Battle screen, Medusa's "Petrification" requires a new icon

[Branikolog]

Preliminary checks

• [X] I've checked that there aren't other open issues on the same topic.

Describe the problem requiring a solution

Currently we have a original icon for this effect. But its design is poor and ugly We also need this icon to be shown in spell description window:

Describe the possible solution

A nice starting issue for an artist. An icon should be created using Heroes 2 palettes. It can look, for example, like some sort of stone object or similar to current implementation figure made of stone. Also, it can be a picture of medusa's face, as the effect is inspired by the medusa's ability to turn creatures into a stone.

Additional info

No response

[LeHerosInconnu]

Hello @Branikolog,

In the original game, they used the wrong color for the background of the Medusa petrification sprite, which makes this squared border around the sprite. This can be easily fixed by simply changing the background color. (This bug is reported in this thread (SPELLINL.ICN, 0011.bmp): https://heroes2.forumactif.com/t303-changes-to-the-game-s-graphics.) Also, I think this sprite doesn't look so bad once the correction is made.

In original game (with the sprite corrected):

[cxong]

I'm thinking of using a head icon that is half turned to stone like this image .

The icons shall be based off the blind spell icons

[Branikolog]

Hi, @cxong. Sounds good! I think, head should be facing left, so it would more distinctive from "Blind".

[LeHerosInconnu]

Hello @cxong and @Branikolog,

I'm thinking of using a head icon that is half turned to stone like this image .

The icons shall be based off the blind spell icons

Hi, @cxong. Sounds good! I think, head should be facing left, so it would more distinctive from "Blind".

I'm not too enthusiastic about frankensteinizing the graphics already present in the game for something else. Here, I'd rather have the Medusa head in a full grayscale version than the reuse of the Blind sprite, the original sprite being the most preferable for me. It starts with a reuse, then comes a second reuse, etc., it doesn't look "professional".

[Branikolog]

Hi, @LeHerosInconnu. I'm almost convinced, that @cxong meant, that icon will look similar to "Blind" icon ( just kind of someone's head ), but would be completely newly created. Anyway, we're struggling for professional approach, but without any attempts, how could we create future expansion? Just give him a chance. ;)

[ihhub]

Hi @LeHerosInconnu , @Branikolog and @cxong , I would insist not to use the exact blind icon as it might lead to licensing issues but I see no issues to try something new. The current icon from a perspective of a new player looks like an elemental rather than something medusa-related. It really looks like a cheap piece of art work.

[cxong]

Archive.zip icons in bmp / zip

[1GodRage]

Here is the beginning of something.

I don"t like where it's going, too much "realistic". My idea will be to make a char a bit like theses 3 spells: black silhouette with "stonisation" ongoing.

Special Legs spell:

I'll keep this page on my desktop, will come back when I have more free time to draw seriously. 😁

[ihhub]

Hi @1GodRage , so-called "stone" effect must be in contrast with black image. Also you can try to apply such effect from bottom to top like covering legs only (see Slow spell).

[ihhub]

Special Legs spell:

This somehow reminds me about Mario leaving his suit...

[1GodRage]

I'm quite happy with this one: (stoned8.png)

Zoomed with Book background: What do you think? ^^

But while doing it, I thought that the "stoning" effect should come from the eye or from the heart... because if it's only medusa-related, then, stoning from the eye could be more meaningful. But, it's the fear that stone people, so maybe the heart is more logical. So, I didn't make it coming from the ground.

Here is some images I made while working on it. I obviously started with the original "slow" image. snowboard-stop paused stoned7

[zenseii]

Hi @1GodRage , as @ihhub mentioned:

I would insist not to use the exact blind icon as it might lead to licensing issues but I see no issues to try something new.[...]

we can't make the new icon by editing an original Heroes 2 one and share this with fheroes2, since that would amount to copyright infringement. I hope this doesn't put you off doing this since you're really good, but this is just something we have to be very careful about.

[1GodRage]

Thanks for the reminder, sorry I totally forgot! ^^' So I kept what I made, and deleted what was part of original asset, then redrawn it: stoned9 stoned 9b (removed the ground because it has nothing to do with the ground...)

Maybe it's not "easy to recognize" enough, because of too much details. stoned10

zoomed in: 9 9b 10

[Branikolog]

Hi, @1GodRage ! Really impressive. I like the concept of making icon similar to slow/haste icons. (It's not so far from the original icon). The second attempt (slow-like one) looks good. At the same time the last one has more uniqueness, which is nice - it would be more recognisable for players. I personally would prefer a bit more brighter gray pixels, as dark ones look close to black. The pose of the last picture looks kind of friendly. :) Could you, please, add some attacking/defending mood? Or some anxiety? :D

[1GodRage]

Thank you :-)

I agree, the position of the last one is a bit funny. xD (kind of walking while saying "I don't know, maybe?" xD) 11 12 changes: arm and knee 13 legs: more space between legs

I also made some others shadowmans for the fun. 😁

[Branikolog]

Hi, @1GodRage Heh, so much nice artwork! :) I love the most the one, where a man is holding his old favourite shirt full of holes. :) The icon is even better, but I'm still felling it's kind of static... Like a shadowman is holding a sword (he found on a sale) and was stunned accidentally (by the price he saw on it). Could you please make him showing us more action? Making a step? Attacking someone? Or being hit by someone? Here's some inspiration images, that came to my mind:

[1GodRage]

yeah, kind of stand by position, because ... fear is often not agressive attitude, but more a stand-by attitude. ^^ But ok, there is an "hurted" shadowman that also get stoned: 17 zoomed:

13 14 15 16

because there isn't that much colors (black and orange border), and a smaller size than "usual creatures", complex positions can be difficult to understand. For me, in the haste icon, the shadowman is just an actor to whom we said "hold this sword and this shield, then run!", he doesn't have any additional attitude. So, if "stoned" is only cast by medusa, fear attitude or any action-like is fine, but if it's a spell that player can cast, maybe just stonisation is fine? We could even make a small icon of warlock statue... :p

[ihhub]

Hi @1GodRage , could you please try an idea to show stoning effect only for the lower part of the body? Per my opinion it is not obvious that this icon stands for.

But overall a really impressive work so far!

[ihhub]

Sorry, I meant @1GodRage :(

[1GodRage]

I think the stone is too bright...

Maybe I'm not really good (at painting bodies at least, I honestly never painted bodies before, my experience is self-taunt smileys in 12x12 pixels xD), because if I take the H3 sprite and transform it into shadowman: But the H3 sprite is worth 20 hours of modeling in 3D (without clothes), no black and yellow sprite.

[Branikolog]

Hi, @1GodRage .

So, if "stoned" is only cast by medusa, fear attitude or any action-like is fine,

It will happen as you're saying. We're not going to implement such spell available for a hero. Only as a creature special ability.

In a case there were a small splats of stone on a body more brighter looked better. But in current implementation (50% stoned) I think darker gray would be ok.

Actually, I like this crusader-like shadow. ) Previous shadowman has some issues with body proportions. I personally would take H3 shadowman, change his helmet for a head (probably looking down) and cover 40% of lower body with stone (up to middle of the rised thigh). But, Probably this concept looks a bit higher quality comparing to the original art. What do you think?

[1GodRage]

I think that I can try things. ^^ And any comment helps, I know where to go.

I changed some pixels there and there to not be the H3 sprite (copyright issues?) the sword a bit more H2ish, the head rounded, added eyes. Adding eyes gives an allied nature, and ability to use eyes, so, not fitting with hurting. Removed eyes. Made the shield not rounded. (shield more recognizable, and not in a "head" shape) After reading again, I see I did too much stone. Reducedd amount of stone. Here it is:

Hmmmm about head direction, maybe, instead of eyes, adding a nose... 🤔

[zenseii]

Hmmmm about head direction, maybe, instead of eyes, adding a nose... 🤔

Hi @1GodRage,

I think these look great! In my opinion the numbers 27 and 28 look the best because the shape of the shield is better and the arm holding it seems more proportioned.

[ihhub]

I vote for number 28. If we have no big objections then we can even integrate such icon in the upcoming release.

[1GodRage]

29: I changed a bit the stone effect of the 28 It may looks more H2ish, because I used the procedure that was used on the disturb ray icon. :-)

I will need some indications for the upload of the image.

[zenseii]

29: I changed a bit the sone effect of the 28

Great, @1GodRage ! What I like about this new one is that the smaller pixels make it look more like the person is currently turning into stone, which is better than it looking like just the legs were turned to stone.

[ihhub]

I will need some indications for the upload of the image.

Hi @1GodRage , you can just pass the original image in PNG or Bitmap format and I will do the rest of the work. We have to convert this image into fheroes2 image format and store it inside resurrection.h2d file which is shipped with the engine.

[1GodRage]

Ok! :-) Here is the 29. :-)

edit: I doublechecked, the PNG image uploaded here is 100% like the one I made on my computer. ;)

[Branikolog]

Hi, @1GodRage Sorry, for the late response. This icon look really much better! I love new shield and the pose itself. I'm only concerning about the wideness of the icon. Doesn't it much wider, than all original icons? @ihhub , what do you think, would there be an issue within game UI with such big icon? If so the sword could be shortened or positioned more vertically. Anyway, you've made a great job, @1GodRage ! The icon is definitely looking H2-ish. I'd also like to see the transition more spread, like in disrupting ray icon (sparse gray pixels could reach a bit higher level), but I'm not sure it'd look better to be honest.

[ihhub]

Hi @Branikolog , there is no limit for icon size. For example, FireBlast spell has icon of 52 x 40 pixels size. Mirror Image spell is 66 x 41 pixels so the proposed icon is absolutely fine by size.

[1GodRage]

I'd also like to see the transition more spread, like in disrupting ray icon (sparse gray pixels could reach a bit higher level), but I'm not sure it'd look better to be honest.

30 disrupting ray style stoneation

[Branikolog]

@1GodRage Wow, you're fast.) Gray pixels raised a bit higher, than I've expected, but now I cannot tell which work is better. Maybe something between these both would be ok? ) Something like that... Anyway, I'm OK with both your previous icons, @1GodRage . :)

[zenseii]

In my humble opinion 29 looked better since the few single pixels gives it more of a dithered effect, while 30 and the one @Branikolog posted makes me focus on the single gray pixels and this makes it look like there are separate gray spots/stains instead of it being a gradual continuous transformation into stone. It gives somehow an impression that you got hit by many droplets of a gray paint/liquid, like how ketchup could do.

Those are just my thoughts.

[ihhub]

but we need to create a smaller icon for Monster dialog which should be not bigger than 32 x 32 pixels as other icons for this dialog.

[1GodRage]

I see, 32x32 spell icon is needed!! ^^

I tried something, but the feeling is kind of "go back to day2" ..., because it is quite a new image.

31

32

33

I would say the 33 is the one to go with.

Next buff/debuff spell I make will be in 32x32 from the start... If i remember. :grin:

[ihhub]

@1GodRage , well done with the small icon! I will provide a screenshot how it would look in the game and if no objections from other team members we would go with this solution.

[Branikolog]

Hi. @1GodRage , @ihhub . I personally like 31 more, as it looks closer to the original. 32 and 33 are too tiny and disproportioned a bit. I think adding 1 pixel to a sword's length will look better. If we compare original haste icons, they look similar, but the sword is shorter.