Background Blitz - Nov.25 - Dec.07 - Trapped - (WINNERS announced)

Geratuza · Tue 25/11/2008 11:44:20

THEME: Trapped
SIZE RESTRICTIONS: none
PALETTE RESTRICTIONS: none

---catagories---
IDEA
ATMOSPHERE
COMPOSITION
TECHNIQUE
FUNCTIONALITY

As there were no entries in the last background blitz - here's a new topic.

abstauber · Thu 04/12/2008 11:21:26

Hey!
I'll take the curse off of this thread and enter.

Size: 320x200
Colors: 1

Happy holidays

Daniel Thomas · Thu 04/12/2008 19:04:04

yea, I have also started doing some sketching, I wont promise Ill be finnished to sunday, but I think I will have something to show.

Babar · Thu 04/12/2008 19:07:09

A while after I started, I realised that there isn't all that much I can add to the background aside from the main idea. So apologies for the rather plain entry.

abstauber · Fri 05/12/2008 17:03:53

Yay, finished this much earlier than I thought (pls scroll up). Just imagine falling snow and animated smoke.

Nikolas · Sat 06/12/2008 06:37:36

abstauber: I would gladly play a game with such graphics. What say you start one?

abstauber · Sat 06/12/2008 09:43:41

Already did

http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/yabb/index.php?topic=35304.0

That game hopefully will contain monochromatic backgrounds (as part of a parallel world), though it doesn't take place in the winter.

Daniel Thomas · Mon 08/12/2008 00:41:01

Save the trapped Princess - knight attraction!

The dream for all the knights climbing up their profession ladder.
Buy a ticket and you will have the opportunity to rescue the trapped princess from the tower. But be aware of the dragon!

My idea was the principle of an roller coaster or something where you buy the ticket and take the ride, but instead you buy a ticket and get to rescue the princess(if you manage to) who has been trapped in the tower. You would of course need to turn her back so the next knight can have a try.
The setting/mood is kinda unmotivated, it was just from a Thomas Cole painting which I wanted to try. It was done in two days.

Trent R · Mon 08/12/2008 04:17:44

Freakin' speachless. I so want to see your WIP.

Which isn't to say I don't love the others and their connection to the theme.

~Trent

Daniel Thomas · Mon 08/12/2008 08:04:22

Thanks Trent, here's a wip of the images I had saved: (sorry for the size, imageshack kept rescaling my image)

i stole your car · Mon 08/12/2008 12:02:21

Quote from: zyndikate on Mon 08/12/2008 00:41:01
buy the ticket and take the ride,

Hunter S Thompson fan by any chance?

PixelPerfect · Mon 08/12/2008 13:09:16

Awesome work zyndikate as always. I'm blown away everytime you post something. You should be working somewhere with six figures. Are you? 'Coz you should.

EDIT: Oh yeah I wanted to comment babar's work which reminds me "another world". Pretty cool background although simplistic.

Daniel Thomas · Mon 08/12/2008 14:47:46

Thanks for the comments. If its a serious question, I still study :>
Hunter S Thompson, cant say I heard of him - why do you ask, was it a quote from him? :>

i stole your car · Mon 08/12/2008 16:24:57

Yeah. Hey I'm sorry for the derail anyway...

Geratuza · Tue 09/12/2008 15:45:45

Let's start voting then...

Babar · Tue 09/12/2008 16:59:07

IDEA: abstauber
ATMOSPHERE: abstauber
COMPOSITION: zyndicate
TECHNIQUE: zyndicate
FUNCTIONALITY: abstauber

And also...I really appreciate the compliment, PixelPerfect...Another World had some incredibly awesome art.

Neil Dnuma · Wed 10/12/2008 02:14:28

Idea: Zyndikate
Atmosphere: Zyndikate
Composition: Zyndikate
Technique: Zyndikate
Functionality: Zyndikate

There used to be a design category too, where did that one go?

Anyways, I think all three BG's were good, but in all honesty,and IMO; zynd was ahead in all categories.

Snarky · Wed 10/12/2008 03:27:18

Idea: abstauber (I kind of have a rule against skeletons and dead bodies, mainly because I find myself resorting to them way too often.)
Atmosphere: abstauber
Composition: abstauber (I am not entirely thrilled with the colors in zyndikate's entry, which is otherwise very well composed)
Technique: zyndikate
Functionality: zyndikate (though Babar's is good too)

I didn't actually realize that Babar's tunnel was flooded until just now. That makes me like the idea more, but that it wasn't obvious pulls down my rating of the execution. It also makes the functionality more tricky.

Geratuza · Wed 10/12/2008 16:02:36

Idea: Babar (goes along with the atmosphere)
Atmosphere: Babar (just the feeling)
Composition: Zyndikate (everything is at its place, yet it doesnt look fake or artificial)
Technique: Zyndikate (although I really like that of abstauber's image, too)
Functionality: Zyndikate (wide walking-area; good (character) scaling; a lot of space for objectinteraction)

IndieBoy · Wed 10/12/2008 16:20:52

Idea: Babar
Atmosphere: abstauber
Composition: Babar
Technique: zyndikate
Functionality: Babar

Daniel Thomas · Thu 11/12/2008 07:29:02

IDEA - babar
ATMOSPHERE - abstauber
COMPOSITION - abstauber
TECHNIQUE - abstauber
FUNCTIONALITY - babar

abstauber · Thu 11/12/2008 08:09:44

IDEA - Zyndikate
ATMOSPHERE - Barbar
COMPOSITION - Zyndikate
TECHNIQUE - Zyndikate
FUNCTIONALITY - Babar

@Neil
I'm not really sure you can compare
this
http://www.2dadventure.com/ags/indy_jungle.gif
with that
http://www.2dadventure.com/ags/runaway.jpeg
?

Apart from that, zyndikates entry is pretty amazing and if I could draw like that I'd probably go highres too

Neil Dnuma · Thu 11/12/2008 19:28:47

Quote from: abstauber on Thu 11/12/2008 08:09:44
@Neil
I'm not really sure you can compare
this
http://www.2dadventure.com/ags/indy_jungle.gif
with that
http://www.2dadventure.com/ags/runaway.jpeg
?

Apart from that, zyndikates entry is pretty amazing and if I could draw like that I'd probably go highres too

Hi, I'm sorry if it came out as if I was favoring Zynd's background because of it's higher resolution. I think he had the best idea, it has a very original twist while the other two BG's have scenarios I've seen before. I also think it was the most functional background - such clear walkable areas and exits. I adored your go with the very limited palette and think you pulled it off well, it has atmosphere and looks quite good. I think the copying of houses are a little too apparent, and that also gives some slight inconsistence with the perspective. Also, I find the tree to be very generic, and believe it could have looked a little more exiting. But great job, and I am sure you are more than talented enough to give high-res a go if you wanted. Looking forward to seeing more of your work

BTW. I prefer the Indy BG of those two! I think the colors (and light effects) could have looked better in the other.

Babar · Thu 11/12/2008 19:59:48

. Not trying to 'defend' myself in any way- I realise that mine is probably the most 'simple' of all the entries and it STILL didn't go the way I wanted (narrower, with a more 'trappy' feeling)- but while I do have a basic entry and exit point, I didn't pay them much mind, considering the theme of this contest. I got the 'bug' when I saw the contest, and I had the time, but as I mentioned before, I realised halfway through that I didn't have anything else I could add after the basic background was complete.

Speaking of hi-res...can anyone tell me of any games that had non-cartoony (and non-3D, obviously) hi-res backgrounds? Just curious.

Daniel Thomas · Thu 11/12/2008 20:20:57

Not to go totally off topic, but I would like to say my opinion on this(not pointed to anyone particular person).

Resolution doesnt make art better IMO, it doesnt even has to resemble anything(but it probably helps in this kind of game, but sure doesnt have to).
It doesnt mater how how much details, "hip" character or beautiful colors you have put in your painting, if the , for an example, composition isnt good, then its simply not. May it be modern abstract art or 3D renders - they're still on a flat surface and both has to consider the same picture-problems (composition, color, rythm, shapes, lines, edges etc etc.)

Thats why pixel art can be as much or more pleasing then a 5x5m Paul Rubens painting if its in the hand of a great artist(although its hard, since Rubens is awesome)

Just head over to pixel-joint and look at the awesome people there, like Fool, helm and bulrogh.
I would also think that its the same with "styles", just because its cartoon it doesnt mean you have less problems then an artist painting realism, maybe some diffrent problems as "interesting shapes" vs "rendering".
This why I think many in my school with high 3D/maya knowledge still doesnt make good work, sure they can try to hide it with fancy stuff - but it only takes you so far. But those with strong artistic knowledge makes really great stuff, eventhough they just started with 3D this term - atleast thats my opinion, but it seems to be the general opinion in the school too.

So watch out for judgments or prejudice, great art is always great art - no mather resolution, style or medium

Thats my current opinion on the whole, if its a "big" topic, Ill gladly would discuss this more in another topic, if anyone feels like it.

(sorry for off topic, and bad english)

Babar · Thu 11/12/2008 20:34:59

Whoops! I hope no one misunderstands me. I have nothing against hi-res, or cartoony, or 3D, or anything...and when it looks good, I like it. I was just curious, because all the hi-res games I played (admittedly not that many) before everything went 3D....they were all of the cartoony style: KQ7, SQ6, Torrin's Passage, Monkey Island 3, etc. I was just wondering, because as I said, I was curious.

I guess I should have explained my votes along with them....As Neil said, Zyndicate's technique and composition are obviously the best, and that doesn't really have anything to do (as far as I'm concerned) with hi-res or lo-res. Zyndicate had an interesting and creative angle to the theme, but I personally preferred abstauber's more traditional interpretation, as well as how the pure black & white worked with the snowy background to make it so atmospheric.

G · Thu 11/12/2008 23:11:29

If your asking for games with hi-res graphics, without 3D o cartoony style, there you have Broken Sword and Broken Sword 2, which use a 640x480 res graphics, I think. And the amateur game Broken Sword 2.5 also has hi-res graphics without 3D technology or cartoony style.

Geratuza · Sat 13/12/2008 12:50:11

Idea
1st - Babar (3 votes)
2nd - Zyndikate (2 votes)
3rd - Abstauber (2 votes)

Atmosphere
1st - Abstauber (4 votes)
2nd - Babar (2 votes)
3rd - Zyndikate (1 vote)

Composition
1st - Zyndikate (4 votes)
2nd - Abstauber (2 votes)
3rd - Babar (1 vote)

Technique
1st - Zyndikate (6 votes)
2nd - abstauber (1 vote)

Functionality
1st - Zyndikate; Babar (3 votes both)
2nd - Abstauber (1 vote)

votes overall
1st - Zyndikate (16 votes)
2nd - Abstauber (10 votes)
3rd - Babar (9 votes)

Summary

Most participants liked the unique atmosphere of Abstaubers monochrome-b/w-image despite its technical simplicity. Compared with this, Zyndikate's background (as well as its composition) was considered as technically brilliant. However, it seems that it somehow could not generate an atmosphere that underlines the theme "trapped" well enough (in comparison to the other entries). Babar's entry is based on a good idea that could have been better realised.

So with 16 votes, Zyndikate is the deserved winner of this contest.

Thank you for participating everyone.

It's up to you to start the next round, Zyndikate!

Daniel Thomas · Sun 14/12/2008 10:17:24

thanks!
Ill start the next one one a couple of days, crazy busy right now.