Hi, just caught this post about orthogonal projections which I am also sort of struggling to find a consistent technique for. I am working on a JRPG type game, but unlike many in the genre my game is not conforming to a grid or tile based system.
I have discovered by working with this and observing other games that there is a lot of foreshortening on "some" things and brute forcing of angles to make a playable game. I find also walk behind areas, structure height difficult to work with too with this perspective.
Here is a work in progress of a small section of a city, and as you can see I have had to really battle with every building to make them sit down properly, and many of them are way off and just would not make sense in a 3D space.
http://fractalscapes.net/-DUMP/FORUM/city_test34.pngI have even tried to test a method of box modeling the stuff in 3d, then using that to trace over the pixel art, but I am finding in 3D you have to squash, stretch objects out of original proportion so it looks correct when rendered at orthogonal.
In short I have still not discovered a good method to this and I am winging it all the way. My hope is the sum of all the messiness might be enough to disguise all the issues.
Even still, and from looking at many other games, I don't think there is a sure perfect answer for this and I suppose it also depends on the application of what your doing, such as if its for a game context, or animation..etc
That tower 57 is mind blowing dude
I shall read up on your tutorial Cyangmou, perhaps this might help me find a good consistent technique.