Pixelation

Critique => Pixel Art => Topic started by: Ben2theEdge on April 11, 2007, 02:29:54 am

Title: Game Mockup WIP (Updated)
Post by: Ben2theEdge on April 11, 2007, 02:29:54 am
Here it is so far; everything's still pretty rough. I hate doing the deep background... meh.
(http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f230/ben2theedge/ChaosGateForest-1.png)

Here's a new one... I had this idea and made a sketch of it on the train today and I think it's 10 times better.
(http://farm1.static.flickr.com/199/456203095_0af0604164.jpg)

(http://xs414.xs.to/xs414/07155/chaos_gate_forest_3.png)

Still a WIP but have at it!
Title: Re: Game Mockup WIP
Post by: yosh64 on April 11, 2007, 02:35:19 am
hey

Nice start, I will await further updates :).

edit
Okay... I might be jumping the gun here... but I'm not sure if I like the highlights on the bottom of the logs/roots. I think it looses some depth, and looks a bit pillowy? Hmm, well you probably should wait to see what others have to say about this.

(http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/9613/chaosgateforestedityoshjf0.png)
I've done a quick edit to show you it without the highlights on the bottom of the logs/roots... hmm, not exactly sure about it though :\.

It also seems odd to me that the logs going downwards/vertical are lit the same as the logs going sideways/horizontal. Anyhows I'll just wait and see where it goes :).

and another...
(http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/350/chaosgateforestedityoshof5.png) -> (http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/3341/chaosgateforestedityoshpo2.png)
Well I decided to do another edit, to try and fix the lighting a bit... although I think it still isn't so consistent or whatever :\. Ohh, and I probably screwed up your tiles in the process, as I just edited the thing as a whole. Well I done another, as I realised cause I took the downwards/vertical logs/roots down a shade, ther highlight was the same as the highlight of the things behind it, which ruined the perception of depth. So I took them things behind the logs/roots down a shade or so also. I hope that made sense, hehe :).

cyas
Title: Re: Game Mockup WIP
Post by: Ben2theEdge on April 11, 2007, 03:21:20 am
I see what you're saying about the tree trunks... I'll work on that for my next version.
(http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f230/ben2theedge/ChaosGateForest-1.png)
Title: Re: Game Mockup WIP
Post by: yosh64 on April 11, 2007, 03:34:06 am
hey

Wow, at first glance I very much like the trees in the background :).

Note, that I done another edit above, which was after you last posted.

cyas
Title: Re: Game Mockup WIP
Post by: Fool on April 11, 2007, 07:31:24 am
I think some separation (sort of speaking=) on background might gives  it some atmosphere and popup foreground.

quick edit:
(http://www.foolstown.com/misc/09.gif)
Title: Re: Game Mockup WIP
Post by: Kennethfejer on April 11, 2007, 10:58:22 am
i really like this one (character and background) soo detailed  :y:
really cool, looking forward to see more  :crazy:
Title: Re: Game Mockup WIP
Post by: Helm on April 11, 2007, 01:12:18 pm
I think some separation (sort of speaking=) on background might gives  it some atmosphere and popup foreground.

quick edit:
(http://www.foolstown.com/misc/09.gif)

That's separation? That brought them closer together, if anything. I prefer the original in this case. Much more moody and I don't have any problem telling where is platform and where is background.
Title: Re: Game Mockup WIP
Post by: Ben2theEdge on April 12, 2007, 05:05:18 am
Here's a new one... I had this idea and made a sketch of it on the train today and I think it's 10 times better.
(http://farm1.static.flickr.com/199/456203095_0af0604164.jpg)

Still a WIP but have at it!
Title: Re: Game Mockup WIP (Updated)
Post by: Xion on April 12, 2007, 05:11:17 am
I dun' like that ya' got a line gowin' vertical t'rou da platform when it starts ta curve. Throughout dese mockups, I dun' t'ink dat da mushrooms 'ave 'ad da same qwality as de rest o' de image. I t'ink dat's about it from me.
Title: Re: Game Mockup WIP (Updated)
Post by: robotriot on April 12, 2007, 05:45:36 am
Also, I see JPEGs D:
Title: Re: Game Mockup WIP (Updated)
Post by: mangust on April 12, 2007, 09:32:22 am
Last edit is more beautiful (for sketch ;) )! But no more light on back trunk of trees, maybe add a bit light to foreground. Yes mood in picture is good, some dark and mysterious. The thick trunk on foreground me like more than early version.
Title: Re: Game Mockup WIP (Updated)
Post by: Ben2theEdge on April 12, 2007, 10:43:40 am
Also, I see JPEGs D:

Crap, apparently Flickr does that... Photobucket wasn't loading last night so I committed adultry.
Title: Re: Game Mockup WIP (Updated)
Post by: ndchristie on April 12, 2007, 11:54:04 am
use this:
http://xs.to/

i love how this is progressing.  i also like fool's post a lto, maybe you can have something like that for the edge of the forest, and something like the one you've got for deep inside?
Title: Re: Game Mockup WIP (Updated)
Post by: vellan on April 12, 2007, 05:50:22 pm
i like the more direct, harsh highlights of the first mockup as i feel it adds more definition of the ground. I think applying that to the second would be ideal.

all in all, this is a really amazing piece. keep rocking it.
Title: Re: Game Mockup WIP (Updated)
Post by: Ben2theEdge on April 13, 2007, 04:13:46 am
Thanks for the feedback guys! Adarius I'm tryin' the hosting site you recommended.
I'm guessing that alphas are a major no-no for true pixel artists so I included a non-alpha version here. But the first one is what the game will look like.

(http://xs414.xs.to/xs414/07155/chaos_gate_forest_3.png) (http://xs414.xs.to/xs414/07155/chaos_gate_forest_3_nofx.png)

Again, 1st one is with alpha effects, 2nd one is the "purist" version without any alpha effects.
Started on the HUD/Status bars too... I'm playing with the idea of having status bars that only pop up when they're needed (except health, that's always gonna be around.) We'll see...
Title: Re: Game Mockup WIP (Updated)
Post by: mangust on April 13, 2007, 10:10:33 am
1st one, unambiguously! I use alpha in my games. Why not? if this make game more visual interest and smaller game size! The technologys move forward, why pixel artist not move from they. Important - you use alpha with pixel dithering it's right way, the same gif image with opacity 50%, but if use just ordinary blur - they will be a pop art - not pixel, in my opinion.
Title: Re: Game Mockup WIP (Updated)
Post by: Ben2theEdge on April 13, 2007, 10:18:55 am
Yeah this was 100 percent pixelled by hand; those gradients on the beams of light and the mushrooms' glow were all hand-dithered. I love the look of dithered alpha effects.
Title: Re: Game Mockup WIP (Updated)
Post by: philipptr on April 13, 2007, 10:31:28 am
Great enemy sprite and the alpha effects work very well too. What I don't like is the ground especially in your newer attempt. In your older you could tell that the things the character is running on are roots now it's just two horizontal  "blocks" made out of wood with perfect rounded ends. I think that they should be more free shaped, and that you might want to remove one of these "blocks". http://www.wayofthepixel.net/pixelation/index.php?topic=2540 is a great example for a not so gridbased looking forest mockup.
Well it might be much work, and most likely you wont change it just because of my said opinion but I thought I would say it now before you make even more grafics so IF you want to change it you don't have to do it all twice :D
Title: Re: Game Mockup WIP (Updated)
Post by: mangust on April 13, 2007, 11:07:32 am
And just one thing about you trunk of tree (which volume) on background - they have too much gorizontal lines, but trunk of tree in real world have more vertical line or interweaving this lines. It's look like a insulating tape, if I not mistaken  :-\
Good work!
Title: Re: Game Mockup WIP (Updated)
Post by: kakikukeko on April 13, 2007, 11:58:19 am
this is really getting better and better  :D I really dig the one with the light beams... haven't checked how many colors it adds tho.. would the effect still works in game with some parallax?
Title: Re: Game Mockup WIP (Updated)
Post by: vellan on April 13, 2007, 12:16:52 pm
love it with the new lighting. also love the style of the enemy.

are you working professionally as a pixel artist?
Title: Re: Game Mockup WIP (Updated)
Post by: Fool on April 13, 2007, 12:30:04 pm
Like that lighting too.=) Especially if it'll be layered.
Title: Re: Game Mockup WIP (Updated)
Post by: yosh64 on April 13, 2007, 12:57:11 pm
hey

Impressive work ^_^.

I think I see the background tree truck inside/under the middle of the far platform, the platform to the right that is.

The only other thing that niggles me a bit, is that the right side of the platforms are lit/shaded exactly the same as the left, but the light source isn't from directly above? I dunno, doesn't really bother me so much. But yea, with those platforms, I'm not exactly sure what I'm looking at, but I like em :). Well I think they are hill tops of sorts, hehe :). Ohh, and the round shape of these platforms remind me of the ones of Super Mario Bros :).

I really like those tree trucks in the background also ^_^, and the alpha and style and such.
Title: Re: Game Mockup WIP (Updated)
Post by: Ben2theEdge on April 13, 2007, 01:17:05 pm
Thanks for the responses, guys!

this is really getting better and better  :D I really dig the one with the light beams... haven't checked how many colors it adds tho.. would the effect still works in game with some parallax?

It adds a lot of colors but since this will be a Windows or XBox-based game, there are pretty much unlimited resources to work with. I guess that answers the parallax question, too ;^)

Like that lighting too.=) Especially if it'll be layered.

I'm strongly considering it

The only other thing that niggles me a bit, is that the right side of the platforms are lit/shaded exactly the same as the left, but the light source isn't from directly above? I dunno, doesn't really bother me so much. But yea, with those platforms, I'm not exactly sure what I'm looking at, but I like em :). Well I think they are hill tops of sorts, hehe :). Ohh, and the round shape of these platforms remind me of the ones of Super Mario Bros :).

I'm not satisfied with the platforms or the trees yet... when this is finished it will look like an entire forest made up of winding, moss-covered tree-roots that the characters will run along.
Title: Re: Game Mockup WIP (Updated)
Post by: Helm on April 13, 2007, 03:18:27 pm
Obviously go with the alpha effects. There's no 'purist points' lost since they're pixelled by hand too and you control what they're doing.

I want to play this now. This is a great copliment because I know nothing about the game setting, the gameplay or anything. I am sucked in purely by the visual atmospheric.
Title: Re: Game Mockup WIP (Updated)
Post by: AdamAtomic on April 13, 2007, 04:09:54 pm
ditto, massive step forward.  could use some more polish obviously but the ambience is stellar!