Every great protagonist and every interesting antagonist have a lair. Maybe it's a Detectives Office, maybe it's a Throne Room, maybe it's a basement Laboratory. There is one place where they do their thinking, where they spend most of their creative time. Often we never get to see their lair.
For this Background Blitz I want you to give us a glimpse at the most intimate setting imaginable, the lair.
Rules: Think of a character, either existing or newly invented; I don't care whom it is. Then examine who that character is, what makes them who they are. I will be looking for details. Anyone can slap together four corners, an XBOX and a sofa; I want posters on the wall, do-dads on shelves I want to feel that this is a space in which someone lives, I want to feel that it is truly the base of operations. There is no restriction on the setting, colors, size, anything like that. You can interpret Superman Secret Control Center, a Drug Kingpins lavish bedroom suite, a fringe magician driven to madness by his work, squatting a giant clock tower, a home office for a single mom who happens to be telekinetic. Whatever, pick a character or create a character and show me who they are, tell me their story by showing me the most private, comfortable and habited place in their life.
I will be considering "polish/technique" or how GOOD the image looks beneath "depth/usefulness" or how much detail and thought has gone into the image.
The contest will be running from whenever you read this until the 23rd of April.
Voting: Same as the last time, we will hold public voting after the contest has concluded and a majority vote will determine the winner! Here are the criteria for voting.
Idea - How strong and original is the concept? Is it a good response to the contest topic?
Technique - How well executed is the background as a piece of art within the chosen style?
Usefulness - How well would it work as an adventure game background, and how useful would the background be in a game?
Why no entries...? Not that I'm really a superdooper artist, but I am planning on entering. Come on, anybody else? It a very funky topic and everything...? ???
Maybe because we had the topic at least twice and it's getting boring?
http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/yabb/index.php?topic=33908.0 (http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/yabb/index.php?topic=33908.0)
http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/yabb/index.php?topic=39771.0 (http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/yabb/index.php?topic=39771.0)
Edit: I found another one
http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/yabb/index.php?topic=32089.0 (http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/yabb/index.php?topic=32089.0)
Maybe just change the title from "lair" to something like "home"or "personal space". That seems to be closer to what you're asking for anyway. I'll try to participate if I can - I have a couple of screens in my game that match the description, so I might as well use the occasion get one of those done.
Quote from: cat on Fri 16/04/2010 14:15:04
Maybe because we had the topic at least twice and it's getting boring?
Or maybe people are just busy? It is a lot more work to make a bg than a sprite, like. Anyhow, glad to see others are at least considering doing something... shutting up, I know, I know, empty posts and all.
I'm not asking for a "Super Hero Hideout" like the rest of those topics. I'm asking you to represent/depict an area/location/room that a character spends most of their time in. I'm not asking for you to come up with a creative place for a character to hide their evil-doing but rather I want to see a creative use of details in order to illustrate the essence of a character without the character being present. I want to be able to get a feel for a character, I want to understand the character you invent using a textured sense details and history.
I want people to tell a narrative of whom a character is by only depicting their habitat.
I've changed the name to more accurate reflect my idea...
I've always felt that the BG Blitz is one of the most demanding competitions, and has always (in my experience) had few entries. Since it appears that I may have been a bit ambiguous and since the deadline is in about a week and we've not heard hide-nor-hair of any works in progress I might extend the deadline.
I'm still planning on entering, I'm just taking my time. 8)
...just a quickie!
ye ole generic lab:
(http://www.2dadventure.com/ags/labsy.png)
It's been done umpteen times, what's the harm in another one!?
That's very nice Mad. Now I'm intimidated... :-[
That looks strangely familar. :o
Quote from: GreenBoy on Wed 21/04/2010 07:03:00
That looks strangely familar. :o
It kinda reminds me of Dexter's Laboratory
Quote from: Captain Ricco on Wed 21/04/2010 18:38:56
It kinda reminds me of Dexter's Laboratory
The serial killer or the boy genius? =P
Let's get some more entries in here!!
(http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q53/JustLedZep/nazilaiyry.png)
Quote from: Questionable on Wed 21/04/2010 19:36:51
Quote from: Captain Ricco on Wed 21/04/2010 18:38:56
It kinda reminds me of Dexter's Laboratory
The serial killer or the boy genius? =P
Let's get some more entries in here!!
Just to give some competition. It's very roughly done. I had some good time making this.
can i still enter?
Rushed a lot, left some stuff unfinished, and kinda missed the point of it beeing a lair(i had a point, really!), but here it is! :P
(http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/8554/lair.png)
I figure this contest ends today, so today is still valid for entries.
Behold, this background depicts the den of your typical average adventure game extra. Who do I mean? Well, the guy who works behind the counter in any adventure game you might mention, with only a name like 'clerk', 'bagboy' or 'assistant', if he is even important enough to merit a hotspot. Or the dentist who pulls a tooth, or the guy who drives the taxi while Ben Jordan or Sonny Bonds is busy making headlines. You know - that guy.
Seriously, just thought we almost never see a normal location in adventure games. Everything is always spaceship this, supernatural cave that, castle what's-his-name. Also, if there ever was a humble abode in the world of adventure games (reflecting Questionable's change of topic) then this is it.
Style is kind of line-claire, which in 320x200 was quite a challenge for me. Shelves could be fuller, but I figured a boring kind of guy might not have that much to put there anyway.
Oh, and the honorary big blue cup was a gift to Mr. Nameless from someone more interesting. :)
(http://www.polard.com/pixelart/office_den.gif)
(http://www.polard.com/pixelart/office_den.gif)
This just in! We're extending the competition by 24 hours only! Feel free to modify any existing entries using the extra time! I have been contacted by two people saying that they are working on entries but for various reasons will not be able to finish them until tomorrow. In the spirit of gamesmanship I am extending the closing date for this comp by 24-Hours!
Great, more fun! Thanks Q!
Cool, I'll try my best to get something done in time.
Cool! Looks like we might have even MORE entries!!! Ply some elbow grease!
oh! goodness, lil update then
(http://img260.imageshack.us/img260/8554/lair.png)
Did you just add a crate?! He He He
of course! whithout the crate it made no sense!
I vote for Dualnames, because of his exquisite use of light and shadow.
Voting Time! Here are the criteria for voting.
Idea - How strong and original is the concept? Is it a good response to the contest topic?
Technique - How well executed is the background as a piece of art within the chosen style?
Usefulness - How well would it work as an adventure game background, and how useful would the background be in a game?
Idea: Captain Ricco
Technique Captain Ricco
Usefulness: Xellie
Idea: Dualnames
Technique: Xellie
Usefulness: Captain Rico
Idea: Xellie
Technique: Mad
Usefulness: Captain Ricco
Okay, I must repeat myself then.
Sure, I vote for Dualnames on all three acounts, though Captain Rico and Xellie did a pretty good job too.
Idea: Dualnames
Technique: Dualnames
Usefullness: Mad
Idea: Dualnames - very original and dark interpretation.
Technique: Xellie - It's clean, but nicely executed.
Usefulness: Xellie - I can just see how this could work in a game (hotspots, exit etc.).
Idea: Dualy (by far the best pic I've seen from you :) )
Technique: Cpt. Ricco
Usefulness: Cpt. Ricco
Voting closes in 13 hours! Last minute votes?! YES PLEASE!
Well I can't comment on Technique really but I do like Duelnames and Ricco's (especially Ricco's as I love all things underwater based)
Idea: Dualnames
Technique: Mad
Usefullness: Mad
Great entries everyone! :D
What's up Q? When do we finish this comp and move on? Just asking...
DO i have to vote??
Idea - Hum, ill go with Mad, kinda generic lab, but it has charismatic style to it... Dual is good too, but couldnt read much of what was going on other than the suastica... to dark
Technique - Xellie, awesome perspective, i have no idea how to use those angles
Usefulness- Xellie again, i can see many nice hotspots going on there in a quick look
Since Questionable seems otherwise engaged, and as a moderator, I count the votes as follows:
Mad: 5
Cpt Ricco: 6
Xellie: 8
Dulnames: 9
It seems Dualnames is the winner!
It's been a great competition all! Thanks for the nice words there, and well, I barely thought I'd win. And I'm serious here!
Anyway, let me start another competition ASAP.
Quote from: Dualnames on Sat 01/05/2010 12:48:58
It's been a great competition all! Thanks for the nice words there, and well, I barely thought I'd win. And I'm serious here!
Anyway, let me start another competition ASAP.
Dual, congrats! Can't wait for the next one.
I have temporarily unlocked this thread, because Xellie would like to dish out some trophies. Who am I to say no to trophy distribution?
Quote from: Ali on Sat 01/05/2010 18:20:28
I have temporarily unlocked this thread, because Xellie would like to dish out some trophies. Who am I to say no to trophy distribution?
Hi all
It wasn't my comp. to make trophies for, just felt like it.Since there was such great participation and voting in the just completed background blitz competition, I felt trophies were required.
Dum-dada-dum!
First: Dualnames (http://www.polard.com/pixelart/trophy_humble_abode_gold.gif)
Second: Xellie (http://www.polard.com/pixelart/trophy_humble_abode_silver.gif)
Third: Captain Rico (http://www.polard.com/pixelart/trophy_humble_abode_bronze.gif)
oh! very nice xellie, thank you for that
thought, i think me and mad should be a tie :P
and congrats to you and dualnames!