First Screen

Arboris · Fri 09/04/2004 14:37:29

I really should work more often on this game...

anywho: This is the first screen i`ve done for the game. It is made to be for a 320x240 256 color game. the screen itself is supposed to be a cartoon styled spacebar. The main drawings I did in paint, then did some stuff in photoshop to render it and add some effects if necessery. I`m not used to make backgrounds, and this is the first one i have ever done.
And now it is up for some C&C

The drawing done in paint

Some photoshop magic

With custom gui and main char (note that the barman and customers havent been implemented yet)

Valzebnik · Fri 09/04/2004 14:42:51

I must admit that it looks great but i like the Paint version more! The character isn't so antialiased so it goes better with the first room.Cant w8 to c your barman and customers! :

Phemar · Fri 09/04/2004 14:46:57

Paint version is much better.

I don't understand it, people are always complaining about the flexibility of MSpaint, but I've seen great things done with it???

Maybe add some chairs, and what's that white thing at the bottom?

Arboris · Fri 09/04/2004 14:54:20

the white thingy at the bottom was supposed to be a police chalk drawing of someone who got shot. It`ll be edited out and redone to let it actually look like a police chalk drawing.

And I agree, I really like paint for being so simple to use. And it is flexible enough to use, even if it doesnt have layers to work with

Nacho · Fri 09/04/2004 14:57:24

I know what happens when you post a screen you think it's been improved and people starts to say "hey, I preffer the previous!"

It's kinda annoying... This was my first Background...

And this the improved (IMO) version:

And people told me the first one was better! I got a little bit angry and I tend to avoid the comments in CL for a while...

But many times they're right... and I like the first one without anti-aliasing-... So, think of using it!

Arboris · Fri 09/04/2004 15:31:21

Ingame i like the anti-aliasing more then the one right out of paint. This is because its only in 320x240 so the little tiny pixels here (I`m guessing that most of you have your desktop at 1024x768 or 1280x1024) will get huge ingame. And with the anti-aliasing it doesnt look so choppy.

But I`ll think about the anti-aliasing subject some more then.

Igor · Fri 09/04/2004 15:39:32

ArboriS- fantastic stuff. I'd have to see both in full screen, but as far as small pics go, i prefer Paint version. But as you said, in 320x200 it probably really works better with antialiasing.
Great character too.

Farlander- must say i like the "improved" version better. The only thing that is a bit distracting are some very obvious Dott elements (i'm not talking about wraped perspective- that's very common in cartoons anyway), to the point, the background lose some freshness and appeal. The elemnts that i'm talking about are especially: path to the school, tree and color choices. The background is otherwise technicaly perfect, so i'd stick with it, but swap some of the unique Dott elements with your own.

Czar · Fri 09/04/2004 15:52:58

I'm sorry if this is a bit OT, but i would have to agree with Igor on Farl's screens.
I like the improved ver better, but I think everybody wanted you to take the old one because of the vivid (??) colors. Especially the sky, the grass (which is not so covered with the fence, but thats ok, too),and then the school color.
The improved one doesnt have a niiice day feeling, you know?

Pet Terry · Fri 09/04/2004 19:16:50

Well I like the Photoshopped version much better. Great job, keep it up.

Darth Mandarb · Fri 09/04/2004 19:24:21

Great backgrounds and great character!

I say go with the first one (the Paint one).

That's just because when I'm playing adventure games I want full screen, semi-blocky looking graphics.

I'm a sucker for that retro-look!

Show us more!!!! (when you have some ... Please??)

Edit - I would keep the lighting effects you achieved with Photoshop, but kill the AA. Just my opinion though.

Evil · Fri 09/04/2004 20:38:43

Woo, you used my edit!

It looks great! I do see a few things however.

Hopefully you get the idea. Maybe add a pattern to the floor also? I dunno. But keep it up!

Ben · Fri 09/04/2004 20:54:58

I have to say I like the Paint version better as well. The photoshop version isn't really anti-aliased, it's just blurred.

Real AA fades from the foreground color to the background, like this:

What you have is a gaussian blur, which just makes each pixel bigger:

This actually makes the image seem more pixelated, because it draws even more attention to the rough edges.. I think you should go back to the original, and add the lighting effects, but skip the blur.

jetxl · Fri 09/04/2004 21:00:57

Feedback:
I like the photoshop one better, because you can see the effect of the lamps (Is the shadow effect of the pipe ok?).
You got the texture of the upper wall perfect. It had to be said.
The blue plank on the wall looks so clean and new. Break it, spit on it!
The floor has only one color stain. This is a space bar. Everyday a hunderd aliens spill there beer. Some of them leave a snail trail. Some of them aren't housebroken...

edit: ps. I got some ideas for the chalk lines. check messages.

Nacho · Fri 09/04/2004 21:19:25

Thanks for the explanation Ben, I was sure the 2nd image had something that was not aa, gut I didn't know what it was...

About the others criticising my old BG's, thanks (excuses for putting my work in your thread arboris...

) I know better why the first one was so successfull! It was a doubt that was driving me mad!

Erwin_Br · Fri 09/04/2004 23:12:42

Quote from: Ben on Fri 09/04/2004 20:54:58
I have to say I like the Paint version better as well. The photoshop version isn't really anti-aliased, it's just blurred.

Real AA fades from the foreground color to the background, like this:

What you have is a gaussian blur, which just makes each pixel bigger:

This actually makes the image seem more pixelated, because it draws even more attention to the rough edges.. I think you should go back to the original, and add the lighting effects, but skip the blur.

Yes! I was about to say the exact same thing. I think the image would look great with *real* anti-aliasing.

--Erwin

Blackthorne · Fri 09/04/2004 23:38:36

I really love the style of these backgrounds. I can't wait to see your game in action. I also like your custom GUI.

Nice job. I hope the rest of your BKGS match the style.

Bt

DanClarke · Fri 09/04/2004 23:45:54

i think one advantage of the slightly blended look is that you can distinguish items and characters more easily. A character could quite easily get 'lost' in a vivid background. Nice work.

Ryz · Sat 10/04/2004 14:48:23

Nice backgrounds ArboriS!

One thing you could change, though:
The blue-ish light bulbs. I cant really tell if you the lighter blue is the actual lightsource, or lighter part of the whole lightbulb. either way I think the light bulbs would look better when really lit, since they are light sources?