Hey first time posting here hehe.

Anyway I'm changing the previous bland title screen from alive to something "animated" and I would really like some opinions/suggestions on how to maybe improve it or if it looks good already.

I'm going to upload a video as it's better explained this way than trough screenshots.

Link:

Link (I'm sorry for the hiss sound I don't know where it came from)

The logo scene is still getting some edits here and there but that's currently the new layout. (Now will have to find some sound)

If you wait for like 12+ seconds the title screen will switch to a random scene (There are currently 5) which show other people you might or might not meet

Logo scene and cut scenes can be skipped by pressing enter which takes you to title screen.

So, good/bad?

Thanks for the feedback

I can't read any of the stuff in red, it looks just like paint was thrown on the screen, like a blood stain. Everything else looks pretty cool, I like the lighting and shadow effects going on. But there isnt much point in putting text in a video if no one can read it.

Taken from the first post.

The red font says "Digital Mind Studio" using a custom font.

Studio might be a little hard to read but in youtube it gets resized from 640x480 to a smaller "screen" it kinda makes it look blurry even with 480p quality.

Anyway I tried increasing the font size:



How is that?

I didn't know about the difference in youtube quality, but after seeing your edit I still cant read it clearly. Maybe make the words not so thick? They just don't seem very defined. If your advertising your company name I would think to make it simple and easy for ppl to read, however if you are going for a more artistic look then id say it looks good.

I like the brain with the digital stuffs in it, but why is the text bloody? 0.o
Just curious, because if there isn't a particular reason then it would match better if it were digitised in some way rather than bloody-splatter looking. =]

Alive is a survival horror in a zombie infested world thought I would use a "creepy" font.

The game is set in black and white and only red is visible as colour ala sin city.

@Lato

Well it's not exactly a company I just wanted to add a logo to the game and had no clue what to add so I started thinking on a company name of sorts and that's what I came up with.

Ah, so your logo is representing your game and your studio at the same time?

What you could do, is use a normal readable font and then put blood splatter behind the text; it would be easier to read. ^^

Something like this x-m-o?



Something quick to give an example.

Yeah, that helps make it more readable. ^^
Obviously you might want to refine it a bit, but it's a step in the right direction. =D

Your new "animated" title screen is actually pretty good. It does give some horror vibe, really fitting for your project.

@ X-M-O

By refine I guess you mean more readable?

@ Dark Kyu

Thanks, seeing many projects incorporating some sort of animated title then looking at mine which was the same old bland one I decided to switch and have an extra twist with random cutscenes when you wait x seconds in the title screen

(In the future I may add more than 5 but it's tough to bring out ideas and execute them properly.)

Sort of, but by "refine" I'm meaning more like "complete". It just seems like a "rough-draft", if that makes any sense. =]
For example, the image in your signature that says "Alive" appears more complete than the "digital mind studio" text.

The blood could be edited to be more believable I guess but I'll just say I'm not that great at doing these small details heh so I'll do my best and post another version for criticism.

(Also my current alive sig is no longer the actual word used in the title screen as it can be seen in the link that shows the title screen animation progress)

Ah, that makes sense then. ^^
Yes, I'd love to see what you come up with. =]

Just want to say that the current sig is a slightly edited version of the title from the game 'I am Alive' while the newer version looks more creepy imo.

Sorry for the double post but since no one replied I have to show the slightly updated version.



Resized it a little as it was kinda big, made the white blend more with the red and a little darker and more blood splatter?

I seriously don't know how to make the blood better, some pictures as examples if this one still could improve in blood department would really help.

The brain picture is actually good, but the blood looks more like dirt...
I don't know how to improve it, I'd just blur the writing less, in order to make people read them easily.

In my opinion, you could just remove blood and make the writings fit the picture (some sci-fi regulat font).
I don't know if I have explained what I wanted to say properly...

Jens

Try the Wet Paint Font, it might work better. =]

@Jens - Actually the text is not blurred just given options to enhance it with the help of photoshop, only the blood is kinda blurred but since the background is black it won't show any difference apart of spreading more.

@X0-M-O - I appreciate the help but that fonts seems too simple apart of the drops at the bottom, gotta keep on searching myself or find some tutorial on blood lol.

Thanks anyway.

[Edit]

Used some brush and edits, what do you think of this?

hmm, idk... personally... well, i.. find it a little hard to read too.. >o<\'

.. Maybe u can try duplicating the white font on top. Then, with the duplicated layer, try blurring it by selecting "gaussian blur" and choosing something between 3px to maybe even 8?

I do find the text especially hard to read, you gotta kinda consider also the Screen Res of some of the older computers, I must admit X-M-O's idea could be used effectively, you could overlap the font with extra additional blood. drawn by yourself, then combine that with a gaussian blur like Magical_Rune_KNight said. I personally would think that'll work

I have photoshop cs 4 just to clarify.

@jonnie - I actually donwloaded a bunch of blood splatter brushes yesterday the current picture shown was utilizing those brushes.

@magical - I tried duplicating the text which made the text more bright, tried doing the gaussian blur from filter menu (Only place I could find it) but it makes the text very blurry at 3 and 8 not even readable.

Only word I might understand is hard to read is the S but for the rest I can perfectly read them, are they really that hard to read excluding the S?

I can upload the photoshop file and try messing around yourself with the gaussian blur if you want tough.

Thanks for the help ppl.

No problem : ) and yes, if u could upload the photoshop file, that would be fantastic! >.<

Did u blur only the duplicated layer? (and move it below the original?)
Also, did u remove the font effects?

i forgot to mention that. >.<\

The brain and the BG doesn't blend properly, since I can see it like 2 separated images combined.
Oh, and the font..For me, I think you need to resize the font, and put it close to the brain pic. That'd be better..hopefully ^^

@Ndoelicious

By BG I assume you mean the black background?

If yes the background was always black but the blurred area was cut off in the original picture and I made it more rounded to look better.

The font moves closer to the brain ingame which I can edit freely whenever I want, the picture is only here to display the font.

@Magical

Yes I tried making the blur on the duplicated layer and tried above and under the text, under the text it only makes the "black holes" in the words white not really that nice in my opinion.

I removed the red border around the text but left the inner shadow and drop shadow. (If you remove inner shadow the text completely changes.)

Anyway here's a link of the file, sorry was at work couldn't upload it earlier but here:

Link

Thanks

Here, I edit some of you.
Does it look better for you? Hopefully it does

Seems very blurred out not sure it's a good idea on using that when some people are saying they can't read the clear version heh.

Thank you anyway.

Blurred?
But I didn't do anything, just fix the BG color..lol

Thats alright. Thanks a lot for the upload. \o/ It was very helpful! \o/ \o/

Hmm... maybe even try something like this...? :

i was a little delayed too, sorry.' But i tried messing around w/ it.. hopefully u like it.
i can give u the photoshop file too, if u want.

I'd honestly suggest that you don't blurr the text at all, or keep the messy edges minimal, to make your text clear. The blood splatter around the text is fine, though.

My problem is the title screen. You have so much negative space (space that is unused/not filled with anything) while the title itself is so small that it fails to really pop out. While it looks like you are trying to go for subtly, since this is a horror game you are making, it still wouldn't hurt to increase the size of the title a little bit.

Not much I can do but I tried editing it a little:



Barely visible infected (In full screen or higher brightness shows them more, tough a shame.).

-

As regards the text thanks for the help magical but the words are far too white and shiny/blurry? The game is dark on purpose so I wouldn't really want shiny stuff.

Are you able to read the text better like that tough?

I'm still curious how people can't read the text well, I don't have a great eye sight but I can see it perfectly.

I'll try viewing the text with a lower resolution to see previous poster issue but apart of that I really have no clue.

personally, i can kind of read it better w/ the blur and glow attempt, but that just might be my own bias in knowing what im thinking.

... i think the same kind of.. applies to u too though. Like u know what it means, so u already know what it says without needing to really think about it or read it. \(' ^ ')/ Or u know what u want it to say.

Maybe these will give u an idea of what ppl mean?.. :

The first two sentences of my post was referring to your studio name, not the title. The text of the title really didn't need to have any changes, what I am suggesting is that you increase the size of your title. The reason is because you have so much black space in your image that is kind of drawing attention away from your title a little bit. Keep in mind, I'm not saying you should make the text jumbo-sized, that would kill the mood of your image, just make it big enough to stand out a bit more.

Ok so I tried improving the logo scene, how's this:

Link

(Bottom binary should mean digital mind)

If I could make it animated I would make some lights on the brain but I lack the knowledge on how to do that and might end up with something alternative or leave it like that.

I don't think the clock sound should be playing. Maybe some electrical sparks?

And I was also thinking that the brain should be "alive" somehow.
Maybe a gradual pulsing glow, or some circles running along the insides (like a circuit board with electric pulses running along the wires)

Problem is this logo scene is being done throughout events on a map.

The title screen is skipped sort of and let's me add these kind of stuff, the sounds could be improved as I tried searching for something suitable for 2+ hours but couldn't find anything decent but not sure where to search :/

I could do a gradual glow by utilizing a picture with 0 opacity then on move picture I get it to x opacity in 20 frames or such tough.

Thanks for the tip.

I'm updating the logo but I couldn't make circles running inside the brain correctly sorry kayden.

What I did was make a glow on every circle on the brain which will slowly show then fade away after x seconds.

I'm trying to edit the sound by having a spark but some of the clock sound will remain as I can't remove it without removing part of the song. (Not good in these things.)

I'll post an updated version shortly.

[Edit]

Here's a link to what I typed above.

Link

For any more changes suggestions please let me know.

Thanks

Bump

Any opinions on the new version?

I think the new version is rather perfect
I've only a suggestion... make the text gradually fade in / out instead of moving it.
In my opinion this could provide a better effect.

The code highlight animation is pretty good. The effect is really well done

Jens

Thanks jens

Actually the words do fade in while moving but I see your point and will try it out.

Thanks for the tip.