AuthorTopic: [WIP] Jonas Art thread  (Read 4273 times)

Offline JonasO

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[WIP] Jonas Art thread

on: June 09, 2012, 02:46:21 am
This could be a typical character, possibly the hero:


Here is an item sort of thing:






My first try at creating tilesets. I've used tilesets before but I'm not really an expert level designer, so I appreciate feedback on the map as well as feedback on the tiles used.
« Last Edit: June 16, 2012, 12:53:02 am by JonasO »

Offline Ashbad

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Re: [WIP] Jonas Art thread

Reply #1 on: June 09, 2012, 11:47:51 am
Yay monochrome tilesets :D  (excuse my enthusiasm, I've been a hacker/developer on the TI-84+ for years and generally have had only monochrome restrictions to work with, so I've personally done a ton of monochrome graphics)  The tiles themselves are nice; they use up their 16x16 space well, but don't use it too well to the point where everything just looks black -- however this is a bit noticeable with the flower tiles, I would suggest taking out a ring of black pixels inside of them to have them stand out less against the rest of the tiles (the flowers are noticeably the darkest tiles in the whole scene).  House looks great, cliffsides look just as great.  stairs are a bit bland, but I'm not sure what you can really do to fix them.  And one thing I noticed:



Those circled trees are unique from the rest, and seemingly each other too.  Most awkward ones are the ones circled in the top right.

As for map design:  map is a bit plain right now.  however, I have no idea what the screen size of the device this is for is, so I'll assume it's not PC if you're going for monochrome graphics, and therefore is something well below 640x480 (unless it's a really old school PC game, trying to emulate the feel of older monochrome-screened handhelds?)  I'll assume it's something like 192x128, so double the 84+'s screen size, probably a fair guess.  In which case, the open space of empty tiles and cluttered areas of tree tiles become a bit noticeable and make the map feel rather empty.  If it's something as small as the 84+'s screen of 96x64, then this map design is nothing but trouble; things are pretty spaced out, and since you'll only see 4x6 tiles at a time, you'd probably get lost in the map.

So, basically, it needs more detail tiles for sure, but based on the screen size you may want things to be closer together.
« Last Edit: June 09, 2012, 11:49:36 am by Ashbad »

Offline JonasO

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Re: [WIP] Jonas Art thread

Reply #2 on: June 09, 2012, 12:17:46 pm
@ All

I'd be more than glad to hear some ideas for other tiles (you know the rules, 16x16 and only black and white, nothing else).
What I have in mind right now is some dirt, pebble and rocks, some cliffs for cave entrances which are 1 tile instead of half a tile, and maybe some cliff that a player could jump or slide down, but not get back up (a one way door, if you wish).

Also I have some problem creating a water tile... Any suggestions?

@ Ashbad

Wow, thanks for your great reply!

As for the trees, I noticed that as well. I was trying to add more variation by placing flowers and grass below the trees - didn't work out, it seems. I'll try and create /real/ variations by hand I guess ; )

I'll try your suggestion with the flowers. Also I'll try my best with the stairs, the fact that they are straight lines makes them look damn regular when compared to the rest of the map. Maybe making the lowest stair broader then the ones above will help - we'll see how that changes things.

Concerning Screen Resolution: I'm not really making this for a game yet, rather than for myself. If I would make a game out of it, I would probably make something for the PC and go for 16x12 tiles (at 2x, giving 512x384 - which is unusual and no I don't know what to do with the border yet).

And now for the map looking plain: I agree, but there are two things to consider: 1. there will be objects placed in the map (like people and some items), this will help a bit. 2. I didn't want to spam the same tiles over and over... I don't have more tiles than seen here. I'll probably add some rock, some dirt, some pebble. That out to improve plainness by a lot.

Offline PypeBros

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Re: [WIP] Jonas Art thread

Reply #3 on: June 09, 2012, 12:35:39 pm
I think the "stairs" tile for the cliffs need a revision. It's very hard to find where it is at a glance, right now.
Try to use much less black on it, so that it mostly reads as ground, but still hint the player with some partial horizontal lines that it's some stairs to climb.

Offline Helm

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Re: [WIP] Jonas Art thread

Reply #4 on: June 09, 2012, 01:05:29 pm
I think one-bit trees are a great opportunity to work with the warcraft tiled tree formation. Check it out:



You can still use your single_tree for variety.

« Last Edit: June 09, 2012, 01:11:29 pm by Helm »

Offline JonasO

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Re: [WIP] Jonas Art thread

Reply #5 on: June 09, 2012, 01:19:51 pm
EDIT: I added a couple of new tiles and modified the map. The updated version is in post 1. I felt it was overburdened so I removed some of the grass and flowers.
I'm also starting to dislike the single tree, it seems not to fit too well with the rest of the graphics...
I think it's too small, too white, and gives a bad sense of perspective. What do you think?

EDIT:
in-****ing-credible! thanks helm, that was a genius idea. It's much darker now, though. But not to the point that it becomes annoying I think.
Some of the lone trees now look pretty deplaced, but after mapping trees for two hours I'm giving the trees a rest.



I have changed the flowers, removed the background behind the trees, and modified the stairs. I merely made them bigger, though. Maybe that already helps.
Making them more irregular was impossible... Increasing stair size in any other way broke the height of the cliffs... Maybe someone else will have a genius idea, but I recently ran out of them it seems ;P

The blue thing is exactly 16x12, to have an idea how large that is.

@Helm: That's a great Idea! Its so much neater on the eye than those hordes of lined trees :)
« Last Edit: June 09, 2012, 04:15:06 pm by JonasO »

Offline Cupcake

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Re: [WIP] Jonas Art thread

Reply #6 on: June 09, 2012, 09:27:12 pm
Love the simple black-and-white! I don't have any suggestions for specific tile changes right now, but the structure on the right - is that meant to be a house or ruins? Right now it just looks like a wall.

Offline JonasO

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Re: [WIP] Jonas Art thread

Reply #7 on: June 09, 2012, 10:23:02 pm
EDIT: yaay! big trees! (I was sloppy when adding the trees to the map, so they don't look perfect... I still need some advice concerning how to place the trees.

Love the simple black-and-white!

Thanks, me too!

I don't have any suggestions for specific tile changes right now, but the structure on the right - is that meant to be a house or ruins? Right now it just looks like a wall.

It is a wall : ) It's supposed to be ruins. Can you tell me which version of the picture you're talking about? I worked on the ruins and I feel the newer version is better, so if you're talking about the old version (simple wall, and to the right of it is some sort of triangle-ish wall) please take a look at the new version (first post, has two wall fragments to the right not just one) and tell me if it's easier to see now.
I'm currently working on larger trees, then come back.
EDIT: the tree looks good, except maybe for the fact that the light is coming from the wrong direction -.-
« Last Edit: June 09, 2012, 11:59:41 pm by JonasO »

Offline Cupcake

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Re: [WIP] Jonas Art thread

Reply #8 on: June 10, 2012, 12:56:24 am
Ah, my cache must not have updated earlier or something, the ruins are really clearly ruins now. Looks good to me!

Offline JonasO

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Re: [WIP] Jonas Art thread

Reply #9 on: June 10, 2012, 02:21:06 am

I'm still not happy with the trees... They look too fluffy and plastic, I guess... Any ideas I could try out (they don't have to work) on how to adapt them to the rest of the set?
EDIT: I modified the trees to look darker, more voluminous and more like rest of the pieces... Now they seem too dark almost.

@cupcake thanks :)
« Last Edit: June 10, 2012, 04:01:03 pm by JonasO »