[WIP] Prison tilemap

[ld2i]

Hi!  This is my first post though I've been lurking here for some time.  I've been dabbling with making graphics for a project using the OHRRPGCE which I hope will eventually get off the ground.  In the meantime though, just making the tile-sets is great fun.  I'm not a exactly a n00b with pixelart, but on a 1(n00b)-10(master) scale, I'd put myself at around 3 or 4.  Anywho, was hoping to get some C+C on the tile-set I'm currently working on.



The layout is just for testing, so the structure of the prison/dungeon is pretty lame (and makes no sense whatsoever) but I usually slowly piece together a scene sample like this so I can see how things will blend with each other.  The pink/purple bordered people are placeholders for actual sprites as I haven't done those yet.  I'm also rather more inept with sprites than I am with tiles

The palette I'm using is the default palette for OHR games (http://rpg.hamsterrepublic.com/wiki-images/1/1f/Neo%27s_Better_Palette.bmp).

The main problems I see so far are with the contrast of some things.  The table for instance somewhat blends into the floor.  I've tried adding shadow to it but it doesn't look too spiffy as yet.  The pillory has the same problem.  The barrels look a bit blah and I was wondering how to make them stand out better.

Also, I'm thinking of what else to add as it seems, as of now, rather featureless.  I'm thinking of adding a few things to the tile-set, mainly an iron maiden, stuff to put onto the table, a fire for the fireplace, shadows (maybe) for some of the walls, broken grates, trapdoors, braziers, etc...  If anyone has any other ideas, I'm more than open to suggestions.

The current tile-sets I've used are below:







Thanks ahead of time for your help 

[Cilein]

Looking nice so far, I think that you need to play with the palette.
-The floor: try using less contrasting colors, the tiles are good but too well defined, you will lose your characters on it.
-The wall: try a lighter shade for the darkest color as characters may be lost here too
-The table: looks like it has a different style to the rest, the 'lighting' at the top and bottom is odd, use those colors and a defined light source to redo the shading/texture
-The light from the lamps is a perfect circle, it should light the floor differently if at all as it looks very flat at the moment http://www.software-dungeon.co.uk/images/109974_dungeon3d.jpg http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:B7qCNkrnX_WRnM:http://img244.imageshack.us/img244/7794/lionpitco9.jpg&t=1

Take my words with a pinch of salt anyway, it will be nice to see characters in the prison and the are spruced up in general with more objects/structure.

As for suggestions to fill it up, if I think of a prison I think functionally what does it need?
- Maximum prisoners per area used
- Multiple levels of prisoners, and methods of accessing them - stairwells, lifts etc
- Prisoner showers, recreation area, food hall
- Guard/warden walkways to oberve prisoners and maintain order from
- Guard/warden barracks with their equipment, weapons etc, guard toilets
- Storage rooms for food, riot gear, recreation equipment, plumbing repair shizz
- Secure cells, secure compound walls
- Sick bay
- Isolation rooms
- Maximum security rooms for the most dangerous criminals

It has a castle-like feel to it here, so for nick-nacks/decals; shelves, high walkways, drawbridges/walkways, outer perimeter wall, heavy iron doors, archways, gargoyles, sewer gratings (large), open fireplaces, crates stacked unevenly, wall-mounted stuffed heads, wall mounted weapons, flags, tapestries, cracks/holes for mice, puddles/leaks, rubble, statues, torture chamber equipment, cellar doors (trap-doors) in the floor, treasure, skeletons, wall mounted shackles, nooses/excecution chamber, guillotine etc.

Some ref's you might find inspiration in;
-http://sp.life123.com/bm.pix/haunted-house2.s600x600.jpg
-http://chorrol.com/files/59/obliv23B.jpg
-http://amito.freehostia.com/Oblivion/Images/OB02-window.jpg

[aramaki]

I'm irritated how I can't tell the second level from the first.
I suggest you either change colours on the first and second floor, or add shadow casting.
If there are only two levels, colour variant will work best.

[SwapBrain]

Something you may want to check out for ideas are Piranesi's Prisons, not so much for overall structure necessarily, but the various details he uses to express the power of the prison:

http://www.google.com/images?client=ubuntu&channel=fs&q=piranesi+prisons&oe=utf-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi&biw=1280&bih=611

[Cilein]

@aramaki
Really nice sense of depth gained with your mock up there.

[ld2i]

That gives me a lot to think about, thanks  

@aramaki
I agree with the lack of depth in the original one, I think I'll add shadows instead of different colors fir the tiles though, as I prolly will have more than two levels per map.

@Cilein
As for the torches, I'm thinking of redoing those altogether because I'm not sure if those kind of torches would actually be appropriate with the theme of the tile-set.  I may even create another layer to deal with the lighting and to make it more dynamic.

@SwapBrain
Thanks for that link, lots of inspiration there for things to add as well as the overall theme of the prison.

Again, thanks for the input, I'll prolly have an update to this in a few days or so.