AuthorTopic: Skyscraper Top Chipset  (Read 11222 times)

Offline Zizka

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Skyscraper Top Chipset

on: August 17, 2012, 11:50:01 pm
Hey guys, it’s been a little while.
So anyway, I’m working on this detective game with some friends (you’ve seen some stuff related to this in the House Chipset).

This is a first scene at the beginning of the game where the main character is investigating a murder.

This is the first version:


And this is the second version:


The stars in the upper left represent how many clues have been found (full stars) and how many clues are still to be found (empty stars).

Now, this is not finished. I still need to remove those lines in the walls as well as to remove that ugly, cloudy background. I want to replace the latter with the landscape of a city by night (you’re supposed to be on top of a skyscraper).

I’d like to get criticism on the other elements of the tileset. As usual, I’ll redo what needs to be done in order to improve.

Your feedback is truly appreciated.

Offline questseeker

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Re: Skyscraper Top Chipset

Reply #1 on: August 19, 2012, 01:01:45 pm
One thing seems terribly, obviously wrong: the grey tiles behind forward-facing walls. They look like a walkable, correctly lit concrete floor, while in reality they are a combination of wall cross-section and unseen/unexplored space.
I would fade the walls to black, or maybe to a stylized conventional hatching pattern, very few pixels behind the surface instead, making obvious that those tiles are outside the game level's environment.

Smaller issues and suggestions:
  • Keep the black void around the visible tiles. It makes sense and it respects conventions, whereas the city scene you mention as a planned improvement would be distracting and unrealistic; maybe you can show small scenes through back-facing windows in case you add them.
  • The cartons in the second version are admirably realistic, but too large compared to the person. Can you shrink them without compromising details?
  • More varied graffiti, there isn't only white chalk.
  • More varied floor types. There is a lot of floor: structuring it with carpets and doormats, steps, patterns of coloured tiles, different materials and tile sizes should be a good thing.
  • Lighting differences, improving the current flat appearance. You can add wall lamps (with a section of highlighted wall), or more generally several lighting levels for walls and floors with tile transitions between them (enabling the creation of arbitrary lighting).

Offline Zizka

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Re: Skyscraper Top Chipset

Reply #2 on: August 27, 2012, 05:45:57 am
Thank you, I'm still working on fixing the rooftop following (some  :D) of your suggestions.

Just a few more things:

Some characters to be added to the map (the characters on the left are my modifications of my comrade's character:

Dude waiting for his internet date:


Prostitute:


Bouncer:


Those things there are on top of stores:


Drug store sign in Europe:


Anyways, as usual, the more the comments, the better.

Offline Lachie Dazdarian

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Re: Skyscraper Top Chipset

Reply #3 on: August 27, 2012, 08:11:55 am
Prostitutes seem all wrong. Where's the cleavage, high heels, socks with them...how do you call it? You know? :P

They look like school teachers. I'm sure something can be done there. Lusher hair style, more provocative pose. Dunno. Left design is definitely better.

And any reason dudes waiting for their internet dates are bald? Maybe you should go with a more nerd type. Glasses, emo haircut.

Very nice work on those things there are on top of stores (canopy), as well as that drug store sign (familiar to me). :)

Europe rocks!

Offline PypeBros

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Re: Skyscraper Top Chipset

Reply #4 on: August 27, 2012, 08:38:45 am
Europe rocks!
^_^ However, the sign doesn't have proper perspective. We should see some part of its top, shouldn't we ?
Imho you're doing the same mistake with the side-view of the bouncer guy: you placed eyes at the same height as if he was facing us (that's okay), but shoulder placement and skull visibility is identical to what a plain side-view would give.

<- that should illustrate what I mean.

Offline Zizka

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Re: Skyscraper Top Chipset

Reply #5 on: August 30, 2012, 09:46:39 pm
@Lachie Dazdarian & PypeBros:

I've taken notes of your comments, thank you.

Meanwhile, I've tried to implement the changes questseeker suggested (some of them anyway):

*Added stuff behind the windows
*Added rooftop style tile. I didn't cover the whole ground because I wanted to know what you guys thought. I used a reference.
* Added stars at the back to see how it would look and some sort of sunset. This is just a draft for now, I will detail it later.
*Added a numpad to open the gate.
*Added metal stairs, ladder and power box.
*Reduces the size and the disposition of the boxes.
*Fixed the lines
*Added wall lamps

Before:


After:


Keep the suggestions going and I'll what I can do please and thank you.

Offline Dr D

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Re: Skyscraper Top Chipset

Reply #6 on: August 31, 2012, 01:13:47 am
A few things.

I don't think that new ground tile works, at all. It's busy and full of what looks like random pixels. I'd scrap it to be honest, what you have now is much more pleasing. If you want to change it try some simple textures and no noisy pixels, and remember to keep the contrast low.

The windows seem to be misplaced, or at least it appears to me they are on the border of the wall that is raised above the ground level on the roof. I don't possibly see how a room could fit in a 2 foot thick roof border. Although that's probably not how you intended it to be, and the issue lies with the fact that edge is lit brighter than the rest of the roof, bringing it to a higher plane.

I don't think the background really works either.

Also, you have a mapping error in the middle with the wall connecting to the black border tiles. Right now it appears to be sloping down from the higher plane to meet the lower wall, when the wall should be an extra 2 tiles high.

And lastly, just a concern. Have you thought about how that numpad controls that gate. It appears to me to be a simple metal gate on a hinge, and I've never a gate like that controlled by a numpad; but I guess it isn't impossible.

Offline Zizka

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Re: Skyscraper Top Chipset

Reply #7 on: August 31, 2012, 02:32:42 pm
Quote
I don't think that new ground tile works, at all. It's busy and full of what looks like random pixels. I'd scrap it to be honest, what you have now is much more pleasing. If you want to change it try some simple textures and no noisy pixels, and remember to keep the contrast low.

Yeah, I was struggling with that, I was trying to reproduce my reference picture:
http://img13.picoodle.com/i58u/freemind/1fic_371_u5vq6.jpg

I knew there was something wrong but couldn't really put my finger as to what it was. Perhaps make the pebbles bigger?

Quote
The windows seem to be misplaced, or at least it appears to me they are on the border of the wall that is raised above the ground level on the roof. I don't possibly see how a room could fit in a 2 foot thick roof border. Although that's probably not how you intended it to be, and the issue lies with the fact that edge is lit brighter than the rest of the roof, bringing it to a higher plane.

That's true, I didn't notice that but you're right. I'll fix this, thanks.

Quote
I don't think the background really works either.

Yes, that's actually very much WIP. I'm still working on that, should've mentioned it in my previous post.

Ok, back to work then. Thanks for the input, it really does help.

Offline Zizka

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Re: Skyscraper Top Chipset

Reply #8 on: September 02, 2012, 05:29:03 pm
Alright, here's another attempt. I've tried to fix a few things as you can tell. Let me know what else needs fixing.

I didn't really understand this:
Quote
Also, you have a mapping error in the middle with the wall connecting to the black border tiles. Right now it appears to be sloping down from the higher plane to meet the lower wall, when the wall should be an extra 2 tiles high.

Here's the new version, rip it apart  :y:. The major changes should be fairly obvious I would think. I mostly worked on the windows, the wall, the floor texture and the background.







Offline PypeBros

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Re: Skyscraper Top Chipset

Reply #9 on: September 03, 2012, 07:14:51 am
Quote
the floor texture and the background.

The floor texture is now just random noise, but that's actually better than the previous small dots. eyes tend to erase noise from our perception when it's truly random. Question is: if erased anyway, do you want to keep it ?

The background would be nice for a sideview perspective, but it clearly doesn't work for top-down. What you're supposed to see from that distance, in that orientation is *the city*, from far above, and all around the building. Perhaps roofs of other buildings, but that's unlikely to be any interesting.