Messages

... if you squint you can see Jimmy Hoffa in the brick wall... just kidding.

You found the subliminal image!! 

Actually I'm more interested in the rusty bars. they look very shiny and new to be that rusty.

I'll see if I can dull them down a bit ... I was going for old iron bars that had completely rusted over.  These typically tend to be the burnt umber color with splotches of oranges and browns.  I wanted to give them some dimension too though which is probably what causes the shiny effect.

the last crit I have is on the foreground wheel. It looks weird. They don't necessarily have to be all black either. maybe the lighting might make them a little coloured at the edges?

I'm actually considering removing the foreground elements entirely.  In my first post, the contrast between fore and back grounds made them stand out.  Now they're much harder to make out and I don't know that they're necessary any more.

[loominous]

I love the Critics Lounge! 

I thought the image looked pretty good when I first posted it ... but I'm so much happier with where it's headed ...

still a wip:

- I'm much happier with the 'water' part now ... looks much more 'sludge-ish'
- with the light color of the background around the image some of the details are lost, against an all black background they jump off much better!

Don't agree. As Iain McCaig puts it, you must be ready to kill your babies; if it's not right it should go. Now, whether it's right is up to the taste of mr Mandarb, but keeping things just because you've spent time on them will just hurt the image.

There's actually quite a bit of detailing on the back walls of the tunnels, but I wanted to make it dark and dirty so that detail is lost in the interest of the image.  However ... I wanted to keep most of the 'walkable' areas dark, yet visible.

loominous - I went and added some gradients ... man, you learn something new everyday.  I will also be making another version of her character to fit better into the changing light conditions in the sewers.  Much thanks for your help!

Josh - I sent you a PM with lots of juicy details!

Andail, Cluey, aussie, and Igor - Thanks for the kind words and advice!

Tiki - thanks for the paint over ... with loominous' and yours I found a color I rather like

InC - I tried a bit of your advice on the boards ... a little more subtle though.

Evil -  I lost the purple tone, but added some more noise/dirt/etc to the path (and it's darker now)

... but the lighting on the catwalk seems awkward.

Yes I see what you mean ... I have attempted to correct this in the latest update.

The lighting and use of colour is very good, nicely atmospheric. The only thing that sort of bugs me are the fracture lines in the stones. They seem a bit out of place...
Great BG for - what I expect - is going to be a great game...

Farlander said the same thing about the cracks ... It was funny because right before I posted it I made them darker 'cause I thought they looked too light!  I have updated them in the latest edit.

And thanks for the praise, coming from you it's an extreme complement!  Your style was the major influence for when I started in on this new style!

I like the wall textures and enviroment was interesting, but the lighting struck me as quite boring as you mentioned.

As always, your ability with light just amazes me!  Thanks much for the edit!!  I took into account some of what you did, but I didn't want to darken and, as InCreator mentions, lose the texture/detail of the other areas so I decided to give it a "hollywood" style darkness ... IE, turn the stuff that is supposed to be in the dark a shade of blue!

Also, as much as I loved the way you altered the water, I don't want the slime to be steaming or reflective ... I want it to be a thick goo of sludge ... I don't thnk I've quite achieved it yet ... but I'm still working on it!

The bricks on wall. It feels very much like there's a gray wall with vertical and horizontal lines painted on it.

Covering such a lovely and detailed bg with darkness (as Loominous suggested) would be realistic, but sounds like a waste of hard work to me. Maybe just slight adjustments or more lights?

Thanks for the bit about the bricks!  I had been looking at this piece for so long that things like that tend to slip right by me ... I have made them (to my eyes) look much better in the edit!

Lighting issue addressed above!

... and either as objects or on the bg I would suggests putting some small junk in there too, it just looks way too clean to me.

You obviously haven't seen much of my other work!!  Trust me, I will fill this sucker with details   (This is still a WiP)  but thanks for the tip either way.

So here is my latest edit with much thanks to the wonderful CL!


- I love the way the blue contrasts with the warm light of the lamp
- I totally love the new brick lines (thanks for the tip InC!)

Better?  Worse?  Hit me with some honesty!

We lost a few background artists for our game ... so I decided to take on the role myself.

I wanted to try a style I hadn't yet tried (some of you may remember the images I posted for the "Release Something" thing awhile back ...)

Anyway ... since I'm new to this style I wanted to get some feedback on it:


- this'll be a scrolling background

Thoughts?  Improvements?  Problems?

My biggest concern is the lighting ... Andail?  Loom?

Much thanks ...

[FORUM RULES]

1. FORUM RULES

2.  NOTE: If you include an image in your signature, it MUST NOT be more than 600 pixels wide or 50 pixels high. Failure to respect this may result in your signature being removed.

[jcsturgeon]

jcsturgeon - your enthusiasm is great!  But if he keeps answering all these questions there'll be little point in playing the game

I can tell you're psyched to play it but, for those of us who haven't played it in years, you're taking away some of the re-surprises!!

[Is this being created in AGS?]

I suppose I need to ask the most important question ...

Is this being created in AGS?

You mention Maya/Torque/etc..

I searched your website, but couldn't find mention of AGS?

If this isn't an AGS game it doesn't belong in the "AGS Games in Production" forum and I will move it to the Adventure Related Talk & Chat where it belongs.

Also, if you're actively seeking new members, try the ACR Thread as well.

[ACR Thread]

You didn't put anything in your post telling us what the game is actually about??  You'll see more interest when you give out information like that!  Not to mention it's part of the rules!!  Please update your first post with a description about the game.

I'm not sure it's legal, but please come with some C&C

C&C on the game is okay ... but if you want C&C on the art; post in the Critics Lounge!

Also, if you're looking for a character artist you might consider posting in the ACR Thread with the request.  You may get a better response there.

I wouldn't mind helping but between my own 2 games I'm working on, the team game I'm working on, and the real world I have no time left to breath.

You might consider giving it a go yourself, post in the CL, and get some feedback.  The CL has helped me many times.

[FORUM RULES]

There's this thing called the FORUM RULES ...

They hide away [in plain site].

They have an encoded title [FORUM RULES - READ BEFORE POSTING].

They are written in a language few understand [English].

[FORUM RULES]

You were specifically advised to 'follow the rules' of the Games in Production board ...

This is all fine, but this forum is not for advertising. Go to the "games in production" forum, but make sure you follow all the rules there.

... and yet, somehow, you managed not to.

Let me know when you've read the FORUM RULES and are ready to follow them.  Then I will unlock this thread.

[FORUM RULES]

I just wanted to bring your game back on the top of games in production list

Please do not do that again.

If you want to bump a thread:

1) make sure it's not more than 1 month since the last post in the thread and
2) at the very least, make a comment on the game.

If, "do a great job and the great job will be done by you", is some kind of a comment on the game; you might want to clarify what it means exactly.

FORUM RULES

Well gosh ... this thread has only been dead for about 5 months.

Why don't we just dig it up rather than sending a PM to the author as the FORUM RULES state?

Joacim Andersson, if you're still working on this let me know if you're able (willing) to update the thread and I'll unlock it.

* sigh *  I suppose it's just too much to ask that people actually read the rules before posting.

[ACR Thread.]

Please post your request for help in the ACR Thread.

I'm locking this thread because these aren't "in-game" screenshots (as the rules require) and just "temporary crappy placeholder" art as you said.

When [if] you find an artist and get some real backgrounds, send me a PM and I'll re-open this thread.

Thanks.

[m0ds is the winner!!]

Lots of good entries this time around!  Good job people.

It was a toss-up between m0ds' entry and Ghormak's.

Ghormak's photoshopping was better, but m0ds' more closely fit the idea I had in mind when I came up with the idea.

So m0ds, thanks for the reminder that today is the 3rd and CONGRATULATIONS!!

m0ds is the winner!!

[Here is the article on CNN.com]

I was watching CNN two days ago and they covered this story.

The story said:

They discovered it back in 2003 ... but needed to verify it's movement to classify it as a "planet".  They have now tracked its movement, confirmed that is is a tenth planet, and that it has yet to be named.

I'm thrilled by this announcement.

I find it fascinating that we somehow missed this planet in more than 4,000 years of star-gazing.

It gives me hope that there are MANY other things we don't yet know and can discover in our little insignificant corner of the universe.

Here is the article on CNN.com - great stuff!

Good to know it's still in production ...

How about updating the first post to include some screen-shots (at least 2 in-game shots please) so that this post follows the rules!

Thanks!

PS
Also, please modify your sig file so the image isn't so big ... no taller than 50 pixels please, thanks!

A company I've recently started using is called Hostfolio.  They have very reasonable prices.

Here is a link to their Window's Web Hosting Plan.

They have Cold Fusion hosting for not much more, which is why I started using them.

I live about 5 miles from Ft. Lauderdale airport (FLL).

When flying back from Michigan last week I was able to see my home as we were coming in for the landing.

It was awesome!  I've never been able to do that before.  Sure, I could pick out the high-ways and such, but actually pin-pointing my house?  No way.  But it looked just like Google Earth and I spotted it AND my truck in my parking spot!

Just thought I'd share ...

And oddly enough now the game is selling like hot-cakes ...

Hmmm ... I'm sure this wasn't intentional.

Man ... I love getting older!  Seriously.  I'm just enjoying the ride.

Sure there are changes I must make.  I can't run as fast as I used to, I can't have pizza and beer every night of the week, etc.  But then there are the benefits of aging.  Getting into a serious relationship, thinking about starting a family, focusing on a career, being taken more seriously as an adult ... the list goes on and on.

I like wondering what I'm gonna be like in 10 years.  Will I have a family?  Will Sara and I get married or will she leave me in the dust?  Will I make my first million?  It's like a big mystery movie that just keeps unfolding day by day and I'm the lead role!

I look back on my past with nothing but fond memories.  Even of the bad times ... because they were few and far between and it is, to my way of thinking, the bad times that really help shape the person you are today.  If it weren't for the bad times, you wouldn't cherish the good times!

Like Barbarian said, the past is like chapters in a book.  Sometimes I sit back and "re-read" those chapters (especially a few of the more popular ones! )  I have some "I wish I had done that" type thoughts, but none that I would consider true regrets.  Everything that has happened up to this point in my life has made me who I am, and I would never regret that.

I try to live by the whole, "don't take anything for granted" way of thinking.

Everyday I think of how lucky I am to have a nice home.  A beautiful woman that loves me.  Family and friends, etc.  A job that I love.  Sure there's some bad things in there ... but they are FAR out-weighed by the good stuff.

I have this theory about aging ... about why the years seem to get shorter the older you get (tied into Dave Gilbert's statement about that concert).  I've mentioned this 'round these parts before (and I think Timosity has a similar thought if I remember correctly):

When you're a 10 year old kid, 1 year is only a tenth of your life thus it feels much longer.  When you're 30 years old, 1 year is only a thirtieth of your life.  It's a far smaller portion of your life at this point, thus it feels much less significant.

This, as a man pushing thirty, actually REALLY comes in handy if I'm waiting for a movie coming out next year