Background - Hotel Lobby

ScottDoom · Mon 26/01/2004 02:00:31

This is the incomplete background for my upcoming game. It's a hotel lobby. The hotel is called Le Monde de l'Argent.

I will add more details later, but I will not post it here as it's part of the game's surprise.

What I do need help with is the stairs, and any perspective/shading problems you guys can see.

Totoro · Mon 26/01/2004 03:11:52

Overall I like it really, but the stairs don't look like stairs but totally flat to me. Maybe you should at some shadows or shading to make clear those are stairs and not a slope.

James Kay · Mon 26/01/2004 04:08:24

Nice style, but the plant and indeed the stairs/escalators (?) ruin it.

TheYak · Mon 26/01/2004 04:26:48

I think the plant can be saved by some shading tucked in here and there. It's got good detail but just looks flat compared to the two-tone shading of the rest. If there are technical perspective errors, I don't think they matter much as the background (as a whole) is outstanding.

The stairs (unless they're supposed to be flat-ish) could use a bit of work. If it's an escalator, the steps still resemble those of a stair until they reach the top. If it's a conveyor-belt arrangement then you might put spindles to show that.

The lines of the stairs are a bit dark, IMO. Everything else has got a soft tone to it so the black really stands out. Maybe a dark grey? The elevator's divider looks a bit light. Since there's almost always a gap of some sort there, maybe it should be 1-pixel wider and a couple shades darker. It's also flush with the border and should probably look set back, at least a little.

There's a bit of shading inconsistency. The left-most pillar has its bottom color reversed from what it should be. The shadows seem cast from different directions and some things seem to cast a shadow while others don't. I'm also having a bit of trouble determining if the columns on the left are supporting nothing past their midpoint or if there's ceiling there. Some shading or appropriate lines could clarify this a bit.

Sorry there's so many nit-pickings. I saw it and my jaw dropped, it's a very attractive background. It wasn't until I got into c&c mode that I became a bastard.

ScottDoom · Mon 26/01/2004 05:56:49

Here's my edit for the night.

1. Corrected shadows, I think.
2. Edited elevator.
3. Added extra length to the part the pillars are supporting. Basically, the area with the elevator and the area with the stairs are not connected. I added a bit of wall where the elevator is to show this. The roof is behind the part the pillars are supporting, and can't be seen.
4. Made the stairs 500x better.

I didn't know what to do to the plants. There are two plants, incase you didn't notice. The obvious one, and there is another on the top part of the round sofa thing. I'll probably add cushion lines to the round sofa thing later.

And, Yak, you weren't being a bastard. You helped a lot.

TheYak · Mon 26/01/2004 06:14:26

Truthfully, didn't notice the plant on top of the sofa. That could use the same treatment. If you pick certain leaves that are supposed to be behind others or deeper "into" the plant, darken those a shade or two for depth while darkening some of the ones that are away from the light.

I totally forgot to mention the thing I started the last post about. The left part of the stair rail appears 2-dimentional. I can see how it might be an angled block but the right rail being at a different height disrupts that viewpoint. Just 1 flat shade darker on one plane of the rail would do wonders. The pillars, elevator & walls were clarified quite a bit. There might be a couple things that stand out here and there but definately nothing to cry too much about. The angle and content of this BG shows a certain vision and IMO, that's the most important thing.

strazer · Mon 26/01/2004 06:27:09

First of all, very good!

QuoteAdded extra length to the part the pillars are supporting. Basically, the area with the elevator and the area with the stairs are not connected. I added a bit of wall where the elevator is to show this. The roof is behind the part the pillars are supporting, and can't be seen.

Sorry, but I don't get it. Could you do a quick floor plan to show what you mean? Is there a corner to the left of the elevator? Concerning this, there is room for improvement IMHO. Although with proper walkbehinds things maybe be clarified in the game.

And, if the stairs are not an escalator, maybe you should use a color than gray or put some reddish carpet onto the steps.

Keep it up!

ScottDoom · Mon 26/01/2004 06:34:30

Here's the (quickly drawn) floor plan for the lobby. I'll have another edit of the background in a few...

Nine Toes · Mon 26/01/2004 06:37:37

Me, personally, I thought it was good to begin with... but that's just me. What I liked overall was the simplicity of it, but the edit just kind of kicked it up a notch, I guess.

strazer · Mon 26/01/2004 06:47:46

QuoteMe, personally, I thought it was good to begin with... but that's just me

No, not just you. But we're here to c&c, right?

QuoteHere's the (quickly drawn) floor plan for the lobby.

Ok, I thought of something like this.
So why don't you drop the wall left to the elevator (makes more sense anyway IMHO) and extend the wall a bit beyond the pillar, like this:

Works better methinks.

ScottDoom · Mon 26/01/2004 09:19:12

1. Changed the color of the stairs.
2. Used strazer's wall edit. Thanks!
3. Attempted to shade the plants. Help!

And Yak, I'm a little confused on what you are trying to say about the stair rails. I do agree that they look a little weird and flat, but I'm not sure what you're suggesting.

Erwin_Br · Mon 26/01/2004 10:57:12

This lobby reminds me of a hotel in a movie starring Harrison Ford.

On topic: More shading! I really like the set-up but it needs some shading and texture.

--Erwin

strazer · Tue 27/01/2004 06:50:35

Shadowing suggestion:

Shadow layer here, if you want to use it (at 30% in the pic above).

Jeez, what am I doing? I should be working on my own backgrounds!

ScottDoom · Tue 27/01/2004 07:09:42

Thanks again strazer. You own.

strazer · Tue 27/01/2004 07:16:17

You're welcome.

Excellent revision with the shadow of another pillar in the back.
And the stairs really look much better non-red.

meh · Wed 28/01/2004 09:49:35

Looks great now but wouldn't that pillar be a little too close to the elevator? People would be walking out and bang! Straight (well, slightly to the left I guess) into the pillar. I dunno, just a thought.

ScottDoom · Sat 31/01/2004 05:54:41

I don't really think people would walk right into the pillar. It's over to the left of the elevator.

I added the "details" to the image. What do you guys think?

strazer · Sat 31/01/2004 05:59:04

They look more like cracks than marble, what I think it's supposed to convey.
By "details" I thought you meant a chandelier, ashtrays and so on? Looks a bit empty.

timh_009 · Sat 31/01/2004 06:05:40

I thought they were supposed to be cracks. what with the out of order lift and the busted cussion on the couch. It lokks sortof abandoned.
If your going for that look try making the plant dead and putting piles of junk everywhere like old newspapers and other rubbish.

strazer · Sat 31/01/2004 06:07:58

Good point! Hadn't thought of that.

Background - Hotel Lobby

meh