Background pictures

[JLM5]

WOW that wall is huge. BUt I like it cuz it makes me want to wonder what the heck is behind it!

Thanks! However, I'm not going to tell you very much about the game's plot at this time...

I can though reveal, that the game's world is situated in an unknown valley in somewhere north several centuries ago. In general, the world consists of a town surrounded by forest.

But it is NOT the town, that is behind of the wall in the second picture...

[Rambaldi0503]

Not the town huh? Some big evil monster I'm hoping then!

[JLM5]

This picture will probably give you a clue about the interface and style of the game.

I feel I have revealed perhaps too many pictures here. Now, I will keep the rest of them secret for an indefinite period. I don't want to spoil every surprises that the game includes...

[Rambaldi0503]

I like the GUI... but not for this game. It feels like it belongs in a more cartoony game like Sam and Max (if they had a GUI like this).

I feel like your GUI should be more realistic, like Gabriel Knight 1's (just no so dark).

Anyone else agree?

[deltamatrix]

yea I agree. And plz make the icons sharper. The blurriness makes it look very crude and again that doesn't go with the rest of the picture. You look almost like you have copied the design of the KQ1/2VGA GUI.

[Gronagor]

Yeah... a greyish stone texture would be more fitting for your game's GUI.

[JLM5]

Thanks for comments and opinions.

Yes, the GUI might really seem better with some kind of texture. Let's look forward.

[JLM5]

What about now? I added a "wood-texture" to the GUI and sharpened the icons a little.

[deltamatrix]

thats an improvement. I like that texture but the icons themselves still look as though they were crudely drawn by a five yr old. They need more sharpness and complexity like you've done for that sprite character which I think looks very good. the main part of the briefcase for example is very blurry. Can't you see it?

The two rightmost icons however look fine.

Sorry I can't be more constructive in my criticism.

[Rambaldi0503]

Love the wooden nature of it, but still the first few look like they belong in Toonstruck (which is great, but not for your game). Agree with deltamatrix, the last two are the best.

Perhaps make all the icons that one blackish color?

[rosel1]

thats an improvement. I like that texture but the icons themselves still look as though they were crudely drawn by a five yr old. They need more sharpness and complexity like you've done for that sprite character which I think looks very good. the main part of the briefcase for example is very blurry. Can't you see it?

The two rightmost icons however look fine.

Sorry I can't be more constructive in my criticism.

REPLY:

Now that we have heard your harsh critique of JLM5's effort, let's see you post some of your finest examples, deltamatrix. I very much look forward to seeing what you come up with. Constructive criticism? There's a difference between constructive criticism and being mean! Comparing an artist's work to that of a five-year-old is not what I would define as constructive criticism...not to mention accusing him of copying the work of another artist (KQ1 and 2 art) that was just plain rude!!!

To JLM5: I love your style! I personally found nothing wrong with your icons...they are not supposed to have so many details that they detract from the backgrounds...and I think that they fit in perfectly. I also really like your sprites...you are very talented and show great potential!

[Blackthorne519]

I think the backgrounds and sprites are BEAUTIFUL. I understand what some of the talk about icons looking cartoony is; the only one I think it like that is the "Walk Icon". Maybe I'll do a paintover for you later, just to give you another option. I do love the woodgrain textures!

I'm excited for this; does the game have a name?

Bt

[JLM5]

I think the backgrounds and sprites are BEAUTIFUL. I understand what some of the talk about icons looking cartoony is; the only one I think it like that is the "Walk Icon". Maybe I'll do a paintover for you later, just to give you another option. I do love the woodgrain textures!

I'm excited for this; does the game have a name?Bt

Thanks, thanks.

Yes, if you want, you can do the paintover of the "Walk Icon" for me. If it looks good enough, I will perhaps take it to the game...

And the name... I will probably reveal the game's name soon, but not yet.

[Rambaldi0503]

Are you working on the game entirely by yourself or do you have a team?

[JLM5]

Are you working on the game entirely by yourself or do you have a team?

Yes, I'm making most of the game entirely myself (like writing, scripting, composing music etc.). However, not everything. We have a very small "team" with my father. He makes, for example, all the dialogue potraits to the game.

[Rambaldi0503]

Are you working on the game entirely by yourself or do you have a team?

Yes, I'm making most of the game entirely myself (like writing, scripting, composing music etc.). However, not everything. We have a very small "team" with my father. He makes, for example, all the dialogue potraits to the game.

Cool! Wanna share a dialogue portrait for us to gander?

[deltamatrix]

All in good time I imagine.

I wanna find out what the games about. It looks very interesting. Your artistic skills are out of this world.

[Blackthorne519]

Okay...... here's the quick paintover I promised

- changed the icon to a smaller version of your actual EGO sprite.



Hope this helps!

Bt

[rosel1]

Okay...... here's the quick paintover I promised

- changed the icon to a smaller version of your actual EGO sprite.



Hope this helps!

Bt

Nice paintover Blackthorne!!!

[Blackthorne519]

Heh. Thanks..... I just like to help out when I can.

The icon is just an idea, though. You don't have to use it, but if you'd like a high quality version of it, and not a gif, just PM me and I'll send you one, JLM.

Bt

[JLM5]

The icon is just an idea, though. You don't have to use it, but if you'd like a high quality version of it, and not a gif, just PM me and I'll send you one, JLM.

Bt

It really looks better than my original "Walk" -icon... thanks! Hopefully the rest of my icons are good enough. I'm still going to sharpen the "Look", "Interact" and "Talk" -icons.

And the dialogue pics... sorry, but I'm going to keep them in secret at this time. Besides, we have currently completed only one of them.

[Rambaldi0503]

Walk icon's cool BT.

NOW GET BACK TO WORK ON QFI!!! (wait, look who's talking )

[Snarky]

JLM5, I dig the backgrounds, but I think these GUI icons aren't up to the same standard. Here's a few comments on things you might want to fix.

Walk - I'll skip this one since BT did a paintover. It's actually the one I like the most, since the little dude looks so funky.

Look - The strong colors makes this icon much more eyecatching than any of the others, making it not fit in very well. The level of realism is unfortunate: it's not clear whether it's meant to be realistic or stylized. The pupil and iris are blurry, and don't look quite circular.

Interact - There seems to be "too many fingers" to fit on the hand, making them look like a bunch of bananas. The thumb doesn't have a joint. Try drawing from a model (it should be easy enough to find a suitable example, right?).

Talk - In my opinion, this is the worst icon. The bubble is very irregular, when it should be an elegant ellipse. The "root" should be more clearly distinct from the bubble. The space in the bubble is too small for the symbols in it. The outline is uneven, and bleeds into the fill. Consult a professionally printed comic book for reference.

Inventory - Given the setting of your game, why is the inventory a suitcase? Your character isn't carrying a suitcase, and looks like he's never even seen one. This icon is drawn in a completely different style to all the others. It's obvious that you've just used the button template that comes with many drawing applications, and added a handle on top. The shading on the body of the suitcase doesn't match the form of a real suitcase, and for some reason it looks like it's illuminated from the top right. The smooth gradients and lack of texture makes it look blurry. There's no outline, which doesn't match most of your other icons.

In general, your icons look pretty generic, and don't give a sense of the atmosphere of your game. Your backgrounds give a very strong sense of location and style, but the interface doesn't support it at all.

In my opinion, these icons really drag down the overall quality of your screenshot, and you should definitely replace them. Try to think of the setting of your game, and come up with something more distinctive. Then you need to draw them pixel-by-pixel so they look sharp and clear.

Good luck with your game!

[Zeus]

I think he has already got the point that icons need improvement.

Getting into silly details by saying for example that eyebrows
of the look icon are too long and thick or making silly comments of the fingers looking like bananas do not help.
If you want to show details provide your own 'perfect' examples.

I wonder how in heck one has the time to spend and write an essay
for commenting in such ridiculous detail the icons that a guy draws in his spare time, with severity equal with severity that a rocket scientist analyzes the results of his researches in his laboratory
prate.

[JLM5]

Ok, ok... I will fix up entire GUI.

Obviously it was a very good idea to post the icon pictures here. Almost everyone has said that the icons aren't good enough. When I have completed the new GUI, I'm going to show it here.