Hiya all,
i made some backgrounds for my Game "The Murder at the Hudson University", but my Backgrounds look very empty, and nevertheless, they are huge in size.
a normal 640x400 256 color BMP uses around 700 kb. This can't be it, coz when i will have finished my game, it will be somewhat like 50 mb or so.
i include a BG here, if you have some advice, on hopw to add details, and how to make it look more pro, just keep on posting
(http://www.2dadventure.com/ags/ROOM6.jpg)
You mean it's 700KB while it's put into a room? The room files used lossless compression on backgrounds, so they can considerably larger than lossy compressions (like JPEG, etc.), especially when it contains a lot of "details".
Looking at your background, the textures used in it may add "randomness" to it, which in turn increases its "details". In my opinion, some of the textures may not be that necessary, as they make the background looks like paper cutouts, which produced undesired results (making it flat).
If you really concern about game size, try:
1. First, try zipping the game files as a test, if they can be further compressed at a good rate you need not concern about your game's size that much, as when you distribute it you may first ZIP it.
2. Try reducing some of the texture usages, it may help reducing file size and even the appearance (my own opinion only).
3. If you REALLY don't want your game to be that large, just use 320x240 backgrounds instead.
First, I'd like to say that it is not wise to use textures to fill areas because it is very easy to see the texture's pattern repeat.
Next, it is best to try and maintain a certain style throughout the entire image. On your windows(?) and door, you have a unique way of coloring and shading them and they are outlined in black, but this is not found anywhere else in the image.
I do like the way you made the plant, and the bushes/shrubs/trees in the background.
If you plan to keep it in its current state, I would say adding a concrete path from the sidewalk/road to the house would add, perhaps a tree of some sort to the left or right of the home, a mail box, and an address tag on the home. Just think of simple things that would add atmosphere. Also, you could try some shading.
I don't want to be hard on you or anything,
but I don't think your background looks too good,
but it doesn't matter, you'll see you will improve fast,
try to avoid textures as much as possible (at least while your learning drawing backgrounds).
Try following some tutorials, for example by 2ma2:
click (http://ilb.notrix.net)
succes with your drawing
n3t
How is this for better work?
(http://www.2dadventure.com/ags/room61.jpg)
It's better, but the you really should change the perspective inside the houses! These lines are really incorrect! Try pointing all lines to one certain dot in the picture, mostly the center.
second, remove the pattern on the roof.
third.. the gradient on the door is awful, it looks better if you'd drawed yourself a door.
too many textures, and too less details.. y'know what i mean? its the small things that count.
about the size, i dont know what to say... reduce in every possible way, a little on quality, a little on color, size... etc. etc.
edit: or even better, you should go and ask for live help on the apprentice forums... (really dont know the link, maybe look at big brothers or geofkhan(sp) sign)
my wife helped me a bit with the changings, but don't blame it on her if it's not good ;D
i got the size down to 187 kb if i scale down to 320x200 , and that's acceptable.
for the door, this will be added as an object later on. the gradient in the door space, is just the floor of the room behind the door. means, when you open the door, you will see the gradient. i like this. most of the players won't take notice of it, but i think it belongs there. i also added some plants, and a little gravur on the tree. hope it's better than before.
I'm still not sure about the windows ???
(http://www.2dadventure.com/ags/ROOM651.jpg)
You could do the 16-bit sprites on 256 color backgrounds trick (someone post a link)
IMO, this is very nicer to my eyes :)