Background Blitz -- Map Overview -- Feb 8th to Feb 24th | WINNER ANNOUNCED

[nihilyst]

Time to vote. Thanks to all participants.

The voting categories are:
Idea -
Atmosphere -
Design -
Composition -
Functionality -
Technique -

If you want, you can comment on your favorite backgrounds.

Voting will end on March 1st.

[ZapZap]

Idea - Misj
Atmosphere - Puzzler
Design - Kastchey
Composition - Kastchey
Functionality - gameboy
Technique - Kastchey

[Eric]

Can just any old person vote? If so:

Idea - Misj'
Atmosphere - Kastchey
Design - gameboy
Composition - gameboy
Functionality - oraxon
Technique - Kastchey

I feel like Misj's is, on the face of it, the most accomplished of these, but I'm drawn to the maps drawn by Kastchey and gameboy the most.

Katschey has effectively recreated the warmth of the photograph in the pixels of his map, though I'm not sure how functional those text boxes are. I would like to see a version without them, or maybe in the game, they would pop up as you hovered over the hotspots of the different locations.

Gameboy's map has somehow achieved a great amount of detail for the amount of pixels he allowed himself. I especially like the parking lot in the bottom right for some reason. I especially like that this map could be diegetic, like the map of the town in Full Throttle, with a character sprite running around in it. As a minor critique, I wonder if the color of the sand on the beach might not be reversed -- sand drenched with water from the waves being darker than that dried by the sun.

Oraxon's made a nice overhead map, all the locations easy to see because of the labels. I wish there were a greater range of values, so that my eye were drawn more to the locations themselves. I love the place names.

Misj's map is especially interesting, because it's a map that would, in essence, represent a number of maps with slight changes (the dot). As I said, it's quite well done, and probably deserves to win, but subjectively, I'm drawn to Katschey and gameboy's maps more.

Someone has to be the least favorite, and unfortunately for me in this round, that's Puzzler's map, which is a bit too photorealistic for my tastes, which is, again, completely subjective. I actually really like the first draft, the overview map of the town square from a viewpoint only slightly above the roofline. I wish you'd stuck with that one.

Take all of these opinions with the grain of salt that represents the fact that I've never drawn a game background in my life!

[Misj']

Idea - Oraxon.
Yeah, I know...a top-view of an island might not be the most original idea of the bunch, but I just really like all the up-lifting places we can visit. Take any of these places and imagine their design...yes, I can just envision the dark glooming depressive look of the Misery Canyon (Orax, if you win, please make the next contest one where we have to draw any of these places...)
Atmosphere - Puzzler.
I must say that I'm not that fond of the style...but...it does evoke a unhygienic gritty (WWII-like) feeling. I don't know if that's a good thing, but it was the only one that did.
Design - gameboy.
Everything is clear to the viewer; even without tags the other entries had, there is no pixel-hunting.
Composition - Kastchey.
The things about the composition that I like best are directly derived from his inspiration-painting. But good inspiration has never been a bad thing...
Functionality - [empty]
I think they're all perfectly functional within a game. Sure, they'd be different kind of games, and the background would function differently with all entries (despite having the same goal), but I don't see any of them working better of worse. So I'll skip this one...
Technique - gameboy.
Personally I'm a hand-drawn high-res kind-of-guy...but I feel this entry handled the chosen style best.

[Puzzler]

Idea - Misj
Atmosphere - Misj
Design -  gameboy
Composition - Kastchey
Functionality - Oraxon
Technique - Kastchey

[Cyrus]

Misj, have you thought about making this into a real game?

[Misj']

Misj, have you thought about making this into a real game?

I always like to come up with a backstory when I draw. It helps me to broaden the character of the piece. But...I've had a very stressful two years (which was also one of the reasons I stepped in here only sporadically), and a lot of energy was drained from me. So I had a lot of trouble finding the inspiration for drawing. Before that time, I was working on a game-idea, and the basic premise is still there...but it needs to be reworked a lot. I would like to go back to that story, and maybe I will...but not yet. First I just need to fire up the drawing-engine again.

As for this particular story: I would love to play it, but it's not the story I would write myself (however,  if anyone else is going to make it, I have no problem being the scientific adviser on it...that would put my title to good use).

Oh...and you forgot to vote.

[Kastchey]

Idea - oraxon
Atmosphere - Misj
Design - Misj
Composition - Puzzler
Functionality - Puzzler
Technique - gameboy

Eric, here you go

[Eric]

Beautiful! Thank you!

[oraxon]

Idea - Misj'.
Atmosphere - Puzzler. Makes me imagine a "Reilly: Ace of Spies" World War I adventure.
Design - gameboy.
Composition - gameboy.
Functionality - Misj'. I like the way it would function.
Technique - Misj'. I dig that style and the anim.

real glad everyone pitched in, it was fun to see them all.

[gameboy]

Idea - Misj'
Atmosphere - Kastchey
Design - Kastchey
Composition - oraxon
Functionality - oraxon
Technique - Misj'

[nihilyst]

Hey, thanks for participating and voting. We had a bunch of different approaches to the theme and many different styles. Great

And we have our winner: It's Misj' with 11 votes, followed by Kastchey with 10 and gameboy with 9 votes.

Congrats, Misj'. Your turn.

[Misj']

And we have our winner: It's Misj' with 11 votes, followed by Kastchey with 10 and gameboy with 9 votes.

Congratul...wait...what? - I demand a recount! 

[nihilyst]

Recount done. You still win

[Kastchey]

Grats Misj!

And thanks nihilyst for the awesome theme.