Simon the Sorcerer? No?! Grrrrrr

[buloght]

I have finally gotten a scanner, so I wanna start drawing my bgs (for The Family Treasure 2) with pencil instead of mouse-drawing them (takes too darn long). So I wanted to practise the method of pencilling -> scanning ->desizing -> lineart etc etc.

I have also always wanted to make a Simon the Sorcerer bg for fun and as a challenge. So I combined the two. I love Simon the Sorcerer graphics!

Here is the result. (2x). Everything is pixelled pixel by pixel, no ripping etc (not that it is good enough to get accused of it since the actual game bgs are obviously a lot better).



Here is my WIP:

The main objective, I guess, was to create a new Simon the Sorcerer location that might have fitted in the game. I'm not sure if I succeeded (probably not). I added my own sprite characters (also in the simon style). And I did it for much muchly practise too 

I've been looking at this thing for so long while making it so it's hard finding flaws or stuff. Any crits and comments welcome, peoples of AGS.

Here is some of the game screenshots. Remember the idea is to make the bg look simon the sorcerer-esque (well the goal anyway haha)
http://www.mobygames.com/game/simon-the-sorcerer/screenshots

[Dr. Scary]

The background is indeed a good copy of the Simon style, and the pixeling is great both on the background and the character.
But praise won't get you anywhere, so here's the hard stuff:

- The colors seem a bit "flat".

- There is no "centerpiece" on the bg. It's all very general and nothing sticks out. If you look at screenshot 7 on the page you linked you will see a very similar screen. On that screen the mushroom provides some much needed color, and makes the room stand out in an otherwise labyrinthine forest.

- Last point is one I can say against the original Simon gfx too: Too much! This is a question of taste, but the texture on the ground and on the trees overloads my optic nerves! Less is more.

Some minor things would be that the anti aliasing of the tree against the grass and sky is a bit washed out.
Oh and I think Freud would have a word or two to say about the holes in the trees!

[Mordalles]

awesomeness! you could have worked on simon the sorceror, one of the best pixellated games ever! love their amount of detail. it fits in perfectly with the game.

love the face of the tree in the background. simon used to do that a lot.

*now adds buloght to my jealous-of-list*

ps, colours not flat. very colourful and rich, just like simon.

[buloght]

Thanks mordalles 

Dr_Scary: Thanks for your comments. I agree, I might be better to maybe bring in a little colour, maybe have more greenish (top left leafs) scattered somewhat. I did uses a colour theme exactly like on of the bgs. Or maybe add something extra hmmm.

The one thing I noticed about simon the sorcerer is the extreme AA ... on everything. Haha, I tried to follow suite. But I'm new to AA so.

I noticed the holes on the trees in one of the screenshots, the one with the owl, so I went for similar holes  since I liked them 

[Ali]

It is spot on for the distinct style of the first Simon the Sorceror game.

Dr. Scary's observation that the image has no centrepiece make sense, but I feel the background leads the eye off to the right. The only thing that could improve it would be an in-game pan in that direction to see what marvelous vista the character is looking at.

The only thing I'd suggest, beside that, would be re-working the beginnings of the forest in the top-right. The transition from sky to black behind the second-from-right tree-trunk seems too abrupt. Where it is possible to see through the forest, you only have green, and not the blue of the sky.

[potato hunter]

buloght! what a tribute to the wonderful simon. I have been trying to do that for soooo long! boy am i jealous.........have you got a step by step tutorial? because I would love to get my hands on one

[Kweepa]

It's a great replication of the style!
The tree in the middle seems a bit too split up - for example the black line running up to the upper knot is too contrasty.
I'm not sure what you were trying to do with the layers of leaves in the foreground on the left - it seems like a slope but then it suddenly ends and there's another flat area with much larger leaves on it. It's confusing.

[Nikolas]

The following is just a comment and not something pointing 'bad'. Definately not:

So:

The scene you have chosen is a dark one, a very dark one. The sky is 1/20th of the BG and is the only thing to give a little different colour really. The rocks are too monotonous and the leaves on the left are just...3. Maybe a compositional choice, and of course I'm not a graphic guy, but just used to see things differently which may help sometimes Maybe giving more space to the sky on the right would provide the rather much needed 'space' and direction. But it is a matter of choice I think. Depends on the game.
For example: If the next BG is in the forest towards the left, you did the right thing if you want to create a little strange, and weary atmosphere.
On the other hand if the next BG is on the right to a field, finally after a long problematic trip in the forest, then the sky needs to be bigger.

But the style is spot on for me. And your abilities as a pixel artist are, for me, remarkable. So keep it up!

[buloght]

Thanks for all the comments 

ali: You are right, I'll make them bluer, maybe make some more spaces too?

patota hunter: Thanks  , I'm not really sure I'm educated enough in the game style, but I could give it a try maybe sometime.

stevemccrea: Thanks. The leaves at the front are supposed to be in the foreground, there is a big slope between the top path, and the front leaves and left tree. I may have messed that up haha, I was trying to just have it there, not make the front leaves slopey.

nikolas: Thanks for your kind  comments . My idea was just to try and get a lot of different stuff from simon in one room so I can practise and try different textures from it. I wasn't gonna have a cliff/sky, but I though it be kinda cool to have the forest stop like that (similar one of the bgs in simon, thought theirs started with the cliff). I wanted to do both the dark woods and the cliff haha I wasn't really going to much for layout.

Thanks for comments

[Nacho]

I think you are the artist here with the most noticeable improvement since joining the forums Buloght...  Sorry Prog for not making a crit, I don't usually use CL for just say "wow!", but this work deserves it.

[buloght]

Thanks nacho . The sprite jams does miracles for one and also the inspiration from all the artists here.

[R4L]

 :o :o :o

AHH! MY EYES ARE BLINDED! lol j/k but that looks amazing dude.

[i k a r i]

The background AND that characer are amazing...just like everything you do man.

[Sektor 13]

I think Simon S. has the best graphics , an Buloght, you made it "pixel" precise ! Incredible graphics !

But makeing game with that kind of graphics would take you emm 6 years to complete ?

Seriously, how much time did you spend on the BG ? And how much on the character ?

[Nikolas]

Sektor, although you are right let me think for a bit:

If he did it in 1 day (around 8-10 hours), then profesionally he would be able to complete the BGs in around 50-75 days (for a full game that is). I am overationalising here but actually if he decides to go for a full game with these kind of graphics and ask for money, he should also work full time on that. Dunno really...

Of course an artist cannot work full-time every day and expect to have inspiration (I don't), but hopefully that kind of game would take something like 1 1/2 year to complete? :S

[buloght]

Thanks everyone .

Sektor: I'm not making a game with this graphics, this was simply for practise and as a challenge. It took about 2 days, but I had to study the textures of each surface a lot to learn how its done. I'd imagine you get used to the style after a while . Then it'll probably be quicker. I don't know haha.

[Andail]

It looks good to me, very StS-like. Helm is probably the best one to give c&c on this kind of art, and my only piece of criticism would that you could increased the contrasts and values a bit. If you take the professionally made backgrounds in StS, you'll see that nearly every little detail has its own highlight and shadow, creating a very rich and almost phosphorescent environment.

[Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens]

Stylistically I would say that you've done a fine job of mimicking the attention to detail of the Simon backgrounds.  I would have to say that the character sprite does not mesh well with the designs of the other humans and humanoids in the game, however.  While the head is certainly overlarge in the style of most of the characters, the eyes in particular seem to throw it off, and the shading isn't quite the same.  As many of the male characters in the game have no visible whites to their eyes, perhaps mimicking the slitted eye look of some of the male bar patrons would make the sprite fit in better.  Also, he lacks the rich contrasting colors of the other sprites; take the bar patron on the far top right of this image:

http://www.mobygames.com/images/shots/original/943904540-00.gif

This style of multiple, deep shades is what sets Simon apart from many of its peers artistically.  If not for the sprite itself I doubt I could've told a difference, so as far as backgrounds go I think you've succeeded beyond your wildest expectations.  Bravo.

I did a quick edit using some of the characters from the Simon game as a reference.  Bear in mind it's not 100% stylistically accurate, but it should give you some ideas.

1.  Followed the deep contrasts and rich highlights of the characters.
2.  Reduced head size slightly.  Reduced character torso height by one pixel.
3.  Lowered eyes one pixel.
4.  Altered whites to match some of the male source designs.

[buloght]

Progz: Thanks progz. I must admit I didn't study the sprites as hard as the bg textures. I looked atthe blacksmith from one of the rooms, he has white in his eyes. I did have mine without the whites, but as soon as I saw the blacksmith had it I went for it . I mostly looked at the goblins and those humanoids for the cloththes shading but I didn't really follow the sprites full-heartedly . I guess Maybe I can still try and shade him better, more suitable to the game. Thanks for your kind comments.

[edit]: Just looked at the blacksmith again, it might be that his fire is causing the whiteness (bright) in his eyes, mayhaps I have been deceived.

Andail: Thanks for the comments, I agree, I would be thankful for his knowledge on this, since pixelling is his area. About the contrast, I was following a palette from one of the bgs, so I was limited in my colours and according to the style I cannot overgo my limitations. I looked long and hard at most of backgrounds from simon the sorcerer trying to learn the style.

[edit] Thanks for the edit progz, I'll edit mine using yours as reference and also watching simon sprites closer

[Mordalles]

great sprite, progz. parts look like sts, but overall it looks more like a progz sprite than a sts sprite.