"Hubble bubble, toil and trouble. Fire burn and... no, wait.... That's the wrong recipe. Where's the one for soda bread?"
Predictably enough, you cannot manage the awesome quest you've undertaken on your onesies. You must seek help from the Local Supernatural Mystic Type Person!
[imgzoom]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/107389340/AGS/BG_Blitz/Mystics%20House/Woods.jpg[/imgzoom]
What sort of dwelling do they inhabit and how does it coexist with it's surroundings? Are they a Miracle Max or Madam Mim? A Radagast or Rent-a-Ghost? A... No, i've overstretched myself there, can't think of a third one.. Is it dark and broody or light and airy? Cottage in the glades or cabin in the woods? It's up to you!
I'd like to make it clear here though that it DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A CABIN IN THE WOODS! The theme is simply the "Mystics House" Location and setting are completely your choice!
How will you bring to life your Hex-Daddy's Magic Shennanigans Pad?
Voting starts May 25th and ends June 1st
PRIZES!
(http://bit.ly/1B87xgx) (http://bit.ly/1Kg4Tha) (http://bit.ly/1AguzXv)
I think you just won the "Biggest Inspirational Material Montage Of All Time Award" right there by the way Greenbeams!!!
Yaaay!
Ah-WARD Ah-WARD Ah-WARD! :-D
Seriously though, i just hope people enter so i don't feel like this guy:
(http://img.ksl.com/slc/2505/250564/25056431.png)
actually, wait, people came to his party... power nerds, GO!
I'm so glad you included Panoramix's house (Getafix for our English friends, and Readimix in the US)
Yay, I love to draw trees. No bothering with difficult perspective stuff ^^
Quote from: Monsieur OUXX on Thu 07/05/2015 16:05:46
I'm so glad you included Panoramix's house (Getafix for our English friends, and Readimix in the US)
Ah, i love that auld druid from the Asterix comix! (Here's a sculpt (http://greenbeams.deviantart.com/art/Getafix-Character-Sculpt-467753429) i did of him a while back)
Quote from: Ykni on Thu 07/05/2015 16:12:14
Yay, I love to draw trees. No bothering with difficult perspective stuff ^^
Excellent! I look forward to seeing what you come up with ;-D
Quote from: GreenBeams on Thu 07/05/2015 15:44:49
actually, wait, people came to his party... power nerds, GO!
Ahhhh...but don't forget that he only invited clients instead of friends so it would be tax deductable... (laugh)
I'd love to try some Highlander background with sprites.
But so short on spare time; also have to ask my boss, the art director Monsieur OUXX, for allowance. But great theme anyways.
I think I'll give this a shot.
I just want to ask, would it be ok if i did a remake of the witches hut in Ben Jordan 3?
(http://orig06.deviantart.net/257d/f/2015/129/e/9/wizards_house_by_pekj-d8sp5h3.png)
My submission.
Grok: That is freakin' AWESOME!!!
Yaaay, we have our first entry! Lovely, surreal stuff, Grok ;-D
@Mandle - mumblemumbleIwantataxdeductablepartymumblemumble :-D
@Amelie - i'm sure OUXX could spare you for a while. He himself has, upon occasion, been known to Blitz Backgrounds!
@TGames - as far as a redesign goes, i'm ok with it as an entry. But if it's over someone else's work in the AGS community, i'd rather you gave them a courtesy heads up, asking whether or not they'd be cool with it :smiley:
I think I will just design my own, that's more fun :-D
Here's my entry
(http://tgamespics.webs.com/BB%20Witch%20Hut-1.png)
Hope you enjoy!
Just want to say that I love the theme, right up my alley, so I'll give it a try, even if it won't be a BG I'll use for one of my games. ;)
Have some ideas already, so it's really only time that's the problem... And with no further a due, will start working on it right away. (nod)
That's the spirit, TGames! Well done for getting something done off your own back! :-D
@Cassiebsg - Excellent stuff; I Look forward to seeing your ideas!
@Amélie: please do enter the contest, I'"m entering too!!! ;-)
Hah! The old apprentice-stabbing-master story - there's always someone left whining in the end...
Also, great entries from both of you, Grok and TGames! Yet I can't comment on those until the battle is over.
Got a good idea for this one.. Hopefully I can execute It well.;-D :-X
@ Sinsin, Amélie & OUXX - the more the merrier!
I'm working on an entry now but it won't be voteable when the time comes. I just want to join in and take part!! :-D
Quote from: Monsieur OUXX on Thu 07/05/2015 16:05:46Readimix in the US
Ew! I've never heard him called this before.
[imgzoom]http://i.imgur.com/H6gc7Ou.png[/imgzoom]
Fortune teller? Witch? Someone spooky lives here.
Nice, Grundislav!
I have an idea, and if I can find the time I'll try to enter.
grundislav, I'm intrigued and drawn into your piece already,the mood is captivating, my imagination is going wild and painting corpses against the windows in the upper floor and so already, what do you have in mind what is happening in there? please add some indications of levitating ppl or dancing ppls and plz add some imgzoomz.
Ah, Grundislav, excellent stuff! I'm imagining a Professor Slocombe type of character here. All occult libraries, elderly retainers and a working knowledge of a very deadly martial art. Frail, he looks, but this is just a ruse.. a RUSE!!! it is He who walks the borders 'twixt this world and the the next, pausing only for fine sherry and Turkish cigarettes!
OK, so i got a little carried away but a fantastic picture will do that - Great work!
Decided a kiva might qualify as a Mystic's House. Searching Google Images led me to this:
(http://i1341.photobucket.com/albums/o756/jwalt10705/way2_zps5y2lback.png)
More set decorator than artist, here. Bryce render. Landscapes from Bryce, cave and "kiva" from Anim8or, naked lady from DAZ Studio. Background image of Milky Way is from Kit Peak National Observatory.
The specific Google image search that prompted this was "false kiva canyonlands." It, indeed, looks to be a mystical place.
Nice jwalt!!! :-D
Mine is done (sorta off), but having some trouble rendering a final picture... it's taking ages! 8-0
At this rate we'll reach the deadline and my computer still has only rendered two thirds of the picture. (wtf)
(think I'll drop quality, if I can find the right setting for it!)
EDIT: Never underestimate a short tutorial/tips... Seems to be looking decent, and now it says: Remaining 03:44:32.54! :-D
EDIT 2: Not perfect, but it'll do for now. :-D
It's my first night scene! (nod) Though I am a bit sad my design gets lost in this lighting... but what gains in "mood" is worth the loss, IMHO... (laugh)
(http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/ww258/Cassiebsg/Misc/HouseBGBlitz.png)
Looks like CG's represented in force this month! Nice imagineering skills, jwalt and liking the creepy, uber modern design, Cassiebsg :)
Prizes have now been added and apologies for the hold up.
(http://bit.ly/1B87xgx) (http://bit.ly/1Kg4Tha) (http://bit.ly/1AguzXv)
Ok, I think this must be it.
[imgzoom]http://img14.deviantart.net/67c5/i/2015/139/d/c/mystic_shut_by_ykni-d8ty841.png[/imgzoom]
Truely wonderful, Ykni. I can see me friskily running between these old oaks and needle trees - and we'll meet on this light-flooded clearing, in a forest full of magic.
Fantastic idea for a theme!
I'm not sure if this allowed but I have taken this chance to go back to an old background that fits with the theme and see how much I have improved
so here is that old one from Witchy Woo (you may remember it)
(http://i.imgur.com/ZzTjnah.png)
and here is what I have gotten so far from remaking it, I'll update this as I go!
(http://i.imgur.com/6mx1ShZ.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/f99yBWv.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/UKPbCN4.png)
Larger version (http://i.imgur.com/Mutaam8.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/7iB5sCQ.png?1)
so again, I'm not sure if this is allowed to enter and I'm not worried if its not, just wanted to have a go at this :D
Can't see why not, even if it's a remake, it's still a new BG made from scratch. (nod)
Just to join in:
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/107389340/AGS/BG_Blitz/Mystics%20House/finished_done%20now.jpg)
Ah, that's fantastic, Sox! Really nice linework. I can see a huge amount of improvement here too :shocked:
Excellent hidewaay, Ykni, too! Love the work you did on the foreground spruce/pine/doodad/tree.
One Mad Woman Productions proudly presents:
Life Ain't Easy These Days - Fortune Telling in Modern Times
[imgzoom]http://fs1.directupload.net/images/150520/8hz4v5m5.png[/imgzoom]
Also known as "Life Without Perspective", because it went out of the window. Still standing in the rain and waiting for it's rescue, the poor thing. :P
Sadly the lighting is a mess, but I've spent too much time on this already.
Despite its flaws I'm quite happy with this picture. This is my very first background. Gained a lot of experience - and a few gray hairs as well. (laugh)
Thank you for the compliments Amélie and Greenbeams. I had so much fun making this background.
These contest are a really great thing. It's so nice to see all these different styles, there is so much I can learn from the other entries.
Here's my entry
(http://www.danielthomasart.com/Uploads/Images/AGS%202015-05%20Wagon.png)
Some Gypsy'ish person living in a wagon'ish object placed at some swamp'ish location
All great entries but I just gotta say:
HOLY CRAP THAT GYPSY WAGON ONE IS GORGEOUS!!!
My entry...
(http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m184/JudasFm/sallys%20house.png)
Witch Sally has lived in her little house for as long as anyone can remember and is always willing to help lost travelers. The water around her place is fairly shallow - at least in places - but the waterfall beyond the house is very high ;) She added the steps after one too many visitors fell off the giant platypus that her house is built on.
Sally used to have the traditional chicken-legged hut, but found out too late that chickens aren't particularly good at swimming, hence her enchanting a platypus to grow to the size she needed to build on it, which also makes it too big and heavy to be swept away by the current. The platypus itself is in a state of magical suspension, needing neither food nor water, nor, luckily, oxygen. Sally makes sure to give it nice dreams :)
She also makes sure no would-be trophy hunters get anywhere near it, and is always watching.
Don't believe me? Take a closer look at the door :P
Fantastic work, Anke. Already want to play it!
Aw, JudasFM, i love that story =D So much so that i'd buy it and not pretend that i had kids or anything to the shop assisstant who'd be giving me my change with a knowing look. Right, i love kid's picture books, they're great.. it's out now and i'm not ashamed!!
Daniel Thomas - i was hoping you'd show up again and am loving the return of the AGS background stalwarts. Fantastic, talent hemorrhaging entry, sir!
Thanks :D This is the first time I've tried doing a background of my own; most of mine up until now have been remakes of old Sierra screens just to get the feel for it :) And the less said about my early MSPaint backgrounds, the better, I think :-[ It doesn't match most of the backgrounds on this threat (that Gypsy wagon is amazing) but I'm quite pleased with it.
And yep, there's nothing wrong with liking children's picture books XD I'm with you on that one
There are so much wonderful works here that i couldn't resist and join in :-D
Still a WIP.
Spoiler
[imgzoom]http://i.imgur.com/WXdLHIw.png[/imgzoom]
Quote from: aikex222 on Fri 22/05/2015 10:52:30
There are so much wonderful works here that i couldn't resist and join in :-D
Still a WIP.
I like it ;-D Even if it's a WIP, it's very atmospheric.
bing-bong-bing Calling all late comers and WIP folk - 6 Hours left 'til voting time...that is all. bing-bong-bing
okay, well it seems like I'm gonna be out of time! I have finished the line art and will try to get the colour done, but this may have to be my finished entry :/
here is the finished line art
(http://i.imgur.com/UKPbCN4.png)
I hate to be that guy, and I'm working non stop to get this finished, but maybe extend the finish line by 24 hours?? :) no worries if not
ok, here is my final image
[imgzoom]http://i.imgur.com/ypIGfZn.png[/imgzoom]
glad you liked it judas :-D
could we get a 24 hour extension? :kiss:
Voting to start at the END of 25th..? It's like still the 25th but it'll give you 23.something extra hours.
That ok?
Thanks greenbeams by this extra time :smiley:
OH F*CK is it the deadline already??? Damn. :'( (unhappy mr. ouxx)
Right! I have been working overtime to get this finished!! but here it is... I still didn't have time do shading/shadows but oh well!
(http://i.imgur.com/7iB5sCQ.png?1)
Without Woo
(http://i.imgur.com/vqqFLhe.png)
Large Version (http://i.imgur.com/HBn4iNW.png)
Oh wow!!! What a feast of detail! Yum-yum!
/me puts on a bib!
Valiant efforts everyone! Well done to all the entrants and let's get started on the voting!
Click on the name above the picture to see the fullsize image.... er hopefully =)
Aikex222 (https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/107389340/AGS/BG_Blitz/Mystics%20House/Voting/fulsize/aikex222.png)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/107389340/AGS/BG_Blitz/Mystics%20House/Voting/aikex222_full.png)
Anke (https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/107389340/AGS/BG_Blitz/Mystics%20House/Voting/fulsize/anke.png)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/107389340/AGS/BG_Blitz/Mystics%20House/Voting/anke_full.png)
Cassiebsg (https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/107389340/AGS/BG_Blitz/Mystics%20House/Voting/fulsize/cassiebsg.PNG)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/107389340/AGS/BG_Blitz/Mystics%20House/Voting/cassiebsg_full.PNG)
Daniel Thomas (https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/107389340/AGS/BG_Blitz/Mystics%20House/Voting/fulsize/danielthomas.png)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/107389340/AGS/BG_Blitz/Mystics%20House/Voting/daniielThomas_full.png)
Grok (https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/107389340/AGS/BG_Blitz/Mystics%20House/Voting/fulsize/grok.png)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/107389340/AGS/BG_Blitz/Mystics%20House/Voting/grok_full.png)
Grundislav (https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/107389340/AGS/BG_Blitz/Mystics%20House/Voting/fulsize/Grundislav.png)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/107389340/AGS/BG_Blitz/Mystics%20House/Voting/grundislav_full.png)
JudasFM (https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/107389340/AGS/BG_Blitz/Mystics%20House/Voting/fulsize/judasfm.png)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/107389340/AGS/BG_Blitz/Mystics%20House/Voting/judasFM_full.png)
JWalt (https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/107389340/AGS/BG_Blitz/Mystics%20House/Voting/fulsize/jwalt.png)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/107389340/AGS/BG_Blitz/Mystics%20House/Voting/jwalt.png)
Sox (https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/107389340/AGS/BG_Blitz/Mystics%20House/Voting/fulsize/sox.png)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/107389340/AGS/BG_Blitz/Mystics%20House/Voting/sox_full.png)
TGames (https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/107389340/AGS/BG_Blitz/Mystics%20House/Voting/fulsize/TGames.png)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/107389340/AGS/BG_Blitz/Mystics%20House/Voting/TGames_full.png)
Ykni (https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/107389340/AGS/BG_Blitz/Mystics%20House/Voting/fulsize/ykni.png)
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/107389340/AGS/BG_Blitz/Mystics%20House/Voting/ykni_full.png)
Concept: JudasFM (Because "giant platypus island"... 'Nuff said...)
Artistic Execution: Daniel Thomas (This was a hard choice between many beautifully rendered scenes but the lighting, mood, and the beautiful flaking paint on the wagon's roof made this piece a must for me...)
Playability: TGames (This look would be perfect in a game that even toddlers could play and understand. One of my preschool class students could look at this background and understand what they were looking at without getting confused by details, and where the goal lies. For that reson I must choose this piece...)
Unfortunately never got past the initial sketch on this one...
(http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab12/Mad1978/Mobile%20Uploads/MysticVan.png)
Concept: Anke - like the slightly different angle to the theme. On second glance, one gets a glance into an intriguing back story, methinks.
Artistic Execution: Daniel Thomas - beautiful stuff, great lighting!
Playability: Sox - Character scaling might be an issue, but who gives a s#@$ when there is soooo much to point and click at.
Was a really nice topic, but alas Witcher stole all my attention.
Concept: Anke - cool idea with a seedy tacky looking shop to contrast the images the topic usually conjures up, quite unmystical.
Artistic execution: Daniel Thomas - just depressingly well executed in all areas.
Playability: Daniel Thomas - in spite of a low nice angle, making it more of a challenge playability wise, it looks like it ought work quite well, so nicely pulled off.
Voting was hard, but here goes...
Concept: Grok. I love the idea of floating stones; it puts me in mind of the old Sierra games, where you had to figure out by trial-and-error which ones would kill you :-D
Artistic execution: Ykni. Clear-cut and with some nice variety, yet it's not cluttered with too many objects that would detract from the main scene.
Playability: Ykni. For much the same reasons as above :P
Concept - JudasFM - the story has stayed with me and makes me want to find out even more about it.
Artistic Execution - Daniel Thonmas - Not because i'm a fanboy or anything...honest. Nah, i could just look at this for hours (and have!)
Playability - Anke - I could really see myself playing and enjoying this.
So many good entries, it's really hard to vote for only one for each category, but here we go:
Concept: Sox
Artistic execution: Daniel Thomas
Playability: Anke
Concept:Daniel Thomas
Artistic Execution: Daniel Thomas
Playability:Ykni
Concept: Grok
Artistic Execution: Daniel Thomas
Playability: Anke
Concept: Anke I think this was selling the idea best and telling a story the best in a consistent way.
Artistic Execution: Grundislav Best executed. I liked where Sox's was going, but it's hard to say when it's not finished
Playability: Anke This category is always tricky, because you can more or less make anything playable as you are not restricted to classic adventure game view. I liked Anke in the end because of the amount of interactions I can imagine. It was close call again for Sox, but to me it seemed too much of everything and not so much connected to a theme. (my opinion)
I was too busy to contribute to the theme, but I will contribute to the voting.
Concept: One concept was so totally different from any of the other entries (although I'm not sure it's a house of merely a bathtub). And though I feel that the mystic-aspect was a bit too downplayed (especially with so much potential in a science fiction setting) this is definitely the most original interpretation of the theme - JWalt
Artistic Execution: Decay is one of the more difficult things to do right, but this piece captures that perfectly. I also enjoy the fact that it feels like the mystic was stranded in the swamp (years ago) and decided to make the best of it (with a mailbox and stuff) - Daniel Thomas
Playability: I always find this one difficult. I found that I look at different things than others (I don't care about the amount of stuff to click, lots of objects might be added in the room that are not part of the actual background). For me this is about clear paths, usable perspective, good line of action, etc. I actually think GreenBeams piece is my favorite in this Blitz, but since he didn't enter, I'm going to give this one to my runner-up. It's not the most daring composition, but it's easy to use without a lot of scaling, special animations, etc. There's also enough room to add additional characters and objects to interact with (that are not technically part of the background). - Grundislav
ps. welcome back Daniel. I did miss your work. :)
Quote from: Misj' on Tue 26/05/2015 22:26:43
I found that I look at different things than others (I don't care about the amount of stuff to click, lots of objects might be added in the room that are not part of the actual background). For me this is about clear paths, usable perspective, good line of action, etc.
Yeah, I agree... I think this was the original purpose of the "Playability" category which has gotten a tad muddled into voting for the environment that looks the most fun to play around in. I have been guilty of voting for backgrounds that I just wanted to play in a game myself.
Maybe this should be explained in some set rules that can be copied over from one BB to the next like what is done with MAGs and Colouring Ball?
I also realise that these contests are not that serious a deal and that half the reason they exist is for fun. But the other half of the reason is to improve/maintain skills of the participants (and the viewers to some extent by learning from watching), so it might be nice if this category represented what it was supposed to. At the moment it is kind of being used a bit as (and again I am guilty of this myself) a "runner-up" category where you really wanted to vote for someone in a different category but somebody else was just a tad more deserving for you.
Defining this category in a little more detail would make the "serious" side of the contest more satisfying a learning experience for participants and voters alike I feel.
Of course all of this is just my own opinions...
We used to call it "functionality". Maybe playability and functionality are two different things. "Playability" does invoke the idea of clicking things and doing stuff, whereas the old "functionality" describes good exit indication and perspective.
Anyway, here are my votes.
Concept: Aikex22
Artistic expression: Daniel Thomas
Playability: Anke
Quote from: Mandle on Wed 27/05/2015 00:27:21Maybe this should be explained in some set rules that can be copied over from one BB to the next like what is done with MAGs and Colouring Ball?
Quote from: Stupot+ on Wed 27/05/2015 00:45:46We used to call it "functionality". Maybe playability and functionality are two different things. "Playability" does invoke the idea of clicking things and doing stuff, whereas the old "functionality" describes good exit indication and perspective.
Of course - in the past - the host would choose the categories (and often copy them from the previous host). I once added a category 'personality' just because the task was to create something that reflected the character's personality so it was a logical category to add.
I think one of the things is that the 'standard' voting categories were condensed (from six to three). But we also - often - had a clear description of what each category represented. Just a few examples:
QuoteIdea - 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, including 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.
QuoteAtmosphere: Is an interesting world created? - Did the scene evoke a feeling?
Composition: How well are the elements combined to create a pleasing whole? do they lead the viewer to the points of interest?
Functionality: How well would it work as a game background?
Technique: How well is it rendered? (within the chosen style, in no way meaning the more elaborate the better).
QuoteIdea: 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.
QuoteConcept (a scene that stimulates the imagination, or something interesting, or clever -- something that makes people say: "Oh, I see!")
Playability (could it be used in a real game?)
Artistic execution (you know, there's always this one contestant who makes everyone jealous of his skills ;))
The latter three are the ones we're currently using. Concept is clearly a combination of idea and atmosphere. Playability combines functionality and composition (a bit), while artisitic execution combines design, technique, and composition. And I agree that six categories are a bit much (also people tended not to understand the difference between design (which is about shapes) and technique (which is about rendering). Do remember that these are from about five years ago, and hosts were just trying to find the right categories; tweaking them a little bit each tome.
Quote from: Mandle on Wed 27/05/2015 00:27:21At the moment it is kind of being used a bit as (and again I am guilty of this myself) a "runner-up" category where you really wanted to vote for someone in a different category but somebody else was just a tad more deserving for you.
I agree, and it sometimes feels like it's just used as an 'I like this piece best overall' category (and there is nothing wrong with such a category by the way...it should just not be this one).
Anyway, just reminiscing about the past...and a bit the future.
I liked the old six categories, though they could certainly be improved upon, because they forced you to look at the image from a technical standpoint, instead of going with a gut "oh, I like X, this image features X, vote!". The better you can analyze a picture's components from a technical standpoint, the easier it is to improve, which is partly why we're here (well, some of us, at least). So instead of the voting being merely an tally of tastes, it's part of the activity.
I do however think that a kind of 'je ne sais quoi' category could be warranted, since certain pieces might fall short when looked at from a technical standpoint, but feature some indefinable quality that just makes you like them, which deserves to be recognized.
Since we're probably not gonna revert to the six categories, since I suspect I was the only one liking them, perhaps just adding the above category to the three could be an acceptable update.
Quote from: loominous on Wed 27/05/2015 10:49:11Since we're probably not gonna revert to the six categories, since I suspect I was the only one liking them, perhaps just adding the above category to the three could be an acceptable update.
I actually liked them (but I also like technique over taste for these Blitzes), and would go back to them should I ever win. I know you played a big role in defining these six. But for the record, the first three examples quoted above are from posts by Daniel, Ben, and me; so you were not the only one adopting them at the time.
I would probably make 'atmosphere' the 'das gewisse etwas'-category (
certain something in German, similar to the
I don't know in French) because I always felt that was a bit vague/subjective. And I really miss the composition and design categories.
WOW! This has opened a gateway into the past looking into the years that this contest has existed for that I was not here for...
I will have to take a better and longer look at the history of this contest before commenting further...
First of all nice work everybody.
Now the votes,
Concept: Sox
Artistic Execution: Daniel Thomas
Playability: Anke
I believe I was the one who reduced the categories to three (or at least to the three currently used). There were two main reasons for that:
1. There were IMO just too many categories, making it harder to vote than it ought to be. Also, the distinction between certain categories was not entirely clear, and skill in them seemed highly correlated in practice (though I think this was somewhat obscured in the results because people often used the "excess" categories to spread their votes around, for encouragement and to give some points to runners-up).
2. I felt that the categories weighed "quality as a piece of art" too heavily vs. "quality as a background for an adventure game". There were three-four categories focusing on various artistic aspects, and only one (possibly two, depending on the voter) that specifically focused on the extent to which it was well-designed for an adventure game.
I did include explanations the first few times we used these categories, but I guess they seemed redundant/too long and complicated, or people just couldn't be bothered.
Personally I don't see "playability" as a "runner-up" or "overall favorite" category at all. To my mind it should cover both "technical requirements" such as clear exits/walkable areas and a suitable perspective for character sprites, and "player appeal" (or "why is this screen in the game?"), which might often be some compelling promise of interaction â€" and in this respect I think the entries should include all relevant elements; to say that "oh, we could just add something really interesting as an object" kind of defeats the purpose. Basically the idea is to ask: if this was a sketch/pitch for a screen in a high-quality indie adventure game with a limited budget, would it be cut because it doesn't add anything (even if it looks nice), redone because it doesn't work very well in-game, or used basically as-is?
If we do increase the number of categories (and personally I still think the drawbacks outnumber the benefits of deeper analysis), I would therefore argue that it should be balanced between the art side and the game side. So, e.g. split both "artistic execution" and "playability" in two, for five categories total. Anyway, in principle I think each host should be free to define the categories. If Misj' wants to use the old six, that's fine. If I host again, I won't.
Tough choice, but here are my votes
Concept: JudasFM
Artistic execution: Daniel Thomas
Playability: Cassiebsg
I really like how this is opening up into a debate about how we go about this competition.
The thing that sticks out the most for me though is the 1st, 2nd and 3rd awards based on categories. It seems redundant to break things into individual categories only to award the person with the most votes overall. If we're having an overhaul or a revision of this, maybe we could replace 1st, 2nd and 3rd with the seperate Artistic Execution, Concept and Playability Awards. Either that or scratch the catgories and simply vote for the image you most like.
I also think that a certain amount of critique should be allowed. True, this would mean that the resultant entry could end up being a conglomerate of every critic's suggestions but ins't that how great art is made? It could turn the competition into a kind of ongoing workshop where a little monthly prize is given to keep things on point and to decide who sets the next theme.
While we're going into this here (he says, warming to his topic) i think we should address the conflicting views of extensions and deadlines. Personally, the stuff i do for these competiitons usually runs me right to the end of the time limit so a deadline suits me (helps my time management). However, i do get that in the case of Sox's entry this month, he's been working his pods off to get it done and i don't think that should suffer. Standardised rules that we all know and agree to may really help this competition as well as being able to produce fantatsic pieces of work and future game artists. I know i get a thrill when i see certain people enter as i love their work. the chance of them handing out any crits or explanations too would be amazing.
Anyway, this is fast turning into to a rant so i'll leave it there. Maybe this can be turned into its own thread and we could get some rules straightened out before the next one? Thanks, Mandle for bringing this up as i'm sure we've all been thinking similar thoughts for a while.
Quote from: Snarky on Wed 27/05/2015 17:57:40If Misj' wants to use the old six, that's fine. If I host again, I won't.
And I think you shouldn't (double negatives are hard...so you should not use the old six, that's what I'm trying to say). :) - I'm not in favor of one standardized set of voting-categories. I do think it's good to think about which categories suit the Blitz in general and certain blitzes specifically.
I also agree that voting should have some link to game-design (though I think that the (quality of) art is relevant to designing a game).
QuotePersonally I don't see "playability" as a "runner-up" or "overall favorite" category at all. To my mind it should cover both "technical requirements" such as clear exits/walkable areas and a suitable perspective for character sprites, and "player appeal" (or "why is this screen in the game?"), which might often be some compelling promise of interaction â€" and in this respect I think the entries should include all relevant elements; to say that "oh, we could just add something really interesting as an object" kind of defeats the purpose. Basically the idea is to ask: if this was a sketch/pitch for a screen in a high-quality indie adventure game with a limited budget, would it be cut because it doesn't add anything (even if it looks nice), redone because it doesn't work very well in-game, or used basically as-is?
This is where I have to disagree with you. Partly because I almost never get any votes for playability. This used to surprise me, because I often have a specific path (walkable area) thought out, a (partial) puzzle in there, ideas for one or more characters that the protagonist would interact with, and some places for animation (but without a design-document I understand why others would not see this). Sometimes (like with the genie-in-the-lamp background) I add some of them to make it clear to the viewer how the background would work. But They will never become part of the background. And the reason is that is is exactly that: a background.
I don't like the idea that i'm making a sketch/pitch for a screen. I'm making the actual backdrop. The thing that you load into AGS as a game background. If you are going to have objects the player is going to pick up then they can - by definition - not be part of it. The same goes for characters and animations.
For me I can't have it both ways. Either you want me to focus on the art, and include everything in the background as a big piece of concept-art (that should get no votes for playability because it's not usable as a background). Or you want me to focus on game design - as I do - and have everything that's not nailed down absent from the piece. I simply don't have time to do both within the time-limit of a Blitz (even though I often try to include a main character that I designed specifically for the Blitz-background).
In the end it kinda boils down to the purpose of the Background Blitz...and the categories will reflect that.
ps. for me the main goal of the Blitzes is to get better (that's why I don't care about extensions, the more the merrier). I love getting critique (even though I can be defensive about each and every line). Sure it's nice to win, and getting votes is a nice validation, but in the end I'd rather have someone - who understands what I was trying to do - to shred it to pieces (please don't I'm fragile ;) ).
pps. And on a side-note, I loved the infamous many-months Blitz Loominous once hosted (even though I don't think the Blitz was the right place...if only because the term Blitz really doesn't apply), and I would love to do that again.
I agree that the balance leaned too heavily toward the artistic side of things in those old six categories, and I have to say I find it less of a chore voting in the newer ones categories, whereas in the old days I would often procrastinate since analyzing the pieces in six categories and often commenting on them was simply more demanding. So having hosts trying new categories (if they like) and going with what seems to work best seems like a sensible approach, which I guess is what we've been doing.
One thing to consider though would be that a heap of categories would in a way make the voting easier, since it would be more of a "ticking off boxes" approach, instead of having to make tough choices due to conflated categories and having to explain your reasoning, which is often the case.
Anyway, I'm all for experimenting.
Quote from: Misj' on Wed 27/05/2015 20:21:56
pps. And on a side-note, I loved the infamous many-months Blitz Loominous once hosted (even though I don't think the Blitz was the right place...if only because the term Blitz really doesn't apply), and I would love to do that again.
I co-hosted it with Daniel Thomas, though I did do most of the work when it came to filling up the thread with endless quarreling towards the end.
Wouldn't mind doing another one, perhaps a less ambitious version.
Quote from: loominous on Wed 27/05/2015 20:55:17
Wouldn't mind doing another one, perhaps a less ambitious version.
Ooh, I've been hoping that would be resurrected. Just don't do it in June or I won't be able to participate.
Is summer a good time for these activities in general? I can never tell.
On a side note, what are the voting capabilities of the forum software, perhaps one could test having a sort of poll version of the voting, if one were to do a heap of categories, where you'd just tick some check boxes.
Quote from: Misj' on Wed 27/05/2015 20:21:56
This is where I have to disagree with you. Partly because I almost never get any votes for playability. This used to surprise me, because I often have a specific path (walkable area) thought out, a (partial) puzzle in there, ideas for one or more characters that the protagonist would interact with, and some places for animation (but without a design-document I understand why others would not see this). Sometimes (like with the genie-in-the-lamp background) I add some of them to make it clear to the viewer how the background would work. But They will never become part of the background. And the reason is that is is exactly that: a background.
I don't like the idea that i'm making a sketch/pitch for a screen. I'm making the actual backdrop. The thing that you load into AGS as a game background. If you are going to have objects the player is going to pick up then they can - by definition - not be part of it. The same goes for characters and animations.
For me I can't have it both ways. Either you want me to focus on the art, and include everything in the background as a big piece of concept-art (that should get no votes for playability because it's not usable as a background). Or you want me to focus on game design - as I do - and have everything that's not nailed down absent from the piece. I simply don't have time to do both within the time-limit of a Blitz (even though I often try to include a main character that I designed specifically for the Blitz-background).
I can't say why you haven't been getting playability votes, but I'm having trouble understanding your position on the principle. In order to focus on game design, surely you have to think of the purpose of the screen and work out how all the important elements are going to fit, whether or not they are technically part of the "background" you're going to import into AGS. After all, "walkable areas" are not technically part of the background image either, but they have to be planned. If important things in the room are missing from the image, maybe
you can imagine them, but if you're trying to convey to others what the player's experience of that room would be (which I think is necessary for any vote on "playability" to be meaningful), surely it's more appropriate to include such details. Maybe only sketch them on a separate copy of the image if you don't want to spend time rendering them, but if, e.g., the whole screen focuses attention on an alcove where there would be a gold figurine for the player to pick up, it seems perverse to leave it empty just because of an AGS technicality. Would you also draw all doors as empty doorways just because in the game the door would have to open and close?
And I can't imagine that these days anyone would fail to understand that it's trivial in Photoshop (or any other painting app) to export that layer separately when it comes time to put it into AGS, so it would be absurd to penalize anyone for including bits that would really be animated or appear as objects â€" at least as long as it seems realistic in principle to create the necessary animation. (OTOH, there have been entries in the past where more effort had apparently been put into adding characters than into the background itself, and that's clearly not the point of the blitz either.)
Quoteps. for me the main goal of the Blitzes is to get better (that's why I don't care about extensions, the more the merrier). I love getting critique (even though I can be defensive about each and every line). Sure it's nice to win, and getting votes is a nice validation, but in the end I'd rather have someone - who understands what I was trying to do - to shred it to pieces (please don't I'm fragile ;) ).
We agree about that, at least. I'm all for (reasonable) extensions, and critique is a great motivator.
Quotepps. And on a side-note, I loved the infamous many-months Blitz Loominous once hosted (even though I don't think the Blitz was the right place...if only because the term Blitz really doesn't apply), and I would love to do that again.
Yeah. There was also the monster design one, that was kinda similar. Would be very interesting to see another of these activities (outside of the BG Blitz).
Quote from: Snarky on Wed 27/05/2015 22:25:39... but I'm having trouble understanding your position on the principle. In order to focus on game design, surely you have to think of the purpose of the screen and work out how all the important elements are going to fit, whether or not they are technically part of the "background" you're going to import into AGS.
In principle I look at it the same way as a backdrop for animation (there are differences between animation-backdrops and adventure game-backgrounds, but the analogy does stand). Yes, you might have to add certain things to convey the way it's used (although nobody appreciated years ago when I tried to promote walking areas in one of the Blitzes I hosted...so I never did that again), but that doesn't go for everything.
Again, my genie-in-the-lamp background illustrates this: the water in the fountain was needed to explain the basic concept of the background so I added it (it was such an integral part that I could not leave it out). But there were many things I did not add - that I knew would be in the fictional game - due to lack of time among other reasons. So yes, I would actually urge people to draw empty doorways (and possibly include a door on a separate piece), because that is the way you should set up your background for a game (which to me is a plus when voting playability or at least functionality).
In short, I'm not for penalizing people that include things, I'm against punishing people that technically make a more functional background - in light of game design - just because they actually created a background. I would therefore celebrate it when people would sketch out some of the additional elements that are not part of the background, but I'm afraid people would punish them because these elements are not finished (even though they are not part of the background and it's technically the right way to go about designing the game).
Bear in mind, this is just my opinion. And my enjoyment of these Blitzes will not be affected by others feeling differently about this. It's just the way I like to approach my backgrounds. I completely understand your position on this (well, except for the sketch/pitch remark, because this really isn't a concept art competition; but I'm probably blowing that out of proportion, and I think you mean it should be a 'screenshot on the back of the box'-competition (possibly without the gui)). It's not the way I approach it, but I understand why others do.
ps. "Artistic execution (you know, there's always this one contestant who makes everyone jealous of his skills ;))" - is the one that irks my most of the current categories. The reason is, I don't like pixel-art and I'm just not jealous of pixel-art. So I feel this description focuses too much on my personal taste and too little of quality within the chosen style (as the technique description used to do). It's just the wording of the description, not the category itself.
Which would be the appropriate sub forum to discuss another workshop? Preferably in an exclusive thread.
My vote
Concept: Sox
Artistic Execution: Ykni
Playability: Grundislav
:)
You can open a thread on this forum if you like, loomie. (There's some rule against starting threads here without permission: Well, I officially give you permission.)
My votes:
Concept: Lots of wacky ideas, as well as some more "traditional" mystic dwellings, but I think I have to give this one to Grundislav, who manages to make a pretty normal-looking house look proper spooky.
Artistic Execution: Well, it's got to be Daniel Thomas, right? Just gorgeous. Would like to offer constructive criticism, but apart from the subjective taste of "it's a bit too much lilac for me", I can't really say anything.
There was plenty to like in many of the entries here too, though. Aikex WIP version was really nice, but I feel the final entry is a bit too muddy, and doesn't quite have the lightsources right. For Anke's pixel style, I think it could be improved immensely just by adjusting the colors: however, coloring is one of the things I find most difficult, so I can't really offer any advice. I find the high-contrast lighting of Cassiebsg's bg quite appealing, just wish the composition had done more with the backlit foliage. Sox's screen is also nice to look at, but a bit more variation in the values would help organize it more clearly: currently it seems a bit jumbled. Finally, Ykni has a very nice technique, but the composition isn't entirely convincing, with the way the foreground branches are arranged to frame the scene looking rather fake. Grok and JudasFM have the basics down pretty well, and I think it's just a matter of practice to improve further. For TGames, I would recommend trying to get away from "symbolic" drawing, where you draw the idea of a house or of a mountain or a path, and try to really focus on representing how a specific example actually looks in detail. And one great way to work on that is to practice sketching and drawing from life or photo reference, not just from your imagination.
Playability: Most of the backgrounds look fairly playable, though some would require pretty major character scaling to work. I have some doubt about JWalt's (I'm not sure where the exit is, for example), and with Grok's I get the impression that the player would be squeezed up against the bottom of the screen. Sox's screen probably offers the most interactivity, but it's almost too much for me: I feel overwhelmed. In the end it's down to Anke or Daniel Thomas, and I'll give it to Daniel (despite some concerns about the scaling, screen edges and about the walkable areas: can the player walk on water?) because the screen makes more sense to me: my first impression of Anke's screen is that the objects in the scenery (notably the crate and flashlight) are somewhat arbitrary, like they only exist for the sake of some puzzle, not for any good in-game reason.
Concept: I am going to choose
Grok, I love me some floating eye castle action!
Artistic Execution: Daniel Thomas you art is just so beautiful!
Playability: I don't see why any of the backgrounds couldn't be used in a real game :/ but I have to choose one, so I'm gonna go with
Anke I'm not really into pixal art but this looks like it would be the simplest to set up as a background
I'm more then happy to get feedback on my background, I'm trying to improve and I'm still very much learning!
Snarky do you think you could maybe go into more detail with what you meant here, maybe in a PM :)
Quote from: Snarky on Thu 28/05/2015 16:50:47
Sox's screen is also nice to look at, but a bit more variation in the values would help organize it more clearly: currently it seems a bit jumbled.
Quote from: loominous on Thu 28/05/2015 11:53:00
Which would be the appropriate sub forum to discuss another workshop? Preferably in an exclusive thread.
I think you may just start a thread here, putting [Discussion] in the subject title. Just tell us to lock it once it's done for.
Quote from: Snarky on Thu 28/05/2015 16:50:47Grok and JudasFM have the basics down pretty well, and I think it's just a matter of practice to improve further.
:-D Thanks for the comment. If you have time, are there any glaring areas that you think need a lot of work? (If so, PM is fine to avoid hijacking the thread! Either way, don't worry if you're busy) I'm always after constructive criticism, especially since this is my first serious piece and I want to avoid getting into any bad habits, if that makes sense.
Quote from: JudasFm on Fri 29/05/2015 06:00:46
Quote from: Snarky on Thu 28/05/2015 16:50:47Grok and JudasFM have the basics down pretty well, and I think it's just a matter of practice to improve further.
:-D Thanks for the comment. If you have time, are there any glaring areas that you think need a lot of work? (If so, PM is fine to avoid hijacking the thread! Either way, don't worry if you're busy) I'm always after constructive criticism, especially since this is my first serious piece and I want to avoid getting into any bad habits, if that makes sense.
I tend to think a little bit of C&C is fine in these threads, since most artists competing appreciate feedback, and it can be interesting for others to read as well. Of course, there are people way more qualified than me, but I guess I should explain my vague criticism.
JudasFM, for a "first serious piece" I think this is great! You'll no doubt improve a lot through practice, but I don't can't see any particular aspects that are glaringly problematic for the level you're at. However, here are a few things you might want to work on:
Let me first say that I'm not sure I understand the piece 100%. You talk about a platypus... are the islands supposed to be the animal, with the bill on the left? I don't really see it; maybe making them more clearly animal-shaped, not just "round things sticking up of the water" would help. I also don't think it's entirely clear that there's a waterfall behind there: the rushing water isn't quite successful, and shouldn't there be some sign of a current before you get right to the edge? It's hard to convey from this perspective, and I would probably experiment with the composition so we're not at risk of mistaking the waterfall for the horizon, maybe add some rocks and stuff to the edge, and maybe let us see a bit more of the riverbank.
The other point is that the sky is gray but the water is very high-saturation blue. In fact, the color of water is mostly reflected sky, so it should more or less match. Even if you're going for a cartoony style, I would try to keep them relatively close in hue and saturation. Apart from that, I like how you've done the water. That same technique doesn't work quite as well for other objects, though, with the soft brushes making them look either blurry or a bit plasticky (even if you've tried to add texture to the house). I think the way you've done the steps looks better in terms of "finish". I'd also recommend varying hues more across objects, and not to keep the saturation cranked up all the way on everything: the way you've done the grass is quite nice in these respects, and you could apply a similar technique to the islands, hut and roof.
Beware of texture brushes (the thatched roof, the wall texture) and 3D-rendered objects (that curved log in the water, right?). They're a shortcut, but they don't blend well with hand-drawn elements, and you're better off doing as best you can on your own.
Finally, it's a small thing, but you want to make sure the painting extends all the way to the edge of the canvas, not leave a fringe of unpainted "paper" along the edge. You can also end up with unintentional effects where some level of the drawing (the highlights or the shadows, for example) are much sparser or look different by the edge, because they're harder to draw there or you had to use vertical strokes instead of horizontal ones, for example. Therefore, I usually make my canvas 10 pixels wider than I'll need on each side, and then crop off the edges again after I'm done.
Hmmm yeah, I think that's all I have. Nice work!
Quote from: Dropped Monocle Games on Thu 28/05/2015 18:50:25
I'm more then happy to get feedback on my background, I'm trying to improve and I'm still very much learning!
Snarky do you think you could maybe go into more detail with what you meant here, maybe in a PM :)
Quote from: Snarky on Thu 28/05/2015 16:50:47
Sox's screen is also nice to look at, but a bit more variation in the values would help organize it more clearly: currently it seems a bit jumbled.
Well, there's a lot going on in your background, and like I said, I think it can be a bit overwhelming. So I think it would be nice if you could help viewers break it down, lead their eyes to the most important things, maybe organize it into different "zones" of focus (which would also help establish depth in the image). And one device I believe is helpful to do that is to use values (brightness/contrast). Currently you have no shading, and apart from the house being the brightest thing, everything seems to have more or less the same prominence. Whatever I look at, there's something nearby drawing my attention away, and I get stressed.
Instead, I think you should push some regions towards darkness, and selectively compress the range (effectively reduce the contrast), in order to deemphasize a lot of the background "noise". For example, the white fence around the tree behind the scarecrow. Is it important? It has some of the highest contrast against its surroundings of anything in the whole picture, and is located quite centrally, so it's drawing a lot of attention. It would perhaps be better to make it gray, or even a wood color close to the trees, etc.
I also think a bit of even very simple, flat shading would help the image "read" much better. You might also think a bit about how objects acquire a color cast from their surroundings (Daniel Thomas's piece is a great illustration of that): this would help tie each image region together.
Hope that helps!
Quote from: Snarky on Fri 29/05/2015 22:20:06
Let me first say that I'm not sure I understand the piece 100%. You talk about a platypus... are the islands supposed to be the animal, with the bill on the left? I don't really see it; maybe making them more clearly animal-shaped, not just "round things sticking up of the water" would help. I also don't think it's entirely clear that there's a waterfall behind there: the rushing water isn't quite successful, and shouldn't there be some sign of a current before you get right to the edge? It's hard to convey from this perspective, and I would probably experiment with the composition so we're not at risk of mistaking the waterfall for the horizon, maybe add some rocks and stuff to the edge, and maybe let us see a bit more of the riverbank.
Actually, the gray thing is the tail; the house is built on the back of the platypus and the other round island is its head. I tried several times to put the bill in, but it didn't work; the head is so low down in the water that it would just have looked odd.
QuoteThe other point is that the sky is gray but the water is very high-saturation blue. In fact, the color of water is mostly reflected sky, so it should more or less match. Even if you're going for a cartoony style, I would try to keep them relatively close in hue and saturation. Apart from that, I like how you've done the water. That same technique doesn't work quite as well for other objects, though, with the soft brushes making them look either blurry or a bit plasticky (even if you've tried to add texture to the house). I think the way you've done the steps looks better in terms of "finish". I'd also recommend varying hues more across objects, and not to keep the saturation cranked up all the way on everything: the way you've done the grass is quite nice in these respects, and you could apply a similar technique to the islands, hut and roof.
I'm sorry but I don't understand what you mean by saturation. Although I have a couple of favorite brushes I use - mostly for shading in the ground and sky - my entire artistic technique consists of drafting in single solid blocks of color, and then using Dodge and Burn and occasionally various Blenders to get the shading and light effects that I want (I
said I was a beginner :-D) I see what you mean about the water though; I'll definitely bear that in mind for future pieces ;-D
QuoteBeware of texture brushes (the thatched roof, the wall texture) and 3D-rendered objects (that curved log in the water, right?). They're a shortcut, but they don't blend well with hand-drawn elements, and you're better off doing as best you can on your own.
Just to clarify here: the thatched roof
is a texture brush, but the wall isn't (done with Dodge, Burn and a rough blender). The curved log was also hand-drawn; I feel the same way you do about 3D-rendered objects in a hand-drawn painting, so I never use them (plus, the 3D options in TB kind of suck!) Still, I'll try and make my hand-drawn 2D stuff look a little
more 2D in the future :-D
QuoteFinally, it's a small thing, but you want to make sure the painting extends all the way to the edge of the canvas, not leave a fringe of unpainted "paper" along the edge. You can also end up with unintentional effects where some level of the drawing (the highlights or the shadows, for example) are much sparser or look different by the edge, because they're harder to draw there or you had to use vertical strokes instead of horizontal ones, for example. Therefore, I usually make my canvas 10 pixels wider than I'll need on each side, and then crop off the edges again after I'm done.
Yes, I can see exactly what you mean. Again, really good advice; I'll be sure to do that next time :-) Thanks so much for taking the time to write such a detailed crit; it's really helped me!
Quote from: JudasFm on Sat 30/05/2015 00:26:23I'm sorry but I don't understand what you mean by saturation.
I find this helps people understand it:
(http://pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com/basics/interface/cc/2014/color-panel/saturation-brightness-cube.jpg)
Yep, got it now :-D Thanks!
Just for the record. I do appreciate the feedback on my background, so thanks for that Snarky.
I usually make portrait backgrounds (http://meridian.puzzlepirates.com/yoweb/gallery/portrait.wm?pirate=Inghild&itemid=41339095&classic=false) for the puzzle pirates competition, so making actual game backgrounds is rather new for me. In the portrait background competition thread (http://forums.puzzlepirates.com/community/mvnforum/viewthread?thread=187772&offset=0) we use that thread to post our work from early sketches to the final work. That way it's a constant process of giving and receiving feedback and advice. I really love to see all these works in the early stages and to get feedback during the making of my backgrounds. Would that be something that we could do here as well?
Concept: Grundislav - The real magically gifted and ghost-seing people probably hide behind a generic, normal-boring house. A clever idea, Ben Jordan knows this of course.
Artistic Execution: Ykni - The feel of hiding while stalking this magical place appeals to me. The leafs on the left and the needles on the right evoke that intimate voyeur feeling.
Playability: TGames - Driving with my top-down car sprite upwards to the hill mansion could be fun. There are never enough top-down racing games.
Honourable mention for matte-painting master Daniel Thomas - a mail box in a tree stump and the spectacular pink light. At this level, you are in a competition league of your own, sorry.
Thanks for the feedback Snarky. (nod)
I'll see if I can do anything about it (assuming I guess right about what yo talking about) and post it on the critics lounge at a later time, for bashing. (laugh)
Okaaay, TIME, Ladies and Gentlemen, please! it's been a wonderful and enlightening time this month and i'm glad so many of you turned up to take part or chip in. Please feel free to take some of the curly, meat paste sandwiches home and there's still some of that strange greenish dip no-one has touched. Anyone? No? Ok, well, you weren't that shy when it came to the chocolate cake and breadsticks is all i can say...
The results are as follows!
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/107389340/AGS/BG_Blitz/Mystics%20House/Trophy/BronzeAward.png)
in joint third place are:
Spoiler
Grundislav! and Ykni!
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/107389340/AGS/BG_Blitz/Mystics%20House/Trophy/SilverAward.png)
Second place goes to:
Spoiler
Anke!
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/107389340/AGS/BG_Blitz/Mystics%20House/Trophy/GoldAward.png)
Aaaaaaand first place goes to:
Spoiler
Daniel Thomas!
Fantastic show, everyone and well done to the winners! Thanks so much for turning up and, seriously, that dip, someone please take it...
Congrats to the winners :-D
Thanks guys! I'll have another one up and running in the next couple of days.
Congrats! :-D
Woot :-D Thanks to all the people that voted for my entry and a big applause for all the participants and GreenBeams for making this a fun competition.
Congratulations to all the winners!
/me tries the dip...
**GURGLE**
URGH!!! I don't have a drawing tablet so my time over the next few days or weeks in the little boy's room may prevent me from entering the next contest...
But: Awesome congratz to the winners and awesome kudos to all the participants...
Erm...speaking of pants...I have been at my keyboard a tad too long and...
DAMNED DIP!!! :-X
Congratulations to the winners! And wonderful entries, everyone. :)
This Blitz was a lot of fun, but - second place?! How on earth did that happen? To say that it's unexpected might be the understatement of the century. Thanks for all the votes! Very encouraging. Probably should pay a visit to Critics' Lounge one day. In the meantime I'll grab the wonderful trophy with boths hands. :-D
Quote from: Snarky on Thu 28/05/2015 16:50:47
[...]my first impression of Anke's screen is that the objects in the scenery (notably the crate and flashlight) are somewhat arbitrary, like they only exist for the sake of some puzzle, not for any good in-game reason.
If only. But you are right, I did it for the wrong reasons. Should have left the damn flashlight out, but I cut out the light source at the right side just before the finish line and needed a new one. (God, this sounds a lot worse then your assumption. Let's stay with the puzzle theory instead. ;))