Idea for unit portraits

[Triceron]

It would be a waste of time to make a map-centric background for units BECAUSE your focus is on the unit, not what's behind it. You CAN'T compare it to animations being pointless, because the animation is applied to the very thing you're looking at. The background is NOT the focus of the portrait.

It's like if Blizzard spent time modelling fingers for marines and ghosts. It'd be nice to see infantry with fingers pulling the triggers on their guns, but it's pointless because your focus is not on their hands.

The effort doesn't warrant the reward.

[Pandonetho]

It would be a waste of time to make a map-centric background for units BECAUSE your focus is on the unit, not what's behind it.

Do you even KNOW what you're saying? How many unit portraits have background? EVERY ONE OF THEM THAT ISN'T SHOWING A BLACK FOG.

You think it's important to focus on the actual unit itself? That does nothing to affect gameplay, don't even bring it up it's a joke.

Do you know how ridiculous you sound
"It's a waste of time you shouldn't include it because you should focus on the unit in the portrait" who the hell focuses on the unit in the portrait in the first place? Is it important? No, it's not. Adding a background adds atmosphere.

You CAN'T compare it to animations being pointless, because the animation is applied to the very thing you're looking at. The background is NOT the focus of the portrait.

Animations ARE pointless, having it applied to every unit doesn't make a god damned difference. How would it affect the game if it was just a still picture portrait? Non-animated? Oh, it wouldn't? That's good to know.

Why do you think they included different background noises for units in different places huh? Answer me that, because that's not applied to every unit.

It adds atmosphere, just like animated portraits do, and adding backgrounds will as well.

I still can't even over how absolutely retarded your stance is. Focusing on the unit in the portrait? Right, if you can't focus on a mutalisk flying over grass or lava, then first of all, I don't even know why you're playing the game because focusing on the unit portrait isn't important in the first place for standard multiplayer, and second of all, you're blind.

It's like if Blizzard spent time modelling fingers for marines and ghosts. It'd be nice to see infantry with fingers pulling the triggers on their guns, but it's pointless because your focus is not on their hands.

Except a background on said cetain units would actually be noticeable. Because portraits are for the ATMOSPHERIC ASPECT of the game, not the actual gameplay where no one gives a flying turd about trigger-fingers.

The effort doesn't warrant the reward.

Right, because this would take sooooo long to do. You don't know what you're talking about, you sound just like someone who thinks the little things don't matter.

[MattII]

What the hell does "recode the units" mean? Portraits would have nothing to do with anything else in the game.

Except that the portrait is now reliant on tileset, so you have to recode the unit to do this, ie.

Now:
Portrait = portanim.dat

Tileset Dependent:
{
If (Tileset=1) Then
Portrait = portanim1.dat
ElseIf (Tileset=2) Then
Portrait = portanim2.dat
...
Else
Portrait = portanim11.dat
}

Get the idea?

[Pandonetho]

Now:
Portrait = portanim.dat

Tileset Dependent:
{
If (Tileset=1) Then
Portrait = portanim1.dat
ElseIf (Tileset=2) Then
Portrait = portanim2.dat
...
Else
Portrait = portanim11.dat
}

Now, I don't know a single thing about what you just said, but would this still apply even though the portraits are rendered real time with the game engine?

[MattII]

Now, I don't know a single thing about what you just said, but would this still apply even though the portraits are rendered real time with the game engine?

Yes, because that's basic programming, so it applies to anything from C on up, unless you're prepared to spend money to deliberately circumvent it, which will waste even more money.

Tileset dependent portrait backgrounds are something to add in only if it's not going to delay the project in any way, as are animated portraits, and unit quotes (one quote per unit is all that's actually needed, if quotes are needed at all).

[Triceron]

Right, because this would take sooooo long to do. You don't know what you're talking about, you sound just like someone who thinks the little things don't matter.

Funny, I have no clue how long it takes. I guess actually working in the gaming industry as a character artist gives me absolutely no insight to the time and effort it takes to create such assets, let alone gauge whether something is worth the time or not.

I'm not saying it doesn't matter. I'm saying it's not worth the time and effort.

[Pandonetho]

I'm not saying it doesn't matter. I'm saying it's not worth the time and effort.

To each their own then.
I wouldn't really care of Blizz took another week to design a few backgrounds for a few units.

[Noise]

Except that the portrait is now reliant on tileset, so you have to recode the unit to do this, ie.

Now:
Portrait = portanim.dat

Tileset Dependent:
{
If (Tileset=1) Then
Portrait = portanim1.dat
ElseIf (Tileset=2) Then
Portrait = portanim2.dat
...
Else
Portrait = portanim11.dat
}

Get the idea?

Firstly, that is ridiculously easy and would take them about as long it took you to type it up.

Secondly, there is a more elegant technique which in layman's terms would be to determine which folder you pull portrait backgrounds from at the time you choose tileset. So each tileset has a variable called portrait_bg_ptr or whatever which points to the folder (or more likely data structure) with the portrait backgrounds in them. Then when a portrait is loaded, the background is loaded from there. The background can be dynamic because portraits are rendered in real time. This would work for any settings other than background which depend on tileset.

I would like to reiterate that my suggestion is not for the portraits to have different backgrounds, but different lighting schemes, which would change the whole color tone of the portrait, which is very noticeable.

[electricmole]

if SC3/SC4/SC5 have different backgrounds on unit portraits then all who disagree here ...

I think it be nice to have snow flakes falling in some unit portrait bg. Yes it adds atmosphere to the game.

[Rizhall]

Seems like a 100% pointless feature.

Just like your reply?
So everything needs to have a "point" to it? You can't have things nice things for the sake of looking nice?
Then I guess they should just get rid of portraits completely. While you're at it, take out multiple tilesets. What's the point of more than 1 tileset?

I like your idea, OP. I am 100% for it.