Isometric Interaction, Look/Feel Concepts (warning: large images)

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396 comments, last by strahan 18 years, 5 months ago
Quote:Original post by graveyard filla
i dont really think its possible to use a 3d API to render 2d fog. the same goes for lighting and all that stuff - in 2d, you have to fake it (e.g. do it by "hand" like with a 2d API). i could be wrong though.



Hmm. Well when/if we try it I'll be sure to let everyone here know. [smile]

Hero of Allacrost - A free, open-source 2D RPG in development.
Latest release June, 2015 - GameDev annoucement

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I agree with the lighting problem, the overall scene is far to dark.
However i understand the feeling you are trying to generate here, so perhaps just increasing the range of a light source would allow the player to have a good idea of whats around them without turning up the contrast on their monitors while still creating the dark atmosphere your aiming at
well first off, excelent work.
i petty much agree with most of the stuff said before this.

the problem that i see is that your dev team might need to re-evaluate their target audience.
If its more mature like your saying, then mess some things up, and add lighing with evil tones of color in it (red/blue/ect). Also mabey change the curser.
If its more child like, then try to use more earthy or pastel colors in your work.
If its an all-around audience, then realism would probably be a good goal. I believe that people have comented on that part already.

let there be light

Zero
Our audience is defiently targeted for 'mature' mature being about 20 to 30, you know, those people that actually remember good games ;-)

thanks for your input btw,


as a side update, we just finished the 'red-deadline' which is to have a beta-worthy production of the Lost Region, which is what you've been seeing in those screen shots. we are now in the final brainstorming proccess for the Castle,( which is the other half of the game), we are weeding out ideas that we dont think are very good, and adding ones that we think are better.

We hope to have some much better quality work to show everyone soon.

in the mean time, here is a shot of our beta main-menu (the fog and water is animated)

Raymond Jacobs, Owner - Ethereal Darkness Interactive
www.EDIGames.com - EDIGamesCompany - @EDIGames

Excellent work. I look forward to playing your game when it's finished.

One of the suggestions that I have, is about the health and mana bars. Problem with them: Too fake, they standout waaaaaay too much. My solution to that problem would be to alpha blend them to the sides, or add a few "container" graphics that are pretty and have an animated texture for either(a la Bloodlines' GUI).

As far as your worlds, the problem with the graveyard, is that it's too stark. The differences in the tiles is just nasty looking. Create a larger area that creeps around, patches of dirt overlapping stone tiles. Don't make it measured and defined, give a morphic feel. This adds the feeling of character without requiring too much work on the part of the artist(points at EDI).

Engine-wise, everything seems to be working out for you. Technically, there's nothing there that seems to need work. The fog and water you have down. Camera sounds good. Lighting seems alright. One idea for lights(don't know if you've already done, but I would bet you've at least thought of it) is allow flickering lights. Maybe have them move, such as a flame wafts in the wind and have the light move with the animation.

So, in sum, add a bit of irregularity to your worlds. Build them perfectly, then, say, destroy them. Think of what would happen over x amount of time. How the dirt would move around in the graveyard, how plants would waft in the breeze or wither, how stone would crack, etc. Bring life to your worlds. You don't necessarily need to create a huge number of new tiles, but spread your worlds out with a bit of spontinaity.
The screenies look awesome! This looks like it's going to be a great game. It makes me want to keep learning more, and hopefully soon, I get to program something really cool =).
Meta AdamOne of a million noob C++ programmers.
Thank you :-)

we are working away trying to get it finished =)

if you are dedicated and take the time neccisary to learn then you can do just like we have, we currently have no budget and are all self taught, but to give you an idea of orientation, i started on my journey in game development *knowing nothing* at around 15 or 16, and I am now 21 =)
hopefully it has been time well spent :-D

P.S.

newer iteration of the main menu, hopefully the last.

Raymond Jacobs, Owner - Ethereal Darkness Interactive
www.EDIGames.com - EDIGamesCompany - @EDIGames

Quote:Original post by EDI
Thank you :-)

we are working away trying to get it finished =)

if you are dedicated and take the time neccisary to learn then you can do just like we have, we currently have no budget and are all self taught, but to give you an idea of orientation, i started on my journey in game development *knowing nothing* at around 15 or 16, and I am now 21 =)
hopefully it has been time well spent :-D


Hmh, when and how did you start your own company? Seems like you're doing pretty good. Are you working fulltime on the project or are you studying as well?

I've been wanting to make an indie RPG with a small group a bit like you have. But finding interested and motivated people seems a bit hard..

Quote:newer iteration of the main menu, hopefully the last.


The menu looks real nice! I was wondering if the background image will change accordingly to where in the game you are or is it fixed?
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Quote:Original post by tentoid
Hmh, when and how did you start your own company? Seems like you're doing pretty good. Are you working fulltime on the project or are you studying as well?
I've been wanting to make an indie RPG with a small group a bit like you have. But finding interested and motivated people seems a bit hard..


Well, we arn't a true company yet per-se, once our game is ready to ship i will set up a sole proprietership(sp?) this should have been done already, but with no money coming in it is hard to justify.

as for when we started, Ethereal Darkness Interactive was started by me around 2000, with the intent to make a game engine and then build a game with it that would be sold for profit, the Engine is named Flare (3.0 at this time) and the game is Morning's Wrath.

for the first two years, i was mainly the only one on the project and i was developing the engine and the basic game idea, last march i set out to find team members and we had our development 'kick-off' and we have been going strong since.

when i started, i was working full time as a business software developer, and worked on weekends. last jully i took a voulentary lay off (the company was sinking) and spent four months unemployed working on MW and looking for a job, finally I got a new job, working as an Educational Game Developer for a local company (this project helped me get that job), and now i work 40 hours a week at my job and about 60 on MW (long long hours on weekends).

Yes, finding motivated people is one of the hardest parts, I was luky to finally find such dedicated and tallented people for my team.



Quote:Original post by tentoid
The menu looks real nice! I was wondering if the background image will change accordingly to where in the game you are or is it fixed?


As for the background image, that image is the menu screen image, i.e. the menu doesnt float over the actual game, it switches to this one.

Raymond Jacobs, Owner - Ethereal Darkness Interactive
www.EDIGames.com - EDIGamesCompany - @EDIGames

okay everyone,

more art to critique =)

we just got all of the final components for our box art, and now comes the time when we decide how we want to arrange them, all constructive comments are welcome=)


here are two versions so far, both have flaws so feel free to point them out =)

iteration1

iteration2

Raymond Jacobs, Owner - Ethereal Darkness Interactive
www.EDIGames.com - EDIGamesCompany - @EDIGames

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