MArcomage

Free multiplayer on-line fantasy card game

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theultramage on 21:34, 18. Aug, 2008
This is actually more of a request than a contest, but anyways:

I would like to replace the currently used icons for resources (bricks/gems/recruits/none) that appear in the top-right corner of cards. If you take a close look at it, it's just a simple png file with 1-bit transparency.

These got created at the very beginning of MArcomage development, made by me per Mojo's request. I just drew a big filled circle in mspaint and rendered it in a browser using a circular alpha:opacity filter. Then I resized it.

The issue with these images is that they are not alpha-blended. That means that the border between the image and the background is jagged and high-contrast. I would prefer if there was a narrow band of increasing 32bit transparency around the circle. That way the transition would look smooth.

Sadly I have neither the skills nor the tools to produce such an image. That's why I'm asking you graphics gurus :)
Sundancer on 11:31, 20. Aug, 2008
Well I quite like it the way it is since its very easy to get information about the card and get a quick overview of everything.
dindon on 15:21, 20. Aug, 2008
I think the icons would look the same (coloured circles) and be just as readable - they'll just be smoother around the edges. Beyond my capabilities to make though.
Mojko on 16:07, 20. Aug, 2008
X-Factor made some new resource icons pictures. I put them to use and made some screenshots of the cards. Take a look, I think it looks much better.

http://helppage.3dfx.sk/fendek/kruhy.png

EDIT:

In addition X-Factor found some minor mistakes in facilities pictures and corrected them. Also made them look better.

http://helppage.3dfx.sk/fendek/resources.png

I like these new images and recommend them for use.
Progressor on 23:01, 20. Aug, 2008
Barely noticable, unless poited at it, but nice ;-)
theultramage on 13:12, 24. Aug, 2008
Hehe... I found out that I still have both the conversation and the original files logged (thanks to Google). Here's the reconstructed procedure:
1. draw a 40x40 circle in MSPaint (colors are basic red, blue and green)
2. apply style="Filter: Alpha(Opacity=0, FinishOpacity=100, Style=2)"
3. make screenshot
4. resize to 16x16
5. manually pixel-tweak the most jagged edges.

I'm starting to wonder. Wouldn't it be more proper to use a higher-resolution image than 16x16, and give it a width/height property? These would definitely scale better...
theultramage on 15:30, 1. Sep, 2008
Since yesterday you can enjoy the new alpha-blended resource cost icons, as well as several other cleaned up images. Big thanks goes to X-Factor.
DPsycho on 16:32, 1. Sep, 2008
Wow, yeah, the edges are quite noticeably smoother. Kudos!