AuthorTopic: Platformer  (Read 6157 times)

Offline Facet

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Re: Platformer

Reply #10 on: June 03, 2012, 08:26:48 pm
Nice progress :), I really like the Chess-piece enemy idea; introducing a board game motif into the tiles could give them a more unique flavour too. How about some bigger elements? you've only extended one block so far; the concept of pixel clusters could equally be applied to tiles (in the appeal of a pleasing configuration in the abstract that de-emphasises the unit). 

I'd keep more of the BG layer as a darker sihouette for more substance (the sense that they're supporting the bits of floating foreground), in order to leave room for another, more distant (lighter) layer and also as a foil for the detailing of the platforms.

I think the trick behind the kind of edit Facet made is that you stop drawing everything and only draw what pops out of a scene. It's one step towards cartoony rendering, and it fits pixel art quite well.

Yeah, but I'd add that prioritised rendering and controlling focus are not just cartooning devices. I aim to render elegantly not comprehensively. Less diagrammatic, more the illusion of a broad impression, placing extrapolation with the viewer; hopefully the richer for it. 
« Last Edit: June 04, 2012, 10:23:39 pm by Facet »

Offline Grimsane

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Re: Platformer

Reply #11 on: June 04, 2012, 06:44:22 am
did this edit couple days back, never got around to posting it D:
I was just going to give you a different take, and explore the possibility of darker screen space and negative shapes, and also proposing the possibility of imposing some interesting loose restrictions
16Bit consoles had several tile modes that could be combined, and the ability to flip tiles, Metroid for example had 8x8 tiles that were used to great effect, and another thing the snes had was alpha transparency. So if you are working with layers, an interesting Idea is to have a lighting layer, simply solid coloured tiles with universal layer transparency.
anyway here is the edit:


and Facet has given some fantastic advice. I tried doing similar things but just by reducing highlights so the tiles didn't seem so harsh and sharp, but keeping that sharpness for the surface tiles to help distinguish them. hope it's self explanatory and in some way helpful, subtle god rays could work equally as well on your current BG if you work a 3rd subtle layer in, maybe mountains with a few openings of light between them that you could frame with pillars for a similar effect. oh yeah and I scribbled a ghost in, before you had any indication of the style of monster sprites you'd use, also one crit with your latest iteration, I don't think the spikey things without the blood read very well with that colour/shading on the prongs/spikes.

Offline infinitegames

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Re: Platformer

Reply #12 on: June 16, 2012, 03:23:17 am


I've added what I think is a reasonable amount of tile variation. Haven't started too much work on background elements yet. The first couple of enemies have been sprited.
The enemies in this game are going to be based on various board-game pieces, these enemies are based on the pawn and bishop of chess. I realize that the 'pawns' don't look much like pawns. they'll most likely be re-done.

It's looking massively better. I really like the look you've created. It's really really cool  :y: