Adventure Game Studio

Creative Production => Critics' Lounge => Topic started by: Jimbob on Fri 13/08/2010 10:29:30

Title: Underground Lab Background
Post by: Jimbob on Fri 13/08/2010 10:29:30
I'm usually very stubborn about asking for feedback, but I'm so stumped about how to take this background further that I'm posting it here, cos you guys are usually awesome.

(http://images.jrnetwork.co.uk/projects/steameng.png)

My issue is I don't know how to deal with all that black space.
It's going to be a fairly simple one room 'fix the contraption' game, but the black back just irks me. So help guys! Because once I'm past that stumbling block, you could have a game in about a month!
Title: Re: Underground Lab Background
Post by: Khris on Fri 13/08/2010 11:18:02
Very quick idea:

(http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/4416/bgjim.png)

Great background, btw, dig the style and game idea!
Title: Re: Underground Lab Background
Post by: Hubris Incalculable on Fri 13/08/2010 20:48:14
Perhaps a thick network of pipes?
Title: Re: Underground Lab Background
Post by: cianty on Fri 13/08/2010 21:51:02
Quote from: Evil_Flying_Rat on Fri 13/08/2010 20:48:14
Perhaps a thick network of pipes?

That sounds like a great idea! I'd try that. You can easily work with copy-paste to get an idea of how it'd look like... I imagine it would be cool.
Title: Re: Underground Lab Background
Post by: markbilly on Fri 13/08/2010 22:20:51
I'm not sure what help this is now but I would have started with a cave, with interesting nooks and crannies and things and a walkway through it then fitted the equipment in.

This would help with perspective and composition, plus it's bound to be more believable because that's the order it would happen in reality... :)

Maybe you could draw a complex of caves and stuff then copy and paste the stuff you've done into that?

P.S. doesn't have to be a cave, it could be a warehouse or something but I used the cave example for illustration.
Title: Re: Underground Lab Background
Post by: Jimbob on Mon 16/08/2010 19:49:11
Sorry for not posting earlier... got a bit sidetracked...

I'm not keen on the pipe idea... it was more like a cave as other people have mentioned... so I think I'm going to try Khris' idea of splitting the background into walls, and try and make a coherent cave feel from that...
Title: Re: Underground Lab Background
Post by: Wonkyth on Tue 17/08/2010 10:07:22
I know you say it's a cave environment, but that BG would look really good on the inside of a pipe...
Title: Re: Underground Lab Background
Post by: Jimbob on Sun 22/08/2010 11:24:04
(http://images.jrnetwork.co.uk/projects/steamengnew.png)

Quick update. A lot of detailing and tidying of the cave walls to be done but I think you get the idea. Got a few lights in place to make sense of the brightness of everything else. It's going to be a fairly light-hearted game so I'm not too concerned about trying to make a dungeon of a lab. I've also (on the left-hand side) started to integrate the floor as some part of the cave rock formation...

EDIT: Tried a more blue-y palette. Changed a lot of the colours just to see.
(http://images.jrnetwork.co.uk/projects/steamengnew2.png)
Title: Re: Underground Lab Background
Post by: Wonkyth on Mon 23/08/2010 13:49:44
Blue-y palette good.  ;)
Title: Re: Underground Lab Background
Post by: Sughly on Mon 23/08/2010 23:49:02
Quote from: wonkyth on Mon 23/08/2010 13:49:44
Blue-y palette good.  ;)

+1 - blue palette is awesome! Though I'm not sure about those blotchy bits along the bottom of the walkway. They seem a little tacked on and out of place...

EDIT: Maybe they just need a little more blending in?
Title: Re: Underground Lab Background
Post by: Wonkyth on Wed 25/08/2010 09:27:22
Yeah, now that you mention it, the shading is a little lacking just there.