[C+C] Stage Select Conundrums

[Zizka]

Howdiho!

So while I still got the title screen on the backburner for a while, I decided to give the stage select a shot.

The idea is to reproduce something which Megaman players will be familiar with:


I don't want to go ahead too much before the design is set in stone so that I don't do the same thing 15 times like for the title screen.

This is the concept I have right now:


So, of course, the idea is to have Pan look at the selected stage.

Is the setup ok? Do you think I should go ahead and detail the living shit out of that Stage Select screen?

Please accept my salutations and most beneficial blessings.

Z.

[Gil]

The kerning on the fonts could use a lot of work, as well as the letter shapes. The toasters demand more attention than the boss portraits, so you should probably reduce contrast of the background a lot. Don't forget that strong patterns (for example, toasters all lined up) can draw visual attention, as much as the colors. In this case, reducing contrast would probably mean reducing the patterning.

[heyguy]

Maybe you can remove the black outline of the toasters so they don't demand so much attention. The toasters being lined up perfectly draws attention like Gil said. Maybe go with a more varied pattern. Something diagonal that looks like this?

http://images.wisegeek.com/gingham-swatch.jpg

I agree with Gil and I also feel the letter shapes can be adjusted. The "T" looks sort of unbalanced. I think the middle part of the "S" looks slim but that's just my opinion. I'm definitely ain't typography/graphic design expert. I do definitely think the set up is good, can't go wrong with the Mega Man inspiration!

[Zizka]

New version, I tried to take in everything you guys said:

[Decroded]

maybe try bringing selection boxes together leave more gap on outside to see flying toasters and animate them moving on a separate background layer.
This way they don't take away from the focus of the screen which is the selection boxes.

[Gil]

I still have the same problem as with the title screen, there's no mid-level detail. It goes from small pixel detail and single pixel outlines to large areas of uniform color. I feel like you are working way too big for your own skill-set and it's biting you in the ass. A perfect distribution of detail tends towards the sierpinski triangle:

[Zizka]

I feel like you are working way too big for your own skill-set and it's biting you in the ass.

You should encourage me instead. If something is out of my comfort zone, all the more reason to practice it to become better at it  .

Thanks for the triangle composition though, I'll keep it mind for the title screen. For the stage select, I want something which looks like Mega Man so this wouldn't do.

@Decroded: Mmm... maybe. I feel like the boxes are lacking a bit at the moment too.

Still unsure as to where to go from there. I'll try what you've mentioned about bringing the boxes together, Decroded.

[Gil]

Thanks for the triangle composition though, I'll keep it mind for the title screen. For the stage select, I want something which looks like Mega Man so this wouldn't do.

It's not about the specific composition, it's about distribution of detail.

The Mega Man boss select screens are conform to Sierpinski, yours isn't. Mega Man 7's boss select screens aren't Sierpinski and I feel like they are weaker for it.

[Zizka]

You've lost me then. I have no idea how this:

follows this pattern. I honestly see no resemblance in design in both.

[Ryumaru]

It's not about the shape design, but about the distribution of detail frequency.

edit: derp, should've finished reading Gil's posts first. Notice the frames surrounding the characters. The 1 pixel thick rings are probably the highest frequency detail due to small size and high contrast. But they are subordinate to the circular corners, which fall in line behind the frames themselves which only exist to hold the portraits which all echo the overall square composition. The idea is a little abstract, but dwell on it a bit and you'll get it. It will be good knowledge to acquire too, as user interface like you have here leans heavily towards pure design over representation.