[Showcase] The Ice Palace by Olrox

[Olrox]

Briefing & Concept

Hello rathena. This is one of those special times were I'm ready to post one of my most beautiful works all the time. A map that goes well for this holiday season and... it is really unique for it.

This map is used for event purposes for the server who comissioned me to make it possible. The idea is to celebrate -christmas- in a very innovate way with what I name as "The Ice Palace".

I have to say that I had to give all my experience with this one. All these time I have worked with numerous .Winter. style maps: Jazeera Xmas, Icecrown citadel, Prontera Deck Halls, Lake Bresha Map. Each map, have teached me very well that it is NOT the same to deal with making Crystal, Ice, Frost Ice, or Snow. Each element is different and to recreate the presention of the difference of each one is a hard task.

All that experience is now present in this palace that is, like something made from a dream. I have to say, the map is beautiful, and I'm really proud of the final result. Hope you will like this work I did with a lot of effort

The idea of the map is from a real life concept about ice castles/bars that are in some areas of the world. Very beautiful places where people can visit this places made all with Ice!.

Here we have the idea. To use transparent models with some small light colors across all of them. My customer asked me to preserve the -beatiful blue- in all the map but, with some small color variations.

Another request that goes with trying new things. I love it

About this map

So, what do we have new on this map?

Ice Palace is, a really beautiful high class place... made completely with ice!. It was necesary to try some innovations on this map to have this concept sucessfull. I will point 3 of them, that are mentioned in the previous 3 images:

Multi Layer Ice Glass: The main dance area that has a big glass on center, is made with, 8 different levels of opacity multilayers textures to have the "frozen" effect. Reflection is added by duplicating the chandelier on top. "Frozen" effect increases by adding frost diffusing light, a technique that I tried first in my Lake Bresha Map

Ice Behaviour Interior room Structure: This is really a new concept for interior maps. When I was doing the map I realized that "Ice" grows in no particular way. Ice grows everywhere and it attachs into every possible area it can do. To make a "Rough" room with 4 walls was not a good idea and it would be against the ice principles.

The idea was, to make the effect like the "Ice" cropped some walls on the palace. That means, like the ice made some holes on the palace walls and commed out from there, or even, like if the Ice eated some walls in the palace, BUT WITH a lot of caution. This is a palace afterall and make the effect to presencial, would harm the main idea of this.

You will surely notice this addition, if you take a look at the walls on the map. They dont end in normal corners

Multi Opacity Models: All, all the models of this map, have opacity levels made with TGA Textures. I cant count how many levels of different opacities I did, but... the fun thing of this map is, that everywhere you walk you can see your character trough the ice. Making the ice recreation even better.

Recreative Video! ... Watch it in 720p!

This is a very VERY SPECIAL VIDEO... not like the others.

The first one of what I call as "Recreative Videos".

It means they are videos of an example of

implementation of the map, with quest,

dialogues, fun moments. Watch it enterily

You will love it!

HD Screenshots

Screens are in Full HD resolution. You can allways hit the image thumbnaill to check the images on full size, and check some details that can only be appreciated in HD resolution.

Beautiful View 1

Beautiful views are, views that comes out of the camera limits of an interior map just to show a pretty view of it. This view says it all... an angel statue on center, a big stained glass window on the back. An Ice chandelier on top reflected on a ice dance floor area, Ice winter blowing effect crossing the air, sunlight from the roof, ... all matches and gives a very beautiful view here!

Beautiful View 2

Angle that is out of the limits of the map, but I liked it. Shows the palace way across the bar room, and hang out area.

Overview 1

Shows the main area, entrance and dance area of the ice palace.

Overview 2

Shows the midle center of the map.

Overview 3

Overview 4

Here we have the same areas, another angle.

Detailed 1

Shows the entrance of the palace. If you pay attention, the tiles on the floor are not linear. The ice is even represented on that too, since, Ice covers the floor in random way, that is how I did it... On the back area, you have what I was naming as "Ice Behaviour", where the fountain is. That is what I name as really "an Ice Wall".

Detailed 2

The dance area... one of my favorites. Reflection is well represented here, and the ice dance area is really well done. It all matches.

Detailed 4

Yeah... an Ice Piano. Model fully texturized by me, to make it look as made of ice.

Detailed 5

Oh one of my favorites. The ice stained glass window. It is a huge stained glass window made by me... it is covered all with ice. To make the "structure" looks like that it was necessary a HIGH amount of models and a lot of ice styles. It was REALLY necessary to make the stained glass looking as "coming out of the ice", like something that the ice itself molded by magic. It had to look like that, and not like I just placed it.

Detailed 6

Opacity. Shows an example of the ice angel on center, how opacity is managed and you can see your character in almost all the structures in the map.

Detailed 7

Passage. Some Ice Lions wall fountains on the back. And here is also well represented the Ice Behaviour Walls. Ice is growing from the roof of that wall and ends, by cropping it on the left and right corner of this wall.

Detailed 8

Hang out area. An ice fountain on center with a great detail on top to make all this place looks so high class really

Detailed 9

Entrance to the bar area. Again, Ice is cropping the walls!

Detailed 10

The ice bar. A very great place where seems like the ice molded those stained glass windows and let that corner be alive.!

Okay, that was all. Really guys, this is one of these maps were, I come so far and here is where I believe I have learned a lot from the previous requests. Without the experience of doing custom maps for someone, this map could not be possibe as how it looks here!

I hope you will like this map! I know it is only a showcase but particulary this map brings new elements to the map scene, that I'm sure a lot of mappers will find helpfull.

Thank you all for all the comments. Every rate counts!. Dont forget the video, to see a teaser of a quest idea of this map... it is really enjoyable.

See you later!

[Kirito]

Wow! Amazing! Full of ice. A piano made from ice and others too!

[Taeko]

i love blue color! it´s perfect jeje i want be th second player of the video!!! xD

the video is awesome *0*

Edited December 16, 2012 by Taeko

[Syouji]

Olrox, your map is breath taking. The lighting is perfect in matching the theme and models. Love the transparency effect you made for the piano, floors, ice, etc. Great choice of effects (It sucks how limited the game is to that) and placements. Overall, a real pleasure to see what you made. Your work gives me inspiration to create something fantastic as well.

[exneval]

i want to cry , this is...

incredible awsome ...

[Olrox]

Wow! Amazing! Full of ice. A piano made from ice and others too!

thanks. the piano is for the custom quest I did.

i love blue color! it´s perfect jeje i want be th second player of the video!!! xD

the video is awesome *0*

It took me time to do that video XD I think I must improve my video edition skills. But it is fun to see

Olrox, your map is breath taking. The lighting is perfect in matching the theme and models. Love the transparency effect you made for the piano, floors, ice, etc. Great choice of effects (It sucks how limited the game is to that) and placements. Overall, a real pleasure to see what you made. Your work gives me inspiration to create something fantastic as well.

I allways enjoy your comments. Being from a good mapper as you makes me proud to read a review like that. Thanks!!!

i want to cry , this is...

incredible awsome ...

I want to cry too, it was a lot of work ;__;

[AnnieRuru]

I come so far and here is where I believe I have learned a lot from the previous requests. Without the experience of doing custom maps for someone, this map could not be possibe as how it looks here!

I want to cry too, it was a lot of work ;__;

I also remember the time when I made mission board script

I sprint my endurance for 2 whole weeks just onto this single script,

( when go to sleep, thinking about what should I add which features to this script tomorrow,

next day when wake up, 1st thing to do is switch on the computer and review back my incomplete script before goes to work

and when its finally finished, that kind of feeling ... xD .... I understand that XD )

I took a full rest for 2 whole weeks after finished it XD

put everything that you have learned into 1 single project, and it becomes your masterpiece

I Lost the Count!

of different map works between edits, fixes, new maps... I have done

same here xD

I also lost count how many scripts I have written ... probably over 1,500 now xD

and seriously ... your map designing has already surpass official maps ...

damn ... I want to learn map-designing,

and somehow feel its getting further and further if I want to do the same thing as you...

Edited December 16, 2012 by AnnieRuru

[Olrox]

Wow... a post from Annie, is allways special to me <3

I cant remember exactly but I think it was 2 years ago when we met. I remember you didnt like one of my first maps I did!... and you told me to change one thing on it x:

2 years later, here we are. It makes me really glad to have you around and in this time so far, posting something into this work I did in this ocasion.

Talking About the scripts, I completely understand what you mean. You have go so far and Experience is something you can't get easily. In my case, I also wish I could make a simple script, or do sprites, but those things are really impossible to me.

I'm sure that in your area, all these time making scripts for the request of people, with different things in mind and purposes, have improved your skills into an incredible level <3

Thanks for your post really, and I'm glad to have you as a friend if you -of course- consider me as one XD

[williamII]

I really liked the map *-*

olrox have a power xD

/no1

[Olrox]

I really liked the map *-*

olrox have a power xD

/no1

Thanks williamII

Btw I forgot to add one SS I allready edited the thread. This one in case someone wonders which one is ---> https://dl.dropbox.com/u/52175822/HD_Images/ice_palace/palace_over_3.png

[Camilla]

I said nothing! Wrong thread :3 I will post my feedback soon though <3

[Olrox]

@kamishi THIS IS A SERIOUS THREAD! COME ON XD

[DevilEvil]

I come so far and here is where I believe I have learned a lot from the previous requests. Without the experience of doing custom maps for someone, this map could not be possibe as how it looks here!

I want to cry too, it was a lot of work ;__;

I also remember the time when I made mission board script

I sprint my endurance for 2 whole weeks just onto this single script,

( when go to sleep, thinking about what should I add which features to this script tomorrow,

next day when wake up, 1st thing to do is switch on the computer and review back my incomplete script before goes to work

and when its finally finished, that kind of feeling ... xD .... I understand that XD )

I took a full rest for 2 whole weeks after finished it XD

put everything that you have learned into 1 single project, and it becomes your masterpiece

I Lost the Count!

of different map works between edits, fixes, new maps... I have done

same here xD

I also lost count how many scripts I have written ... probably over 1,500 now xD

and seriously ... your map designing has already surpass official maps ...

damn ... I want to learn map-designing,

and somehow feel its getting further and further if I want to do the same thing as you...

You can't be good at everything XD!

Olrox, I'm absolutely speechless. I was mainly impressed on the reflective-mirror effect, a very creative way to do it considering Ragnarok's limitations. A well deserved 10/10.

[exneval]

KamiShi and KaniShi, LOL

[Olrox]

You can't be good at everything XD!

Olrox, I'm absolutely speechless. I was mainly impressed on the reflective-mirror effect, a very creative way to do it considering Ragnarok's limitations. A well deserved 10/10.

Wow a 10/10 from you is allways something unexpected!, thanks

KamiShi and KaniShi, LOL

Hahaha I'm Olrox back again ~

[RagnaGaga]

Really, really well done! I will ensure you, hundreds of people will enjoy this

Big thumbs up!

[Olrox]

I'm pleased to read that. I'm really glad those hundreds of people will enjoy this great work.

I hope that you are satisfied with the reception too

[jTynne]

Absolutely wonderful per usual, Olrox!

[Olrox]

Thanks :3!

[PapaZola]

this really awesome

hahaha good job Olrox

100/100

[Howl]

Once again, you've really created mastery from a concept! Furthermore, the entire map has a distinct and memorable look that is truly without equal! Your work gets better with every single project, Olrox - and everytime I think, "there's no way he can top this!"

I feel like anyone out there thinking about coming to work with Olrox should know just how lucky they are to have his services! In my opinion, it's like going to the best highest-end store, craftsman, or designer and buying something you know will be without peer. Olrox is the flagship map designer and truly anyone looking at this map would recognize that as well! I don't just think that you can create the impossible - I've actually seen you do it! Olrox can really take an entire concept to a level that you never before thought possible - and he's such a hard worker and amazing to work with!

Truly, you've outdone yourself yet again! So many people will enjoy this map and they will have you to thank for it. A+ work, my friend!

[Yuki]

... Too epic for words. The amount of detail you put in is just amazing <3! This map is so beautiful!

I want that piano. Wow - I really want this map haha or explore around it myself. Brilliant as always! You keep improving every single time and bringing RO to the next level in terms of map designs.

Keep up the awesome work =D! I love looking at your maps, and I can't wait for more updates from you ^^.

[Aly]

this map brings new elements to the map scene, that I'm sure a lot of mappers will find helpfull.

That's so true!

What a beautiful map Olrox! 100/10

And so insteresting quest!

[Olrox]

@Papazola

Thanks man

@Howl

I really appreciate your lines my friend. thanks a lot!

@Yuki

Too epic your comment to be enough thankfull with words too <3

@Aly

Thank you a lot ! the quest was only for testing ofiical release it is much better.

[Adel]

amazing map! wow >__< You have taken ro mapping to a whole new world! You are too good at this! I love the ice sculpture model...my jaw dropped when i saw it. I haven't seen anything like that before o.o

excellent job!