Another BG for my game.

Dr. Scary · Mon 27/03/2006 02:13:34

Back with another bg. To put it simply; what do you think?

PS. Might need a co-writer for the game. I am good at puzzles and dialogue, but not as good with structure.
If you are interested drop me a PM.

MarVelo · Mon 27/03/2006 02:40:06

I quite like the style you have. The letterbox effect is great but I think that a small amount of the above first floor needs to be shown. The current arangement makes it seem just a little off. Possibly a little more of the street shown as well.

Also, the address number "8" might look better if it were on a sort of plaque or something like that to help it stick out more.

MashPotato · Mon 27/03/2006 05:23:25

I think it looks quite nice overall ^_^.Ã,Â I like the small details, like the keystones in the window arches.

A few points:
-It seems a bit dark, as if it's night.Ã,Â If it's during the day, you might want to brighten it up with some more colour
-I think the spacing between the fence spokes could use just a little bit of widening; as it is, it's a tad difficult to make out the stairs on the left
-the door is off-centre relative to the fence (if you want it symmetrical, that is.Ã,Â In any case, it's not really a big problem ^_^)
-small nitpick: the pink curtains look more blurry than the curtains in the other two windows

It's looking good so far, keep at it ^_^

biothlebop · Mon 27/03/2006 05:30:43

The composition is good, it looks like it could be in Britain (haven't been there, just what came to mind).
I don't like your color choices as much (especially the grey-brown facade color), but it seems quite realistic if just a bit stiff (somewhat clinical, I'd like either something green/living or dirt/marks of wearing depending on how urban it is meant to be). Less greyish colors could be good.
For a house with a elaborated doorway and windows, the rest of the front is a bit plain.
The curtains are very different, and I believe it would look better if the two windows to the left of the door were at least somewhat similar in style (I like the idea with the middle one best btw, although it is blurry). It looks like a quite expensive place (since it looks so clean) and a pull-down curtain doesn't seem to fit the style very well (it looks cheap).
The lamps are a bit over-dithered (unless the surface is meant to be uneven) and low. If I lived there, I'd like them to be further away from the door to light more of the entire wall and surroundings. The door could use some sort of hinges.
The fence seems to float a little off the ground and the cellar looks cluttered and harder to distinguish because of the fence.
It looks functional and doesn't neccessarily need any work if it fits the rest of the style and you feel you are happy with it.

Dr. Scary · Mon 27/03/2006 07:00:36

Thank you for your comments so far!

taffytom:

- The height of the background is limited. The alternative is to show less of the top and more of the road. That would just give me an empty surface at the bottom. I could move the upper row of stones down a bit, but I am afraid it would break with the style of the house.

- The plaque is not a very important part of the bg, so I don't really mind if it doesn't stand out.

MashPotato/biotheblop:

- A big inspiration for my game is Sherlock Holmes in general and the game "The Case of the Serrated Scalpel" in particular, mixed with a little Gabriel Knight and Dreamweb. So the game takes place in a London-like city in the 70's. The time is always around dusk, it's overcast and on the verge of rain.

- If the background was symmetric somebody would hound me for that too. You just can't win.

- Colours have been moved around a bit and will most likely still be moved around some. The facades have caused me lots of grief.

- I agree on the lamps. I will fix them.

- Hinges are also nice to have on a door...

- Fences will be replaced with something a bit more ornate.

- The middle curtain is indeed a bit blurry. I'll go over all the curtains and make sure they at least are drawn in the same style.

bio: nice that you noticed that the pull-down curtains looked cheap. It was done intentionally to reflect the person living there.

Since you are all so nice I decided to post my intro screen here. Title is most likely temporary, indeed the whole screen might be. But what the heck...

ildu · Mon 27/03/2006 07:53:39

Looks absolutely awesome. I assume that's the main menu screen. That style would look great as a chapter intro screen.

Scummbuddy · Mon 27/03/2006 07:59:57

If only you were born 15 years earlier, you'd be a very rich man. That is, if you wanted to be in 'the biz' as they say.

seaduck · Mon 27/03/2006 12:07:13

The background looks awesome!

I by no means know exactly how British courtyards look, but I just thought...

- the fence should be based on a small wall (perhaps just a few centimeters high)
- there is nothing behind the right fence which defies it's purpase... perhaps some grass?

MarVelo · Mon 27/03/2006 13:31:53

I absolutly love the title screen. Excellent text! Excellent centre art!. LOVE LOVE LOVE.

DutchMarco · Mon 27/03/2006 13:33:08

I like these! Very good looking, congrats. Still, a few more comments:

- The 8 is too big. Make it smaller, or make a plaque with small illegible script on it, then when the player Looks at it, Geoff will say "This house is number 8".
- Maybe make a few seams on the wall (show the mortar between the stones). To break up a large surface. It's already shaded/gradiented but it's still a large flat surface. Well that's the nature of walls, but you get the idea

- How many people live there? 3 very different curtains in what looks like 2 rooms, is a bit odd. I do like how the middle one looks like it's really behind the glass. (ie it's vague) But unify the style a bit.
- The fence posts are dancing up and down. If you want to elevate some of the off the ground, use a way to indicate this: either use shadows from the lamp post light (the shadow does not start at the base of the elevated posts) or draw how the posts are in the ground. (eg put some grass or pebbles around it)

With a fairly small effort you can turn a good BG into a great BG! Oh and good title screen too!

InCreator · Tue 28/03/2006 14:46:06

Warriors of Oz??? What?
This bg has "Sherlock Holmes" written all over it!
Thinking about it again, same (I mean - extremely similar) bg featured in 2 sherlock holmes games.

I like it! But house wall need a bit more detail, bricks or cracks or something similar.

Nikolas · Tue 28/03/2006 14:50:34

I don't have time to read the previous posts right now, althouigh I sould have a long time agoa...
but being in England I've notcies that 90% of the houses have bricks! And old bricks, no matter how new the houase is! These awfull coloured yellow bricks! Just a thought!

But other than that great!

Dr. Scary · Tue 28/03/2006 18:15:52

Thanks for all the positive comments and constructive critisism.

InCreator: You don't want me to spoil the story, do you now?

I have done some editing on this bg according to your advice and I am moving on to the next background, so you will all have to wait for the game to come out to see the final result.