Show Posts
1
Pixel Art / Dwarf Fortress game assets
« on: January 03, 2019, 09:42:47 pm »
Hello!
I'm not sure what the etiquette is on cross posting between Pilejoint and Pixelation, but I remember getting valuable input in both places simultaneously, so I hope those of you who frequent both places don't mind.
I'm working on sprites for Dwarf Fortress and I'm interested in your critique.
The game uses 32x32 sprites for almost everything. Currently I'm trying to make one sprite for every function because there's a lot to cover, but variation is possible. Due to the size constraint, I'm not concerned with scale very much, trying to make good use of the available space instead. The game will feature advanced tactical situations so it's important for the symbols to be readable.
Likewise, I'm not aiming for a very consistent view angle. As long as everything is only slightly top-down, I'm satisfied - unfortunately you can put much more information in a side-view sprite, while the game itself is obviously viewed from above. So the display is rather symbolic in this regard.
Some notes about the sprites you can see below:
-wall sprites are composed of 8 possible sprites total (2 horizontal, 2 vertical and 4 corners).
-I've prepared borders for transitions of the floor sprites.
-The bush and sapling sprites have little impact other than visual so I've decreased their contrast, even though I think the original versions visible in the spritesheet above look better on their own.
-The unit sprites are composite, to reflect the unit's equipment. You can see a human warrior in chainmail, with no helmet, a sword and shield.
-There are automatically generated non-pixelart shadows around walls, to help improve readability of the view. Likewise, I'm happy with soft non-pixelart shadows around sprites.
-I've prepared three different variants of the water sprite, I'm not quite happy with either of them
-I think the bigger problem is the uniformity and attractiveness of the overall colour scheme, unfortunately the sprites are to be used in multiple situations, so it's hard for me to work out a compromise that both looks good overall AND is readable. Readability has priority here.
-The graphics are intended to be viewed at 100% size.
I'm not sure what the etiquette is on cross posting between Pilejoint and Pixelation, but I remember getting valuable input in both places simultaneously, so I hope those of you who frequent both places don't mind.
I'm working on sprites for Dwarf Fortress and I'm interested in your critique.
The game uses 32x32 sprites for almost everything. Currently I'm trying to make one sprite for every function because there's a lot to cover, but variation is possible. Due to the size constraint, I'm not concerned with scale very much, trying to make good use of the available space instead. The game will feature advanced tactical situations so it's important for the symbols to be readable.
Likewise, I'm not aiming for a very consistent view angle. As long as everything is only slightly top-down, I'm satisfied - unfortunately you can put much more information in a side-view sprite, while the game itself is obviously viewed from above. So the display is rather symbolic in this regard.
Some notes about the sprites you can see below:
-wall sprites are composed of 8 possible sprites total (2 horizontal, 2 vertical and 4 corners).
-I've prepared borders for transitions of the floor sprites.
-The bush and sapling sprites have little impact other than visual so I've decreased their contrast, even though I think the original versions visible in the spritesheet above look better on their own.
-The unit sprites are composite, to reflect the unit's equipment. You can see a human warrior in chainmail, with no helmet, a sword and shield.
-There are automatically generated non-pixelart shadows around walls, to help improve readability of the view. Likewise, I'm happy with soft non-pixelart shadows around sprites.
-I've prepared three different variants of the water sprite, I'm not quite happy with either of them
-I think the bigger problem is the uniformity and attractiveness of the overall colour scheme, unfortunately the sprites are to be used in multiple situations, so it's hard for me to work out a compromise that both looks good overall AND is readable. Readability has priority here.
-The graphics are intended to be viewed at 100% size.
