Background Blitz - City Life (02/03 - 18/03)

Ilyich · Tue 01/03/2011 23:48:29

The theme for this Background Blitz is City Life:

You should create a scene that represents some aspect of the life in a big city.

It can be a busy street, a graffiti-filled ghetto, a simple flat, a shopping mall, a small cafe, a flea market, or anything else you can think of. The only restriction - it should be relatively modern, somewhere inbetween the 19th and the 22nd centuries.

The voting starts on March the 18th, unless someone asks for extension.

Good luck and have fun!

joelphilippage · Sat 05/03/2011 18:09:34

I made this off of an apartment that I get to sleep on the couch in sometimes.

Ilyich · Sat 05/03/2011 18:20:05

joelphilippage, sweet! I like those slightly weird colors, and the view outside the window gives this exactly the kind of urban ambience I was hoping to see here. Nicely done.

Mad · Tue 08/03/2011 19:25:14

And a little mock-up:

Matti · Tue 08/03/2011 19:41:13

Mad, that is GREAT! Really nice colors and perspective.

oraxon · Thu 10/03/2011 01:44:29

After the 1906 earthquake/fire in San Francisco:

Be careful picking up objects - they're shooting looters.

Ilyich · Thu 10/03/2011 20:34:10

Oh my god! Neon lights and early 20th century architecture?! Those are the few of my favourite things! Great works, Mad and oraxon, I really like them both! And I think you are both making quite some progress with every new Background Blitz, keep it up!

LRH · Thu 10/03/2011 22:22:57

I just have to comment on these. They're both incredible O_O

Pinback · Fri 11/03/2011 10:44:07

Me too, they're both fantastic!

oraxon · Fri 11/03/2011 19:19:46

bad timing for a quake background, though. No disrespect intended to victims in Japan today.

Ilyich · Thu 17/03/2011 17:31:26

Just a day left, if anyone is working on something and/or would like an extension - now is the time to ask.
Join in, i want to see more awesome backgrounds! MORE!

SookieSock · Thu 17/03/2011 23:08:32

I'm doing one.

Can i have a very short extention pretty please.

Ilyich · Fri 18/03/2011 01:23:17

Sure thing! You have the whole weekend then. Voting starts Sunday, 20th at 23:59, Greenwich time.

Snath3000 · Sun 20/03/2011 13:07:39

Hi, this is my first attempt at a background. There's more I wanted to do, but I thought I might as well submit it anyway.

All criticism welcome.
(Please be nice, I'm new...)

straydogstrut · Sun 20/03/2011 14:13:35

Quote from: SookieSock on Thu 17/03/2011 23:08:32
I'm doing one.

Yay!=D

Fantastic entries everyone, well done!

Nice background Snath and welcome to the forums. Maybe post it in the Critics Lounge too to get some more detailed feedback?

SookieSock · Sun 20/03/2011 21:59:41

~~My entry will be in tomorrow I promise ^_^~~

Here it is:

Ilyich · Mon 21/03/2011 07:50:04

SookieSock, that's quite epic! And dark! Great entry, anyway.

Snath3000, it's really nice, even though slightly raw and way too dark. If you want some more in-depth critisism and advice on how to improve it - you can post it in the Critics Lounge, as SookieSock has already suggested. Oh, and welcome to the forums, hope you'll have a nice stay.

O-kay! So, the voting starts right... now!
Here are the categories, with the good ol' functionality back in:

Idea: Was it an original/creative interpretation of the theme?
Atmosphere: Was an interesting world created? - Did the scene evoke a feeling?
Design: How well the individual elements are designed, from clouds to doorknobs.
Composition: How well the elements are combined to create a pleasing whole, and lead the viewer to the points of interest.
Functionality: How well it would work as a background, with clearly defined entries and walkable areas, as well as a good viewing angle (this also includes introductionary shots of an area as long as a player character can be present in the scene).
Technique: How well it's rendered (within the chosen style!), in no way meaning the more elaborate the better.

Code: ags


[b]Idea[/b] -
[b]Atmosphere[/b] -
[b]Design[/b] -
[b]Composition[/b] -
[b]Functionality[/b] -
[b]Technique[/b] -

Snath3000 · Mon 21/03/2011 08:30:10

Wow! Woah, that will teach me to have my gamma up to high at home. Checked it at work today and I can barely see it. Will have a go at fixing it when I get the chance. Lesson learnt though... Had considered popping it in the critics lounge, but thought I would have a go at adding in the extra detail and finishing it up more first. And, probably lighting it up a bit more now...

SookieSock, I think yours looks fantastic. I like the minimalist use of color, it somehow seems to make the train stick out more.

SookieSock · Mon 21/03/2011 19:54:52

Idea - oraxon
Atmosphere - oraxon
Design - oraxon
Composition - oraxon
Functionality - oraxon
Technique - oraxon

I really liked your last entry for the last one as well but I never got chance to vote.

ddq · Mon 21/03/2011 20:37:39

Idea - oraxon
Atmosphere - oraxon
Design - oraxon
Composition - oraxon
Functionality - Mad
Technique - oraxon

Great entries from everyone, but I *really* like oraxon's style and he needs to be awarded for his consistently awesome backgrounds.

TomatoesInTheHead · Mon 21/03/2011 20:56:48

Idea Mad
Atmosphere SookieSock
Design oraxon
Composition SookieSock
Functionality Mad
Technique oraxon

Nice entries altogether!

Tabata · Mon 21/03/2011 22:18:37

Idea - oraxon
Atmosphere - Mad
Design - Mad
Composition - Mad
Functionality - Mad
Technique - SookieSock

straydogstrut · Mon 21/03/2011 22:19:46

I'm so glad I didn't have time to attempt the underground station I had in mind. Even the imagined version in my head was nowhere near as impressive as Sookie's=O

Quote from: Snath3000 on Mon 21/03/2011 08:30:10
Wow! Woah, that will teach me to have my gamma up to high at home. Checked it at work today and I can barely see it.

Yeah, it's very dark on my iMac, but looks really good on my iPod?? There's a lot of impressive fine detail in there that gets overlooked when you can't see it=( Nice entry though, well done!

Idea - Mad
Atmosphere - SookieSock
Design - oraxon
Composition - Mad
Functionality - Mad
Technique - Mad

A very high calibre of entries everyone; you don't make it easy do you?;-)

Snath3000 · Tue 22/03/2011 03:17:12

Sorry, I'm quite new here still. How does the voting work? Does everyone vote? Just a select organised few? Or only those who have strong opinions?

Sorry, I can't seem to find a formalised rule anywhere.

Gilbert · Tue 22/03/2011 03:20:27

Anyone can vote. Just use the provided categories and provide one name whose entry you feel is best at each particular category.

Dualnames · Tue 22/03/2011 03:42:15

Quote from: Iceboty V7000a on Tue 22/03/2011 03:20:27
Anyone can vote. Just use the provided categories and provide one name whose entry you feel is best at each particular category.

Even me? Can I VOTE?

Snath3000 · Tue 22/03/2011 03:44:44

Righto, just thought I would check before jumping in.

Idea Mad
Atmosphere SookieSock
Design oraxon
Composition Mad
Functionality Mad
Technique oraxon

cosmicr · Tue 22/03/2011 04:10:08

Idea - Mad
Atmosphere - oraxon
Design - joelphilippage
Composition - Mad
Functionality - joelphilippage
Technique - Mad

Hoping to get in on the next one - make it easy please

TomatoesInTheHead · Tue 22/03/2011 07:06:49

Quote from: cosmicr on Tue 22/03/2011 04:10:08
Hoping to get in on the next one - make it easy please

If it's something like "make a background using only one color!" I'm in, too!

Tabata · Tue 22/03/2011 19:50:27

Quote from: Dualnames on Tue 22/03/2011 03:42:15
Quote from: Iceboty V7000a on Tue 22/03/2011 03:20:27
Anyone can vote. Just use the provided categories and provide one name whose entry you feel is best at each particular category.

Even me? Can I VOTE?

... not sure, whether you can - but even you are allowed to do so ...

Mad · Tue 22/03/2011 21:09:06

Idea - oraxon
Atmosphere - SookieSock, nice and dark - like a gothic noir hogwarts express ;-)
Design - joelphilippage, great colour scheme and very functional design.
Composition - SookieSock
Functionality - joelphilippage
Technique - oraxon, just love your loose and light style!

Dualnames · Tue 22/03/2011 21:17:57

Idea - joelphillippage
Atmosphere - Sookie
Design - Mad
Composition - Sookie
Functionality - Mad
Technique - Sookie

Congratulations to all entrants, the entries are awesome.

oraxon · Wed 23/03/2011 00:04:57

thanks for the compliments!

Idea - Mad
Atmosphere - Mad
Design - Mad
Composition - SookieSock
Functionality - joelphilippage
Technique - Mad

Didn't know about the Critics Lounge, I'll have to check that out.

nihilyst · Wed 23/03/2011 01:37:13

All entries rocked. But here are the votes:

Idea - oraxon
Atmosphere - Mad
Design - joelphilippage
Composition - oraxon
Functionality - joelphilippage
Technique - Mad

Ilyich · Wed 23/03/2011 17:55:33

Okay, it's time to wrap it up! But first - my votes (I'm allowed to vote, right?)

Idea - oraxon - I love your choices of locations
Atmosphere - Mad - it's neon-lit city at night, after all

Design - joelphilippage - great colour design here
Composition - SookieSock - the composition here may not be very complicated, but it's precise and easy to read
Functionality - joelphilippage - lots of stuff to look at, it feels like a proper game background even without characters
Technique - oraxon - your rough, yet detailed style suits the selected setting perfectly. And it's perfectly rendered.

And now, I'll count the votes... Oh, God, there's a lot of them... Just a little bit more... Done!

It was a tough one, with only two votes between the winner and the runner-up: in the second place is oraxon, with 24 votes, and the winner is Mad with 26 votes!

Thanks to everyone, who participated - great entries all round; congratulations to the winner, and better luck next time to oraxon, it's always great to see your entries! Take it away, Mad!

Mad · Wed 23/03/2011 19:41:47

Wow, thanks everyone!

Tough competition with great entries all around.

I'll try to keep the ball rolling and come up with a new one pretty snappy, at the latest tomorrow...