Screenshot Critique, Please read first post Options

[LaDestitute]

That actually looks quite nice...

[Yuu-Mon Musuedo]

It's not bad of a menu or whatever it is but in my opinion it has far too many colours that could distract a little from the view.

Also the font doesn't match the style your trying to portray. I suggest you find a more cartoonish font that is one static colour not going from dark to light.
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I'm trying to make a ventilation vent map with what I could find by searching and editing a little and came up with this:

[Show/Hide] "

Is it fine like this or I should add some more stuff? (Maybe different graphics for the holes?)

Hmmm... I think it could use some more dark areas like shadows, and the pipes that isn't hanging on the walls but hanging above the floor looks a little flat. That's all I can see, the rest looks pretty cool.

As for my last post about a Japanese's school hallways. I based some of my maps from pictures I seen. They didn't have any lockers other then where you would walk in school. But they did for some reason have some sinks and fire extinguishers. So I will go with that and work on what you guys said. Thank you.

My Screens:

Autumn Map during dawn - I'm still making the titleset and I figure I could ask some help on how to make a forest that's in a autumn season. Any pointers? I'm not so sure about the tone of the map by the way It's the default dawn setting.


Map Select Screen. No script. Want to know if this is helpful to the players or what could make it better.


This post has been edited by Yuu-Mon Musuedo: Jun 26 2012, 09:43 PM

[Penguin]

Wow... the autumn map looks really nice. The arch looks a little... iffy, though.
I like the map select screen as well.

Here's part of the interior of a ruined castle owned by an otherworldly monster.



(I'm not a very good mapper, by the way.)

[MagitekElite]

I have greatly missed this thread.

@Yuu-Mon Musuedo

I like the map as well, though it is a bit too bright for me, it still looks good. I agree with Penguin about the arch, though I know why it looks weird. It looks like it went under a blur, or perhaps it was smaller and you image resized it to be bigger?

Your map selection screen looks great though!

@Penguin

Hmm, perhaps if you make the overall map smaller? And then cut back the left and right side of the crystal flooring?


This post has been edited by MagitekElite: Jul 6 2012, 01:40 PM

[kayden997]

@Yuu-Mon Musuedo
I'm not sure I really agree with the amount of orange tint. Perhaps if you lessen it a bit, it will still emit that feel.
I do agree with penguin about the arches. I'm just pointing out that the square shadows on the legs seem a bit off. Then again, the colour of red mixed in with the vast orange probably doesn't fit in; in my opinion.

For the second screen shot, it does give the players a visual representation of the area.
No script? Good job!


@Penguin
Problem with the castle interiors is that they always turn out bit. Problem is because there isn't that much to show within a castle.

[supercow]

@Yuu-Mon Musuedo:
-Autumn map during dawn-
just as kayden997 says, i think the orange tint is too bright
for people generally it might be okay, but for me personally its kindda hard & hurt to see

-Map select screen-
i loved it looks cool, but where is the initial screenshot where you select which place you wanna go?


@Penguin:
-Interior ruined castle-
1. its a.....kindda too much wasted space , maybe make it smaller?
2.maybe if you placed more stuff that suited the place for a castle it would look better, ex: place furniture / rug / stairs, theres so many things to be add, but your map looks so empty
3. why is there a ....bow in the wall? is it a bow?
4.there is 4 weird pillar/column (whatever it is in english) in each corner....they even look empty and wasted as decoration
5.vx alreay looked boxed, dont make boxed map too , yes in a place made by people it may look arranged but dont make it look really square

[MagitekElite]

What are the rules if no image was posted before your post that you didn't already critique? Because I have already commented on the images above and now I have something I need some other opinions on.

Lunarea suggested that I make the crystals look like they are producing the light, I guess, instead of editing the image's parallax lighting itself. So here is my first attempt. I X'd the one I didn't edit and pointed to the ones I did.

[Show/Hide] crystals for map

I placed some light underneath the tileset in GIMP, gaussian blurred it a bit, made a new layer, brightened up the crystal, blurred it a bit and then saved.

Try leaving another comment, or go back to a previous page, that way you can continue giving feedback, as well as showing your work.- Jonnie19

[Amy Pond]

Hi, this might just be me, but this is literally all I can see in the above screenshot:

[Show/Hide] Spoiler

It is seriously too dark. I had to open it in a graphics program and up the contrast hugely to even see that there was anything but pure black in the dark areas.

There are ways of making an area look "dark" without taking all the light out of it at all, but I think that needs a lengthy tutorial or something.

In short, just a slight black overlay, reduce the amount of colour a bit (desaturate), and a slight blue tone, works wonders on making areas look dark while still being navigable.

Unless, of course, you don't intend the player to be able to see these pathways at all and I am mistaken.

[Vexus]

It's the brightness settings on your screen, my project (Alive) will have the same problem on screens with low brightness.

[Amy Pond]

Indeed it does. I am using factory settings however, and I still don't think there is any reason for making a game that dark. Maybe it is just me, it would be interesting to see others' thoughts on it. But representing darkness by simply covering the screen in a dark shield isn't a good idea. It by definition obscures maps. (In Alive that seems to be the point, and I get that, of course). Just my opinions.

[Sailerius]

It's just a black blob for me. Amy Pond's advice is solid.

[Jonnie19]

There are other options you can use for that map @MagitekElite. It isn't too dark on my screen, but I have my screen up full contrast. Most people normally have it down only halfway; rather than full. I would agree with Amy Pond. You shouldn't use black, you should use a tint, that is lighter, perhaps a darker blue. with a lower opacity. Or just parallax it, which would mean greater control, because shadows aren't just circular they kindof spread out, using a parallaxing technique you'll find it more effective and realistic.

[supercow]

@MagitekElite : i also agree with @amypond , its too dark, maybe to some people its not going to be a problem.
but to me, i have to squint my eye

@jonnie19 :
1. looks empty , i think it need some more to add, maybe more trees/grass/etc>? , not really sure
2. on the top right theres a tomb thats in the middle of the road, thats weird
3. to make it easier you can just crop the trees into a character sprite
4. if it were me, id rather make the tomb in a tidy manner so as not to waste too much space, except probably 1 or 2 exception.

[Lord Vampire]

You are to critique to a previous screenshot before posting your own. Please read the rules before posting. Also please place large images like your first screenshot, in spoiler tags. Thanks ~Jonnie19

[SlappyDrac]

@Jonnie19:

It seems a tad empty in a couple of places. Maybe put a bush or sign in the spot where the pathway intersects right across from the patch of grass and something on the left side along the fence. Are you parallaxing? If so, maybe some low vines on sections of the fence and moss on a couple of the gravestones, if they're not all freshly dug.

[Show/Hide] World Map

The northern continent of the world in a game I'm developing in RM2K3. I'm debating whether or not I should use Final Fantasy graphics instead since I'm not too fond of the look of the rtp battle character sprites and and if I replaced those, I'd be compelled to replace the rest of the graphics, too. Here's a shot of the western half of the continent using a Final Fantasy chipset:

[Show/Hide] World Map FF Style

[Amy Pond]

Personally I actually much prefer the first style. Would have to see them in-game though. It depends what you're going for. The first is more playful, brighter, more colourful, but that's not always what you want in a game.
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I've tried making a nighttime filter just to try and put rambling into practice. I edited this map from RPGMakerWeb:


Source: http://tryace.rpgmakerweb.com/modern-day-resource-pack/

Try 1:


Try 2, more gritty:


Try 3 removes all the colour before adding just blue:


For contrast, this is just the screen darkerned:


I'm not really sure.

[TheCableGuy]

I think the last, darkened, screen is looks more like actual night but I think I'd start to hate looking at that for too long.

Adding in Street lights with area effects would definitely work wonders with it along with the darkened look.

Otherwise, the "gritty" map works too, though would work more for a period game.

[Vexus]

Try make a darker version of the first one. (Maybe a little more blueish)

[Saul95]

Try using these two colors and choose the one you like best:

[Yuu-Mon Musuedo]

@Amy Pond
There's something about Try 2 that I like more. Maybe somehow combine Try 2 and the one at the very bottom. But try out what Saul95 suggested.


This is a living room that I'm making. Any tips on how to improve it more? Also, is the lighting good for indoors? I'm using the screen tone, all R/G/B on -30. I also want to improve on my shadows, but the shadow tool don't go over some objects. Any suggests on that?



This post has been edited by Yuu-Mon Musuedo: Aug 19 2012, 11:45 AM