The Resource WIP thread 2

[Rukiri]

I generally don't have issues with bodies, but hair is another story...  I've probably redrawn this god knows how many times.

And like animations, side frames always scare me the most... 

 

[Crazy_Leen]

Rukiri:

I feel ya. You think you make a nice character and then you are fumbeling with a decent sideview and it's just.... torture sometimes xD

One of the many reasons I'm not too keen on making them <w<

It feels like the hair's a bit.... too... how to say it... too much? Like there's more hair in the front (so infront of his forehead area) than you'd guess from the front. Maybe it just seems like it...

Since the MV is basicly on its way, I kinda got motivated to make some stuff already. So I thought I'd sit down and start making some custom icons uwu

Not a whole lot yet but I hope I can make a decent basic "starter set" : 3

( you can't see it because of the white background, but the icons are double, because the second sets have an dditional white outline.
I think it's always good to have those too; depending on a game's menu background, extra, light outlines might give it more pe : D )

 

[Bastrophian]

Plz tell me what you all think of these tiles so far! Ive been working hard on them all night! Be honest!!! Do they look painterly?!

 

[GrandmaDeb]

Plz tell me what you all think of these tiles so far! Ive been working hard on them all night! Be honest!!! Do they look painterly?!

I don't know painterly. But I do know likerly! And I like.


Nice feel, nice tone, nice level of brightness, nice thingy in the middle (words fail me!)

 

[Kes]

@deathswallow

for me those diagonal lines are a bit too strong.  They overpower the other elements making up the tiles.

 

[GrandmaDeb]

Actually, with the starry background, they would be a cool semi-transparent tile as well.

 

[Bastrophian]

I don't know painterly. But I do know likerly! And I like.

Nice feel, nice tone, nice level of brightness, nice thingy in the middle (words fail me!)

^_^ Oh yay! Thanks a bunch! Im glad you like them!... Although ...the think in the middle is suposed to be like an "alter or pedestal", but thats ok, cuz it is pretty strangely shaped! Also....T_T the tiles "are" transparent....i guess i need to rework those a little ....personally, i was kind of afraid these might make someone go blind cuz of how bright they are. T_T. 

EDIT: i almost felt like i was gonna have to put on some shades while i was making them. lol

@deathswallow

for me those diagonal lines are a bit too strong.  They overpower the other elements making up the tiles.

I think i agree with you. I'm gonna try to rework them. Thanks for you feedback!

 

[Rukiri]

Plz tell me what you all think of these tiles so far! Ive been working hard on them all night! Be honest!!! Do they look painterly?!

Not bad, a bit blocky but not bad.  

I think the glass tiles should line up so it looks seemless.  

 

[Bastrophian]

@Rukiri- lol, thanks! I'm....actually going to redo most of these though. Im re-evaluating my skills....i guess. but i'll me back with something even better....eventually.

 

[GrandmaDeb]

So I am pretty unclear sometimes. I think I made it hard for people to give feedback because the way I presented the tile was in map that really wasn't well done.


http://forums.rpgmakerweb.com/index.php?/topic/39786-the-resource-wip-thread-2/?p=432519


I hope I am not naggy to ask if the feedback I received was really directed to the tiles I made or just the contrast between the tiles I made and the desert sand in the bad map I made. =/


So here is another look at the tiles:

is there enough color difference and contrast, and does the pattern stand out too much? Please and thanks.


(It is a 48x48 tile meant to be a desert stone road. I know it doesn't have a darkened border yet.


I am waiting to see how MV does that.)

Spoiler

I was inspired by Princess Amy's stone road

 

[Banquo]

In some parts (probably along the edges of a tile) The stones look smaller and cramped. You can see that the stones in the center are bigger and rounder.

Colour difference and contrast are good.

It's a bit questionable though. Sorry if that sounds harsh: It looks more copied than inspired. It's almost the same colours, the same type of tile and pattern. I'd use the colours of Princess Amy's stone road to get a proper colour palette fast, but I wouldn't use it to create the exact same type of tile with it, unless it's only for practise.

 

[GrandmaDeb]

@banquo,


I appreciate your time, your input, and certainly your honesty. Thank you!


What I keep seeing is this swirl effect. I think it is because edges are too dark.


(snip turned out bigger than planned!

Spoiler

It persists - although I have lightened the edges in random areas to try and break it up, and it runs through big and small tiles.


You are right that my pattern has some clusters of smaller tiles. I may just need to rework those clustered areas entirely. I'd rather wait until I have a good idea of what to do "right" before I attack it with a wholesale change.


*more evenly sized stones

 

[Candacis]

In my opinion, making A2 autotiles is one, if not, the hardest thing to do. Because making them look seamless and good on a big surface is difficult to achieve and they are so important, defining the look of your map. I know, I struggle with A2 myself.

So, don't despair, if you don't get it right at the first try, it takes a lot of trial and error. Especially with a natural stone look.

I made some lines in here, compare it with the original. I marked some very visible lines in your pattern that makes it look tiled. One, because they have darker edges, but more importantly, because the stones are arranged in horizontal or vertical lines, meaning the height, size and lineup of them is almost the same. You only change this if you change the pattern.

And if you want to make it close to mv rtp, I can maybe tell you that the single stones there are bigger and it is done with pixel art/painting (meaning, probably with a pencil and not a big brush). So, you would need to change your lighting technique.

But it will already help you, looking closely at the vx/ace rtp. Study the A2 stone patterns and how shadow/light was used in them. Most of the time you have dark spots between the stones, sometimes like a dark ring/edge around one stone, then a bright edge color and then in the middle the middle color. You've gone the opposite route and just put a bright spot in the middle of the stones. Try switching that to bright edges here and there and with darker spots in between the stones. I would recommend using a pencil tool with low oppacity.

 

[GrandmaDeb]

Try switching that to bright edges here and there and with darker spots in between the stones. I would recommend using a pencil tool with low oppacity.

Thank you very much.
When you say bright edges, you mean the outside edge of each stone should be bright, not the center, right?


(So I was backwards with the bright highlight in the middle!)


Back I go to the very first layer..... (Thank you very much Candacis and Banquo!)

 

[Candacis]

Yes. Just look at the rtp a2 stone autotiles and you see they have a 1 pixel large bright edge around the stone (most of the time not all the way around, but only at certain spots). And sometimes outside of that you have an additional dark edge around the stone.

 

[Sharm]

Don't think of it as shading the center or shading the edge because then you'll get pillow shading or some strange second outline.  Think of it as highlighting the spot or spots on the rock that would catch the most light on the stone.  Varying where exactly that spot is will give it more depth overall.

Your swirl effect is because of an implied line.  Our minds like to finish things for us and find patterns in things.  It can be a useful tool but sometimes it gets in the way when making seamless tiles.  If you look closely you'll see that you've got an actual line along where you're seeing that swirl, and it's emphasized by the rocks right by that line being darker and smaller than the ones outside.  You need to use highlights and larger rocks and move things around a little to break it up so that when your mind looks for a pattern it isn't given a path.

 

[GrandmaDeb]

Okay. I started over. (wah)


I think I got rid of most of the tiled appearance. (except maybe that one dark spot - drat)

Spoiler

 

[Sharm]

You've got an equally standing out bright tile right next it it.  Break of the top of the bright one, make it a part of the dark spot so you don't have that spot anymore and it should work better.

 

[GrandmaDeb]

Okay, I'm finally liking it.

 

[Candacis]

Looks better already!

Some highlights might be a good idea. With a 1px pencil put some white-yellow around the edges of the stone. Put it on a new layer, so you can play around with the opacity a bit.