Pixelation

Critique => Pixel Art => Topic started by: Sohei on July 17, 2008, 05:04:40 pm

Title: RPG mockup
Post by: Sohei on July 17, 2008, 05:04:40 pm
Hi. So I've looked through TakaM's works and they totally blew my head off. I have been looking very closely and researched a lot and finally this is what came out.

(http://www.sohei.ru/temp/pix_rpg_hut_01_by_sohei.gif)    (http://www.sohei.ru/temp/pix_rpg_tree_01_by_sohei.gif)
Title: Re: RPG mockup
Post by: AlexHW on July 17, 2008, 06:01:21 pm
the grey pavement tiles look like they're poster paper that has been rolled onto a flat grass and gravel tiles.. id work on transitioning those things better so that it seems meshed together and actually conforming to one another. I like how the roof seems to pop, though the trees lack this same type of depth, like they're more side-view than top-down. try pushing them more towards top-down.
Title: Re: RPG mockup
Post by: tomblifter on July 17, 2008, 06:21:13 pm
I like the art style, I'd play a game with a style like that.
The only problem I see is that the tiles are really noticeable, and don't blend together very well. An example of that is the margin between the house and the grass, the borders of the road and the trees.
Also, the grass could use improvment, its texture is similar to a rocky wall.
Title: Re: RPG mockup
Post by: Dusty on July 17, 2008, 06:22:21 pm
How come the shadows of the tree and the house are not the same shade?
Title: Re: RPG mockup
Post by: michael on July 18, 2008, 12:20:08 am
how come the trees have a purple infestation? youre off to a good start though
Title: Re: RPG mockup
Post by: Sohei on July 18, 2008, 09:39:12 am
Alex Hanson-White, thank you, for pointing on weak spots. I've changed the trail, modified trees by altering shadow and light. For the present brick pavement I'll find something else.
tomblifter, thanks. I've changed grass a bit.
Dusty, I think I fixed it.
michael, I changed purple saturation. How is it now? Any better?

(http://www.sohei.ru/temp/pix_rpg_hut_02_by_sohei.gif)
Title: Re: RPG mockup
Post by: michael on July 18, 2008, 01:12:54 pm
it looks better for an infested tree. i guess my question was more of why is the purple there. not that it cant be there, the reason just isnt apparent.

i think the stones are too defined. in a stone path the stones are usually weather and covered in dirt. try erasing and smoothing parts of the outline. also, stones that big ar not usually saucer shaped and my mind initially assumed they were boulder shaped. cobblepaths you small stones and larger stone paths use sedimentary rocks that are not circular
Title: Re: RPG mockup
Post by: Turbo on July 18, 2008, 04:09:57 pm
Beautiful stuff. You've handled the repeting tiling effect on the grass well, it's still there but it's not bothersome any more. But the road tiles have that effect now. And they look too much like Takam's tiles, you don't need to go for something so similar :)
Title: Re: RPG mockup
Post by: ndchristie on July 18, 2008, 04:48:48 pm
summing up what i meant to say in a page long post in a minute long post -


experimentation is asking questions to find more questions, it's the best way to learn, it's what taka was doing

study is asking questions to find answers, it's a fine way of doing things, BUT

if you ask for answers from someone who is exerimenting, he has none to offer!  therefor either you've gotten yourself in a very meandering way to experimentation (without the important creative process that goes into generating this) or you'll risk mistaking taka's questions for answers and gradually become a lowercase mannerist.
Title: Re: RPG mockup
Post by: kitty on July 19, 2008, 10:05:06 am
If you had some specific examples you'd be easier to comprehend ndchristie.

I like this work so far. The grass is beautiful!
The roof on the new house is wonky.
The little dude's shadow isn't the same as the rest of the shadows. :]
Title: Re: RPG mockup
Post by: Sohei on July 19, 2008, 10:09:31 pm
(http://www.sohei.ru/temp/pix_rpg_pool_01_by_sohei.gif)
Title: Re: RPG mockup
Post by: VictorR on July 20, 2008, 01:07:02 am
I just wanna say, keep going. Im not a huge fan of 2D games and probably never will be but your style and the way you make everything look so smooth is just amazing. I would actually play this game to be honest just by the looks of it. The grass tiles look like little bushes, not sure if thats how its supposed to look. The plants could use some shadow, look like their just hovering. The water could use some higher highlights to bring out the sun reflection. Other than that, it's great.
Title: Re: RPG mockup
Post by: Elk on July 20, 2008, 09:11:41 pm
I absolutely love the water!
And the palms are good aswell!
Title: Re: RPG mockup
Post by: CaKsTeR on July 20, 2008, 09:28:40 pm
I like the water as well, the only thing I can mention is that you should make more variation in trees. Good job.
Title: Re: RPG mockup
Post by: .TakaM on July 22, 2008, 11:32:45 am
Well, I'm honoured  :P

I get the impression in some situations you made things different than how you'd prefer in order to avoid further similarities with my tiles
Don't let me get into your head, just make whatever however you want it to look.

What I'd recommend is to move straight onto some objects and tiles I didn't make, it will help you define your own style
You seem to be doing that now with the palm trees, so keep it up.





This is about the fifth time I've rewritten this part of this post, I've been trying to offer some criticism and advice on your tiles but I keep ending up talking about how and what I did with my tiles  :blind:
so, I'll just keep my picks simple:
The purple on the tree, you need to either tone it down, put more purple throughout the tree, or lose it altogether- At the moment it just isn't making sense, where's that vibrant purple light bouncing from? Also, I think you could lose the black outlines you have in some parts.
I really like the dithered effect you have on the grass and I think you should carry that into the stone dirt.
your transition tiles from grass to dirt tile pretty obviously, you're probably already working on it.

And think about if you really want to stick to 32x32 tiles.
I find them too limiting when it comes to level design and restricts a lot of the creativity you can put into small details.

I look forward to seeing more :)
Title: Re: RPG mockup
Post by: Sohei on July 22, 2008, 12:14:36 pm
.TakaM
I really try to avoid similarities, but I just cant leave alone this whitesand-lightgreengrass color scheme. It's a marvelous invention.

I've been experimenting with cliffs

(http://www.sohei.ru/temp/pix_rpg_klifs_01_by_sohei.gif)
Title: Re: RPG mockup
Post by: KAT on July 23, 2008, 08:45:28 am
I like this project. Palette and style are amazing but I think you could make new one or maybe two trees because one gender of trees are little boring.
Title: Re: RPG mockup
Post by: smiker on July 23, 2008, 08:47:37 am
this style  reminds me rpg maker xp tilesets a lot, did you referenced on them?
keep up the good work.
Title: Re: RPG mockup
Post by: Mike on July 23, 2008, 11:58:31 am
The purple is there because it looks more vibrant than black.  This technique is done in actual paintings as well.  I think it all looks great and the style is fantastic.  If I were you I would take critique on actual technical issues and take no critique on style changes.
Title: Re: RPG mockup
Post by: TrevoriuS on July 23, 2008, 12:04:45 pm
The purple is there because it looks more vibrant than black.  This technique is done in actual paintings as well.
If it's done, it's done on the overall, and often less saturated than this. It should spread slightly purple or blue in all shadows, this tree has some too bright spots which are purple, and some too dark spots on the other areas that aren't.
Title: Re: RPG mockup
Post by: .TakaM on July 23, 2008, 03:59:15 pm
The purple is there because it looks more vibrant than black.  This technique is done in actual paintings as well.  I think it all looks great and the style is fantastic.  If I were you I would take critique on actual technical issues and take no critique on style changes.
I really don't think the vibrancy of the purple is its' reason to exist, black can be just as vibrant, and if the purple were made any more vibrant, would it become more 'successful'?

It's on the trunk too, the idea is that light is being bounced off the ground and is lighting the underside of the tree a bit.
And I'm guessing the only way to explain it is that the tree is casting a slightly purple shadow, and light is being bounced off that shadow

The invaluable reference that's been posted a million times before:
http://www.itchstudios.com/psg/art_tut.htm


and the cliffs look good so far, they're just lacking depth
at the moment they look like a texture wrapped on some flat walls
Title: Re: RPG mockup
Post by: TrevoriuS on July 23, 2008, 06:22:09 pm
Or a more relevant reference:
http://www.itchy-animation.co.uk/tutorials/light01.htm
Title: Re: RPG mockup
Post by: Sohei on July 24, 2008, 12:45:34 am
Imperial guard
(http://www.sohei.ru/temp/pix_rpg_char_guard_01.gif)  (http://www.sohei.ru/temp/pix_rpg_char_guard_03.gif)  (http://www.sohei.ru/temp/pix_rpg_char_guard_02.gif)
Peasant
(http://www.sohei.ru/temp/pix_rpg_char_peasant_01.gif)  (http://www.sohei.ru/temp/pix_rpg_char_peasant_03.gif)  (http://www.sohei.ru/temp/pix_rpg_char_peasant_02.gif)
Peasant's wife
(http://www.sohei.ru/temp/pix_rpg_char_peasant_f_01.gif)  (http://www.sohei.ru/temp/pix_rpg_char_peasant_f_02.gif)  (http://www.sohei.ru/temp/pix_rpg_char_peasant_f_03.gif)
(http://www.sohei.ru/temp/pix_rpg_char_peasant_fn_01.gif)  (http://www.sohei.ru/temp/pix_rpg_char_peasant_fn_02.gif)  (http://www.sohei.ru/temp/pix_rpg_char_peasant_fn_03.gif)
Child
(http://www.sohei.ru/temp/pix_rpg_char_kodomo_01.gif)  (http://www.sohei.ru/temp/pix_rpg_char_kodomo_02.gif)  (http://www.sohei.ru/temp/pix_rpg_char_kodomo_03.gif)

Another tree atempt
(http://www.sohei.ru/temp/pix_rpg_tree_02_by_sohei.gif)

I use purple on trees because I think it will look worse if it were just darkgreen or black. I can't use contrast shadows, because they ruin the whole picture. This is my reasoning.

smiker
>this style  reminds me rpg maker xp tilesets a lot, did you referenced on them?
No. I looked into it only after your mention. Thanks, now I see clearly the list of objects necessary for a good game.
Title: Re: RPG mockup
Post by: Azgardes on July 24, 2008, 02:55:01 am
The imperial guard is too still, like someone shoved a stick up his arse.

The newer tree looks awesome, except the purple I find is still a little awkward.
Title: Re: RPG mockup
Post by: ndchristie on July 24, 2008, 06:47:09 am
there are too many reasons to choose colors, so i won't try and list them, but there's only two major reasons it's distracting:

1 - lack of global integration.  If every shadow had purple in it, we wouldn't have this issue.

2 - lack of local integration - green does not readily transition into purple, and you've left it to the last minute in one corner of the tree.  If the entire tree slowly blended to purple in every shadow, we wouldn't have this issue.