Pixelation
Critique => Pixel Art => Topic started by: invent on May 14, 2015, 02:36:15 am
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Hello Everyone :)
I am interested in people's thoughts on the following WIP graphics. This is not a real project but an experimental one.
The idea is to use the Commodore 64's (16 colour) palette for an Amiga game (320x256 Pixels / PAL).
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P0RlHHMCP2I/VVKYqsxIuGI/AAAAAAAACQA/9zFPs9dkv1Q/s1600/C64_PlatformGame_invent.png)
http://amigaonex.blogspot.com.au/2015/05/commodore-64-palette-test-amiga-platform.html
Thankyou in advance :)
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I didn't grow up with a C64 (I had an Atari 800XL ;D) - did it really just have one set palette? I honestly find it a pretty ugly palette (probably precisely because I didn't grow up with it). Still kinda 'get' what you're doing, but for me it's more of a challenging palette than a nostalgic one. Graphics are nice and clear.
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Hello Rikfuzz,
Thanks for your reply. I didn't grow up with a C64 either. We ended up choosing an Amstrad CPC 464 :)
My main issue at the moment is either adding an outline around each element or not. Some things look nice with and some without. For example the two flames on the right don't have outlines and look fine, whereas the fish or the dirt box areas do have black outlines.
Some colour palette references are http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_8-bit_computer_hardware_palettes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_8-bit_computer_hardware_palettes) for different platforms :)
Will look into the Atari 800XL as I never owned one (did own an Atari 2600) and enjoyed many hours of Combat and Space Invaders :)
In the future I possibly will change the colour palette to my own personal preference but for now it's nice to reduce and limit the palette to a platform I don't know much about (did play Dam Busters, Killawatt, Boulderdash and Spy vs Spy on though at a friends place)
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I didn't grow up with a C64 either. We ended up choosing an Amstrad CPC 464 :)
;D
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Hi Carnivac, don't get me started with Amstrad, enjoyed many hours playing games including Mutant Monty :)
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/stephen.ancell/mm/
I'll tackle the 27? colour palette limitation sometime in the future, always prefered there (4 colour mode 1) over (chunky mode 0 :)
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aw, I always preferred Mode 0 cos I like colours and chunkiness so that's why I have two game projects being developed with that in mind.
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While the overall feel of the graphics is mostly cartoonish there are a few pieces which stick out because they are significantly more realistic. Especially the statue and the fish.
With a low limited palette like the one you use black is quite a powerful tool and although I like how you used it for the bg mountains, it can make some problems.
If you use it the way you do and you have outlined sprites the background will make the outline disappear and therefore it works against the intention that the outline makes the sprites more readable. It doesn't create a problem if you use non outlined sprites.
if you want to go in a more cartoon/anime direction use outlines.
if you want to go more in the direction of realism use none.
once you know this design the background colors accordingly.
you can use outlines or no outlines for bg and sprites seperately - although keep it consistent for the elements. E.G. sprites with outlines and bgs without outlines are a common choice.
Nail those decisions down and keep them throughout the whole project.
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Hi Cyangmou, your insightful thoughts are very useful and the outline disappearing if I use the same colour as a background element was one of my thoughts I needed to try resolve. Part of the issue was anything that was a glow type effect such as the flame or other particle type effects.
Some other sprite enemy examples, with and without outlines. The spikes on the "Blackstar" would work quite well with outlines (not shown) and Particle Explosion example seems fine not to have outlines?
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-potIQGMrsPg/VVcjUC0ftsI/AAAAAAAACRE/4h0JYYWzswg/s640/C64_Platform_04.png)
Appreciate your thoughts, I will continue thinking about this. I am more inclined to not have any background at all.