Ok, it's been well over two years since I last worked on this game, or browsed these forums for that matter. I've been really busy with my 1st pregnancy and raising my daughter, she's now 14 months old and I'm currently pregnant with our second little girl due June 20th 2007.
It turns out that I lost most of my files from a defective hard drive but thank God I had saved this one background and sprites online - at least not everything is lost. After browsing through the AGS forums, it gave me the courage to give this game another chance. I know it will probably go nowhere but it's a really fun hobby and I love playing around with Photoshop.
The game is called Robots of Dawn, it's based on the C64 text game and I might change a few details to follow the novels a bit more.
Here's the background that was salvaged...
(http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a4/Lovely_maiden/3038178.png)
And here I've tried fixing a couple of things...
(http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a4/Lovely_maiden/robots01.png)
Let me know what you think, thanks! ;)
Simply amazing, far better than I could ever do.
But those who can't do, teach, and as such I offer this critique:
Make the outlines either darker and thicker or lighter, because they way they are drawn right now makes it look like a pencil made them.
I'm glad I make 3D graphics, I'd murdered by all the 2D competition.
And even so this is some of the best I've ever seen for an AGS game.
Looks good! ;D The only thing that I think looks a little strange is the sofa in the second picture. It is elevated off the ground and the light source seems to be above it, but it casts no shadow at all. Looks great though, I would definatly play a game that looks like this.
Quote from: Postmodern_Boy on Sat 10/03/2007 03:50:09
Looks great though, I would definatly play a game that looks like this.
I already did. It was called "Beneath a Steel Sky" ;D
I remember the background from when you first posted it, CL. Still looks great, and I'm glad you're having another go at it. Robots of Dawn, eh? I think I'd prefer a game based on Caves of Steel or The Naked Sun.
Quote from: Snarky on Sat 10/03/2007 04:10:59
I already did. It was called "Beneath a Steel Sky" ;D
Except this has better sprites!
I love the sprites. They have heaps of character. The colors are vibrant but not too oversaturated. The female character has a nice dynamic, asymmetrical pose. It seems to me there might be something slightly odd about the male character's legs; maybe his knees and crotch should be nudged down a tad? I can't quite put my finger on it. He looks great though, I hope my sprites come out that good.
As for the background, I like the overall style. The arrangement of furniture feels pretty natural too. I have a perspective question- is the couch part way down the right side of the room? Because it feels like it is, but I'm thrown off by the way the armrest is perfectly in line with the line between the back wall and the floor.
Quote from: Postmodern_Boy on Sat 10/03/2007 03:50:09
Looks good! ;D The only thing that I think looks a little strange is the sofa in the second picture. It is elevated off the ground and the light source seems to be above it, but it casts no shadow at all. Looks great though, I would definatly play a game that looks like this.
Maybe I'm wrong, but I think I'm seeing a faint shadow beneath the couch. I also think I see one coming toward us from the table/console/machine in the center, and another being cast by the planter on the wall. If you're choosing to keep your shadows faint I can totally respect it. If, on the other hand, you'd like to have them be a strongish element I'd recomment darkening them a little, maybe only the deeper parts of them.
Here I again worry that my comment is not in keeping with the style you've established, but I wonder if some larger scale lighting might be fun. There are lots of great small scale lighting effects, like the highlights on the tiles and the couch, or the lighting along the grooves in the walls. But if you were to zoom out to, say, 1/8 scale the lighting would be relatively uniform. What do you think about strengthening some of the bigger elements (exaggerating the shadow in the rear right corner, brightening the lit part of the right wall more, varying the lighting across the sections of the left wall, etc.)?
Great work.
The right part of the background gives me headaches.
It took me a moment to figure out that the couch is hanging. There should be shadows underneath it, and not a faint one.
The horizontal line of the end of the coutch is on the same level at that of the end of the room, making it look like the plant stands in the corner. Eighter way the vase and the plant don't touch the wall but go through it?
The second image feels more full and lived in, but I think you've lost a sense of depth by upping the contrast of the exterior. A pale haze, to give the sense of distance and the glass would look better, I think.
I'm glad this background wasn't lost, it's lovely!
This reminds me alot of BASS (my top favourite adventure game!)
And I must say! I just love it!
(also congrats with your daughter (a little late) and your new to come one! :) )
Anyway, I think they look really great, though as some said..
I diddent notice either that the couch was hanging. so some shadows to show that would be good :P.
Looking forward to see more!
And to hear more about the game!
Peder Johnsen.
Yep, remember this pic when it was first posted. I also remember it incited some sort of weird discussion between me and Snarky about the rotation of the earth and whatnot :)
And yes, I agree with previous posters about its resemblence to BASS backgrounds.
A problem I see with it is that the colourscheme is very "flat". You need to create more depth in your scene.
An idea:
(http://www.2dadventure.com/ags/robots01andy.png)
The problem is of course that I haven't taken the time to highlight and crank up individual colours and central objects, making the whole picture a bit washed out. You need to start from here and re-paint certain central elements that the viewer can focus on.
Nice edit Andail!!
Damn, this background makes me want to play BASS..
*opens scummvm and starts playing Beneath A Steel Sky*
Peder.
the upper corner of the sofa and the low part of the upper wall is sharing a line, this is usually not a good thing. Most of the time it creates confusion and destroys the depth. Cutting lines are the good boys/girls. :)
I dont know if you have it layerd in photoshop or such and can move the sofa without much problem. But not I think its a little confusing if you dont look hard enough(which can be good in artpieces), the plant looks like its staning on the floor.
Thanks for the help, guys! Is this a bit better?
(http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a4/Lovely_maiden/robots01.png)
(http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a4/Lovely_maiden/robots03.png)
- added shadows (I tried to add more dept to the room).
- moved back of the couch up a bit so that it dosen't share that background line (the couch is supposed to hang from the wall).
- attempted to fix parts of the floor.
- added slight reflection in the window.
- added highlights on the plant and the tree.
- lowered saturation
Do you think I should add some light fixtures above the doorways to add a bit more lighting? Should I leave it like this? I'm afraid I might butcher it. I'm not too sure how to go about with the tree and where it's shadow would fall.
Btw, I absolutely love BASS!... can you tell? ;)
Hi!
The colours and shading are much better now, but I don't understand how the couch works. Is it mounted on the wall and does not touch the floor? If yes, where does the pot with the tree stand? This looks somewhat strange.
Quote from: cat on Sat 10/03/2007 18:43:34
Hi!
The colours and shading are much better now, but I don't understand how the couch works. Is it mounted on the wall and does not touch the floor? If yes, where does the pot with the tree stand? This looks somewhat strange.
Yes, it's mounted on the wall. The tree is actually resting on a peice of the couch itself, a platform that connects with the wall and couch. I don't know if that makes any sense... I tried to make my background look more futuristic that way.
You've got another shared line on the couch--the front of the couch (where your legs would come off) and the tiles beneath it. So that is a bit confusing. And the couch's shadow should still be a bit darker, but other than that, very nice.
Quote from: The Orator on Sat 10/03/2007 19:03:52
You've got another shared line on the couch--the front of the couch (where your legs would come off) and the tiles beneath it. So that is a bit confusing. And the couch's shadow should still be a bit darker, but other than that, very nice.
Ack! This couch will give me a brain anneurism, I swear!! :P
Quote from: Coffee Lady on Sat 10/03/2007 18:59:58
Yes, it's mounted on the wall. The tree is actually resting on a peice of the couch itself, a platform that connects with the wall and couch. I don't know if that makes any sense... I tried to make my background look more futuristic that way.
Well, that part is a bit confusing because there is a point where the line of the cushion and the line of the wall meet. Maybe you could work out that point more clearly.
The couch needs a more defined shadow to make it clear that it's hanging I think.
I like what you did with the glass.
Ok, I tried to fix the problems you've mentioned. How do you find the couch now?
(http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a4/Lovely_maiden/robots04.png)
I think it is an improvement shadow-wise, but I meant something like this:
(http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q200/Bobbix/dapic-1.jpg)
Please, please excuse how terrible it is.
Here's the room's description in the text-based game:
You are in a living room. The floor is a smooth checkerboard of several shades of brown. A door to the north leads outside. Hallways lead off to the east and west. A trimensional viewer is here.
I was wondering if so far the background does it justice?
I think the text description doesn't do the background justice, myself.
great bg :) the thing that bugs me, and that andail pretty much fixed in his edit, is how the pot sticks out - the outlines are too thick and black i think.
I think the pot stick out because of what you mention, but also that its around the blue-hue which is a complementary color of the red-orange you got going, and it also got high contrast if you compare to the rest(not the mist contrast though).. This is good if the pot are a "point of interest" though.
If this bothers you - try to desatureate the pot and maybe add a little lighter shadow, or make the wall behind it reflect light (bounce light) which would lit it up just a little.
Just some tips you can try, it comes down to what you want to communicate to the player "Hey! this pot I want you to look closer at" or "this pot is no more interesting then the rest of the background".
Just what I think.
Quote from: Coffee Lady on Sat 10/03/2007 19:50:29
Ok, I tried to fix the problems you've mentioned. How do you find the couch now?
(http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a4/Lovely_maiden/robots04.png)
Yes, that's it! :)
The only things I would still fix is the coincident lines between the front edge of the couch and the tiling on the floor (as already pointed out), and the wall on the lower left (below the door) not being parallel to the tiles.
Quote from: Snarky on Mon 12/03/2007 15:16:42
The only things I would still fix is the coincident lines between the front edge of the couch and the tiling on the floor (as already pointed out), and the wall on the lower left (below the door) not being parallel to the tiles.
(http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a4/Lovely_maiden/robots06.png)
- fixed the tiling and coincident line
I'm proud with the outcome of this background and I'm ready to move on. :) I'm currently working on the right-side hallway and hopefully it turns out just as good as this one. Thanks for all the help, I couldn't have done it without you guys! ♥
Quote from: Sparky on Sat 10/03/2007 05:01:42
maybe [his] crotch should be nudged down a tad? I can't quite put my finger on it.
Haha, you rude person.
I really like this background.Ã, Still think there could be more shadow underneath the couch.
Keep it up.... haha the good work, i mean, but the couch aswell.
Instead of starting a whole new thread, I've decided to keep posting my drawings in this one. :)
Here's a robot I've worked on for the last few hours.. he's supposed to be guarding the Spare Room door and I wasn't too sure how to undertake this pixel art challenge... I know I have to add shadow, but I'm just not sure how to go at it.
(http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a4/Lovely_maiden/robots07b.png)
My no-name robot and beside him is the humaniform robot R. Daneel Olivaw.
(http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a4/Lovely_maiden/robots07.png)
This gives you an idea of where my robot would be standing. I'm still working on the hallway background, so please disreguard the messy coloring.
(http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a4/Lovely_maiden/leroem89.jpg)
This cover influenced me.
Being a huge fan of the Robots series of books, I just had to come in and say the backgrounds are coming along beautifully!
The no-name robot looks fine, but shading is definitely needed. A smooth, metallic finish is probably what you're looking for, but since I'm at work now I can't do a paintover for you.
As for Daneel - I've never played the text game, but having read the books from cover to cover several times, I can say that I never thought of him as being quite that muscular! Also, if I remember correctly, he has short bronze hair.
Quote from: auriond on Tue 13/03/2007 04:50:38
Being a huge fan of the Robots series of books, I just had to come in and say the backgrounds are coming along beautifully!
The no-name robot looks fine, but shading is definitely needed. A smooth, metallic finish is probably what you're looking for, but since I'm at work now I can't do a paintover for you.
As for Daneel - I've never played the text game, but having read the books from cover to cover several times, I can say that I never thought of him as being quite that muscular! Also, if I remember correctly, he has short bronze hair.
Oh my gosh, how could I have forgotten that detail? It just shows how long its been since I last read the books.
I'm on my way to bed as I write this but I'll get a shaded version posted asap tomorrow.
I've always imagined Daneel as being the muscular/perfect godly male stereotype - just thinking about him made my head spin when I was fifteen, lol. ♥
Oh yes. Count me in as another Daneel fan as a teen (why else would I have read the books from cover to cover?) XD And thusly I remember the detail about him having bronze hair ... as well as other details that I'm about to bring up ;D
I don't dispute that he's godly in looks, but I thought of him as being rather more athletic than bulky in general shape - after all, in one of the books (Robots and Empire?) he was referred to as a "sissy Spacer".
But these are all just nitpicks - I'm glad that this game is even being made! Completely agree with the comment that the text description doesn't do these backgrounds justice. :)
Quote from: Stupot on Mon 12/03/2007 22:29:05
Quote from: Sparky on Sat 10/03/2007 05:01:42
maybe [his] crotch should be nudged down a tad? I can't quite put my finger on it.
Haha, you rude person.
Heh, I could stand to have phrased that more neutrally.
I like the new robot. I can't wait to see what sort of surface he gets. Maybe a brushed metal finish would look nice, with banded highlights?
Is that a Moebius cover? Excellent choice of influence!
I know it's a work in progress, but I like the looser, watercolor-like style of the new screen. It could do with more detail and filling in the white spots, of course, but it you could retain the handmade feel it would establish a more distinct style for your backgrounds. Looking like BASS is no bad thing, but looking like something new is even better.
Oh, and if you want my two cents, I agree that Daneel looks too bulky (though it makes for a nice contrast to the woman standing next to him). This may be a question of aesthetic preference, but I always assumed the Spacer notion of physical perfection was more the lean, toned lines of a Greek statue than the bodybuilder bulk of an Arnold Schwartzenegger. (And yes, definitely bronze hair.) The sprite of the woman (Gladia, I suppose) looks very appropriate. The flapper style suits the decadence of the Spacers.
Re: the robot, I expect you're planning to remove the double pixels as you color it.
Lovely BG definitely reminds me of BASS as mentioned above!
I am looking forward to actually wandering around this bg with those awesome looking characters!
Quote from: Snarky on Tue 13/03/2007 15:17:27
Is that a Moebius cover? Excellent choice of influence!
I know it's a work in progress, but I like the looser, watercolor-like style of the new screen. It could do with more detail and filling in the white spots, of course, but it you could retain the handmade feel it would establish a more distinct style for your backgrounds. Looking like BASS is no bad thing, but looking like something new is even better.
Oh, and if you want my two cents, I agree that Daneel looks too bulky (though it makes for a nice contrast to the woman standing next to him). This may be a question of aesthetic preference, but I always assumed the Spacer notion of physical perfection was more the lean, toned lines of a Greek statue than the bodybuilder bulk of an Arnold Schwartzenegger. (And yes, definitely bronze hair.) The sprite of the woman (Gladia, I suppose) looks very appropriate. The flapper style suits the decadence of the Spacers.
Re: the robot, I expect you're planning to remove the double pixels as you color it.
Thanks, I'll try to keep the handmade feel incorporated within my backgrounds. ;)
As for Daneel...
(http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a4/Lovely_maiden/daneel01.gif)
- made him look leaner and less bulky.
- changed hair color.
- shortened his arms a bit.
I love Beneath a Steel Sky and really wish I had the skill to pull off the sort of backgrounds used in the game.
Your backgrounds do capture this, however BASS backgrounds seemed to have more definition. I'm not really sure how to describe it, but they were less of a watercolour painting. Still, I think if you keep this style you have going consistent throughout the game it will work very well indeed.
I like them a lot :)
Quote from: markbilly on Tue 13/03/2007 17:12:28
I love Beneath a Steel Sky and really wish I had the skill to pull off the sort of backgrounds used in the game.
Your backgrounds do capture this, however BASS backgrounds seemed to have more definition. I'm not really sure how to describe it, but they were less of a watercolour painting. Still, I think if you keep this style you have going consistent throughout the game it will work very well indeed.
I like them a lot :)
As much as I tried, I could never even remotely pull the BASS artstyle - first off whoever made the backgrounds was incredibly good with perspective and tiny details, plus I'm sure the team had a few drawing artists experts working on the backgrounds. I, on the other hand, am still struggling with my perspective, proportions and shading - I also have to draw and color each of them one by one.
Backgrounds are the least of my problems though, I'm completely clueless with the whole programming part - I better not think too much about it because that's what discouraged me in the first place. And honestly, I'm not sure how I will accomplish drawing and coloring over 80 rooms...
I just have to repeat to myself fifty times a day, "I can do it, I can do it, I can do it!" LOL! ;D
You're right about the consistency, I definately want that to be my main focus point for this project. Thanks!
Yeah, I'm pretty sure BASS had artists solely making backgrounds. Though I have studied some of the backgrounds and the perspective often seems quite off to me, yet on the whole the images somehow work out perfectly! Very annoying!!
Dave Gibbons painted the backgrounds in BASS in a very oldfashioned, handpainted style, pretty much based on his comicbook experiences.
They are not flawless perspective-wise, nor are they very meticulous in any other technical aspect. I think their strength lies mostly in of their wonderful atmosphere, colours and imaginative settings, which create this imaginative, slightly enigmatic retro-futuristic style.
Quote from: Andail on Tue 13/03/2007 20:23:59
Dave Gibbons painted the backgrounds in BASS in a very oldfashioned, handpainted style, pretty much based on his comicbook experiences.
They are not flawless perspective-wise, nor are they very meticulous in any other technical aspect. I think their strength lies mostly in of their wonderful atmosphere, colours and imaginative settings, which create this imaginative, slightly enigmatic retro-futuristic style.
Beat me to it, but I was going to mention Dave Gibbons. He, however did not colour the backgrounds. He designed all of them and then other artists coloured them.
I emailed Revolution once with the question: who and how drew those backgrounds? They were very nice and emailed back. But unfortunately I think they had forgotten exactly how it was all done logistically :P
Background Screens: Dave Gibbons.
Background Paintings: Les Pace and Steve Ince.
Computer Graphics & Animation: Stephen Oades, Adam Tween, Paul Humphreys and Steve Ince.
Back to topic:
Also, new background is looking nice so far!
I wish I was able to do this style :).
Would of been good for my game ;D.
Peder.
I looked up bronze hair, and apparently it's kind of dark reddish brown... I tried that on Daneel:
(http://images.wynhost.com/images/daneel.png) (http://images.wynhost.com/images/daneel.png)
Thank you so much, Auriond, he's perfect!!! :D
Here's my second background: the right-side hallway. I thought the floor reflection effect added a nice touch... is it a bit too much?
P.S. I'm still working on the robot shading, I'll finish him tomorrow.
(http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a4/Lovely_maiden/robots08.png)
I gave shading the your robot a shot, gave me some good practice at least:
(http://www.2dadventure.com/ags/rob.png)
Coffee Lady, Iam liking what I see that bg is amazing.
The reflection is nice, but are you prepared to add a reflection to all your characters as well? Currently it looks like that must be some sort of vampire robot that doesnt' cast a reflection. :=
Also, the perspective on the table in the reflection is off. You can't just flip the view of the object vertically, because in the reflection we're looking at it from another angle (namely from below). There's no way we would see the top surface of the table in the reflection. Another way to look at it is that the reflection shares the same vanishing point as the actual object.
Snarky: I intend to cast a reflection for the robot since he stays in his place - I just didn't add one yet because I haven't finished coloring him yet. When the door opens, I'll also have to cast a reflection in the animation but I'll worry about that later.
Does it matter if the main character dosen't cast a shadow? I can't really remember if it did in BASS.
Medical Waste: He looks great! Thanks!! ;D
Afflict: Thank you, it looks like this game is finally going somewhere. :)