While working on the http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1105973-relz-wipz-mesogea-fantasy-ancient-earth-total-conversion/, I got the idea to try my hand at making some new Load screens for it, for immersion, and inspirational purposes. I wanted to try and make them close to the Oblivion vanilla-style, but not necessarily exactly the same using GIMP (a free graphics program).

I'd appreciate any feedback/constructive critisism. These shots are not Tamriel-related, but are shots of real ancient ruins designed as immersive-style art for people working on Mesogea. They will be accompanied by quotes from antiquity and/or quotes from the Mesogea mod's lore/history.

For now, they are just the screens, the quotes will go below the frame thingie:
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a400/Elricwolf/Graphic%20Art/gizapyramids.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a400/Elricwolf/Graphic%20Art/PoseidonTemple.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a400/Elricwolf/Graphic%20Art/AnkorWatRuinL.jpg

An attempt at a darker version, following an Oblivion Loading Screen guide, good guide, but not sure I like the results: http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a400/Elricwolf/Graphic%20Art/AnkorWatRuin.jpg,
Afterwards, I experiemented with different filters and color processes to get closer to what I wanted.

You will notice some differences, even among the similar shots; I was experimenting with different filters. I am using GIMP because it's free, as I said before b/c I don't have Photoshop, I can't justify budgeting the expense right now for such an expensive program. I already have an expensive hobby (music).

Disclaimer: Vacuity and his team are working on a Loading Screen replacer for Mesogea already; I found this out after making these, so my work atm is experimental and in no way represents the final Screen Replacer for Mesogea, nor do I represent Vacuity or his outstanding ALS team.

Here's a couple different takes on one of the screens, based a more DarkUI version, and my own take on vanilla OB with a darker finish... perhaps Elricwulf's DarkUI Loading screens...?

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a400/Elricwolf/Graphic%20Art/AnkorWatRuinDDUI.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a400/Elricwolf/Graphic%20Art/AnkorWatRuinEDUI.jpg

A number of views, no comments? :mellow:

Love 'em? Hate 'em? Couldn't care less?

Actually, I think they are very good. Nicely done, imo.
Since I use the Dark DarnUI, the vanilla application would be out of place in my game.
Otherwise if you made them available, I'd use 'em.

Thank you for the comment. I could always do a Dark DarnUI version of them eventually since it seems to be a popular interface and we definitely want to have a new interface for Mesogea. If we can ever get a custom one made, I hope it is more like a DarkUI or Darn's DarkUI interface than vanilla Oblivion. I want the mod to have a fresh feel.

Anyway, here are my attempts a doing a more DarkUI version of one of the screens, and my own take on vanilla OB with a darker finish... perhaps Elricwulf's DarkUI Loading screens...?

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a400/Elricwolf/Graphic%20Art/AnkorWatRuinDDUI.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a400/Elricwolf/Graphic%20Art/AnkorWatRuinEDUI.jpg

me want em both! very nice.

Wow, they look almost exactly the same as the original! Very good work.

I love the look of the first three, very good job.

On the other note, I've always thought that loading screens don't have much useful info. I think that it would be good idea to include some encyclopaedic style loading screens especially for Mesogea when it has so richly developed story and history.

They look good , My only suggestion (For the Vanilla ones) would be to lower the opacity for the background a little, it's quite strong atm.

Thank you both very much! I am pretty satisfied with the way they came out, but wasn't sure if others would like them.



Thanks!
That's my goal. I will make an esp that includes important facts about Mesogea races, nations, creatures, etc. and maybe famous quotes from great emperors and historical figures of Mesogea. After all, a fantasy world is only as vibrant and real as its lore. Just look at Tolkien's work with LotR and at TES's rich lore and you can see what really makes a world live and breathe. But that way, while areas are loading, the player might gain some useful knowledge.


Hmm... I wonder if you mean the parchment texture or the actual background picture that is printed over that. I guess compared to the OB ones, the edging is fairly sharp and distinct. I could try to fade it or erode it a little. I didn't want to lose too much more on the background picture to the point where you can't even make it out. I will see if I can improve them a bit and play around with the opacity. If you mean the parchment texture, that is the "canvas" so it stays at 100 percent, though I cound try to put less contrast in it or make it less detailed. Clarify more if you could, so I can try to improve on them. Thanks for the comment!

I am thinking my goal will be 2 different versions, one that has the original Oblivion style like the first 3, and another "Dark UI" stlye, but my own personal touch, like the hybrid one. I may change it a little more. Also, I could have just a regular Dark UI style, with the leather background and the text printed below (since there isn't much else to look at in the background). I always kind of wish there was more "picture" area on the Dark UI screens, though, and the frame always seems very thick to me (compared to the vanilla OB one).

Thank you for all your comments, it will help me make the finished product better!

Oh I was on about the actuall BG Picture , Just drop the opacity a little, maybe about 10% less?, It should give it a more vanilla feel but still retain more detail, as is it's just a little too strong.

you did those in GIMP thats pretty impressive i must say, the 3 i made for rimmen dont look nearly that nice and i used PS for that! care to tell how you did that? id be quite interested!

No problem. Always glad to help another artist ply his craft.

Well, I used the latest version of GIMP - mine is called GIMP 2..? So I don't know if all your filters and stuff will be the same...

And at first I followed this very helpful guide as close as I could for my first tries:
http://cs.elderscrolls.com/constwiki/index.php/Loading_Screens#Important_Information_about_Loading_Screens

It's mainly made for PS, so I had trouble doing all the various functions, but I experimented until I got something I liked...

• I browsed some free online texture files until I found a parchment one that I liked for the backdrop (I wasn't happy with the default one - too plain for me), and did a little manipulation, darkened it a little, altered the contrast, etc. Until it looked how I wanted, then I used the default Bethesda frame texture for the top layer, but did the same to it, darkened it a bit, changed the saturation slightly.
  
• Then starting with the image, pasted it in as a third layer, duplicating it, to make 4 layers, total
  
  
• Background picture:
  
  • Desaturate image
    
  • Then, Do the Filter --> Edge Finder; I check different ones to see what looks best for the image, but Differential or Gradient usually works well
    
  • *At this point, if I want to make a lighter, Beth-style backdrop, I Invert the colors - I find it comes out more like the vanilla ones if I do this, but it could be just the way GIMP's Edge functions are set up
    
  • Then the guide loses me at this point, so I usually just do a manual dodge, to lighten the center of the image
    
  • I do the Gradient map at this point, like the guide says
    
  • Set the layer's mode to burn (GIMP doesn't have linear burn, idk)
    
  • Set opacity to about 50% (as a guide) or whatever feels right.
  
  
• Now for the Center image, just set mode to "Hard Light" and blend to about 69%, or so (or again, whatever looks right)

The big difference for the darker screens is not inverting the image at that second step, which the guide didn't say to do, but I found that inverting made the image closer to the vanilla screens.

Also, there was a "http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=4263" you can find on Nexus that has a number of resources like the frames and original parchment texture and stuff in different formats.

Hopefully, I didn't miss anything, but I'll probably make some screens later, so I'll refresh my memory and make sure all that's correct (though it's not an exact process for me each time, depending on the starting screenshot)

Tip - big open blue areas like sky and water or solid white areas, etc. can come out too dark, depending on whether you invert the colors; you may have to use a manual dodge to lighten up areas.

Have fun!

thank you! now to remake my loading screens for Rimmen!