[WIP] Game, need help with colors

[nova]

Greetings!

I am primarily a programmer, and I'm struggling to make some tiles for a simple game.
My biggest problem right now, is that the colors I am using are horrible. I am trying to
make a water-tile, a grass-tile and so on... I really love the Zelda series of games, so
I am trying to get some inspiration from those.

The tiles are disgustingly ugly at this point, I just needed something to be able to run
the code. I'll be back for advice concerning the pixelling later, but right now I just
want to get some tips on choosing colors.

[Corsair]

Unfortunately, no matter what you do, if you're using solid colors it's going to look like poo. there's really no way around it.

[EvilEye]

 Ya add some detail then well talk.

 The grass is a little blueish, but that can still work.

[ndchristie]

Unfortunately, no matter what you do, if you're using solid colors it's going to look like poo. there's really no way around it.

that's as far from true as we are from the moon.  simplicity often goes hand-in-hand with sophistication and attractiveness.

The more accurate statement here is "if you're using solid colors, they need to be framed and accented by areas of detail, otherwise the space will seem empty."

[Rydin]

If you are just going to go solid colors, I don't see anything wrong with the ones you've got.  Your grass is "tame" enough and doesn't scream for attention, which is good for a background, and your blue is vibrant enough to portray liquid.

There are successful games that use solid colors, as you say, and the end results are very pretty.

Earthbound
night time

A Link to the Past
grass
good water example

[nova]

Thanks a lot Rydin, that's really helpful! Going to post again when I've made some updates.

[nova]

I tried to add some foam and shade in the water...
My soldiers are just 16 x 16, which might be a little small, I dunno... but I do want
many of them on the screen at the same time. Hard to fit much detail into 16 x 16 though.

The next step is to add trees and other obstacles that the soldiers have to pass in order
to reach their destination (they come in from the north and try to end up south, and you have
to stop them).

[ndchristie]

it's a good improvement, though don't be so sure that 16x16 makes it hard to fit details!



if you just think in terms of the greater shapes and not how small it is, you can end up creating some surprisingly detailed forms with only a few pixels (this is i tihnk the goal of pixel art, for many people)

[nova]

Yikes... I wish I could make something similar to that.

Not sure whether I should go for the very clean Zelda-style that I like so much,
or a more detailed style. I think it's very difficult to make those round candy-smooth
edges that I see in e.g. Zelda... my edges end up all jagged and ugly.