(http://img837.imageshack.us/img837/8757/iconocracy512x512.png)
EVE: Iconocracy
Iconocracy began as a project to create larger, sharper versions of the NPC corporation and faction icons seen in EVE Online (see: this thread here (http://backstage.eve-inspiracy.com/index.php?topic=1057.0) and deviantART here (http://hegemon4hire.deviantart.com/gallery/)). That is still its primary purpose, but the project's goal is now to create enhanced icons for every NPC corp and faction and compile them into a single, carefully crafted image complete with informative descriptions and pertinent screenshots/EVE art from chrons and such. An example of an early version at half resolution is available here (http://dl.eve-files.com/media/corp/Ken/eve_iconocracy_amarr_empire_complete.png). I'm looking at the final, grand image coming to somewhere around 13000x8000 pixels in size (with each of the over 200 icons alone represented in 512x512px), a resolution sufficient to have a professional printer create a sizable poster with good print resolution.
The component images we're talking about are not simply resizes of the current icons. They are original creations made to look like the in-game icons and it takes a good bit of my time to draw and polish each one. Thankfully, I find the creation process quite fun. My artistic goal is to impart a certain amount of uniformity across the various icons within each faction by giving them all the appearance of having the same material and lighting (polished stone for the Amarr, brushed metal with two light sources for the Caldari, etc). I'm also trying to establish a certain amount of uniformity across all the icons in every group so that they look better together in the final product.
The way I'm going to lay out that final product leaves some room to include a few special additions. I want to use that space to incorporate a few player corporations (or alliances) in the final product. The question I'm left with answering is how best to choose whom to include. I think, in the spirit of the Backstage, a fiction contest might be the best means to that end. Update October 3rd: that contest has now been announced and you can find out more here (http://backstage.eve-inspiracy.com/index.php?topic=1190.0).
Since I can't log in to the client from here, I am also soliciting you (yes, you! :o) for your badass EVE screenshots of: fleets standing still, fleets in motion, fleets stuck in and lancing their opponents with heavy fire, and also the rare and interesting sights of New Eden that most people tend to just warp on by. Please link or email your screens to kenreikko@gmail.com. They don't even have to be your screenshots, just point me in the right direction if you come across one.
Project agenda/timeline--
100%: Amarr enhanced icon stock
100%: Amarr finished icons
100%: Caldari enhanced icon stock
100%: Caldari finished icons
100%: Gallente enhanced icon stock
100%: Gallente finished icons
100%: Minmatar enhanced icon stock
100%: Minmatar finished icons
100%: Neutrals & pirates enhanced icon stock
100%: Neutrals & pirates finished icons
100%: Assemble screenshot stock from the community
100%: Contest to select player corporations/alliances for inclusion (http://backstage.eve-inspiracy.com/index.php?topic=1190.0)
42%: Player corp icon stock
42%: Player corp finished icons
CONTINUAL: Review all stock artwork and tweak
78%: Finished 771x579px 'card' for each corp/faction
Factions examples (slightly outdated):
(http://img715.imageshack.us/img715/2662/cardamarrempire.th.png) (http://img715.imageshack.us/img715/2662/cardamarrempire.png) (http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/5327/cardcaldaristate.th.png) (http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/5327/cardcaldaristate.png) (http://img814.imageshack.us/img814/7284/cardgallentefederation.th.png) (http://img814.imageshack.us/img814/7284/cardgallentefederation.png) (http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/9062/cardminmatarrepublic.th.png) (http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/9062/cardminmatarrepublic.png)
Bloodline examples:
(http://img692.imageshack.us/img692/5663/eveiconocracyamarrblood.th.png) (http://img692.imageshack.us/img692/5663/eveiconocracyamarrblood.png) (http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/568/eveiconocracyintakibloo.th.png) (http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/568/eveiconocracyintakibloo.png)
32%: Compile the final image
0%: Printing test runs and further tweaking
0%: First finished posters awarded to contest winners
0%: Posters available to everyone
0%: Enhanced icon image stocks released to the community
Can you dig it?
This morning I finished the last of the fundamental art resources for Iconocracy with the 197th NPC icon. What remains is to assemble the infocards (23 are finished and 179 are primed out of 209 total), find our winning player corps/alliances in the flash fiction contest, and bring it all together.
To give you a sense of the scale I'm hoping to achieve, the complete Iconocracy image of all NPC factions, bloodlines, and corporations (along with our three lucky player corps and a couple surprise entries) is going to be at least 13107x7527 pixels in size. At 200 pixels per inch, that generates a ~65x37 inch printed image. I'm seeing the first slices of it come together as I work and (speaking as an EVE fanatic) it looks rather good.
While looking back, however, I realized that these last two NPC icons were also part of the first set I posted about six weeks ago before I sat down to improve my admittedly amateur design skills and this became a big project. I thought I'd share the final versions of these last two NPC icons with everybody, side by side with the very first versions (that I actually thought were pretty badass at the time 8)).
Thanks for all the encouragement and remember keep your eyes open for the next contest challenge thread! ;)
Thukker Tribe
Original in-game icon:
(http://img710.imageshack.us/img710/9982/logoevefactionofficialt.png)
Six weeks ago:
(http://img829.imageshack.us/img829/7850/logoevefactionoriginalt.png)
Final Iconocracy version:
(http://img299.imageshack.us/img299/9834/logoevefactionthukkertr.png)
Blood Raider Covenant
Original in-game icon:
(http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/6456/logoevefactionofficialb.png)
Six weeks ago:
(http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/9411/logoevefactionoriginalb.png)
Final Iconocracy version:
(http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/3979/logoevefactionbloodraid.png)