100-58-21-67.jpg
http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/zz357/themythofanst/Oblivion2011-01-1101-00-11-53.jpg
http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/zz357/themythofanst/Oblivion2011-01-1100-59-32-18.jpg

The original doesn't look much like amber at all, mostly just some dull orange... stuff. Yours is nice and bubbly and varied like amber should be. I can't wait to download this!

Looks fantastic to me! I will download as soon as it is available. My main character uses Amber armor so I will definitely download once it's posted. My only qualm is, I think I would like it more if the various shades of green used in the "cloth" section of the armor were more similar. The dark green stands out a little too much versus the lighter green for my tastes.

I don't know about the technical feasability of doing so, but at one point I requested a translucent version of the Amber armor and weapons, since most types of Amber are at least somewhat clear. Would you have any interest in trying that?

Transparency is tricky. If you layer one transparent thing over another they just disappear. So pauldrons over the curiass, and the cuirass over the hip plates, it'll end up looking weird and probably need mesh alterations. I'm a texture guy not a mesh editor, so unfortunately that's out of my league.

That's looking pretty nice. I'm always looking for nice, hi-res retextures. ^___^


Happy gaming!
- Tomlong75210

Hmm, you've got a good point. Besides, I'm betting introducing transparence/translucency would also introduce compatibility problems with all the body mods that are out there...oh well!

Yeah maybe Beth will make a decent version for skyrim (doubtful but a guy can hope).

One thing I'd really like to see, is Bethesda upgrading their own vanilla work as hardware improves (through patches or add-ons), or packaging with their game optional artwork that is higher quality than most current consumer hardware can handle. (For example, use 1024 or 2048 maps by default in Skyrim, but include optional 4096 or even 8192 maps.) This would allow users to upgrade their vanilla content as hardware naturally improves. That would be a novel approach that I don't think ANY developer takes right now, mainly because it's not absolutely required work.
After all, the original Amber armor was developed back in 2006/07, and for the hardware at that time it was pretty decent.


Anyway, if you want another tester for your hi-res Amber armor, count me in. Just need to know where to get it! I've already installed all your other hi-res packs.
Did you also work on the shield, helmet, etc. that are not in the screenshots?

Oooooo.....ahhhhh! More strider gold, nice man!

Greaves added. Trust me I'm 51% sure it'll look good.

:bowdown:

Boots are done. How exciting. :whistling: This is about the time I start regretting starting these projects haha.

You work fast dude! Great job on the boots

Oooohh! Ahhhhh! Looks all translucent and organic and stuff. You do great work, dude.

Thanks fellas. Yeah I have a system pretty well in place at this point. Gauntlets done. Pictures up

Helmet completed (brushes shoulders off)

Those boots look like they'll put a dent in my FPS in third person, and I certainly don't care. They look be-utiful! ^___^


Happy gaming!
- Tomlong75210

Awesome! Just the shield, and female conversion (if necessary) to go. (Since I currently play a female character I'm especially interested in that.)
I don't suppose you'll be converting the Amber weapons to the same hi-res style? If so, any interest in doing the "extra" Madness and Amber weapons added by the WEPON mod (link in my signature)?

They look awesome!! Great job Strider :goodjob:

I plan on doing the weapons but let's see about the female version first. I'm making good progress so far, but this stuff tends to get tedious after the fourth hour or so.

Shield is done. Whew. I added a little extra something to the the back of it. A hero has to have something to look at while he's being attacked, ... right? Figured mania is filled with artisans making cool stuff so why not stick a tapestry/painting on the back. Tried my best to make it look worn and tattered, like it's seen some wear.

Absolutely gorgeous :twirl:

... as expected, really.

Checked everything out in game. So far so good. Apparently I had the shield artwork textured upside down :facepalm: Pretty easy fix though.

I'll probably finish off the female version tomorrow and start the weapons.

Last comment of the night before I close up shop. If anyone is wondering I couldn't figure out what the brown material was holding the amber together. I kinda thought it was Iron but that would make the armor too heavy so I assumed it was some kind of natural resin ... I ended up just using an avocado for the texture on the mythic set.

So yeah ... you're armor is being held together by a delicious armor shaped avocado. Who has chips?

If it helps, I always thought the darker sections either were (1) natural wood resin, from which amber is formed (and is usually darker than amber); or (2) an alternate form of amber (amber can be lots of colors - red, yellow, brown, even blue; it's just that orange is the most common).
You can learn a lot by looking up Amber on wikipedia :thumbsup: