Custom Templates

[Hobbiton Lad]

I've been playing around with the strength icon, trying to find a solution that's easier to see against the backgrounds. I've also been trying to find a solution for both resistance and signet mechanics in the design. I came up with this layout. Feedback welcome.

http://postimage.org/image/4anelsvkf/

[menace64]

I really don't think you should have both resistance and signets on the cards. If you do that for one character, you're locking yourself into doing it for everybody, because at that point you'll have to stay universally-consistent on where the strength boosters are on weapons. Changing the strength icon to another circle isn't really a big deal, but I do feel like you lose a degree of flavor.

Now, for some additional options:

1) Overlay signets and resistance. I think we can all agree that resistance should be a stat given to every companion, and that signets wont always be required. So why not put a signet icon behind the resistance number when they do appear?

2) Different-colored resistance. Each color would represent a specific signet - a silver resistance would be Aragorn, pink for Theoden, tan for Gandalf, green for Frodo. Again, you're sacrificing the flavor of actually seeing the signet in order to keep both signets and resistance, but it would work.

3) Ditch signets. I think nostalgia has more to do with our desire to hold onto signets than real gameplay value. Very few cards played off of signets, and most that did offered very little to competitive formats. I always bring my points back to flavor: signets might look nicer than resistance, but on most characters they seem randomly assigned, while resistance usually makes sense at all times.

[hsiale]

Ditch signets.

After checking the cards I think this is the way to go.

There are in total 21 LotR cards with word "signet" in their gametext. Including one strong card (TMAYOD) and three decent (Aragorn, KiE, Frodo's Pipe, Hard Choice). I think we should get rid of signets, simplifying the game both from gameplay and graphics point of view. And TMAYOD can probably be reworked into for example a card helping multicultural fellowships using Gandalf.

[menace64]

Or you could make things slightly more complicated and write cards that give companions signets. TMAYOD could be kept as is, but there could be other cards that say "Bearer must be a companion. Bearer gains the [Gandalf signet]."

I mean, we've already got a precedent for such things: Horn of the Mark. The only change I'd suggest is making an icon in-text for signets rather than just calling them such.

[Hobbiton Lad]

Here's one w/o a signet just for comparison:

http://postimage.org/image/pyccw8vyn/

[menace64]

Your newest pass at a strength icon is very good, and fits right into the overall design of these new templates. I think you've got a winner!

EDIT: Basically unrelated, but I think the Shire template needs to be brightened up a bit. It's too dark, methinks.

[Hobbiton Lad]

How about this?

http://postimage.org/image/mme22y47j/

[menace64]

Definitely an improvement. One last suggestion: brighten the shadows on the left and right sides of the game text box. Between you and me (and I guess everyone else who reads this lol) I think the Shire template should be the "happiest" of all the cultures.

[Hobbiton Lad]

Ok. Let me guys know what you think of these. We are getting very close.

Dwarven:   http://postimage.org/image/654uha7yn/

Elven:   http://postimage.org/image/rz2wh2s3z/

Gandalf:   http://postimage.org/image/o6nzf31zj/

Gollum:    http://postimage.org/image/5tne4irin/

Gondor:   http://postimage.org/image/uukl1olhr/

Rohan:   http://postimage.org/image/kqvv5j4r3/

Shire:   http://postimage.org/image/nsmnfhhvz/

[menace64]

Gandalf's picture made me smile   And the Elven template is superb - the way you tied in the Caras Galadhon lights is #$&*@! sweet action.

I have very few critiques left to offer, but here they are:
-> You should probably darken the outline of the Gandalf icon just the barest bit to help it stand out against the template. It's a bit lost at the moment. I also think there needs to be more going on with the rest of the template... right now it looks like a rock.
-> Gondor looks too good. STOP BEING GOOD AT THIS. Actually my observation with the Gandalf icon applies here, too. Make the Gondor culture icon pop a bit more.
-> The Rohan template is beautiful as #$&*@!, but going along with what I suggested earlier with the Shire template (which again looks perfect now!), you might want to brighten it a smidgen. It's quite dark at the moment, which makes it hard to notice all the pretty goings-on around the card. I reckon I know why you went so dark (don't want the whole thing to look pink), so just a tiny bit of a brightening would be fine, I feel.

And as far as I'm concerned, that's all that's left to say. This is amazing to see.

[Cw0rk]

Which fonts are you using?

[Hobbiton Lad]

Took your critiques and did some more fine tuning on the Gandalf and Gondor templates. I did some color tweaking on Gandalf to give it a more earthy tone. It feels more Gandalf-y now. Added some garnish to the Gondor template as long as some more contrast to the culture symbol.

I like the changes. I still need to work with Rohan a bit. I brightened it, but I want to add a little more flavor as well. It's the only FP template now that doesn't have extra flavor on the background.

Gandalf:   http://postimage.org/image/ugx17b5jj/

Gondor:   http://postimage.org/image/usehk2lzj/

[Hobbiton Lad]

Which fonts are you using?

The Title and Type are Matrix Bold with the Photoshop option for using small caps. I tried Matrix Bold Small Caps, but it didn't give quite the same style.

The number fonts for cost, strength, vitality and resistance are Campanero. These are not the fonts that Decipher used. I can't figure out which ones those were, but I think I like these better anyway.

The text font is a custom font I obtained through rigorous searching. I believe this to be the actual font that Decipher used. The file was actually somewhat corrupted when I got it, so I've had to do some work in a font editor to rehabilitate it. I still need to fix some errors in it, but it's working well enough to make templates with now.

The flavor text font is Centaur MT Swash Capitals.

[Hobbiton Lad]

I was inspired by the Gondor template to attempt more realism. So I've made yet another round of garnishes to the Free People's side. I didn't do much to the Elven template other than remove the blue haze around the image. You will see the obvious changes I made to the Rohan, Dwarven, and Gandalf templates. I didn't change Gollum at all. I really like it.

I also changed the Dwarven text box engraving and the watermark to be more thematically accurate, as well as the Rohan and Gondor watermarks.

This is by far the most I feel like I've ever been able to accomplish as a hobbyist graphic designer.  I feel good about all the FP templates except Gandalf. I just don't know what to put in the background for him. Still experimenting. I'd love some suggestions.

Also, FYI, I'm deleting the old versions of templates as I go to conserve space and minimize confusion.

Dwarven:   http://postimage.org/image/o7k539znz/

Elven:   http://postimage.org/image/5mrbigoun/

Gandalf:   http://postimage.org/image/kmo9k1v4f/

Gondor:   http://postimage.org/image/vwce19arz/

Rohan:   http://postimage.org/image/k0zany027/

Shire:   http://postimage.org/image/86rjqb1sf/

[menace64]

ROHAN LOOKS SEXY AS #$&*@!.

*Ahem*

So they all look really, really good (it's getting hard to say this and mean it more than I did last time haha!). I do have one critique though: as awesome as the template backgrounds look, I think you should pull 'em back a bit. As it stands right now, the focal point of the cards have drifted off of the images. Dwarven and Gandalf are the big offenders, and Gondor is hovering right on the edge. I know it hurts to 'hide' your amazing work, but I think doing so would strength the overall look of each card!

EDIT: And on second look, I'm going to say that your Rohan template is better than Decipher's. No, I'm not just saying that to make you feel good (you already should)... it's just that beautiful. Bravo.