Interior Ship scene for comment

[Xellie]

This image uses only 16 colors (the CGA palette). This depicts a cargo hold of a coal ship... the grates in the floor give access to a place where coal is stored on the ship. (It is for 320x200 resolution, so the screen will scroll).



Please give comment concerning:

- how to make the room more interesting (objects still need to be added, I am looking for suggestions concerning the layout / architecture).
- dithering (am I using it too much) ?
- lighting... does it work, is there a better way to give an idea of lighting using a CGA palette?
- general improvement.

Thanx.

[Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens]

It's a good start, but when you are dealing with so few colors and the values are very different, less dithering is more.  I tried to reduce some of what you did, but my main focus was on locating a light source (the port holes) and then relighting the boxes based on them. 

1.  Reduced dithering by adding an additional shade (red).

2.  Made port holes the primary light source and reshaded the boxes and grates.

3.  Made the stairs look less like a ramp.  This was arbitrary but I think it looks better.

4.  Made the boxes less uniform, adding designs, locks, and even coal.  Also added some shovels.



The main thing is to use the color palette efficiently.  The red made an excellent shade in this situation rather than using black dithering alone.  Keep at it!

[Xellie]

Thanx ProgZmax, once again... I'll have a go... I like the challenge of a limited palette, but think I resort to dithering too much... will take a swing and post a rework.

[Miez]

3.  Made the stairs look less like a ramp.  This was arbitrary but I think it looks better.

Very nice background, but I think a ramp would make more sense than some stairs actually. Makes getting those big boxes in there a whole lot easier.

[Xellie]

Thanx Miez & ProgZMax. I added the shading and dithering... left the ramp in, because it was a ramp for the boxes as mentioned. Will add ojbect etc... soon.

[EagerMind]

The new lighting is much better!

I'd say the ramp is too steep. Check out an example.

Also, you might want to move those center set of boxes to the back wall. Right now they will block the character from view, and with their central location right in the middle of the screen, they take up a lot of real estate. I don't know, this might be a conscious decision on your part.

Just out of curiosity, how does the coal get in and out of those grates? I was thinking the room might be a little more interesting if, instead of boxes, the coal was stored directly in this room. I don't know, just a thought.

[Xellie]

The new lighting is much better!

Thanx! I'll add some stuff to make things more interesting, but I knew the lighting was 'off' with the first try. ProgZMax's comments pointed out the stuff I didn't really know how to solve.

I'd say the ramp is too steep.
Just out of curiosity, how does the coal get in and out of those grates? I was thinking the room might be a little more interesting if, instead of boxes, the coal was stored directly in this room.

The whole idea is that this room is a kind of secondary storage room, directly above the 'main' coal storage room, accessed through the grates on the floor. The character will be trapped inside this room, and will have to find some ingenious way of getting out... the ramp is used only for smaller shipments and boxes, so all the coal on this ship is not processed through this one room.

Also, you might want to move those center set of boxes to the back wall. Right now they will block the character from view, and with their central location right in the middle of the screen, they take up a lot of real estate.

I put the boxes there on purpose, to give some sort of foreground, since the room has a very shallow depth of field with actually just one plane, no true 3'rd dimension. Also, since the room is twice as wide as my intended resolution (320 x 200) it will be scrolling, so the fact that the boxes are in the center of the room won't be that much of a hindrance I believe.

I was actually inspired by a lot of use of 'foregrond' objects in older Sierra games, to give an illusion of depth. Granted, they didn't usually block out the whole screen, but, I'm still only an apprentice in this whole AGS Background Thingy! 

Thanx for the comments, as soon as I've had time I'll add more interesting bits to the space. Anything else still welcome of course.

[Illustrious]

I was just checking out your background, good work!! I was wondering though... Im assuming those port holes are under water but the door also has that blue colour.. so where is that door leading from? How did boxes that large get through a door that small?

Dont think I am nit picking.

I think its great with, what like, 7 colours?Ã, 

[ciborium]

Maybe just use smaller boxes or don't stack the boxes in the foreground.
then you will be able to see the top half (or at least the head) of your character sprite.

[Xellie]

I was just checking out your background, good work!!

Thanx! Still a work in progress though...

Im assuming those port holes are under water but the door also has that blue colour.. so where is that door leading from?

If you look closely, you'll see that 2 shades of blue are visible through the portholes, the lower one is the sea outside, and the lighter one is the sky. If you look at the window in the door, you'll see that only the lighter one is visible, therefore indicating that only the sky is visible and not the sea, so that door leads to the deck of the ship... that's the idea anyway... 

How did boxes that large get through a door that small?

Actually, as stated above (in reply to Eagermind) "... this room is a kind of secondary storage room, directly above the 'main' coal storage room, accessed through the grates on the floor... the ramp is used only for smaller shipments and boxes, so all the coal on this ship is not processed through this one room." Also, every entrance to the room might not yet be visible in the screenshot... 

I think its great with, what like, 7 colours?

10 colors at the moment, and there's still lots of stuff to improve on... but thanx for the encouragement.

Maybe just use smaller boxes or don't stack the boxes in the foreground.
then you will be able to see the top half (or at least the head) of your character sprite.

I feel that the boxes as is give a nice foreground for the character to walk behind, and you'll be able to see him to the left and right of the boxes... if it doesn't work out once implimentend, I'll have to make the boxes smaller, but I'll try it as is for now. Thanx for the comment.