Screenshot Critique Thread: Read Rules Before Posting!

[+ randomstranger 60]

Jonnie,
I like the steps and the detail inside the peak of the roof. You could experiment with extending the rooves beyond the walls so they overhang like real eaves. I think you've already suggested that idea by hiding the top edge of the top-right window behind the roof, right?

Laura,
This map looks somehow warm and fabric-y, your style has so much texture compared to the RTP. I don't know where you find the energy to do all of this by hand, looking forward to seeing what you'll do next!

Zoroarx,
I'm afraid that even knowing it's a tribe/village, it still looks like a city to me. The abundant street lights, perfectly square paths and symmetrical layout all smack of polite civilisation. The name 'Midwild' makes me think of a place with meandering dirt paths and untrimmed grass: maybe you could try some different tiles?

 

All right, here's a map of an island in the sky. You can't see it without animation but the background scrolls and the water is translucent over top of it. And there's absolutely no justification for camping so close to the edge, except that an island in the sky is no fun if you can't actually see the sky below you

 

 

 

 

[Skysagi 224]

@randomstranger that/those map/s look really awesome! LOL I think I couldn't make a map like that one.

 

And by the way, "Midwild" is just the name, because it's a tribe that suddenly appeared in the middle of the island, between the two other ones. "Wild"  is not their way to live, but the way that they battle against enemies.

[Laura Yeah Right 25]

@randomstranger: Just like most parallax mappers, I use some kind of tiles. That tree, I made it in a separate workspace, then after adding it to the map, I played with the hue/saturation slider and contrast. The grass and rocks were drawn beforehand too.

Actually, all of my maps are blotches of textures until I add the highlights and shading which makes it come to life.

 

For the warm feeling, it helps that the physical location of that map is in some kind of borderline tropical area. It's on an island but somehow, it has no standard tropical foliage. Those trees, which are actually some kind of oak, just adapted to the climate shift. It's more, Florida-like, but with more rain.

[MrEvilPumpkin 0]

@Jonnie91

The house is adorable! I love it. The only thing that looks off to me is the porch looks like it's going underneath the house and lifting it up like it's on a foundation.

 

@randomstranger

The island looks so cool, I love all the little random vegetation.

 

This image is from a frozen over cave in my game, it kinda wraps around down to the lake.

I may have gone overboard with rocks though haha

 

 

[Tsarmina 2,612]

@MrEvilPunmpkin: It looks nice, I just wish the water parts were a little more delineated because at first I wasn't sure why the snowy tiles and the glowy-cavey-purply-??? tiles were mixed together. I guess it would also help if it was animated--which, I'm guessing it is?

[Gorlami 24]

@EvilPumpkin - I'd put more details on the ground. It looks a little bare right now.

 

Trippy dream sequence map ahoy~

[Tsarmina 2,612]

That looks like it has a mosaic-y feel to it...^-^ I still can't make up my mind whether I like the mosaic to it or not, however the coloration is gorgeousss~

[Jonnie91 1,149]

@Gorlami:

I love that effect on your map it looks beautiful

 

 

a map I'm working on for a commission, not 100% done, I'm planning to add in some sprites to the map, to fill it up abit more! I couldn't really think of anything else to add to the map, as it's a cinema room, so it's not something that should or could be filled up too much more, without it being pretty much unsafe (in realistic terms)

I'm planning to add an evented flickering light to bring a bit more to the map, but this is a basic map with a VERY simplistic tint, this isn't obviously an "in session" cinema, as there is no pictures on the screen (YET) but yeah your thoughts would be as always lovely

The tilesets are by the incredibly talented Cait not me   I am not a Tileset artist

[Quasi 54]

@Gorlami That looks really cool.  But the mosaic seems too strong on the blues.  It blends nicely with the ground though imo.

 

@Jonnie Those square thingys? on the left wall seem odd to me.  They seem indented in, while the ones on the other side are popping out.  Other then that I'd agree to fill it out with charas, or possibly another colored rug going down the center.

[Skysagi 224]

@Jonnie91

 

Woah, seriously, even if that map isn't 100% complete yet, it looks really cool and well done.

[TheHarmp 155]

@Jonnie: That cinema looks very cool, the only thing I noticed was the thing Quasi mentioned, about the things on the walls,
the airduct, or speakers, whatever they are, they point the same way on both walls, which looks a little odd.


As for my mapshot. nothing too special, a little switches puzzle, switches open/close certain gates, move the statue near the end
or moves the stone blocks near the treasure chest, it's not a difficult one, but you need to backtrack to the treasure chest if you want it.
and the monsters on the map respawn quite fast.
(and surprise, surprise, it's tinted pretty dark in there, but you get a little lamp, cause I'm a good guy.)
What do you guys think? 

edit: forgot spoilers.

Edited January 17, 2014 by TheHarmp

[Lihinel 21]

@TheHarmp: Respawning enemies? There go your extra points for not having random encounters. Nothing more annoying then having to deal with random encounters while trying to do a puzzle, respawns are a bit better, but I don't see the possibility to avoid battles in those narrow corridors.

 

@Topic: Been experimenting with light/shadoweffects a bit:

[TheHarmp 155]

@Lihinel: Well, you're not supposed to get through without having to fight, and though they respawn rather quickly
you can get through the entire map with 8 fights (assuming you go back for the treasure)
the entire left side of the map is straightforward, flip the switch, door opens, walk through, find switch, flip it, door opens, etc.
only on the right side will you have to backtrack parts and check what the switch actually did, because it happened offscreen.
and the right side of the map has only 3 mobs.. and you need to level up somehow..ahaha.

ps. Your winterforest looks very pretty, but the shadows underneath the trees on the right seem to (also) be pointing the wrong way; towards the path.
unless ofcourse it's a shadow from a cloud or something, in which case, nevermind me. wonderful map.


 

[Tsarmina 2,612]

@Lihinel: Not bad, the shadows are a little overextended under the trees, and also it's a little unusual for snow to have settled on everything except for the dandelion leaves Is that a Victorian sprite? (If so, your score shoots up into the stratosphere  )

[MrEvilPumpkin 0]

@Tsarmina

Thank you for pointing that out, I decided to change the waterfall tiles because they did look quite out of place, and now to better matches the surrounding frozen water tiles and the other cave tiles. But it is all static, because the water is completely frozen.

 

@Bauwnjorrno

I agree, I do need to add more details on the floor, no cave is as clean as that haha

[Skysagi 224]

@Lihinel Good map, but... The shadows of the trees on the right are pointing the wrong way, making it, a little confusing, and like Tsarmina said, they are a little overextended. Maybe you can change the shadow effects of the trees on the right?

 

@TheHarmp Really good design, even better than my "Ruined Place" maps o.o

[Lihinel 21]

@Jonnie91:The screen seems a bit tiny or is it meant to be a modified theater room or the like? Nevermind if you are actually going to display something on it and the size is fixed by this.

 

@TheHarmp: If its straigt forward its fine, not that I want to go through without fighting, but I think its frustrating to have to fight against the same enemies times and times again while you try to figure out the puzzle, thats what I meant.

 

@All regarding the tree shadows: Thanks for pointing it out. Those are part of the map, not the overlay and I made the map long before I started expermenting with light/shadows, anyway, it was an easy fix.

 

@Tsarmina: Yes, at least kind of what I aimed for, its an edited/franken sprite of one of the nobels from the RTP and a custom character, it's meant for the main character to stand out a bit from the rest of the cast of mostly medival type characters. (Her sidekick is a cat-girl maid)

Edited January 18, 2014 by Lihinel

[Gorlami 24]

@Lihinel - use the scatter brush mang. Get that snow tile you're using as a pattern, and scatter it around the path. It looks a bit like it's floating in mid air right now.

 

Big ol' picture from me. This is a little campsite underneath a ruined overpass.

 

 

 

 

 

[+ Brackev 66]

@Gorlami I had to lean in to see the difference between the layers. Consider adding some dark blue in the 2nd and 3rd layers. What is that hanging down about a 1/3rd in from the left? It looks like a studio spotlight.

[Tsarmina 2,612]

The layers were hard for me too, especially closer to the right. (I guess parallax movement would make it a little easier to tell while it's in motion...unless it's not in motion...

[user975483 26]

@Gorlami:

I'm really diggin' that look, it reminds me of Limbo. Like the others have said, I would brighten up the background so it's a little easier to see. Other than that, it's perfect. Can't wait to see how this is gonna turn out!

[erichermit 9]

@Lihinel

I love that screenshot. Your addition of lighting effects really brings out the true potential of the map. Everything just seems deeper because of it.

 

 

As for me, I decided to post two screenshots. One is of my already-released game Enex2. The other is of my upcoming game Luminux, which has a web-player demo available. Both of which have topics which can be accessed via my signature.

 

 

Edited January 24, 2014 by erichermit

[Big Fat Mantis 40]

@erichermit: That first screen looks amazing.  Did you modify the hanzo dungeon tiles to make that?  Because they look great.  I'm not sure what the red is supposed to be though.  It can't be lava... right?

 

Now, I have yet to reveal any real information on my project.  But I want to make sure I'm at least mapping somewhat decently so that I can keep it up, or fix it if it's not really making sense.  Especially since I usually only tile my maps with no parallaxatives.  So here is the Altar of Ice:

 

 

 

 

Edited January 24, 2014 by Big Fat Mantis

[erichermit 9]

I only used the base RPGXP RTP. I combined the Lava Cave and the Ice Cave tileset, and also did a little bit of recolor. Then I applied a light purple screen tint to the whole think.

 

That is Lava. There is some special magic going on in that cave.

[Tsarmina 2,612]

@Mantis: Uh...how exactly do you get to that altar? For non-parallax, well done! However, unless the walls are an arch (taller near the center and shorter near the ends) your walls are a tile too short at the very top and bottom

 

@erichermit: The crystal and lava mix is slightly jarring to the eye at first glance, otherwise well done