Experiment with a lack of three days sleep (background)

[Broadbean]

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Well, I was bored and unable to sleep. Darn insomnia. Anyway, I realise that a background image shouldn't have characters, but I was just playing around.

I'm certainly not happy with it, but would love any crit!

It's not for any particular project. Just seeing what I can do with a poncy EEE PC. My main background is in 3D work, so I'm extremely irked by what I ended up with somehow.... Seems to look quite flat and dull? The castle in the background looks off, and the building in the centre I'm usure about perspective-wise.

I can't take all the credit. I was just browsing a Sketchup city, and basically pixel-painted it more or less completely over the top. Too tired to do anything compltely new!

Suggestions? Alterations? Time now for some sleep, and I can look again in the morn- uh, evening.

[Atelier]

I think it looks good as is, however the castle in the background doesn't look right. The merlons and crenels are uneven, and I'm guessing the keep is peeking up behind the "chemin de ronde"? If so, I'd make it cylindrical in shape, a bigger version of that awesome turret to the left. The windows illuminated in daytime seems weird though, so an addition of some (open) shutters on the windows would be nice too.

[Buckethead]

I think it's a good start but it could use a little depth. You could model the doors and windows. The roofs could use little borders to give some extra detail. Also the castle wall in the back looks a little odd. Like it doesn't have enough volume.

Keep it up!

[Broadbean]

Many thanks for the great suggestions, I'll add and experiment with them after a bit more sleep. I'm more used to working with high-res 3D, but I really want to strive for that sweet old res... From the games that you don't actually forget. It really is dawning on me how many things I missed out on with this scene. I must admit though, that it was cobbled together in about two hours with many breaks to attempt sleep.

Perhaps in future I should opt for the middle ground and go for 640x480 or 800x600. Probably more fitting for my abilities. In a way, I love having all of my game making experience crushed to tiny bits, and starting again. It's refreshing learning something new.

But of course, I woke up after just two hours. Gah.

It took me so long to be 'converted' to the high poly stuff after finally losing the argument that it takes more skill to make a lower detail model WELL than have a game engine which lets you make poorly made but nice looking models...

But of course, I woke up after just two hours. Gah.

Chronic insomnia is a bitch. Don't ever work for actual game studios! Crunch time has after effects which screw your whole life up! Start working with an indie company instead!

[Jim Reed]

You're outlines are to straight, because of your low polygon count. You could increase it, but it's easier to use your imagination when tracing the picture. You can see it best at the outline of the arch. Remeber that things in nature don't follow straight lines. Things protrude here and there =)

Your roofs also merge precisely on top of your walls. Make them extend over them (as in my bad example above) and extrude those wodden thingies from the walls by using some shading (Though f I remeber correctly, those things don't protride in RL) Use your imagination man!

If you look at the miniature blue picture I made, you can see how can one have a feeling of depth by making things in the background lighter and less saturated. What you don't see though is that things in the distance lose texture too, unlike your castle parapet (whatever it's called). Try using just one colour on it, so the player only sees the shape. Don't worry, his imagination will paint it more nicely in his mind than you can ever do by pixels. =)

[Matti]

Jim Reed's suggestions are worth a fortune! Keep them in mind and your BG will look much better.

[InCreator]

Different gradient for sky.
done!

[Galen]

Even if you dont want to make the wooden frames of the buildings 3d at the very least the doors and windows need to be inset. Everything's going to look flat if it literally is flat.