DDO needs a new loading screen

[kmoustakas]

So, I've been watching this ugly emo-edgy shadowfell loading screen for how many years now? It's been two expansions since then, come on man. I know you want to 'never forget shadowfail' but ... come on man (in sir Charles' voice)

Can we please get a new one or at least bring back the old one.

Also, the tower of despair raid STILL has the Gianthold Tor loading screen come on now it's been years.

[Mindos]

So, I've been watching this ugly emo-edgy shadowfell loading screen for how many years now?

I like the copywrite 2017 text the game shows overtop right after. (just like the forums do at the bottom)

[Memnir]

Agreed.
I was hoping we'd see something new with Ravenloft - and then with Sharn. Maybe with Feywild, but frankly I've kinda stopped hoping for a lot of things - a new load screen among them.

___edit_
Does Fred Fields still work with SSG? Or did he leave with the split from Turbine? I at least think the current splash screen was by him... and that would explain the lack of anything new since, new fancy art ain't cheap, hence my edit asking.

___edit/edit_
DDO had some great load screen art that has been discontinued since 2006. Having some of them return (there is one of a Dwarven wizard and a WF fighter in the Harbor that I remember vividly - it was amazing) they would be so old they're new again. Maybe it would be worth an afternoon searching - if anyone working from home has access to old things of that sort. Or if they even still exist.

[Memnir]

In regards to my ___edit/edit_ above... found it!


Edited for size but, here it is:


Link to larger size: HERE

Again, I feel like there is a trove of images that could be used to keep the load screen interesting - particularly if the production of new art would be cost prohibitive.

[voxson5]

In regards to my ___edit/edit_ above... found it!


Edited for size but, here it is:


Link to larger size: HERE

Again, I feel like there is a trove of images that could be used to keep the load screen interesting - particularly if the production of new art would be cost prohibitive.

That is really cool!

Do you happen to have any of the .. what was it? Kick some axe?

[Graskitch]

yeah, that is a very nice image! I am surprised it was used as a loading screen, but yeah it would be nice to bring that back.

it would be even nicer though if there were new loading screens - I am not sure if ssg has the budget to invest in new splash artworks but it would refresh the game, since we get stuck in loading screens so often.

I am just surprised that the dwarf is wearing *that* hat. ugh. I must never let my vivand see this thread.

[zooble]

[Graskitch]

wow. I really missed out - that is beautiful! .. and I assume was before tieflings were actually introduced in ddo!

[Seljuck]

That's probably poster artwork.. never saw anything similar to it in ddo, especially that DDO uses different style in all load screens we can find in net or live game. But is still nice and I would like to see that sort of images ingame.

[zooble]

The winky face didn't really come out well lol

You can replace some of the older screens since they are just jpg files. Loading up the client doesn't write over them, not sure what patches do.

Newer ones like Druid Grove seem to be packaged in some other game file - can't find them in the folder.

edit: in terms of cost, it could be cheap. It depends on how talented the fans are. Just put out a competition to DDO and LOTRO players (+randoms of course) with say a 1st prize of a 1yr sub or a huge pile of ingame credits to their preferred game. A few runner up prizes too would be nice. In addition to winners being chosen, all entries can be selected from for variety if worthy. Sure the art style may vary a bit but hey we could get some really good stuff.

[SpartanKiller13]

You can replace some of the older screens since they are just jpg files. Loading up the client doesn't write over them, not sure what patches do.

Newer ones like Druid Grove seem to be packaged in some other game file - can't find them in the folder.

Heya, can I just swap in a similar-sized picture or how does that work with like resolution/scaling etc? I'm assuming I can just find them somewhere in a folder given your 2nd comment?

Thanks in advance

[zooble]

Heya, can I just swap in a similar-sized picture or how does that work with like resolution/scaling etc? I'm assuming I can just find them somewhere in a folder given your 2nd comment?

Thanks in advance

Jpg format required and must be the same name as the other files in the raw/en/logo folder (overwrite, make a backup just in case). The one with a different naming convention is the screen immediately after the D&D splash page on loading.

Original images are 1024x768 and your new image should be that dimension too as far as I can tell so far.

You are not restricted to those dimensions but all sorts of weird stuff will happen if you don't. Such as random stretching and cropping and tiling too if it's too small. If it's too large random cropping.

Keep in mind, if you do 1024x768 images such as my Tiefling version, resizing the window or simply having a different aspect ratio monitor will stretch the image as if you've set height 100% and width 100% - which depending on the scene can still look a bit funny. You can see the stretched version again below (I didn't crop, 100% DDO screen area)


I'm yet to find something that works perfectly on my 1920x1200.

Celestials anyone?

[Alrik_Fassbauer]

Personally, I'd like to see how DDO has evolved through the display of ancient DDO Update screens ...

[J1NG]

Personally, I'd like to see how DDO has evolved through the display of ancient DDO Update screens ...

I like this suggestion. DDO is nearing 15 years, it could be celebrated through the views of how it has changed over the course of that time.

Lets face it, who remembers 280 to 320 HP being the typical "Whoa! How'd you get so much HP?" back in late 2009? Or how dinghy certain areas looked compared to now after the lighting changes, etc like the Marketplace?

J1NG

[Memnir]

Do you happen to have any of the .. what was it? Kick some axe?

I don't have any of the old ones, sadly. Found that image in a deep late-night Google dive trying to find that image, that I can't quite replicate this morning.

[SpartanKiller13]

Jpg format required and must be the same name as the other files in the raw/en/logo folder (overwrite, make a backup just in case). The one with a different naming convention is the screen immediately after the D&D splash page on loading.

Original images are 1024x768 and your new image should be that dimension too as far as I can tell so far.

Keep in mind, if you do 1024x768 images such as my Tiefling version, resizing the window or simply having a different aspect ratio monitor will stretch the image as if you've set height 100% and width 100% - which depending on the scene can still look a bit funny. You can see the stretched version again below (I didn't crop, 100% DDO screen area)

I'm yet to find something that works perfectly on my 1920x1200.

+1 thanks!

Alright, I'll have to mess with it a bit then XD

Maybe a few test squares to see how much I'll need to distort an image before-hand.

Still, very cool

[zooble]

Personally, I'd like to see how DDO has evolved through the display of ancient DDO Update screens ...

I'd like to see an Indiana Jones style red line like WoW does with boat travel. It would just provide a lot more context instead of just 'teleporting' everywhere.

I was surprised to see a continent map in DDO but it looks neglected. It's probably in a cycle of doom because it's so tucked away. There's no Khorvaire or cutaway for Shavarath.

[zooble]

+1 thanks!

Alright, I'll have to mess with it a bit then XD

Maybe a few test squares to see how much I'll need to distort an image before-hand.

Still, very cool

No problem!

Omg you've sparked a moment

Just resize/crop an image to your screen resolution so it looks perfect.

Then simply resize that down to 1024x768 (WITHOUT keeping aspect ratio intact)

DDO will even more simply resize it back up to your screen resolution!

edit: tested and works purrfectly

[cdbd3rd]

Not a full-on splash screen, but there was this era...

[Aelonwy]

I wish I could make my tiefling look more like that actually. I can't quite get a pink enough skin tone, and no hairstyle is quite close enough. Blue cosmetic glowy eyes would work but there is a shortage of cleavage revealing armors (which I'm okay with) and too many crotchless armors (which I'm not okay with because its unrealistic, tasteless, and OMG can you imagine the ingrown hairs from the constant shaving/waxing upkeep!)