AuthorTopic: GR#093 - EGA Adventure Platformer (Read 20670 times)

surt · **on:** January 27, 2012, 09:50:55 am

Picked up an old unfinished mockup for an EGA palette adventure platformer in the vein of the Monster World games.

I'm unsure about the magenta used to define the underside of the dirt tiles. My desktop's display doesn't like pure magenta, but I kind of like the look of it on my laptop and phone. I wanted to avoid using black as it's a bit too contrasty and likewise the dark blue.

Helm · **Reply #1 on:** January 27, 2012, 11:25:58 am

These look lovely. I think the black as bg is inescapably better for caves though.

Sharm · **Reply #2 on:** January 27, 2012, 01:52:21 pm

These are amazing! The magenta looks really good, no worries there. I'm looking forward to seeing this complete. The dirt looks a little noisy like it's unfinished, but you've got a more processed tile to the side. Is it in the process of being updated to match? The blue on the ladder looks out of place in the underground section, especially if you go with Helm's suggestion and make the background black (I agree with him). It looks really good on the light background though.

Manupix · **Reply #3 on:** January 27, 2012, 06:18:26 pm

I'm afraid I have to disagree, I don't think the magenta works.
It has almost the same value as the brownish orange, and doesn't read as a shadow to me. Also both are too close to the gray, so the dirt tiles look very flat compared to the other tiles (this might be irrelevant if those tiles are not final, as Sharm noticed).

I agree with Helm about black.
Quick edit from Helm's with 3 versions. I don't say any of these is good, in fact I don't know how to solve the issue with this hellish palette. But at least I think they offer a better contrast in those tiles.

Helm · **Reply #4 on:** January 27, 2012, 07:26:37 pm

Red+grey combo is definitely the best from the three. I think for EGA, it might be best to avoid noisy tile blocks, just go with flat color plus detail embellishment in a different shade. Unless you dither red+grey and use *that* as a flat color!

surt · **Reply #5 on:** January 28, 2012, 12:59:10 am

Tried some new dirt tiles to reduce noise. A couple of varaiations red and grey and adding red to brown and grey, with grey and black backgrounds. Given the questionable nature of the magenta I dropped it and resigned myself to using black edging against the gray.

I quite like the bottom grey on red except on the underside where the red just looks too luminous.

Quote from: Helm on January 27, 2012, 11:25:58 am

I think the black as bg is inescapably better for caves though.

I was planning to have a distinct background colour for each for each of the strata, getting darker the deeper it gets, but given the limitations of the palette recognise I may not have a choice.

Quote from: Sharm on January 27, 2012, 01:52:21 pm

The dirt looks a little noisy like it's unfinished, but you've got a more processed tile to the side. Is it in the process of being updated to match?

That's an earlier version. The more I work on something the noisier it gets.

Quote from: Manupix on January 27, 2012, 06:18:26 pm

Quick edit from Helm's with 3 versions. I don't say any of these is good, in fact I don't know how to solve the issue with this hellish palette.

The red and grey does look promising. Love the combination of the blue and brown, I'll have to find somewhere to use it.

EDIT:
Added a couple more variations.

HughSpectrum · **Reply #6 on:** January 28, 2012, 01:31:12 am

I thought the dark purple worked as a secondary light (never thought to consider it was supposed to be a shadow). Then again I'm looking at this thread on my laptop which screws up colors.

Mid blue + brown needs to be made to work. Probably best for a new set of tiles with their own design.

surt · **Reply #7 on:** January 30, 2012, 12:48:02 am

Reworked dirt tiles. Redid hell tiles cleaner. Misc.

HughSpectrum · **Reply #8 on:** January 30, 2012, 02:09:24 am

That is incredibly awesome now. EGA is one of those palettes that demands pixel placement over color choice and your fixes show that.

StaticSails · **Reply #9 on:** January 30, 2012, 04:54:20 am

This is coming along beautifully. No real criticisms, just encouragement. Keep it up.

surt · **Reply #10 on:** January 30, 2012, 03:18:05 pm

Reworked edges of blue-grey-greenish sort-of-rock-stuff tiles to try to give them more depth. Tried some gems. Misc.

I seem to have lost the knack at pixel gems somewhere along the way. Seems I'll have to analyse Arachne's.

Sharm · **Reply #11 on:** January 30, 2012, 04:16:28 pm

New dirt tile is an improvement! I see what you mean about things getting more noisy as you work on them though. I think the orange to grey looks better than the red to grey. The sprites are my favorite part right now, but I'm excited to see this finished. You've got some really great technique that I want to study.

surt · **Reply #12 on:** January 31, 2012, 05:14:49 am

Added a couple more critters.

Is the small crab (in the pool near the skeleton) readable as such?

Not keen on the angel.

MattB · **Reply #13 on:** January 31, 2012, 06:37:59 am

I've got nothing worthwhile to add to the critique. Just wanted to say, I love this.

MattB · **Reply #14 on:** January 31, 2012, 09:24:37 am

Would something like either of these be too much for the cave background?

Sharm · **Reply #15 on:** January 31, 2012, 02:57:47 pm

I think the texture could work, but if you're going to do that you'll need to worry about priority. How busy something is affects positive and negative space, and you'll want a contrast in there somewhere. In other words, if you make the background detailed you'll want the foreground more plain. I think you'd be better off doing some zelda style minimal details, like in ALttP or Minish Cap.

Arne · **Reply #16 on:** January 31, 2012, 03:06:23 pm

For a near black BG, I'd use the blue since it's the darkest, doing dithered islands in the black here and there (representing stones/bulges). I'd also keep the tile right under cave roofs full black to suggest a drop shadow / bring depth.

And Batman for the NES might serve as inspiration.

surt · **Reply #17 on:** February 01, 2012, 12:01:39 am

MattB: I like the intensity level of the black, but I think it would interfere with the sprites' black outlines.

Sharm & Arne: That's the kind of thing I've got in mind. Sparse and low contrast (insofar as that is possible).

surt · **Reply #18 on:** February 01, 2012, 12:06:28 pm

Just a few more invertebrates.

Any ideas for a passable sky transition? The few I've tried are pretty blech!

Sharm · **Reply #19 on:** February 01, 2012, 02:33:58 pm

I'd try making it look like different cloud layers.

surt · **Reply #20 on:** February 02, 2012, 07:10:26 am

Quote from: Sharm on February 01, 2012, 02:33:58 pm

I'd try making it look like different cloud layers.

The perfect solution, cheers! Saves me having to do separate cloud tiles too.

Manupix · **Reply #21 on:** February 03, 2012, 03:58:38 am

This is getting seriously nice =)

I have a problem with the doors opening in the background (both gray and black): they look like volume objects, not openings.
I think you have to make them blend into the bg somehow. Showing brick joints nearby might do the trick, although it's probably a question of light, too.

And, those snakes: sweet memories!

surt · **Reply #22 on:** February 03, 2012, 02:29:55 pm

Quote from: Manupix on February 03, 2012, 03:58:38 am

I have a problem with the doors opening in the background (both gray and black): they look like volume objects, not openings.
I think you have to make them blend into the bg somehow. Showing brick joints nearby might do the trick, although it's probably a question of light, too.

Do you mean when closed? If so I can increase the shadow cast by the lintel. At the moment the door is a sprite so that it can be sat on top of any background so if I can avoid including any background specific elements in it I'd prefer to.

Quote from: Manupix on February 03, 2012, 03:58:38 am

And, those snakes: sweet memories!

Actually, I was trying to clone the snakes from Monster Land by memory, but I remembered them different than they are.

Added fishies and a birdie and misc.

Manupix · **Reply #23 on:** February 03, 2012, 04:28:25 pm

Quote from: surt on February 03, 2012, 02:29:55 pm

Do you mean when closed?

Yes. The only one that's open doesn't bother me at all, not because it's open but because it's obviously set in a wall, there is no volume or contrast or shading inconsistency. Same for the closed one next to it in the cellars.

Quote from: surt on February 03, 2012, 02:29:55 pm

At the moment the door is a sprite

Does that mean that it can pop up at any place in the gameplay? Mmmh, problem.
Then it should maybe blend in as much as possible into the bg it's on, this means a different version for every bg though. Also it would probably not be visible enough.

lucas_irineu · **Reply #24 on:** February 05, 2012, 05:15:58 pm

Goddamn, surt. This is just amazing. I love everything about it. You should find a way to make this into a short game after you're done.

Best mockup I've seen in a very, very long time. I have no real criticism to add, I just felt like dropping in and letting you know how much you rock. You rock, a lot. I'll be leaving now.

surt · **Reply #25 on:** February 12, 2012, 11:59:51 am

Manupix: I tried increasing the depth of the shadow cast on the door by the frame. Does it help?

I'm getting sick of this so I'll finish up soon. Any last suggestions?

Misc tweaks.

Facet · **Reply #26 on:** February 12, 2012, 07:50:53 pm

Ton of great stuff here, really appealing and a really smart use of a tough palette

In the armoured angel level, some background objects are almost indistinguishable from foreground at the moment, similarly with the underwater tiles against the water; they could really do with some outlines or something if not a palette change. The white rocky one you have on the side is awesome; I'd try definitely and get that combination in somewhere. The desaturated pink for the lava looks a bit strange, I guess you've already tried the red but I'm thinking a bit strawberry milkshake at the moment. Minor things; possibly personal taste but having the tree trunk overlapping the foliage looks strange to me and the cylinders in the crystalline level look a bit too prominent for a bg entity with that cyan.

I did attempt a few little miscellaneousness edits previously, including the ground tiles but dang that's an uncooperative palette to wrangle

.

surt · **Reply #27 on:** February 18, 2012, 04:56:34 am

Facet: Cheers. Think I addressed most of your crits. Trees and water level outlines look much better. Not so sure about the heaven level though. Background cylinders (supposed to be crystals) I don't see I have any option with the cyan, I want more than just grey in there and dithering the grey and cyan together results in ugly.

Batzy · **Reply #28 on:** February 18, 2012, 01:51:25 pm

Seems like you posted this on Pixeljoint already! going to call it done? anyway fucking adore the progress this has went thro i'd definitely feature this if i could hehe got no crits

PypeBros · **Reply #29 on:** February 18, 2012, 02:43:05 pm

good job on those little fiery creatures !

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AuthorTopic: GR#093 - EGA Adventure Platformer (Read 20670 times)