BACKGROUND BLITZ: Return of the cliché! [OVER]

[Akatosh]

Yes, ladies, gentlemen and hermaphrodites, because of the dwindling activity of the Mockup Blitz (which I "won" last time because my entry was the only one), it's possible time to bring back the original Background Blitz.

To celebrate this event (which also means there now is no regular contest apart from mAGS I could ever win  ) and to ensure a higher activity, the theme shall be pretty simple:

Cliché villain lair.

That's it. You can draw it from the outside, from the inside, from the top, from the bottom, in sinister blackscale colors, in sickeningly bright retro graphics... it's completely up to you! No technical restrictions, but please don't make your scene bigger than, let's say, 640x480 pixels (and not smaller than 320x200).

In case you don't remember the voting categories, they are:

Idea - The underlying idea to the background. Doesn't
necessarily have to coincide perfectly with the theme of the
week, just strike you as interesting/amusing/inspiring; a place
you'd really enjoy visiting within a game.

Atmosphere - How well the image manages to evoke a certain feeling or mood.

Design - How well the elements in the image are designed,
such as landscapes, buildings, decorations, clouds, doorknobs,
etc.

Composition - How well the elements in the image work
together/are positioned in relation to each other.

Functionality - How well it would work when adding sprites, i
ncluding appropriate walking distances, a good angle for
character sprites, clever walkway solutions, easily understood
exits, etc.

Technique - How well the ideas are executed in form of
rendering.

Now, get backgroundin'! Ending date's two weeks from now.

/EDIT: Or, y'know, the 25th. Either thing's fine by me.

[Ghost]

Design - How well the elements in the image are designed,
such as landscapes, buildings, decorations, clouds, doorknobs,
etc.

why... doorknobs??? My old and sworn enemies! Akatosh!!!!!!!!

He, this sounds like fun, and might rise some more attention to the retro BB- I'll knock something together!

[ SPACE RESERVED ]

[cat]

Ok, here is my entry:

2x

Every respectable evil lair needs a "Laser Beam"

[ildu]

Seeing as were not getting any entries here (or in any bg/mockup blitzes as of late), may we have an extension to this one? Perhaps an extra week? I'm gonna start on an entry now that I have a solid idea and some time to spare.

Meanwhile I'd like to urge people to be more active with these, especially the guys from roughly a year ago, when the bgblitz seemed to flourish. I'd love to recapture that comradery and friendly competition. I'm talking about your basic stock bangers, like NeilDnuma, loominous, ProgZ, Penguin, Buloght, nihilyst, JBurger, Clip, among others.

[nihilyst]

I seem to have some painter's block or something like that. Really, since a few weeks, every background I start ends up like shite. It once has been easier. Perhaps I'm getting old.

But I'll try to come up with something.

And you're right, there has been a time, when there were many good entries. Perhaps it's something supernatural. ^^

[twin-moon]

There.

Now people will have to enter, or else this crappy thing with the flat rocks will have won.

[Traveler]

I'd like to enter, too, but I'm swamped with work in RL, so it may not happen.

[cat]

Oh, I completely forgot about it. My background is halfway done, I will finish it this evening.

[Akatosh]

No problem. Deadline's been extended to the 25th. Now get backgrounding already! 

[Ryan Timothy B]

Working on a background as we speak... errr... type.

EDIT:

Alright.  I finally finished the background.  It took me approximately 10 hours to complete.

It's a Pirate Lair, filled with bones, crystal skull, gold, shovel, ship, and of course pirate chests.  As Piratey as a cliche picture can get.

I kinda mixed two different drawing styles in with this background.  Let me know if it looks ok.  The majority of the image are cartoonish, but the hole in the sand is very detailed.  This, not only will be the posting area for the contest, but it's almost a C&C posting too.  Just send me messages telling me what you think of it (can't remember how to make the link to have people easily send me messages on here).

(if you're wondering, this is the style of how my graphics look in my game I'm making... But nothing close to being sand/pirates/water.  My game is sci-fi, but it has many many months to complete that)



It's 640x480.

I also have the WIP gif (528 kb) at the following address:
http://www.bryvis.com/images/ClichePirateWIP.gif

As you'll notice, the entire image was put together by my best internet friend: Google.  If you feel like docking me points for 'copying' multiple images and putting them together into one, feel free.  It's my first time ever doing that.  I learned quite a bit by making this image, it was a great learning experience.  I'll definitely google images for any other background I make, from now on.

Edit: How I would program the walkable and walk-behind areas are posted below.

[Akatosh]

Alright, that's enough serious submissions for a genuine contest, and I think they're pretty awesome. Keep 'em coming, people!

[TheJBurger]

Here is an unfinished, messy background, that I don't really like but I'll post it anyway:

Inspirational references include a movie from the '60s and an online multiplayer game.

[Ryan Timothy B]

Great..  We were all hoping for more competition.  Definitely keep it coming.

[Akatosh]

Inspirational references include a movie from the '60s and an online multiplayer game.

Which are both pretty awesome, if I may add. Anyway, contest ends in two hours* or so. Hurry up.

/EDIT: * by which I mean "tomorrow". What WAS I thinking?

[ildu]

Anyway, contest ends in two hours* or so. Hurry up.

/EDIT: * by which I mean "tomorrow". What WAS I thinking?

Don't you mean tomorrow at midnight (GMT), which is the 25th @ 23.59 o'clock?

The reason I'm asking is that I'm still doing mine and since I was so busy today, it's in a very early stage. I'm hoping I'll have the whole day tomorrow to complete it.

EDIT:
Scratch that! I didn't have any time to even properly start my entry, let alone finish it. I'm out :|.

[Svartberg]

Oooh, the least you can do is make nice awards for these gorgeous entries

[Akatosh]

Alright then, let the voting commence! Please give one vote for each category (or leave some out, that's up to you) with a short comment of why you voted like that. I'll make up something myself later, but I'd rather not attempt to write long posts with my PC randomly crashing like it does right now.

Voting closes on the... let's say 31st.

[Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens]

Idea:  RyanTimothy.  The most visually interesting of the entries imo.

Atmosphere:  TheJBurger.  Grayscale + shadows sets just the right mood.

Design: RyanTimothy.  His background just has more going on visually than the rest.

Composition:  TheJBurger.  Very clean and clear where everything is.

Functionality: cat.  Some weird angles in Ryan's image made it difficult for me to visualize proper movement around the skeleton, while TheJBurger and Twin-Moon's backgrounds looked more useful as static cutscenes than as actual playable rooms.

Technique: RyanTimothy.  His background has the most interesting use of color and detail and has the most visual appeal overall.

[Ryan Timothy B]

First off: Progz, thanks for the 3 votes.

Second: I totally forgot to mention how (if i were to use this background) the ego would properly walk amongst the skeleton and sandy dunes.  I'd make a walk-behind region behind the main area of sand.  Then as the ego climbs out of his boat and walks forward a little.  The closer he gets, the less of his legs you see behind the dune.  When half his lower body is no longer visible, he walks left to where the two dunes are almost at the lowest and the skeleton is at the highest.  He faces the hole in the sand.  Then while animating him walking forward, you raise the character towards the top of the screen until his feet appear to be walking on the front dune.  Then change it so he would draw above the walk-behind region, and have him walk forward a few steps.  This would all have to be a programmed sequence of course.  It is what I would do, and was thinking of while designing it, if I were to actually use this scene.  Also do this in reverse when the ego is leaving the cave when he clicks on the boat.  I hope that made sense.  I also wouldn't have a walkable area at the lowest areas of the skeleton just above where the anchor is.

[Dualnames]

I'd vote for Ryan as well, but i'll go for Jburger. Sorry Ryan.