Pixelation

Critique => Pixel Art => Topic started by: im9today on June 23, 2007, 02:02:47 am

Title: an armoire covered in icepicks
Post by: im9today on June 23, 2007, 02:02:47 am: not rly jus mo' borin' indie wideo game shizzamz
(http://img475.imageshack.us/img475/7861/heroineye1.gif) (http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/7233/heroinespinlc5.gif) (http://img224.imageshack.us/img224/4919/monsterqi4.gif) (http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/4138/monsterspinip5.gif) (http://img530.imageshack.us/img530/3171/torchxl4.gif)
(http://img505.imageshack.us/img505/6757/lightvg5.gif)
(http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/5057/scenekx9.gif)
Title: Re: an armoire covered in icepicks
Post by: Delgneith on June 23, 2007, 05:23:55 am: That is so beautiful. The colors and everything just look so nice. My only "concern" is that this doesn't seem like it really tiles but maybe that is not a problem.
Title: Re: an armoire covered in icepicks
Post by: im9today on June 23, 2007, 05:31:27 am: Merci, Senor Delgneith! ;D
I'm not using tiles for it because it is merely a backdrop for the opening cinematic sequence.

Sadly, some shallow progress (?) has been made.
(http://img529.imageshack.us/img529/5130/antipodesy6.gif)
(http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/9823/marbledpi6.gif)
(http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/8672/progresquero1.gif)
Perspective isn't real. :watev: Watev indeed.
Title: Re: an armoire covered in icepicks
Post by: bengo on June 23, 2007, 05:38:19 am: Looks nice, what program you gonna use to make the game?(Outta curiousity)
Title: Re: an armoire covered in icepicks
Post by: Faktablad on June 23, 2007, 10:49:07 pm: Looks great. The water rivulets don't read too well as water, but that's probably because you haven't finished them yet.
Title: Re: an armoire covered in icepicks
Post by: im9today on June 23, 2007, 11:43:08 pm: @Fak: Indeed. I just found a decent refrence for it though:
(http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/26/gatonzt8.gif)
Dat's nice. :'(

Latest:
(http://img234.imageshack.us/img234/214/prog3kg3.gif)

(http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/7034/cloudreflecqx5.gif)
Start of the reflection of the sky that will be on the lake below. It will be run through some filters to mute it and make it blueish and will have some sort of ripple effect hopefully.

I'm also redoing the main character, she just wasn't well designed and didn't 'pop'. Try one:
(http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/4511/redoynessik5.gif)

@ben: Magic?
Title: Re: an armoire covered in icepicks
Post by: Faktablad on June 24, 2007, 01:34:06 am: Great job pulling those cloudform designs out of your...head. They look organic and stylish at the same time. Are those lightning bolts? Hopefully they'll be animated, haha.

If that's the sky above the green scene you posted, where's the lightsource coming from?
Title: Re: an armoire covered in icepicks
Post by: Faceless on June 24, 2007, 02:01:29 am: Your old main character was infinitely better than the new one.
The new one is a total mess (where the old one was clean), and I can't think of much to suggest other than not to use it.
Experiment with the palette of the old sprite if you feel it doesn't pop enough.

The background is looking really nice, and I can't wait to see how it ends up.
Title: Re: an armoire covered in icepicks
Post by: Agent green on June 24, 2007, 02:51:06 pm: I love the backdrop :D also i agree with Faceless, the old character was better.
Title: Re: an armoire covered in icepicks
Post by: im9today on June 25, 2007, 12:05:40 am: @Fak: I'll add a moon. Light sources tend to get screwed in games anyway because of the moving characters.
@Faceless: (http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/6032/betterquebm4.gif) Is this messy? I've decided I can't tell when it comes to these matters.
@Agent: Thank you. :)

I'm really concentrating on the main character at the moment because it'll be the sprite that is on the screen the most, obviously. I want a sort of night sky theme to her, but all the colors involved in that sort of blend and get all messy. Ideas and edits more than welcome.
Title: Re: an armoire covered in icepicks
Post by: Faceless on June 25, 2007, 05:36:46 am: I don't think the colours you've chosen really highlight the idea of a night sky.
Purples, and navy blues are colours that I think go hand in hand with the night.

As for the latest palette, it doesn't have a wide enough range of light/dark values.
They all seem to be pretty close together, and that's making things hard to read.
The half cape blends almost completely with the body. It's hard to tell if she's wearing a cape or a sash.
Title: Re: an armoire covered in icepicks
Post by: im9today on June 25, 2007, 06:32:59 am: I really appreciate your feedback Faceless, especially the last comment about the need for purple hues. I should be able to adjust that rather easily, and it will add a lot of atmosphere.
(http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/4183/fixhmmmb3.gif)
I'm not too happy with the color scheme like this, but it is better to keep all the three important parts (hair, cape, and clothing) seperate and distinct, and I think this latest update does that a lot better than before.

Edit:
Oh, and here's the start of the next big part of the backdrop:
(http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/6373/castlegatemb0.gif)
Title: Re: an armoire covered in icepicks
Post by: im9today on July 02, 2007, 04:28:16 am: (http://img296.imageshack.us/img296/4354/partsl6.gif)
Does this give off more of a night aura?
(http://img295.imageshack.us/img295/4154/walkingrs2.gif)
Started a walking animation, I'm not very happy with it yet.
Title: Re: an armoire covered in icepicks
Post by: bengo on July 02, 2007, 04:40:15 am: You should make her head move a bit....
Title: Re: an armoire covered in icepicks
Post by: zeid on July 02, 2007, 09:34:09 am: Quote
Does this give off more of a night aura?
yes but the trees seem to pop out a little too much, try working some purplish into their palette. They are part of the environment as well after all. ;)
I'm glad you didn't alternate too much from the first girl design its much better then the other one you were looking at.
Title: Re: an armoire covered in icepicks
Post by: im9today on July 10, 2007, 06:45:49 am: @zeid: Yeah, I realized that a bit after I posted. Here's the latest WIP:

(http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/2396/backwip5qb1.gif)

And here's a screen of the game running:
(http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/5333/screen3cr3.png)

Another walking animation I could use pointers on please:
(http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/603/walkbackwipnq0.gif)

Also, I popped up on a post on Independent Gaming.
http://indygamer.blogspot.com/2007/07/news_2299.html
I've seen some guys around the forum have their stuff posted there before, and I'm happy to join the ranks. :)
Title: Re: an armoire covered in icepicks
Post by: EyeCraft on July 10, 2007, 08:48:35 am: Cool! With that new walking animation, perhaps have her(?) bob 1 pixel.
Title: Re: an armoire covered in icepicks
Post by: Ryumaru on July 10, 2007, 10:21:34 am: good lord that in game shot is nothing short of beautiful.
also ditto with having her bob 1 pixel. maybe even sub pixel if you feel 1 is too much.
Title: Re: an armoire covered in icepicks
Post by: Xion on July 10, 2007, 10:25:47 am: You...you must've forgotten...to change her legs...because she's walking backwards.
Or you...maybe...accidentally...reversed the animation...?
And yes, bob. make her bob. Such levelheadedness...is unheard of.
Title: Re: an armoire covered in icepicks
Post by: im9today on July 10, 2007, 01:00:49 pm: @Eyecraft: Okay, since everyone is mentioning it, I'll try adding a bounce/bob to the animation.
@Ryu: Thanks. :D
@Xion: :ouch: Damn, it's true. I used my forward walking animation as reference and now the walk is backwards. XD Of course, that's really easy to fix. Oh, and: ellipsis much? :P
Title: Re: an armoire covered in icepicks
Post by: Jad on July 10, 2007, 11:00:15 pm: The very pronounced red and blue bars are hurting the in-game play screen, I think. Such pure colors kind of should be avoided, methinks. Just shifting their hue to a more blended hue would be good.

I guess.
Title: Re: an armoire covered in icepicks
Post by: Ryumaru on July 10, 2007, 11:06:06 pm: yeah they shouldnt be pure red and pure blue but i do like what they do to the screen. without colors of a similair saturation i think the screen would look less appealing( imo)
Title: Re: an armoire covered in icepicks
Post by: rabidbaboy on July 11, 2007, 01:07:22 pm: 9 years old?
I think a big part of me died a little inside.:(

But these are great.

Characters are probably a bit outline-heavy compared to the bg.
Title: Re: an armoire covered in icepicks
Post by: ptoing on July 11, 2007, 03:10:14 pm: he is not really 9 :P
Title: Re: an armoire covered in icepicks
Post by: Zero on July 11, 2007, 04:15:59 pm: Yes, his profile says 20. :lol:

Anyway, just stopping by to say how nice this is looking. :y: The only crit I have atm is that the water running down the sides of the cliff (at least I think it's supposed to be water) should be darker, it looks like a solid, not a liquid right now.
Title: Re: an armoire covered in icepicks
Post by: Stwelin on July 11, 2007, 08:32:50 pm: I'm confused as to the material out of which the green wall is constructed, is it some sort of ancient copper structure, out in the rain too long? Or moss growing on rock? Either way, these are gorgeous. The rock formations from a top-down perspective are rather organically shaped, how are you planning on handling movement and wall collision boundaries? The curiosity of the game developer in me, rather than the pixel artist.

I wish i was 9 again.
Title: Re: an armoire covered in icepicks
Post by: rabidbaboy on July 12, 2007, 06:36:14 am: Well, I somehow figured he couldn't be nine (but I thought he was more like 17, since most people are. Yes, I said most PEOPLE are.>:C), but those are still orgasmic.

The green wall looks like it's going to be a viny wall of some sort (poits at entrance).
Title: Re: an armoire covered in icepicks
Post by: im9today on July 20, 2007, 05:16:10 am: @Jad: I'll look into that.
@rabidbaboy: Maybe so... I wanted to make them stand out a lot. I'll try softening it some in the final draft.
@Zero: Hmm, good point. Darker shades and animation should make it work, I hope.
@Stwelin: Thanks. :D It's an ancient castle wall which ivy has overtaken, the texture just wasn't in yet. That copper idea might be 'borrowed' for something though. :D As far as sizes, that particular background if for an opening cutscene.
@rabid: Correct you are on the wall. And thanks. :)

(http://img223.imageshack.us/img223/37/dashsidebumpoz3.gif)
Dashing float thing. Not happy with it. It will have some trailing effects in game.

(http://img223.imageshack.us/img223/9034/congflagvi8.gif) (http://img223.imageshack.us/img223/1921/wavymi1.gif)
Fire zone spell. The first is a rough try at one of the opening frames and the second is the wavier look the animation will take on in the middle frames. Tips, tricks? Here it is in game, sans lighting:
(http://img329.imageshack.us/img329/7304/wipscreen3nc1.png)
Title: Re: an armoire covered in icepicks
Post by: Sherman Gill on July 20, 2007, 06:09:37 am: (http://lorne.lastchancemedia.com/Images/TricksandCrits/wipscreen3nc1.png)
A little idea for the health bar. Not quite as liquidy as I intended, but whatev'.
Look to exhibit A and thine shall see double sized corner piece. As your health decreases, that should slide farther left and black will be behind it, to keep from having sudden edges on the highlight thingy.
Title: Re: an armoire covered in icepicks
Post by: ndchristie on July 20, 2007, 08:51:46 pm: mh, second screen doesn't hold a candle even to the early versions of the first. it looks like a generic RPG dungeon, where did the style go?
Title: Re: an armoire covered in icepicks
Post by: im9today on August 29, 2007, 02:46:47 am: It's very true. So I redesigned the opening hallway. Now it has lots of blue shades, animated cloths on the walls, moonbeams, and plants cropping up.
(http://img237.imageshack.us/img237/6346/emptydi9.png) (http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/8629/itlivesly8.png)
As you can see, I've also addressed the health bar problem. Now the bars are glimmering jewels that splinter apart as they decrease. There are a few more features I still have to add to the room, like more varieties of plants and torn cloths, and some burned areas and debris.

(http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/8021/moldquena8.gif)
Does this look enough like mold or fungi? I couldn't seem to really capture the dank, spreading creepiness of mold.

(http://img170.imageshack.us/img170/1066/newcharagi4.gif) (http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/3886/walkdownyq6.gif) (http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/2513/walksidezq0.gif)
Latest version of character.

(http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/217/ghostrc5.gif)
Clear version of the ghost above.

The outside area is also nearing completion. I am currently animating all the tress, grass, ivy, and waterfalls. Quite a pain. Critiques, especially design critiques, would be appreciated.
Title: Re: an armoire covered in icepicks
Post by: Xion on August 29, 2007, 03:25:37 am: Ay yi yi! The tiles are um...overrendered and overcontrasted. You gotta remember to treat tiles like the background objects they are, man. I mean sure, you used black in the character but not in the 'nviroment, but still, the BG makes things much cluttered. And at first I looked at the wall and couldn't even tell what it was. I thought it was leaves. A thick wall of leaves. It blends with the ground too much methinks. and likewise, is overrenditoed. I think the wall needs an overhaul, honestly. I see what you were trying to do with the ground tiles but the 2px outline around each tile is a bit much. I mean, it looks more like a bunch of separate pillars than a cohesive floor.
I think the plants could pop out more.
I like the healthbar and moss.
On the sideways walk, the near foot never really steps down. It just, like, reverses. Down-walk is good, though. Just finish it.
I think I get the ghost, but it's a bit hard to tell what's what. Either way, I must say I'm not too fond of it. Some simpler more implied forms would be more ghastly than many little details, imho.
Hmmm....hmmmmm....
I think I might've liked the girl better with the brighter shirt...
Title: Re: an armoire covered in icepicks
Post by: im9today on August 29, 2007, 04:10:03 am: Thanks for the indepth feedback Xion! :0 As far as a color scheme for the tiles, any input?

I forgot to post this new enemy, I'm worried it might not be readable:
(http://img477.imageshack.us/img477/1637/readableov1.gif)
It is supposed to be made of blood and blades. Blades mostly, with a shield for the torso.
Title: Re: an armoire covered in icepicks
Post by: Arachne on August 30, 2007, 04:46:03 pm: I think it would help a lot if you brighten the floor tiles to separate them from the walls. It would also make the characters stand out more.

For the blood and blades, I think it's an awesome idea :D, but I think it looks much too solid and too yellow for blood. I'm thinking more like liquid in zero gravity, drops separating from the head and floating around it.

(http://www.retinaleclipse.com/bloodedit.gif)