C+C on space captain pic

[fred]

I got around to doing another end-game screen for my space game, same series as the ones posted here: (first 4 images) and here: (5th image)

The picture is not a background, but shown at the end of the game, if the player has achieved the overall rank of 'Captain.'

C+C? How does it read? Ideas for improvement? Paintovers?



Here's a less compressed version of the same, on a black backgroundÃ,  (700kb): Captain

[2ma2]

The general mood of the pic is rather well, but it comes off as odd in some ways.

First, the perspective seem odd. The tunnel and rest of the whad'everitis doesn't seem to fit together, and that brings us to point two...

Secondly, it seems like a colleague (sp?) since the different pieces don't seem to match up together. It is due to perspective issues, but also the difference in rendition (some pieces being sharper than other etc). It reminds me of a matte painting.

Nice touch with the man in the tunnel. Very atmospheric.

[hedgefield]

I'd say tilt the back of the ship a bit down and to the left. You're seeing it from the right, but the rockface from the left. Also, the bottom of the canyon is a bit too sharp, it actually looks like a miniature city, all bright lights and such. Overall though I like it very much.


P.S.
Collage. Colleague = coworker

[fred]

Ok, glad if I got some overall mood and atmosphere right.

I'll try positioning the ship differently and reworking the tunnel/cliff intersection to make it give more sense.

It is actually supposed to be a city in the valley below. I think it shows more clearly in the less compressed version (mainly because the reds aren't desaturated as in the jpg), but I'd like ideas as to how I can make it read as a city, and not a canyon floor that 'also' looks a little like a city.

Thanks so far, I'll get back to work

[fred]

Here's an update.

* added cliff fort to support the tunnel.
* added distant sun effect
* adjusted lights in city below (still looks best in uncompressed version)
* less post-processing (sharpening/blurring stuff) after the rendition - good/bad?

I tried repositioning the vessel, but couldn't find a better place for it. Compositionwise, perhaps it's at a strange angle, but the perspective as such is realistic.


Hi-quality: http://www.itu.dk/people/hermund/PNGS/captain2.html

[monkey0506]

The angle of the tunnel and the angle of the vessel make it look like they don't connect...it's nice though.

(Oh..and the city lights could probably use a bit more work...it took me a while to realize what it was...)

[Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens]

Strangely, no one has pointed out the one major thing I think is wrong with this:  it's too sterile.  When I think of sci-fi settings I imagine ergonomic cities that are alive with ships buzzing around and towers everywhere, but this settlement looks dead.  I think you might benefit from looking at some cover art for sci-fi novels and try to make the most of photoshop.  I did a really rough paintover in 8-bit to give you some ideas about what I'm talking about.

1.  Made the station windows and general design more futuristic and less conventional.

2.  Added details to the ship so it isn't just a patch of gray.

3.  Added settlements around the major city, though this really needs more improvement to look alive.

4.  Added some stations and towers to the mountains.



Ideally, with a city as large as this seems to be you should invest some time into making ships and such that are flying about doing business and more docking towers.  Put the level of detail you've applied to the general ship design to adding lights, windows, designs, etc and you will achieve very good results.  Does this area have a breathable atmosphere?  If not you might try making a dome around the city and having people in suits floating around doing repairs.  Hopefully this will help.

[monkey0506]

Prog...you're a genious. You fixed the thing that was driving my eyes all buggy...and I like what you've done overall.

Fred, just listen to what Prog tells you, and you'll be just fine.

[Maltjik]

I don't know if I'm flying a kite here or what, but I think that the tunnel thingie might look better with more support. Thicker "floor" and some supporting stuff, like construction site erm... Those jungle gym climbamathings... Ach, you know what I mean. I just think that anything docking to a ship should seem secured enough.
Anyways, it's an atmospheric image with great potential.

[Xellie]

First off, nice pic!

A suggestion (Here I go, giving advice that I'm still recieving myself... but anway)

Depth of perspective concerning the mountains? I sugget making them more faded, to account for the immense distance form the viewpoint; I mean, if that is a WHOLE CITY down there, then obviously those mountains in the distance are a way off... Yet they've got the same intensity value as the rock face on the right in the foreground.

Use it, don't use it, just a thought... Oh, and gr8 work once again ProgZ!

[2ma2]

I kind of preferred the sterile enviroment. Prog's edit removed the dried up, rough industrial feel and made it look stereotypical sci-fi. It is a matter of conceptual design I guess, but lack of life ain't necessarily a bad thing. The first rendition had a more hostile and grunge-tech feel to it.

The reason your city comes of as odd is that the cliffs in the background comes off as pretty close to the viewer. That and the perspective on the vessel and tunnel gives the impression that the ground is not close to deep enough to warrant a city in the depth. There is no easy solution to this I'm afraid, without reworking the whole image.

[calacver]

Progz, you are like 5 artists all in one. You are the best.

[zabnat]

Somehow I find it hard to make out the shape of the docked ship. It looks weird. Especially when front and back have similiar shapes and the one in the back is larger. Although this can be very difficult to fix without changing the design of the ship or changing the angle of the ship and so changing the whole image.

Also the city lights look a bit strange mainly on the edges. I don't know what kind of city is it, but present cities usually have a kind of web structure. I don't know how to explain it. It's like light tentacles.
Maybe this shows what I mean:

It's a picture of New York at night. You can see that edges of the lighted area are not sharp, but gradually decreasing and following the main roads.

[fred]

Wow, lots of suggestionsÃ, 

ProgZmax: I really like the paintover - illustrates the points very well. Some things I'm definately going to adapt:
* Settlements/antenna in the mountains.
* More elaborate ship design
* Amazing details on the fort: top window, blue side window, see-through effect on side tunnel, the door opening to the inside of the spaceship.

.. if I can make these effects in the Gimp, that is.

I want the city distant, mainly increasing the rush of being aloft rather than making it look closer. Maybe I'll try some domes, towers and enclaves, though.

zabnat: thanks, but NYC is seen from very far up. I'm aiming for something closer to looking down at silicon valley from the hills at night, for nostalgic reasons.Ã, 

I'll go with Xellie's and 2ma2's idea that the mountains in the background need new texturing and/or depth-of-field blur.

Thanks for all the help!

oh no, I said I would do all those things? I better get started.

[fred]

Ok, this is how far I got tonight.


On Black bg: http://www.itu.dk/people/hermund/PNGS/captain3.html

I adopted most of ProgZmax's ideas shamelessly, but at least had fun applying them myself in the GIMP. I'd say the ship and the bunker/fort look a little more interesting now.

I also gave the mountains in the background a new texture and a slight distance blur. Honestly I'm not 100% satisfied with them, but I think this is the closest I'll get this time around.

The city lights, despite efforts, are pretty much the same, a little redder, and less bright in the distance. Imo the transition between city and mountains still looks artifical, but nothing I can't live with. I'm off for that star

[skyfire2]

There's still a serious perspective issue with the spaceship,fred. It's almost as if you create a penrose triangle. Either the lense size of the camera that you rendered the space ship was really big or you placed the camera far away from the space ship and you zoomed in. To fix this problem, render the space ship with about 2/3 the lense size.