I have a ton of fantasy art, but when I'm making a card there are many times I cannot find a suitable picture to use, but when I look at some of the talisman island expansions I see pictures I have never come across...and I've spent a lot of time looking.

Anyone have any sites to share? Google isn't cutting it....

Can't really help you. I don't use art from artiists who have not given me personal permission to do so; and I especially don't distribute cards with such artwork. I use a lot of PD, CF, NFC sources mixed with maskings from advertising and sample renders of models for 3D environments. 95% of what I do is assemble with a lot of postwork.

Perhaps you should tell us what kind of image you are looking for, as even others don't just use specific sources. Maybe someone will know a place to look for something more specific.

I'm a little unclear on copyright laws...is grabbing a pic of the net and using it on custom cards for my own personal use (i.e. not selling or generating money in anyway) illegal?

Talismania said:

Yes, it is. And it is also illegal to redistribute the work even in a NP use without consent. The fact that you won't be caught or prosecuted if it's just personal use is another matter. Most of those pics on the net are ones that have been stolen anyway, if you're finding them through a search engine that doens't point to the artist own authorized site.

Overall, if it's just for personal use, not as a print quality copy, or for any form of redistribution, most artists look the other way (though sometimes their agents, publishers... and their lawyers... don't want to look away). Again, there's not much they can do about it anyway. For me, its an ethical and moral issue, aside any legal angle.

As a professional author who appreciates his cover artists, works with them from time to time, and knows just how little they make... as a past small press publisher and sometime contractor editor... as a past graphics artist for bands in the hayday / birth of Grunge in Seattle... I am admittedly a bit militant about it. Don't take it personally, its just my thing. And even if you did redistribute cards with stolen artwork, well, it's not like you're the only one... not by a long shot

I just tried to friend you, and the forum choked on me (server side CInt ASP error... definitely someone messed up when tweaking some code). If you have a chance, you could try to friend me (it may not work for you anymore than me). Then you can email me privately about issues of artwork for cards... if you like.

Thank you for the education and I can certainly see why you would take issue with copyright laws. I was honestly under the impression if money was not being generated it was not illegal. Which is actually quite silly now that I think about it since I knew that downloading movies and video games is certainly illegal so why would this be an different.

Move along people, nothing to see here. This is not the pirated images topic you're looking for.

I tried to Friend you, but the server choked on me as well. I will try again later.

Yeah, I kinda figured the choke wasn't just me. Let's hope someone's checking the server logs regularly... or that someone bother to actually turn on error logging for that matter. It's an ASP system, so I know logging is available to turn on. Fingers crossed.

And again, you're not that in that much of a shadowy realm if you're just going to use your created stuff for your own crew. Are you working in Photoshop, another graphics program, or perhaps SE with Jon's plugin? Just curious.

I've been using Strange Eons with Jon's plug in. Interesting story...I used to have a talisman fansite years ago called MouseLords Lair that had new cards and characters I'd made for 2nd edition. I was part of the yahoo talisman group and through that heard from a Jon New that had a site called Talisman Island. I went there and was blown away by all the great stuff that was available. Then I started the kids/wife/school/job so didn't have much time for Talisman anymore. I wasn't until my 4 year old asked me what the Talisman game was and I played a round with her that I started to remember the stuff I'd made.

I went to the computer right after that game and looked up the site and saw the Fantasy flight version on talisman island. I bought it immediately and started to make my own cards again. Strange Eons seems like a pretty solid program, with only a few minor bugs I've come across. Is there a better editor?

Hey Mouselord (Talismania!!)

I still have your site archived, and would add it to the section at Talisman Island, but it has always been missing the board for the Netherworld (I think). Do you still have those errant files?

BTW - What bugs have you found? They could actually be features!

Very cool, T. I remember the yahoo group out there, though I never joined (hate the yahoo system of doing things that forces you into a registration for their whole system, ad infinitum).

Unless you're into graphics programs like PhotoShop (or even Gimp) or others capable of layered graphics formats and non-destructive editing techniques, there is NOTHING better than SE and Jon's plugin. He always seems to be up to something to improve it. I've contributed a few things to it - through Jon - as well. See the alignment card back, the Neutral alignment card front, and the additional rules card front and back format. Also helped out with the custom card back template and some its and bits that Jon assembled with his own stuff so people could make custom card backs if needed.

I prefer PS CS4 Extended for all my work... occassionally supplimented by Illustrator CS4 and ACDSee Pro. But you sure can't go wrong with SE!!! My needs include pastiche, masking, and image assembly the cards I create, plus I know how to do a fair amount of textual manipulation and effects tricks with it. If what you want is just to use found art and clean textual input for cards to add to your own game, SE is a heck of a lot easier and faster way to go. Trust me... and trust Jon's work.

talismanisland said:

It's true that the Netherworld board was never actually produced. At the time I had no ability to do so and it just fell by the wayside. I think that yahoo deleted my site so the fact that you have it archived is very cool. I don't actually like a bunch of the cards I designed at the time . I would be interested in looking at the card and character files again sometime.

As for bugs, I am using the latest alpha version. I have noticed that if I edit and existing card and change the name, when I press save I get a dialog that says "This file has changed..." and Save As (the new card name) is one of my options, however when I press Save As nothing happens.

One other thing, the File menu isn't as responsive as I might like. I have to click File and then mouse away from it and back again before the submenu items display for me.

I will throw the site up at some point this week for you.

edit - I was just trawling through the html and noticed this little credit -

message[4] = "I borrowed this JavaScript from Talisman Island"

As to SE, I have that problem with the File menu actually and the renaming thing. I don't think it is the extension but may be something to do with SE or Java or Vista, but will investigate further.

Well, it should all be working okay. I made the iframe a little larger this time, so it should all display properly.

http://www.talismanisland.com/arc_mouselord.htm

Thank you very much sir! I'm at work currently so I can't download them...and my kitchen is being re-modelled so I am staying at the in-laws for a few days...is it Ok to keep the site up until say Thursday Feb 4th so I can grab them when I get back to my computer proper?

My site crafted in paint sure is hard on the eyes. Some of the colors I chose...yikes! I remember how proud I was of myself when I realized I could make my own buttons! I'm going to have to give a new site a try someday. At least my knowledge of design has grown, although I can't say the same for my sense of style :0.

I've actually added it to the Archives section, so it is now part of the site proper... I hope that is okay?

I wouldn't worry about site design! Have you seen the early efforts I made into website design in the Archive section?

Oh sure you can leave the site up. I have been working on a new type of expansion that I would like to submit as well once it is complete. The issue I have again is with the board. My newest endeavor demands a completely new board, but other than having people draw it out on a large sheet of paper, is there anyway I can actually have it made available for download?

About the Netherworld ... its sounds like an interesting idea. I've never liked the reincarnation rules for Talisman when a character / adventurer dies, but this seems a more interesting way to keep playing with a chance to come back. I'd like to know more about it.... perhaps even offer up my assistance as a part time graphics hacker.

I really appreciate the offer JC. I have read over the rules and there are a few changes I have to make. Originally the Netherworld was designed to fit around the outside of the main board which doesn't really work so well now with the huge 4th edition board. I'll have to re-work it a bit, but even then, if you do end up doing some work on it, I would be very open to design opinions .

How tall are the spaces for the Netherworld? In other words, how think of a ring around the board does it create? How many spaces total all the way around the board or on each side of it?

The commercial expansions have an advantage in that they only go around one corner. Those "realms" could easier go further out, and wrap the corners of a 4th "region" around the main board. BUT remember that there are some people out there who have an Black Industries 4E board vs. the FFG 4ER board; the boards are slightly different sizes. I guess overall and completely autonomous board is best, though it's kind of sad not to stick with that 4th region layout.

I have updated The Rules extensively for Netherworld. I have included a very cheesy mspaint mock-up of the board. Should I paste the info on to these boards or did you have an email address I should send it too?

Hey there

Just to toss in an idea: for my Gauntlet expansion, I created a small board which fit right in the middle of the normal Talisman board. You might want to use that sort of thing? I may even have a template knocking around you can use.

You can DL my expansion from my website (see my sig) or from Talisman Island. Have a look at it and see if that board is any use to you.

Best Regards

DTH

I took a good look at your expansion and it is very well done! It kinda creepy actually how close some of the cards I have designed for my newest set and at least 15 of the cards you made are almost identical. As for the board cards...is that something that is done through SE?

Also...what is the Talisman font you use in your rule book? If it's not a normally available one....do you know where I can get it?

The font used for titles in Talisman these days is Windlass. There is a version readily available out there, but it is not quite the one in use by FFG, so I amended a copy that uses the correct R (the one without a long tail). You can grab a copy of it here.

Talismania might also need the Caxton font. Unless someone else can, I will try to upload it myself tomorrow. Just have time for a very quick stop in here for tonight.

I can upload all the fonts tonight, if no one else has.

The board is a Photoshop Document, so unless you have GIMP or Photoshop, it is useless to ya.

Let me know if you want it and I'll upload that too.

Or, alternatively, if you give me your specs, I'll mock up a board for you (time permitting).