Topics

[Stage I: Thumbnails and Composition]

Edit:






--

Previous Background Workshop (2008)

--

Table of Content (courtesy of Misj')

Stage I: Thumbnails and Composition

• On roughing out your scene (Misj')
• Boxes, symmetry, and repetition (Loominous)
• Using values to create focal points (Loominous)
• Thoughts on Scrolling Backgrounds (Misj')
• Taking liberties with a script; positioning exits (ThreeOhFour)
• Thinking about light slightly backwards (Loominous)
• Removing Animated Elements & Light Direction (Misj')

Stage II: Sketch Refinement

• On values, hue, and saturation (Misj')
• Redirecting focus (Loominous)

Stage III: Refinement

• Limiting value ranges (Loominous)

[You're free to answer as many or few of these as you like, so just answer what you like, and comments are very welcome:]

So I thought I'd do a survey to get a sense of the general interest in another background workshop, and gather some opinions.

Since I haven't figured out how to do polling, we'll have to do it bb voting style, can copy and use the text below:

You're free to answer as many or few of these as you like, so just answer what you like, and comments are very welcome:

1a. I'd be interested in participating, provided the timing suits me: yes/no
1b. I would probably only be interested/able to provide critique and not participate:

2a. The best time period for me would be: month/weeks/season/whatnot
2b. The ideal duration of the activity for me would be: days/weeks
2c. On average, provided that the timing suits me, I would probably be able to spend this many hours peer week during it: hours a day/week

3a. I feel comfortable with the concept of composition when it comes to paintings (as in giving and receiving critique regarding it):
3b. I feel comfortable with the concept of values when it comes to paintings (as in giving and receiving critique regarding it):
3c. I feel comfortable working with thumbnails when it comes to paintings:
3d. I feel comfortable giving critique in general regarding other's pieces:

4a. I would be interested in providing a tutorial in some area:
4b. I would be interested in participating/help in some other area:

5a. Some general thoughts/suggestions:

Edit: 6a. I have most spare time during: weekend/weekdays
(In retrospect, formulating the survey as statements rather than questions feels rather awkward. Curious decision)

THE TREEHOUSE

Can be everything from a kid's simple
construction, to an elaborate structure.

Hope you'll have fun!

A Christmas Tale

Depict a scene from your favourite christmas story, or make one up!

Happy painting/pixelating!

(Restrictions: AGS compatible)

SPIES

Anything from a suave agent to a kid gathering intel on his neighbor.

Restrictions:

Lo-res: 8 colours, 40x40
Hi-res: 8 colours *, 400x400
(* Excluding anti-aliasing and shading.)

If you go hi-res, please make sure that the sprite is reasonably easy to animate.

Good luck, and hope you have fun!

My Crummy New Job

Restrictions: AGS Compatible

Good luck, and hope you have fun!

"NOT QUITE HOW I PICTURED IT FROM THE BROCHURE"

Anything from a strange holiday resort to a boat in a peculiar condition for sale.
Feel free to include a pic from the brochure (not a requirement).

Restrictions: AGS compatible

Will end the 27th 12 AM GMT (greenwich)

Hope you have fun and good luck!

THE ACADEMY



An interior or exterior of anything from a space fleet academy to a wizard university.

Good luck!

Welcome to
STAN'S USED [?]




Guidelines:

Can be anything from used rollercoasters to pepper mints.

Stan doesn't have to be featured inside the background,
and the style doesn't have to fit any of the MI games.

Resolution and colours should work inside AGS.

~~~~

Good luck!

THE SIDEKICK
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Ever wished that Lucasarts had given Guybrush a schizophrenic parrot sidekick?

Well, now's your chance to fix these design blunders!

Find a screenshot and improve history!

~~~~

Guidelines:

Adhere to the resolution and palette of the game in question.

The screenshot can be from any adventure game, commercial or not.
If it's fairly unknown, please name the game in the post.

Feel free to add dialog to establish their relationship.

~~~~

Good luck!

Edit: Extended it one day, to include the weekend.

[The script]

Welcome to the first Workshop Edition of the Background Blitz!


Where the participants in the usual Blitzes work behind closed doors, emerging only when ready, this will be about opening everything up. Rather than focusing on the final pieces, it will be about the processes leading up to them. Working in an collaborative atmosphere, the participants will share their progress and ideas from the very first doodles, up to the final touches, giving and receiving feedback as they tinker along and improve their pieces.

There are many ways of doing a workshop like this, all with their own pros and cons, and after seemingly endless discussions between zyndikate and me, we decided that this time around we'd work on independant pieces, but move through the stages of the creation simultaneously, by dividing it up into the phases:

Since we're not sharing a physical location, and can't simply look the other guys over the shoulder to see the progress, the participants will compensate this by posting WIP (Work In Progress) pics during the whole process, the more the better. Apart from their own WIP pics, any material that might be considered interesting is welcome, such as photos for illustrating ideas, reference pictures, and even stuff like music, if it happens to be relevant.



The script

The goal will be to develop a background that follows this script: (it's in a pseudo screenplay format for no better reason than that I happen to like the look of it)

The reason why it's so specified is that it will enable us to work out and discuss solutions for problems that we all share. Everyone knows what the others are trying to accomplish, so there is no confusion about what someone's aiming for (a common problem in the CL).


Voting

After the last phase, a vote will be held with the following categories:

      Most Developed - the participant who during the workshop has developed the most
      Most Helpful
      Best Execution - the best execution of the script

The recipient of the most votes can then go back to a regular Background Blitz, a Mockup Blitz, or go for another Workshop Edition (perhaps with another approach).


Posting Guidelines

Creating posts

To keep the thread easy to read, please keep your progress for each step inside a single post. This doesn't apply to comments and discussions.

Also, to make it easy to know what comments refer to, please quote texts and pictures.

Don't hesitate to make bump posts when you update something, just make sure to include a link to your particular post like so:

Update: Example

Code: ags

[url=http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/yabb/index.php?topic=34542.msg451551#msg451551]Update: Example[/url]

To get the address to a particular post, simply rightclick on that post's topic line (the line at the top of the post usually called something like Re: something), and select 'copy address' (or something similar).

(Note: You can't access these topic lines from write/edit post pages, as in, when you're typing a post, but you can of course get them from another window with the thread open, or prior to going into write/edit mode)


Images

Try keeping image file sizes below 60kb, and if they're bigger then please create a thumbnail and link to the original image.

If you're including large ref pics directly from the web, such as images.google.com, then please include the thumbnail version in the post, along with a link to the full sized image. Like so:


Full size

Note: You don't have to create thumbnail versions yourself, just copy the address to the ones that google use (rightclick and select 'copy image address' (or something similar)).



--

On to the first part!

Edit: Fixed image links

THE AFTERLIFE OF LAVERN



Turns out there is an afterlife, but it's not one of those lame Mormon summer camp on clouds
dealies, or horrid torture dungeons for that matter, but instead a specially tailored destination
based on the life and preferences/dislikes of the deceased.

Lavern, having recently passed away, has just arrived at the destination.

-

Guidelines: Depict this place.

No technical limitations other than those of AGS.

If you want to include the character, feel free to do so.

(Any lack of definitions/specifications in the above is meant as
being up for interpretation.)

Edit: Btw, please include a description of the life of Lavern that explains
the pleasant or grim eternal fate.

-

Btw, everyone is encouraged to post some work in progress pictures, partly because they're
fun and interesting to look at, and partly because it livens up the thread and provides some
continuous material, and at least something even if a background doesn't get finished.

Good luck!

Edit: Added another guideline

Edit: Extended the deadline

[Guidelines:]

Sorry about the tardiness, but here's this round's topic:


"THAT'S IT, NEXT TIME I'M[/i] PICKING THE PICKNICK SPOT"


Guidelines:

Create a background that you think matches the above topic.
Use any resolution and colour amount that you like, as long
as it's feasible that the AGS engine could pull it off in some way.

Voting:

Voting will begin at 00:00 GMT (greenwich) the 4th, and end
at the same time the next day.

Please place one vote in the following categories

The categories:

Idea - The underlying idea to the background. Doesn't
necessarily have to coincide perfectly with the theme of the
week, just strike you as interesting/amusing/inspiring; a place
you'd really enjoy visiting within a game.

Atmosphere - How well the image manages to evoke a certain
feeling or mood.

Design - How well the elements in the image are designed,
such as landscapes, buildings, decorations, clouds, doorknobs,
etc.

Composition - How well the elements in the image work
together/are positioned in relation to each other.

Functionality - How well it would work when adding sprites, i
ncluding appropriate walking distances, a good angle for
character sprites, clever walkway solutions, easily understood
exits, etc.

Technique - How well the ideas are executed in form of
rendering.

Anyone is welcome to vote, and it would be great if all
participants could provide their own. You don't have to vote
in all categories, and if provide multiple names in a category,
then please be clear about which one is your pick.

Comments and work in progress pictures are highly encouraged.

Good luck!

--

The Entries (so far):

the vict0r:

I thought it might have been time to post something

zyndikate:

"But honey, the ridiculously suspicious-looking captain said that this was a nice spot to eat, drink and engage in fun activities!"

http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/6373/piratebarfinaldc1.png (background only)

Ok, My entry.. and I spent so much time on it I probably could just aswell made a one room game of it.

I didn't want to make the grass-picnic-like background, so I looked the word up in the dictionary too see if there was another way to use it, so I choosed the regular Pirate bar with alot of drinking and fist fighting for everyone.
The purpose was to make a real background that was ready for ingame use, also added cellshaded 2D characters so its shows how it would fit the background ingame, so they dont have any shadows.

It was fun and I learned alot!

EDIT: its looks kinda dark against the forum background color, try it on a dark background.

EDIT: Someone asked me to do a tutorial on how I make my backgrounds, I haven't started yet, but Ill use this one in the tutorial.

b]Penguin:[/b]

Kinda weird resolution and kinda undone entry ... is better than no entry! :3



I don't mind the first post collection of backgrounds at all, nor any critique.
Couple of very nice entries so far, hopefully more to come .

I have to show up every so often to show you punks that lots of colors and high definition aren't everything!Ã, 

Besides, even Satan has a picnic once in awhile!



14 colors, C-64 palette, C-64 double-wide pixels!

MashPotato:

Well, I won't be able to finish because I have to help my grandmother move, but here is what I have so far in all its terribleness...


The first church picnic in history, ill-fatedly situated in the Roman Colosseum:

b]Ildu:[/b]

Yup, it's too late for me . I don't even have a decent idea, let alone sketches or anything. So don't wait up on me .

EDIT: I just started working on an entry some 30min ago . I'm almost done with sketching, so I hope I'll have it done in time . Would it be problematic to give some 30-60 min extra time?

EDIT: I'm almost done .

Done. This entry doesn't deserve an introduction .



I know it's a friggin' lame idea and crappy altogether , but I guess it's not too bad for 2,5 hours of work. Notice that I had to use typefaces for lettering, because of the hurry. Uggo!

[/font]

edit: Extended

[Ps.]

TRANSPORTATION (RENTAL) SERVICE IN WATERFALL VALLEY


Guidelines:

Create a background that you think matches the description above.
It can either be a rental or passenger service, but as to the kind,
location, timeperiod, universe; that's up to your imagination.

Voting:

I thought we might try some new voting categories, so if anyone
has any interesting replacements in mind, please do tell.

Voting will commence on the 26nd at 00:00 GMT, unless fewer than
five entries have been submitted by then.

Good Luck!

Ps. It would be great if those who like would include some
work in progress pics, to show how they work. Some comments
describing the process would be even better, but all of this is
highly optional.

Perhaps better include these as clickable thumbnails, not to
overcrowd the thread, or some other solution. Ds.

Edit: Deadline extended by request

[Guidelines:]

THE ORPHANAGE

Guidelines:[/font]

- Interior or exterior view, or both if you like.

- If you want to include sprites, go ahead, but submit a version without them, which will be actual submission.

- No real size or colour limits, as long as it would work in an AGS game.

- Voting will be in the usual categories: Best idea, functionality, design and technique.

Techniques:

You can use any technique you like in achieving the background, beside drawing/painting from the imagination, such as tracing photos, photo collages, copying parts of other backgrounds/paintings/photos, using filters on backgrounds from other games, or whathaveyou, but:

- Include all significant material/references that you've used, to allow the voters to judge the actual effort. 'Significant material/references' is a vague formulation, but I think the intuitive interpretation should be sufficient.

Hope you'll have fun.

[Topic:]

Sorry about the delay, I had some trouble finding a decent topic, and even greater finding some inspirational footage/paintings (which I still havn't been able to). Anyway:

Topic:

BED & BREAKFAST ON A ROAD  LESS TRAVELED[/size]


Guidelines:

If you're unfamiliar with the term 'Bed & Breakfast', it is a sort of simpler hotel, which originally consisted of a couple of rooms for rent in a private residence. We'll go with the original meaning.

The idea is to create a scarcely charted enviroment, the more original the better, with a B&B present. Since these weren't built as commercial structures, it's important that they blend in well with the setting.

No size or palette restrictions.


Dates:

We'll try slightly more than a week, and if less than three entries has entered by then, it will be extended another week.


Voting:

PLEASE OBSERVE: Considering the success of voting system I introduced last time, with a total of two or so valid votes, we'll try it once again before I scrap it.

So, in essence, instead of voting for a picture in general, you vote in these four categories:

* Best Idea - The underlying idea to the background. Doesn't neccesserily have to coincide perfectly with the theme of the week, just strike you as interesting/amusing/inspiring; a place you'd really enjoy visiting within a game.

* Best Design - The style of the picture, architectural, landscape design, best mood, most evocative etc.

* Best Functionality - How well it would work when adding sprites, including appropriate walking distances, good angle for character sprites, clever walkway solutions, easily understood exits etc.

* Best Technique - How well the ideas are executed in form of rendering.

Good luck.

Edit: Fixed the dates

Edit II: Extended deadline

Edit III: Fixed deadline specification

[Inspiration:]

Topic:

YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS

Inspiration:



Guidelines:

Can be any sort of enterprise really. The vendor, if you have one, must be absent (perhaps stick a "out to lunch sign" in there) and no other character sprites should be included, though you're free to add other interactive sprites.

No size or palette restrictions.


Dates:

We'll try slightly less than a week, and if less than three entries has entered by then, it will be extended another week. Since a whole weekend is included it will hopefully suffice.


Voting:

PLEASE OBSERVE: I thought we might try a slightly different voting system this time which could inspire people with great ideas but lacking in the actual rendering technique and generally promote forethought.

It wouldn't be anything fancy really, just instead of picking an overall best background, you'd give a vote for:

(these aren't set yet, suggestions are welcomed)


* Best Idea - The underlying idea to the background. Doesn't neccesserily have to coincide perfectly with the theme of the week, just strike you as interesting/amusing/inspiring; a place you'd really enjoy visiting within a game.

* Best Design - The style of the picture, architectural, landscape design, best mood, most evocative etc.

* Best Functionality - How well it would work when adding sprites, including appropriate walking distances, good angle for character sprites, clever walkway solutions, easily understood exits etc.

* Best Technique - How well the ideas are executed in form of rendering.


So, each voter would provide four votes instead of one. As mentioned, these aren't really set yet and far from ideal, so suggestions and opinions are welcomed.

Edit: Deadline extended

[Topic:]

Topic:

Mansion Exterior

Anything from a creepy horror movie manor to something from a Jane Austin novel dramatization.

Guidelines:

- The whole mansion does not have to be visable. If you'd like to focus on the main entrance, the yard, porch, outhouse etc it's perfectly fine as long as you get the feeling that it's a mansion exterior.

- A mansion is pretty much defined as a grand house and so they can vary greatly in apperance. Anything from large villas to castle like buildings will do.

Inspiration:



About the deadline

We'll try with a single week's duration but if fewer than three entries have entered by the time of the voting, the deadline will be extended another week.

Restrictions

None. If you like EGA, do it in EGA.

Edit: Whoops, wrong dates