This is the first thing i've put in crits for a long time. I thought about making a mags game and then thought sod it i cant draw. So I've taken the idea of the hotel (motel really) from the mags thing and made this. Its a photo manip because i suck at drawing.
(http://www.2dadventure.com/ags/newbgthingyupdate.png)
What'joo think foo'?
The general mood of the image is good. However, there are some pretty serious problems.
The houses are of much higher resolution than the rest of the image. And those blurry transitions between grass/road, mountains/ground and mountains/sky really stick out to me. Look at how the edges are all sharp on the houses themselves; try to put that into the rest of the transitions as well.
Also, I see no real Points Of Interest in the image. Where are we supposed to be looking? What is the important part in which the action takes place? One of the most important aspects of a background is not only to PROVIDE a background, but also (at least usually) to lure the eyes of the viewer towards a certain point in the image; most often the area in which the action is gonna take place.
And do something about that sky...no night sky is simply blue like that.
Added a light to draw attention. Reshuffled some stuff. Added sky.
(http://www.2dadventure.com/ags/bgthing2.png)
Quick paintover to add more interest to the image.
(http://www.2dadventure.com/ags/bgthing2RF.png)
I think your second version looks great, Alec. Better than I could do, anyway.
I had some time in computer graphics so I changed the light in the window a little more and coloured some of the sky.
(http://www.2dadventure.com/ags/bgthing22.png)
As the background stands right now, i think it looks great. Kind of reminds me of the BATES motel from Physco.
Maybe adding a motel sign in front of the rest of the motel with a flickering No Vacancy sign, or some burned out lights would really give this background some excellent atmosphere.
You've done some good work on this BG.
Shawn