[WIP] Forest scene

[Marscaleb]

Update!





I tweaked the color for the tree bark to help it stand out against the dirt.
Making the canopy has been a huge challenge; I had to try several different methods before I got to one that felt passable.  Even now, I feel like I need to make a dozen different tweaks.  But I think it's good enough that I should at least share it with others who will see this with a fresh set of eyes; I'll wait to see if the problems I see are noticed by anyone else.

After this, I've got to draw the background layer, then I'm ready to start tweaking colors, fixing errors, adding details, etcetera.

Please let me know what you think so far; I welcome all feedback.

The final game on a standard monitor would be zoomed in to 400%.

[Vinik]

What would be the general value and/or texture of the background behind the trunks? Will it be parallaxed? Dark? I think that is critical in choosing how much they stand out or blend in, considering they are not collision enabled objects. I think that many games have trees that are wrongly color-coded and end up reading like they are collision enabled like floors and walls.

[Marscaleb]

The background would be paralaxed, yes.  But I'm still on the fence of what kind of hue/value it should have.  I plopped in a couple backgrounds from some other games and was noting some of the wildly different emotions they gave the scene.  This next step is going to be tricky so I don't think I'm going to tackle it today.

[Marscaleb]

Okay, here's the latest update, now including the background layer. (parallax scrolling, single layer.)
I also made a slight tweak to the canopy on a couple tiles.





The background by itself:


I don't want to mention the things I don't like because that makes it harder to get some honest feedback, but I will say that I'm not satisfied with the background layer, as well as several other elements.

The only thing that really needs to still be "made" at this point are some tiles to round out the bottom of the trunks, and some grass or bush tiles to place sporadically on the ground.

Please comment and offer suggestions.  How should I tweak the color?  Do the elements seem to have a cohesive style?  Is there anything that seems to stick out or look off?
My end goal is to use these tiles in a commercial project, so please don't try to spare my feelings.  If this isn't good enough to be in something you'd pay for, let me know.

I might be taking a break from this scene and working on some other environments for a while, so I can look at it with some "fresh eyes" before I finish it.  But I promise I will be reading and considering all your comments.

[eishiya]

The background is rather high-contrast, and the character is a bit hard to spot as a result. Try either lightening the darker layers, or darkening the lighter layers, so that the background covers only a smallish value range.

[Odovedesign]

I agree with eishiya, this is making really good progress though! I've been following this post quite excitedly

[falz]

Oh yeah, that background ties a lot together. What I'd love to see is it split into multiple layers and have great parallax during gameplay a la Odin Sphere. I see 5 layers?

[Marscaleb]

Oh yeah, that background ties a lot together. What I'd love to see is it split into multiple layers and have great parallax during gameplay a la Odin Sphere. I see 5 layers?

I'm going for a 16-bit era aesthetic.  So that would mean just two layers.

[Marscaleb]

The background is rather high-contrast, and the character is a bit hard to spot as a result. Try either lightening the darker layers, or darkening the lighter layers, so that the background covers only a smallish value range.

Not exactly what you suggested, but...


Hmm, I think I went too dark.  It doesn't have the vibe I really want.  I might hold on to this for an alternate area, though.