AuthorTopic: NES Dungeon Readability  (Read 7852 times)

Offline MegaLeon

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NES Dungeon Readability

on: November 25, 2010, 01:14:11 pm
Hi there.
I somewhat tried following nes color restrictions (3 colors + transparency per tile) on making this mockup-game, however I've been told by more than one person that the upper parts of walls (the black ones) look like pits and it's difficult to unsee that.
What do you guys think? I have two concepts with two different types of floor.

 

Offline PypeBros

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Re: NES Dungeon Readability

Reply #1 on: November 25, 2010, 02:58:16 pm
Neither floor sounds convincing to me. The fact it gets more light than anything else is perplexing my 3D reconstruction ... could provide some inspiration. Imho, a desatured -- yet not pure grey -- and dark uniform floor where you have small details (cracks, pile of bones, etc.) is more interesting than a grid-like regular pattern, too.

Offline MegaLeon

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Re: NES Dungeon Readability

Reply #2 on: November 25, 2010, 03:26:03 pm
Neither floor sounds convincing to me. The fact it gets more light than anything else is perplexing my 3D reconstruction ... could provide some inspiration. Imho, a desatured -- yet not pure grey -- and dark uniform floor where you have small details (cracks, pile of bones, etc.) is more interesting than a grid-like regular pattern, too.

I can see your point.
I have yet to add details and populate the dungeon, but am I going in the right direction?



I am using the NES palette, so I have only high-saturated colors and a few desaturated greys.

Offline PypeBros

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Re: NES Dungeon Readability

Reply #3 on: November 25, 2010, 04:06:46 pm
I have yet to add details and populate the dungeon, but am I going in the right direction?
I think so, although your shadow direction will lead to a number of extra difficulties, such as shadow casted on visible walls. If you'd instead decide that "light" comes from top-left corner of the picture, then you'd have no shadow cast on the blue walls because they would all be in shadow, already. Plus, the shadow at each wall-to-floor transition could help making floor look more floor ;) and would likely increase the gloomyness of the scene.

I am using the NES palette, so I have only high-saturated colors and a few desaturated greys.
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Offline MegaLeon

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Re: NES Dungeon Readability

Reply #4 on: November 25, 2010, 04:30:33 pm
I think so, although your shadow direction will lead to a number of extra difficulties, such as shadow casted on visible walls. If you'd instead decide that "light" comes from top-left corner of the picture, then you'd have no shadow cast on the blue walls because they would all be in shadow, already. Plus, the shadow at each wall-to-floor transition could help making floor look more floor ;) and would likely increase the gloomyness of the scene.

I see.
It's this VS that, then. I think the first one looks better, though.
   

Offline Konrad

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Re: NES Dungeon Readability

Reply #5 on: November 26, 2010, 12:06:58 am
I rather like the second shading variant.

Here's my (quick'n'dirty) take on your mockup. Didn't use the most recent edit, though. But I'm sure you get the point.

Offline McClaneGames

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Re: NES Dungeon Readability

Reply #6 on: November 26, 2010, 04:01:00 pm
To Quote Squiggly_P from TIGSource:

Quote from: Squiggly_P on 26 Nov at 00:37:10


I think this one makes it easy to distinguish everything and makes it a lot easier to see walls instead of pits.

Offline Olothontor

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Re: NES Dungeon Readability

Reply #7 on: November 26, 2010, 04:16:54 pm
I rather like the second shading variant.

Here's my (quick'n'dirty) take on your mockup. Didn't use the most recent edit, though. But I'm sure you get the point.


I quite enjoy this one. It has a very unique feel, the shadows are clearly visible (which then makes the walls more obvious), and texturing the tops of the walls has a nice look to it. If at all possible, dampening the highlights on the floor tiles would be a great boon (I'm not familiar with the NES palette yet); beyond that this is just about perfect, for me at least.
"In a mad world, only the mad are sane." - Akira Kurosawa

Offline PypeBros

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Re: NES Dungeon Readability

Reply #8 on: November 26, 2010, 04:19:48 pm
Yep, Squiggly_P applied it nicely and wisely. I'd suggest to drop the "blue bar" before the dithered shadow, though, and instead use that blue to "underline" walls, as if they had a special footstone that reads as "look, this is the bottom".


I initially planned to suggest something like Konrad's edit, but i wasn't convincing... at least, it doesn't work as well as it does in Zelda perspective and "black-because-you-can't-see-what's-here" works better.

Make sure you're consistent, though: your treasure chest currently use a different perspective and that might break the illusion.
« Last Edit: November 26, 2010, 04:21:25 pm by PypeBros »

Offline Mathias

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Re: NES Dungeon Readability

Reply #9 on: November 27, 2010, 04:24:23 am
Why straight black? Black areas tend to be perceived as "voids". At first glance I too thought the tops of walls were actually pits. Needless to say, I couldn't figure out what I was looking at for a moment; readability confusing.

The high contrast floor details are far too noisy. I love the flat gray instead. And the shadowing is a step in the right direction. It helps my eye get it's bearings quickly.

Liking the old school HUD.