Screenshot Critique Thread: Read Rules Before Posting!

[LordSquirrel 150]

What is the intention of the map ZoroarX? Is it supposed to be a small clearing in a forest?

[Skysagi 219]

It's supposed to be a forest battle field, like I said. Three characters will fight against a giant Dragon in this map (don't even ask why is the dragon in a forest, you need to play the game to know (this part is not released yet)).

Guys, I'm already fixing it, I'll post the updated version soon.

Edited March 8, 2014 by ZoroarX

[Teko 1]

@Raindeerman: Nice map, I really liked the Forest, but the grass around the patch isn't too dark to the grass you used? I don't like the one size vertical patch too (the grass on the middle), but i think this is a title "problem".

 

I'm still working on this map, and I'm trying to use an animated parallax water, so don't mind the objects on bottom left.

 

[Tsarmina 2,612]

@Teko: Good mapping ^^ For that group of four trees in the center, I'd suggest adding one more somewhere. It's proven visually that odd numbers of items are more appealing to the eye. Also, that green pillar in the center seems to blend in. Maybe pull up the contrast in a graphics editing program or something.

[Skysagi 219]

Alright, guys, it's finished.
Here's the new version:

To clarify, this is a Battle Map (XAS System will be used in this map) so we need enough space in the middle.

 

 

Edited March 9, 2014 by ZoroarX

[ShinGamix 101]

@ZX why is the middle so empty??

 

@TheHarmp Credit MogHunter for that screen btw its from his Schala Battle System.

 

What do you guys think of my battles? Hope that counts in this thread

(Project about a year old and yes I did notice the battle hud was off alignment by -16 pixels. I fixed the variable in the script after the making of this video)

Edited March 9, 2014 by ShinGamix

[Skysagi 219]

@ShinGamix please can you guys stop saying that about the center of the map? It's a Battle Map (XAS System)! I'll specify it, wait, I'll edit the post.

Edited March 9, 2014 by ZoroarX

[Quasi 54]

@shingamix I really like that snow battle's bg wave.  Little confused on what those circles, before the character attacks, does.  guessing it increases dmg? And it's a bit hard to notice the A in the middle of it. 

[Raindeerman 13]

I'm guessing it's a similar system to that of legend of Dragoon to increase damage or something like you said.

Edited March 10, 2014 by Raindeerman

[TheHarmp 155]

@TheHarmp Credit MogHunter for that screen btw its from his Schala Battle System.

I'm aware of that, but I wasn't showing it off as my own, I was showing that even with that battlesystem you can have smaller/ more filled up maps.

 

Your battlesystem is looking good by the way!

[Polidoro 104]

@zor- you're asking what we think of your map but its just a large empty area with a tree border to it. There's nothing to say about it other than the one or two characteristics about it. Large. Empty.

You can make a map that is large enough for a battle and still have enough details in it to make it not look like somebody put it together in 5 seconds. Like Tamar said, adding dirt paths in it will help kill the repetitiveness going on. Flowers, rocks, small stones/pebbles, grass variations, ground indentations, etc are all things you can add that won't get in the way of mobility for the events involved. Even adding small streams or tiny ponds would help tremendously and could even add some tactical aspects as far as the battle goes. Asking for a critique on such a map is like drawing a square, coloring it in, and adding a few dots in it, on a piece of paper and asking what people think of your art. There's nothing there to judge.

Edited March 9, 2014 by Polidoro

[Lihinel 21]

@ZoroarX: You might want to use some different ground tiles (or just some more tall grass) to make things look more interesting without changing to openness of the map itself.

 

@ShinGamix: Overall pretty cool, but what about the moving background in the mine and the wave effect on the mountain? (Don't get me wrong, nice effects as is, but they just seem a bit out of place)

Also the menu seems a bit on the slow side, but that may just appear this way because of the presentation, if you can switch between menu points quicker than shown here never mind.

 

@Topic:

Trying to improve some of my maps based on feedback:

(Better shadows, no more flowers, ways no longer strictly vertical/north-south or horizontal/east-west, new graphics program with other brushes)

 

Old version:

 

 

Edited March 11, 2014 by Lihinel

[Raindeerman 13]

@LIhinel: That looks much better than the previous one, Keep up the good work man.

[TheHarmp 155]

@Lihinel: I agree with Raindeerman, it looks very good,
the slightly slanted path makes it look totally different from the straight forward one.
Good job! Keep it up.
 

[Rudolfus 3]

@Lihinel: Looks good. I really like your graphic style. 

@Raindeerman: Very well done. Very atmospheric. 

@LadyBloodSong: Hurrah, another person who just sticks to good ol' RTP. My only point of feedback is that it feels a bit too crowded. I'm all for filling up maps with details like stones and fallen leaves, but if you do too much of it you start to take away focus from the real point of attention of your map. In your case, the monastery. Also this might be nitpicking, but I noticed a little error at the very top left of your screen where you forgot to put the tree's upper left corner. 

 

Time to post some mapping of my own. Its all for my current project:

 

 

---

This one is a village built on elevations in the middle of a plain. Its not -completely- finished yet but its done enough to put it up for feedback.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another village. This one is at the foot of a mountain range and is supposed to look barren, dreary and an overall unpleasant place to be. In the upper right house lives a herbalist/botanist who managed to grow trees even in these cold foothills.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 11, 2014 by Rudolfus

[Raindeerman 13]

@Rudolfus: Make the very back cliff extend down more where it is above the water. Right now you have elevation issues because it goes all the way up to where the raised areas are. It just looks funny.

[ShinGamix 101]

@LIhinel: 1. The new map with the angled path is much more pleasant to me. aka I like it!!

                2. In reply to you comment. A lot of those features are testing the options. Some places I just put a ton of stuff to see if I can bog or overdo the game engine to see what my limits will be. Also while I was recording that I had a ton of                           stuff open on my computer so that was some of the lag you saw.

 

@Rudolfus: Image 1: I like how you varied the raised areas here. But how is the water getting into that town? There is no river or water on the outer part of the town.

                   Image 2 : I would like to see a cascade of elevated areas on the way down mountain/hillside instead of one of the same elevation across. Also why is there nothing on the big ass hillside on the left of the map?

                                   It is so much unused space. Also need more snowy areas if it a cold area. How are there beach trees in a cold climate too btw?

[YummyTiger 6]

@Lihinel: Nice map. While the slanted path helps, I think the other things you did made a far bigger impact. The rough path edge look a lot more like snow would fall. The way you use the grass pattern more sparingly worked well. Removing the bright yellow flowers took away a distraction. It looks like a winter path now, although I wonder why there are not at least a few splotches of snow on the path itself. But, that is such a minor comment, the map works as is.

 

@Rudolfus: You need to use the shadow tool and start adding some shadows to give the map depth in certain places. I also do not fully understand the water you have placed, it appears to be on several elevations. What is with the mound of dirt in the top middle? It looks weird. Why do the top houses have a trap door on the top, but none of the others do? Finally, I would add a little more clutter around the town itself. The ground is pretty barren, and I do not fully understand the white lines.

 

Well, I just made my first attempt at parallaxing. I posted a mine entrance map a few pages back and since I could not get the passability to work right, I started over and just parallaxed the map instead. Let me know what you think and whether it is an improvement. Thanks!

 

New map:

 

Old map:

Edited March 12, 2014 by YummyTiger

[ShinGamix 101]

@YummyTiger I really like that map!!! Only thing I like better in the old map was the stone steps on the center building instead of the new stone walkway.

Also would like to see the lower regions have a cave or too and maybe even a mineral cave that drops off a broken track to the gorge below!

[HumanNinja 144]

@ShinGamix: Very cool video. I like how you were able to have the animated battlers along with the ATB gauge all together. I wish I could script so I could do that... Oh well. Looks very nice to me. I like your menu setup except for the ring menu part of the main menu. It is hard to see everything and seems like it may be frustrating to find what your looking for bc you can only see 3 things at a time. I do like the equipment menu you have with the item slots on the pic of the chars body. Very nice looking stuff. It shows that you've spent a lot of time on all of it.

[J0pac 20]

@ShinGamix:Nice battle system you got there ,but exactly which part of it was made by you all I see Is bunch of others people graphics and scripts(moghunter/Hanzo Kimura)don't get me wrong It looks very nice and all ,but still...Are you using VX or VX Ace!?
Correct me if I'm wrong ,but I think Hanzo said that we can't use his battle message skin,the one you're using.

 

Here's a pic from me...
I've made window skin for my game.At first it looked really ugly to me but now ,I just don't know what to think.So give me some feedbacks ,should I use the old one.

BTW in the background you can see my second, inside parallax map

 

 

 

Need to move face picture a bit just didn't figure out how yet

 

The name window is messed up because i had to lower it down to match the custom skin...

 

 

 

Edited March 13, 2014 by J0pac

[+ Retired 274]

@J0pac its coming along nicely the interior parallax map

 

As for the window I like it if the aim is a more modern / futuristic look.

 

Have you considered replacing faces with busts?

[Cait 385]

@J0pac: I really like your map but I think I like the one on the top.  It has a unique look about it.  I wish there was more I could say but alas I can't think of anything else to add.  

 

My screen is from my game called Cat and Dog Gaiden.  The face is temporary and I hope I can get some feedback on the over all style of the mapping plus the puddle the windowskin in general.  I am not so sure about the little paws I used at the bottom of the message.  I wanted it to look like a dog or a cat walking but I don't know.  o.o  Oh the windows are temporary as I research Edo style windows and create them in the next few days so those windows are temporary only.

 

[Raindeerman 13]

I think the paws would look better if they were white with a black outline like the rest of the text. Just my opinion.

[J0pac 20]

@AlliedG:Ah...I know what you mean, unfortunately it's not sfi-game it's a traditional fantasy game with some elements of modern.I got the same problem with my battle hud...
Think I'll try to make a new one the more I look at It the less I like it. I would gladly replace faces with busts if only I had someone to make them for me,which is highly unlikely.Since It's a lot of work and everything...

 

@Cait:The map is nice.I really like the idea of paws in message box ,but it took me some time to actually see them so I'd agree with Raindeerman.Either change them to match the rest, so it's more visible or just remove them...

Edited March 14, 2014 by J0pac