some robots[latest updated: Sep. 20]

[llshadow]

 
thanks a lot Adarias !

[pkmays]

I must say, I think Adarias' edit isn't an overall improvement. The colors are now giving sort of a peachy pastel happy feel to the mechs. Totally inappropriate. Also, the high degree of contrast between the light and shadow is really harsh. I think llshadow pretty much hit it dead on in the first version.

Maybe use the higher contrast on the metal parts though. The blue mecha's gun does pop better in the edit. But the rest of the armor looks much better with the flat low contrast scheme.

[ndchristie]

you can do whatever you want with the colors, but it needs to be softened or simplified in some way, there are unbelievable priority issues that have to be addressed.

a simple palette change and they are gritty as anything:





in terms of contrast, not only do the originals have too much competition for attention, but they appear flat as a kansas cornfield.  something more is needed before they are visible.

lastly, when it comes to games, people like shiney things.  The shinier the better.  the more interesting the light plays off the figurepieces the more interested the player is.  players also like simple over busy, so reducing the forms to strong lights and deep shadows sculpts the figures better, makes them more attractive, and makes them easier to look at.

[Opacus]

A bit more contrast might be good, but I think your edits are going a bit to far Adarias. Those colours are nearly burning, especially the last one, and I don't find them attractive to look at with those colours at all.
I think they look fine currently. Perhaps a more interesting colour scheme would do good, but not more contrast. That just makes the robots look like they're made of plastic.
Pehaps something like this?

[Helm]

I am sorry to not be able to offer much pro-actively, but I have to say I find these edits to be major steps down in terms of clarity. It's pixel art because every pixel counts. These resamples blur everything and the palettes burn. This is the sort of effect I wouldn't wish on my pixel art ever. If the artist finds these edits useful, great, but it makes me fear for your immortal soul.

[pkmays]

Opacus, nice edit. The colors are a bit too fleshy for my taste. A little less hue shifting through the color ramp would keep it looking mechanical.

You've done the same thing as before, but instead of being bright peach and blurry it's now bright orange and blurry. That's not gritty. That's orange and shiny.

lastly, when it comes to games, people like shiney things.  The shinier the better.  the more interesting the light plays off the figurepieces the more interested the player is.

Where are you getting this from? Saying players like shiny simple graphics is a criminally broad generalization. We're talking about the aesthetic value of these sprites, and these sprites alone. As I said before, I think your overly colorful and specy edits are inappropriate. Inappropriate for the subject matter. These are big tuff military machines, not super deformed pimped out turtle waxed sports cars.

Anyway, talk is cheap.

[ndchristie]

to each their own i suppose, i still see a bunch of flat, gray, shapeless forms covered in extremely jagged and busy lines.  Cross your eyes on my edits, the important forms are still clear as day, do that with the rest and it looks like nothing

[Helm]

I don't have to cross my eyes when I look at your edits, they're blurry and out of focus to begin with. I think you're applying a rule that 'sounds right' to produce an effect that you should exercise more judgement on and realise it uh, kinda sucks. You say what your edits achieve, but at what cost? warmth/coolness balance is gone, they're overexposed, and they're blurry! The detail is gone! These are machines, detail makes geometric boxes look like boxes stuffed with machinery, you know?

[ndchristie]

no, i wholeheartedly agree with everything I said, the fact that you disagree doesn't mean I can't see what i'm talking about.  the detail is a total bitch on all the others, i can't even look at them. crispness to the point of dizziness is not the same as clarity!  the ones i made are the only ones here with any range of values - the rest are all of the same region, about half of what i would consider bare minimum for establishing depth.  the originals even blend into this forum's background, i feat i thought was impossible - this background has complimented almost every piece i've seen since the color was chosen.

[Scuba Steve]

I tried playing around to see how I could make them less "busy".  Part of it might be that the parts of the figure in the background are just duplicates of the foreground recoloured.  Maybe redrawing the rear legs or adding another hue might help separate them.  Or what about black/dark outlines to the major limbs?  I know most people are against outlining... but it might help set it apart.  I also tried adjusting the colours of the background limbs.  I think it really helped to bring the contrast down and use the darker colours from the foreground.  I dunno... it seems a little less busy... but they do look nice, regardless.



Edit: Is there something I should know about posting images...?

Edit2: Yeah, post the correct link