Pixeling : The Indexing (Helm card)

[Helm]

That's a pun on Magic : The Gathering, or Changeling: The Dreaming or what have you. A metaphorical card game that Souly actually wants to make. Details here. Personally I'm not interested in an actual, playable game at all, just interested in pretty cards and silly/cool flavor texts. In fact I think collectible card games are a blight on the tabletop gaming industry. This doesn't stop me from admiring some mechanics and such in some of the top games, but the impulse to buy buy new expansion pack or fall fall fall behind is a bit unethical for me. I realize that this version wouldn't actually cost anything even if it's made but still it's too close to a business model I actively dislike, for comfort. So I was reading Souly's thread and felt inspired to do my own card regardless of the actuality of the game being made. I've gotten this so far:


(if you open it inside your animation program instead of in-browser, it animates much faster)

I will make a border and some silly flavor text further on (suggestions are welcome! I have some ideas about power effects but actually me writing my own flavor text would best be avoided, hah). As always feedback is appreciated, though keep in mind that I'm pretty happy with it and might not alter it significantly.

16 colors double palette... uh... what else to say. Extremely saturated palette on purpose, wanted to capture a pretty harsh digital aesthetic thing. Mostly perfect angles so there isn't really much need for laboured aa in most places... As you can see I completely skipped dithering as it would hurt the angularity of this one. No reference (besides standing up a few times against the mirror) as likeness isn't really a big deal for something like this.

[EvilEye]

Nice retro look.

His forehead might be jutting just a bit much, and the thick black diagonal line on left bottom of the shirt needs to be minimized / removed IMO.

Reminds me of that lead singer from adult-swims deathklok.

[Helm]

Thanks for the suggestions.

Keep in mind the brow is hugged by hair so it appears more sloped than it is. I'll think about the diagonal, but could you mind saying why it should be removed?
You don't know how you wound me with the dethklok thing

[ptoing]

Here some edits to make it more cutting edge.





And here 2 colouredits.

Palette of something I am working on atm, simply put the palette on Helms, both were sorted by brightness.


Same with C64 palette, just because.

[Helm]

It constantly amazes me how versatile the c64 palette is. And your palette also rocks although the face is too high-value in it, which makes sense since in the original I used really high-sat colors as darker values, not just going by lightness. The cutting edge versions are hilarious in pro motion! How did you do the purple trails in the first one?

[ptoing]

Multi shade.

[Helm]

This was fun.

[Souly]

Glad I could inspire such a sweet piece.
I like your ideas for skills too. :]

I've actually found a few opensource engines for TCG games so a game is possible.
I'm wondering if my cards canvas' is too small, yours seems to be able to show the top torse which is proper and mine can't due to size atm...

[skw]

That's a very nice piece, very out-there; and I love the skill ideas as well!  I bet you both start a new fad here!

[EvilEye]

I'll think about the diagonal, but could you mind saying why it should be removed?

Just doesn't look like it should be there. Its too harsh a transition.

[ptoing]

I would say that is down to taste. I like the bold diagonal, gives it direction and power.

[HughSpectrum]

Same here.  The bold diagonal is one of my favorite effects of the piece.

[ilkke]

That's a nice piece, plus I love the selout bit of the text.
Only thing that I'm not comfortable with is the pulsating animation. It seems that the darkest colors get more of the glow, and frankly most of the animated light on the body seems completely unrelated to the pulsating trixel (or whatever it is) that is supposedly the source of light. If your intention was merely to depict that you are brimming with power or something, then okay.

[happymonster]

For some reason my eye keeps getting drawn to the small rectangle on his neck to the right of his chin. Not sure why, but maybe that is at odds with the angles and hues around it? Perhaps I am seeing it as part of the background (even though it's lighter).

Not sure!

[Helm]

ilkke yeah I was just going for general pulsating power of PIXEL more than a realistic effect.