Adventure Game Studio

Edit; some messages might seem wrong posted, but it's me who did something wrong.. i updated the wrong picture, so now this old picture you are supposed to see is an editted version of the old one.. anyways.. feel free to keep c&c-ing;

Okay, new background for c&c; The hide-out of a local gang..

(http://home.unet.nl/carl/anders/hideout2.gif)
edit of old version ^^

x2
http://home.unet.nl/carl/anders/hideout2-big.gif
click on link for x2 picture

Comments:
-Gras will be improved further on by "texture"
-Path will be improved further on by "texture"
-The rat thug will be animated in throwing his knife and catching it up..
-There will be a big pimp car parked half out of the garage
-There will be more thugs hangin around the hide-out
-Colors might be improved, I made this on a way-too-dark monitor so could come out strange

What you guys think so on?

I think the wood of the hideout should be shadowed.. but don't know exactly how..
any ideas?

I like the simplistic approach! The wood looks good, i love the plain colour shading. I'll have a closer look and maybe say something, but i love it!

I like it! There seems to be somting wrong (imo) with the way the  grass part next to the woods looks. It appears to go vertical. Maybe try varying the size of the grass tufts. Also may what to go with a slightly more brown and less orange-ish color for the wood. The wood looks fine otherwise.

buloght
Thanks, always appreciated and motivating to get such answers

Taffytom

QuoteThere seems to be somting wrong (imo) with the way theÃ,  grass part next to the woods looks >> Maybe try varying the size of the grass tufts

I will try to do what you mean tomorrow evening (its late now and have to work tomorrow).

QuoteAlso may what to go with a slightly more brown and less orange-ish color for the wood. The wood looks fine otherwise.

Like i said, i got a way-too-dark-monitor, coudn't see the right colors, i was by my girl just some hour ago and saw (on a good monitor) that the colors of the wood are indeed not good.. will change the colors on a good monitor tomorrow.

Thanks a lot for your great advices, once again appreciated!

Maybe, just maybe...

An idea would be to alter a little the bushes in front (the black ones). right now they seem like they're all lined up, which cannot be the case, even besides a road. A little variation could benefit the BG. Other than that I like it a lot.

PS. Could you resize the BG and modify the first post, as this makes peoepl with 17" screens to scroll left and right?

Maybe you can make the leaves fit the style of the rest of the backround.

I would like to suggest that you just make that thug a seperate entity from the background.

Several Critiques:
-I can tell you used a pre-made brush to make the bushes in the foreground. Instead of using just one brush, why not make several leaf brushes, varying the sizes and angles.
-When comparing the door frames of the shack with the black foreground bushes they seem a bit dull.
I would make the wood a bit darker to balance the values.
-The insides of the shack should be darkened more. Same with the grass inside.
-The far right wall doesn't have any boards or nails like the shack in the center.
-The tree leaves don't suggest that they come from individual tree trunks.
-The window confuses me. Is it a window frame or the inside edge of the window?
If it is a frame the top left board throws me off because it looks like it's overlapping it. There also isn't a windowsill.
-Where is your vanishing point? The right wall and center doorframe don't seem to match the same point.

Things I'm not quite sure about:
-The trees are really close together
-The grass under the trees doesn't look right to me.
It looks like lawn grass, which I don't believe would be in a forest like that.
Perhaps if you replaced it with dirt and pebbles and just have little patches of grass here and there. It also wouldn't hurt to add some flowers.
-add roots from the trees popping out of the ground. to give it variety.

Nikolas
Will change the bushes
Will change the big picture tonight so you not have to scroll into a link..

Bigbrother
I putted lots of time into those edit::LEAFS:: ;D to even fit it a bit into the rest of the style, I do realise it ain't exactly the same, so it seems I still have to work on that

Scummbuddy
Of course, it is a seperate entity, it will be a character, but I just putted it in the background to look how it will look

Drawken
-Indeed I used a premade bush, I will try out what you mean with the different sizes, perhaps it will match the rest of the style better..

Quotecomparing the door frames of the shack with the black foreground bushes they seem a bit dull. I would make the wood a bit darker to balance the values.

Okay, I will try what that looks like.. or make the bushes lighter (dark green) perhaps.

QuoteThe insides of the shack should be darkened more. Same with the grass inside.

Thanks! will do..

QuoteThe far right wall doesn't have any boards or nails like the shack in the center.

Thanks! Will do.. (obviously I forgot)

QuoteThe tree leaves don't suggest that they come from individual tree trunks.

Again that trees ;)..

QuoteThe window confuses me. Is it a window frame or the inside edge of the window?

Okay, I will make the window come out more to make it a window frame.
The idea was the board was overlapping it cause it wasn't nailed down good enough.. (or was once but not anymore)

QuoteWhere is your vanishing point? The right wall and center doorframe don't seem to match the same point.

Thanks, will do!

Quote-add roots from the trees popping out of the ground. to give it variety.

Very good point you got there! Will do!

People.. all appreciated and I will see if I can dig up a new version tonight!

I meant the leaves of the trees, not the bushes.

I know.. my bad ;D editted..

now about the new leafs.. I tried and tried.. and think this might be a better style; (different sizes of leaves..)

1
(http://home.unet.nl/carl/anders/hostep1.gif)
clean version

2
(http://home.unet.nl/carl/anders/hostep2.gif)
version with shadows to accenturate the different trees

3
(http://home.unet.nl/carl/anders/hostep3.gif)
version with heavy shadows to accenturate the different trees

Which one is best? I think 2

Quote from: DonB on Fri 03/02/2006 17:41:20
Which one is best? I think 2.

I agree. The lighting looks great and the leaves blend with the style of the background so much better.
But the leaves on the right side are way too similar.

Thanks Drawken, I changed it now, the leafs and the colors of the cabin.. and added some tree-adds as well.. now I only need to figure a way to have the grass and path more textured.. i guess just some area of different pixels of the same color (noise) would do nice..

(http://home.unet.nl/carl/anders/hideoutfinal.gif)

x2
http://home.unet.nl/carl/anders/hideoutfinalbig.gif

and nikolas, I changed the black bushes/trees at the frontside a few times, but I really think this composition fits best..

heh, great work here. Since you already did a lot of work on this one i'm not sure if more points of critisism are usefull here, but i have two.

It seems like the left and right halves of the bg are in different timezones. Look at the shadows on the trees, they indicate the sun is directly above (around noon). The shadow coming from the hide-out is long (no end can be seen) and thus indicates an earlier or later time.

Second is the little green bag the thug is holding (great character design by the way!). If it's empty, why is he holding it? Put some loot in there make mr. rat happy.

QuoteIt seems like the left and right halves of the bg are in different timezones. Look at the shadows on the trees, they indicate the sun is directly above (around noon). The shadow coming from the hide-out is long (no end can be seen) and thus indicates an earlier or later time.

thanks, great tip!

QuoteSecond is the little green bag the thug is holding (great character design by the way!). If it's empty, why is he holding it? Put some loot in there make mr. rat happy.

LOL, it's a bandana, gangsters always wear bandanas or carry them in their hands to show to which gang they belong..

Thanks for the help and compliments, appreciated!

Theres one thing ive got to notify you of, whether you think it matters or not is up to you.

Your shadows. You have no set 'Light Source' your shadow from the hideout heads straight down, but the trees shadows head east.

Might want to look into it.

Your absolutely right, thanks

(http://home.unet.nl/carl/anders/blabla2.gif)

-added grass texture
-remade shadows

detail grass (x2)
(http://home.unet.nl/carl/anders/grass.gif)

Only the door and the path needs to be done now

looks really nice now, cant wait what you're going to do with the door and path  ;) :)

Thanks Corey.. and look;

(http://home.unet.nl/carl/roxyfox/hideout2.gif)

-repainted outlines cabin darker
-made a door

it looks much better with that door, but is too perfect to be in a thug hide out...and too clean..
the grass is awesome..
Maybe you could make some grass in front of the character's feet and tail so that he doesn't look like if it were floating..

great job.. :o

Thanks for the compliment about the grass.. Increater tought me some skills with ArtGem.. its a great program for these kind of things..

The door maybe is too clean.. yeh.. your right.. I'm gonna make it more ruined by broken glass and stuff.. thanks..

Yeh the character of course will have grass for his feet.. but he isn't part of the background, it's just to give you an idea!

yep. its seems so cool, but i dont get what was wron with original grass-i liked it.

btw-InCreator!!!

You liked the original grass more?

Your background is really coming along.
Each time you make an edit you're always making drastic changes. It's great.
I love the grass and treetops, but having large textured areas like that make the non-textured areas look out of place.
I would texture the trunks, road, and shack to unify the background.
-----
Here's just a little edit I made.
- Changed the perspective of the center doorframe and window to match the perspective of the right doorway.
-Made it so the wood over the window has depth. Same with a few wood panels on the shack that overlap other boards.
-Added detail to the cracks.
-I also made a horizon, but I don't think it needs it now. In your first background the grassy space looked so naked. Now that you textured it, it looks so much better.
-I also brought down the shack a bit, but that's just a personal preference.
-Cruddy lighting.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v254/drawken/drawken-hostep2-edit-2.png)

That's great, i love it!..Ã,  you were very right in having the shack and trees being a little out of style now.. but with the little details like the coming-out-wood you made it works better.. also that trees walking away are master! thanks! I will fix it soon..

appreciated!

Quote from: DonB on Thu 09/02/2006 20:45:45
You liked the original grass more?

actualy... yes-looks simple to eye and good enough (imo)

I like the style - it's cool. I have just one issue, and that's, er, aren't the trees awfully small? It's about the same height to the start of the foliage as one of your characters, and if you could imagine the image being extended upwards, the hut would probably be taller.