Background Blitz - over. Winner: loominous

InCreator · Wed 21/09/2005 16:39:30

Drawing castles is quite fun, so this time, the BG blitz has

Theme:
Stronghold.
It should be as powerful and grand-looking as possible, looking as really unconquerable fortress. Not just some brick house with towers.

Size: 320x240 or larger

Restrictions: None!

Good luck!

IM NOT TEH SPAM · Wed 21/09/2005 17:18:03

Well, that was fast

My entry will be up in a minute
...Or as I'd like to call it, a Jiffy!

Corey · Thu 22/09/2005 14:46:26

This might be not so usefull as a BG... oh well it might as well be used for inspiration.
plz tell if its too dark.

InCreator · Thu 22/09/2005 19:03:31

This reminds me awfully much a level from Unreal Tournament...
But looks good!

Corey · Fri 23/09/2005 07:44:30

u are awfully right.. it is a screen od DM-Peak... thought im not joining the contest so it shouldnt matter

IM NOT TEH SPAM · Mon 26/09/2005 15:38:06

Here's one my brother made.

Sorry it took so long to put it up here... but oh well, whatever.

Corey · Mon 26/09/2005 17:51:34

hmmm who disurves to win. You or your bro??

IM NOT TEH SPAM · Mon 26/09/2005 17:56:50

He does. I knew that before i got here...
But he doesn't have an account on AGS, so I ask him to use his art and he says sure, as long as I credit him. So that's what I do.
He does all the artwork for me... or at least, all the artwork that looks presentable. Every good backround in the short game I'm making is his, and I still want to know how he made such a badass grass pattern...

ildu · Sat 01/10/2005 09:44:44

Wow. Voting starts tomorrow and there's only one entry by King_Nipper. And even that's not his own

.

Tuomas · Sat 01/10/2005 10:11:24

Only one entry?!?!?! Now we cannot let that happen can we? last day, and I made itin too...

well now it's not dark because the dark chaotic forces retreated

Corey · Sat 01/10/2005 10:28:11

lol i think its dark because you didnt have enough time to color it better

IM NOT TEH SPAM · Sat 01/10/2005 16:46:09

This makes me sad. I only entered because I thought there would be more people...

Krysis · Sat 01/10/2005 17:07:03

Its never too late.

Corey · Sat 01/10/2005 17:22:33

its nice really only i think you can do much better thought

Ishmael · Sat 01/10/2005 18:05:35

Corey, sharing your opinions isn't bad in any sense, but your posting in here starts to seem like spamming to me...

Corey · Sat 01/10/2005 18:37:02

uhm why?? i just reply on the post in a normal way

Ishmael · Sat 01/10/2005 18:43:03

With about every second post being yours...

kec · Sat 01/10/2005 18:48:55

I dunno what to write

Traveler · Sat 01/10/2005 19:14:34

Here is my first competition entry:

loominous · Sun 02/10/2005 01:11:28

Horizontally flipped version, which has an interesting look (link)

A style experiment. The palette was inspired by "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow", a movie with nice visuals, though not much else.

It turned out as a sort of mage fortress. I suppose the functionality as an ordinary background might be limited, especially after I added the left cloud which partially blocks a path leading upwards towards the plateau, but could work as an establishing shot for a cutscene or something.

Traveler · Sun 02/10/2005 01:37:25

Wow! :o You always amaze me with your use of color and mood setting. Is this a painting or a rendering?

loominous · Sun 02/10/2005 01:51:34

QuoteIs this a painting or a rendering?

It's a painting, if by rendering you mean 3D. It's somewhat ironic that I've never been interested in 3D when my analogue attempts tend to get a similar look.

Anyway, thanks for the kind comment.

InCreator · Sun 02/10/2005 02:19:44

Wow. Just when I thought that this compo is dead, there's lots of entries, and pretty good ones, if I say so myself!

Thank you for your participation (sp?) and let the voting begin!!!

ildu · Sun 02/10/2005 03:42:55

That looks awesome, loominous, albeit it doesn't work too well as an active background as you already said. I'm kinda obliged to vote for someone else, but I can't help it. That image just blew me away. The best one I've seen from you thusfar. I vote Loominous.

Why such a long voting time? Who's gonna wait for four days before he/she votes?

SpacePirateCaine · Sun 02/10/2005 05:08:26

Crikey. Critic that I am, I wish I could find something substantial wrong with loominous's background, but aside from the fact that the birds should probably be added in later as sprites, nothing comes to mind. It's exactly as it should be, and even though it's not particularly indicative to having characters on it, there's still a walkway and plenty to see. There were similar backgrounds in LOOM, and for the contest's rules, it's no less valid than any other background here. Marvelous.

I vote for loominous.

TheYak · Sun 02/10/2005 05:08:57

I vote Loominous. I was actually thinking that Traveler's fortress fit more with the competition description - grand, unconquerable, whereas Loominous's entry was less unconquerable and more just plain frightening.
I think it's the photo backdrop of Traveler's.. it tends to make the castle look out of place sort of like a lego mock-up. And I'm pretty sure I could conquer legos.. pretty sure. Loominous's environment fits the fortress like a glove.

Loominous, with the amount of ass your pictures kick, I'm beginning to think there needs to be a handicap system.

Krysis · Sun 02/10/2005 08:03:49

~~I dont know if I have the right to vote but still... I VOTE FOR loominous! He is too good.~~

EDIT: Come to think of it loominous made a great, great image but it really cant be usefull as a background. Besides I cant really vote.

viktor · Sun 02/10/2005 08:04:50

I vote for Krysis. The simplicity simply amazes me. And yet the background looks werry profesional.

Corey · Sun 02/10/2005 08:10:49

my vote goes to : loominous

Ubel · Sun 02/10/2005 10:07:18

My vote: Traveler

Privateer Puddin' · Sun 02/10/2005 10:16:11

loominous

esper · Sun 02/10/2005 10:18:44

I would say loominous.... that looks like something out of a Final Fantasy game.
However, since I A) don't like bandwagons, and therefore do not jump on them, and B) don't think that could be used as a background in a game, I have to go with krysis.

Paper Carnival · Sun 02/10/2005 10:23:51

I vote for Krysis

RyRayer · Sun 02/10/2005 10:46:38

Krysis

Tuomas · Sun 02/10/2005 10:55:39

Traveler

Pet Terry · Sun 02/10/2005 11:07:43

Loominous', because it's pure awesomeness.

Nacho · Sun 02/10/2005 11:52:43

Loomie... Does that make him enter in the Grand Slam of the hall of fame?

Mozesh · Sun 02/10/2005 11:59:54

Loominous...

kec · Sun 02/10/2005 12:18:00

loominous

Babar · Sun 02/10/2005 12:27:36

I vote Krysis!
Although it's not the reason for my vote, that BG looks very much like a level from the Mask of Eternity game.

Haddas · Sun 02/10/2005 13:18:05

Krysis

InCreator · Sun 02/10/2005 13:32:37

QuoteWhy such a long voting time? Who's gonna wait for four days before he/she votes?

Long? Must be global time difference? 2 days, not four. By GMT +0200 I announced voting at 2nd October (somewhere 5 AM), and this ends in last hours before 5-th. Around 48 hours isn't too long, IMO.

ildu · Sun 02/10/2005 14:20:00

I thought that the 5th was included. So the last hours of the 5th were the final hours of the vote. Anyways, if the vote started 5AM on the 2nd, shouldn't it end at 5AM on the 4th, amounting to 48 hours. If it's until the final hours of the 4th, then it would amount to 67 hours at midnight GMT+2. Never mind, I'm nitpicking here.

skw · Sun 02/10/2005 23:34:47

Quote from: loominous on Sun 02/10/2005 01:11:28
A style experiment. The palette was inspired by "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow", a movie with nice visuals, though not much else.

That's right. I saw it last week and it looked really offbeat, but the plot bored me as hell. If it's still possible, I'll vote Loominous -- I like the details and atmosphere.

rharpe · Sun 02/10/2005 23:56:07

My quick & ugly entry... I know it's very doodle-ish:

Kweepa · Mon 03/10/2005 00:16:38

I vote Krysis.
I love loominous' piece, but the focus hardly seems to be on the fortress, and anyway, he used the opportunity to insult Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow which I rather enjoyed.

Nikolas · Mon 03/10/2005 07:28:06

I will have to go for loominous!

Although actually not very usefull as a BG I think it's great art...

Floskfinger · Mon 03/10/2005 08:14:46

I vote Loominous!
It's such a geat piece of art

nihilyst · Mon 03/10/2005 10:07:23

My vote goes to loominous!

His picture has so much feeling, and the use of contrasts is superb!

Kinoko · Mon 03/10/2005 11:07:27

I just clicked on this topic 'cause I was really, really bored but holy hell, I'm voting for Loominous. Can I vote for rharpe too? I guess not but man, not doodlish at -all-. It's a gorgeous style and a fantastic design.

vict0r · Mon 03/10/2005 13:27:51

My vote goes to Krysis!

Loo's pic was incredible but is prolly too good to use as a bg. (may i ask you rharphe, what painting program are you using? i love the style)

rharpe · Mon 03/10/2005 17:49:38

Quote from: vict0r(may i ask you rharphe, what painting program are you using? i love the style)

Flash MX/PSP7... I exported the image as a BMP then did a little touch-up in PaintShop Pro 7. These programs work GREAT together!

Quote from: Kinokobut man, not doodlish at -all-. It's a gorgeous style and a fantastic design.

Thanks!

InCreator · Tue 04/10/2005 05:47:32

...and once again, Loominous wins, thus hosting new blitz!

Gongrats.

Kinoko · Tue 04/10/2005 10:37:36

rharpe, if you were doing a whole game in that style, I'd be waiting on the edge of my seat for you to release it.

rharpe · Tue 04/10/2005 16:02:21

Quote from: Kinoko
rharpe, if you were doing a whole game in that style, I'd be waiting on the edge of my seat for you to release it.

Wow! I didn't think it was THAT good. I didn't even know I had a style??? $:-\$ Thanks for the kind words, that is really nice.