Hi. I have been creating game art in Aseprite, however, I have no idea what resolution to use for my game. I measured the dimensions of a Quest for Glory 4 Scene, and saw that it was in a 3 to 5 ratio. How do I know what resolution to choose? (I will not be using sliding rooms). Additionally, how do I scale my characters and objects appropriately as well?
Thank you.
Actually, QFG4 was made for a 3:4 aspect ratio, because the image was designed to be stretched to fill the entire monitor (by making each pixel taller than it was wide). This was the standard approach for VGA games, and "emulators" like ScummVM have an "aspect ratio correction" setting to stretch old games on modern screens so they look they way they were intended. AGS cannot do that, however (unless you somehow have an old 4:3 CRT monitor).
For a classic/retro low-resolution look, you probably want 320 (width) by some height. Exactly which height depends on what you're aiming for:
- 320x240 gives a 3:4 aspect ratio, similar to old-style computer monitors and TVs. Classic adventure games were made for this aspect ratio.
- 320x200 gives a wider, 16:10 aspect ratio better suited to modern screens. Classic adventure games were made in this resolution, and it's probably the most common choice for AGS games.
- 320x180 gives an even wider 16:9 aspect ratio that fills up today's common monitor dimensions completely. It's increasingly popular now that AGS supports arbitrary resolutions.
Most PC screens are 16:9 today, though MacBooks are 16:10.
Here are some examples you can use to compare (all have been scaled up to double size):
(http://www.wadjeteyegames.com/wp-content/uploads/Res_Police.png)
Resonance: 320x240
(http://www.wadjeteyegames.com/wp-content/uploads/BE-greenwood.png)
Blackwell Epiphany: 320x200
(http://i.imgur.com/mQy5ZDT.png)
Future Flashback: 320x180
As for scaling your characters: once you have decided on your resolution, consider how big you want your characters to be on the screen at max size. This should be the size you draw them in. To scale them to other (smaller) sizes in-game, use the scaling feature in AGS. Objects would usually just be drawn at their target size and not scaled.