I've spent several hours trying to get the most important city of my current game looking... well... "fitting". I'd like some comments and critics now. You can see the background here (http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a23/FAMILIAR_QUEST/citywitheffects.png); beware, it's rather big. I like the hard difference between the crafted marmor bank and the cracked run-down bunkhouse (hope it's recognisable), as well as the propaganda advertisement, but I'd like to hear your opinion on this, too.
I think it fits. I would nevertheless move the bank to the left and the propaganda to the right. It would create a little space between the rich part and the slum and the propaganda would be nearer to those it tries to reach.
Maybe it's just because I'm tired but the blue seems a little bit too bright on the eyes.
The graffiti is a nice touch to the slum area, adds a bit more realism into the background.
The marble on the bank and the cracks on the bunkhouse are rather hard to see. Make them a bit stronger.
I'd also suggest adding some clouds, filling the horizon with some distant landscape and adding a street in the foreground. And just a minor thing about the big poster: I would move the text to the top or between the head and the people. The citizens are supposed to look UP to El Presidente, aren't they?
Not having seen any of your other works for this project (other than your avatar obviously) I must say it all seems rather flat.
Also I think that putting "First National Bank of Revenga" all on one line may be a bit much. And put some sort of spike on top of the dome. That would look very nice.
Other than that I don't have much else to say (since I have no concept of whether this would fit your "style" properly or not). Except...is it Revenga or Hevena??? And...Capital or Captial? :P
Educate yourself, Citizen!
http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/yabb/index.php?topic=31161.0
I think you should add some lines to the columns in the same gray as the dollar signs. It would add a touch of class. Also, the graffiti could be a little more elaborate, maybe spelling a funny slogan, or just being larger in general.
Good start, though. Very stylish.
I love the adds. Clearly your style - fit with the game and are well thinking (especially the soldier suit).
Personally I'll split this on 2, (maybe 3) different rooms and put the adds amongs grey walls who goes until the top of the screen. The same with the housing. Even if implementing landscape behind is a must like Spaceboy said, I'm affraid it going to break the minimalistic art.
I don't like background. I mean, I like it, but I wouldn't do it like this.
I think that with such characters, clean and straight lines are an enemy.
If I'd do that background, I'd use Adobe Flash for drawing, and Freehand tool for everything. It gives nice curved and cartoony look.
Take a look at this game and you'll see what I mean. Pay attention to how randomly everything is drawn and how do lines look - getting thicker and thinner in places, etc.
http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/59593
Taking most things said into regard... (http://s8.photobucket.com/albums/a23/FAMILIAR_QUEST/?action=view¤t=city2witheffects.png)
I haven't changed the dome and the sky because the player isn't likely to see that at all - I only added it to begin with because it looks weird to have a chopped-off background ;)
Radio Revenga now belongs to the rich part of the city, although it's a little dirtier than the bank.
The rich part is now clearly seperated from the slums.
So, I hope you like it, and thanks for the advice! :)
I think your style is really neat.
As someone said, though, the marble texture and the cracks on the poor side of town are very hard to make out.
I don't like the graffiti. It just looks like a quick splodge of spray paint on MSPaint, which it probably is, and doesn't fit the neat and clean style you have in the rest of the background. So much could be done with it, too.
Still, looking forward to the game!