RPGDX > Forums > Graphics > New tilework

js71 · Wandering DJ Joined: 22 Nov 2002 Posts: 815

Well, just today I decided to study the artwork of several SNES rpgs and see if I could learn another thing or two... After quite a bit of staring at screen captures of Chrono Trigger, Terranigma, Illusion of Gaia and Soul Blazer, I came up with this...

And the 2x version-- I know it's more saturated, (shouldn't be) this is (I think) because I saved it with a different program than the first, must've been different encoding or something...

Going for the easy on the eyes, washed-out pastel look. The grass is based on (read: no edits, of course :p) Chrono Trigger's mountain grass, the houses are based on the cottages in Terranigma's village of Crysta... And that's the main thing I'm concerned about. I think they may look far too similar. As I said I did not edit or copy any tiles, but compare the above mockups to this screenshot of Terranigma:

...and you'll see what I mean.
It's mainly the roof I'm talking about, obviously. It could just be me (tell me if it is), but I doubt it. I think I may have studied Terranigma's houses a bit too closely. ;)

I'm not sure if I want to redo the houses (that'd seem like somewhat of a waste), but anything I can do to make them look more original, well, I'll try it.

Anyway, there's two reasons I'm posting this:
1) To get general opinions on the art. This art isn't for any project, really, but I'm trying to really build my skill with this 'session' of studying and improvement.
2) To try and find ways to make the house roofs look more original. If I wasn't so concerned with not looking like a rip-off I might just leave them, but...

So... I guess that's it. Fire away.

Terry · Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2005 9:09 am Post subject:

Just a few comments at random:

- The water in your screenshot is excellent, for whatever that's worth :)

- I've never actually seen a house that looks like that (a barn, maybe): thatched houses would close all the way up to the top in a /\ shape, and I don't think they would be layered quite so densely. But perhaps I'm wrong.

- If you really want to be original, maybe you should try and get away from the thatched look altogether? Charcoal gray or red tiling (like in towns in FF6) would seem like a good alternative.

Try studying some photos for ideas : these seem like as good a place as any to start.

And good luck! That's way above and beyond anything I've ever mocked up :)
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js71 · Wandering DJ Joined: 22 Nov 2002 Posts: 815

Ren · Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2005 11:34 am Post subject:

Those shots look great. If there's a gripe I have about them though, it's the lack of character. Houses aren't usually a box with a hay roof, real thatched cottages often look a little warped, and the thatch is continuous. Also, see where around the edges of the thatch you've made it a little shaggy? I love that, but you could take it a little further and give it a noticable home-made feel about it, that'd be great. Also, there's bricks on the roof, which is a crazy design choice of I ever saw one.
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Locrian · Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2005 3:11 pm Post subject:

yeah, making the roof continuous would be nice. The roof is also a bit bright I think, hurts my eyes in the 2x version. Probably just the white highlight.

js71 · Wandering DJ Joined: 22 Nov 2002 Posts: 815

Mandrake · Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2005 12:03 pm Post subject:

Excellent work. It does look different enough (possibly from the pastel-y look, which I use myself cause pastels are fun) that I wouldn't say I could place an influence.
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RuneLancer · Mage Joined: 17 Jun 2005 Posts: 441

Very nice!

You should consider doing something about the black line at the bottom. It seperates the grass from the wall too harshly and looks a little weird where blades of grass crawl up the wall.

Looking forward to seeing a scene with some sprites. :P That would be awesome.
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js71 · Wandering DJ Joined: 22 Nov 2002 Posts: 815

Yes, I plan to get rid of the somewhat blatant 'divider' between wall and grass, though it's pretty easy to do and I guess as such I've put it off until now. Does anyone else think the latest mockup is off, perspective-wise? Maybe a reason ff6 did it differently? I mean, you probably shouldn't be able to see the back sides of the wings' roofs... but without the '3d-ish' effect, it looks somewhat flat. I think I'm going to use the effect, I just want to know if anyone thinks it looks 'wrong' first.

DeveloperX · Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2005 4:39 am Post subject:

RuneLancer · Mage Joined: 17 Jun 2005 Posts: 441

The perspective looks fine, but the roof looks a little flatter than you'd expect it to if you take that into account. :) The one without the back part looks odd and definitely not as good as the one where it shows. However, the back parts show too much and because of the angle the house is viewed at, they seem to be somewhat longer than in front.

At least that's how it appears to me. ;) Because the viewpoint is almost parallel with the back part and almost perpendicular with the front, the back should be sensibly shorter than the front.

Still, it looks quite good! *thumbs up!*
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js71 · Wandering DJ Joined: 22 Nov 2002 Posts: 815

Well, rotate it 90 degrees clockwise then look at it... You'll see what I mean there. The angle the roofs join at should TECHNICALLY be 'steeper' for lack of a better word, but there's not really a way to make it look like that without butchering it even more... I guess it's one of those things like the Zelda 3 perspective-- technically 'wrong', but still works fine. :p

EDIT: By the way, currently taking a short break from houses to work on cliff/rock tiles... going for a Chrono Trigger look. I know Squaresoft's cliffs have always been the most impressive part of most of their games' graphics for me, so I want to see if I can pull it off. It's actually going pretty well so far.

EDIT: Whew... Here's my progress on the cliff tiles so far... (mockup)

...There's still some things I need to do/tweak, obviously, but I'm pretty damn proud of this one. Never thought I could do decent cliffs...

EDIT: Another update, more tiles... the shadows are somewhat temporary-- and as such, blocky. :P

Nodtveidt · Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2005 11:20 am Post subject:

You can make the roof look better by drawing the top half even shorter than it is. It'll give it better perspective while keeping the "fuller" appearance of the wings.

Those cliff tiles rock. :D
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Bjorn · Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2005 2:05 pm Post subject:

Woah indeed. Your first tiles looked really nice already, and these cliff tiles are awesome!

Terry · Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2005 2:23 pm Post subject:

That cliff is incredible - I can't even tell where the tile edges are. You're right - you do make much better work of organic things.

My only suggestion would be to use less saturated colors, a shade darker at least.

If you're not going to use these for a game, perhaps someone else will? :) Why don't you donate them to a game-maker project? I think OHRRPGCE doesn't have any test graphics, (at least it didn't last time I checked it out... it's gone open source now, I think)
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