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ndnNinja
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Quote ndnNinja Replybullet Topic: ninja's mobile game
    Posted: 03 June 2017 at 9:22am
So I have a game I've programmed and it's on the store though the graphics department needs a major upgrade. I'm looking for feedback on my work in order to make it better so any comments are appreciated.

Here's my first go

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Quake
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Quote Quake Replybullet Posted: 03 June 2017 at 10:18am
I'm not sure what I'm meant to be focusing on. Nothing stands out.

I'd personally block out what you're going to have in the foreground and in the background before detailing.
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Quote ndnNinja Replybullet Posted: 03 June 2017 at 10:41am
I see what you mean that it all sort of blends together. So I've labeled what I'm trying to accomplish since I'm unaware of how to separate stuff.

How do I differentiate the foreground, background, and midground?

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eishiya
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Quote eishiya Replybullet Posted: 03 June 2017 at 11:12am
Contrast is how you differentiate anything. If you want the backgrounds to be dark, then the playable area should be light, in contrast to the background. If you want the backgrounds to be low-detail, then the player area should be high-detail, again in contrast to the background. And so on.
Things that should be grouped together in the player's mind (different unplayable parts, different playable parts, unimportant things, etc) should not contrast from each other very much.

The player character blends into the background - that's super-low contrast. Make the character stand out, they should be always visible against the background (unless the gameplay demands otherwise). Two white eyes isn't enough to let players follow them easily. This could mean redesigning the player character entirely.

I highly recommend taking the time to look at some successful 2D games you like the look of. Analyse how they solved these problems, or how they failed to solve them.
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Quote ndnNinja Replybullet Posted: 04 June 2017 at 11:47am
^ Okay. Alright. I see what you're saying and did a little studying of some games. Though I don't actually know of any game right now that is pulling off what I'm trying to accomplish.

I've opted to study some games that I like and see how they did things for learning purposes and my goal is to bring the knowledge into my own game.

Here's a little drawing I did trying to use more contrast.

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Quote ndnNinja Replybullet Posted: 05 June 2017 at 10:59am
Here's a revision from the previous work. Can't decide if I wanna go with blondie or brownie.

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Quote ndnNinja Replybullet Posted: 06 June 2017 at 9:58am
Added some more details

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eishiya
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Quote eishiya Replybullet Posted: 06 June 2017 at 12:49pm
As you add details, remember that most of those details are still background details, and should be low-contrast. Some of your details currently stand out more from the background more than the characters do.
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Quote ndnNinja Replybullet Posted: 06 June 2017 at 5:15pm
Ok, care to mention some specifics?

Your line art is amazing btw, such wow
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eishiya
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Quote eishiya Replybullet Posted: 06 June 2017 at 8:47pm
Bear with me since I don't know exactly what everything in your scene is, but here are some of the background elements that pop too much from the background:
The light blue/white rectangles on the left, including the sign
The triangle things with the red lights
The red lights in the bottom center
The yellowish lines in the upper right
All the green lights in the background
The cyan lines to the right of the portal

The characters, on the other hand, have dark blue clothing that's very similar to the background colour. Although their heads are clearly visible, the characters as a whole don't read well because they appear to be floating heads. If you want a dark world, you'll probably want characters in light clothing.
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Quote ndnNinja Replybullet Posted: 07 June 2017 at 9:52am
Changed up the vibrancy of things

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Quote eishiya Replybullet Posted: 07 June 2017 at 10:32am
I think this reads a lot better! Because the buildings in the background don't have super-bright windows, the shapes of the buildings are easier to make out (dark colours tend to all blend together in the presence of very bright colours).

The characters stand out much better. I think the sign and white rectangles on the left still stand out too much though, being quite light compared to their surroundings. That's fine if they're meant to be interactive or otherwise important elements, but if that's the case, I'd also bump up the level of detail.

If you can keep the overall contrast low in the background, you can actually include more detail and stuff in the backgrounds if you want.

I recommend checking out Murder, a game with a futuristic urban setting that I think has a similar goal with its colours to your game. It has some issues with characters blending into the backgrounds, but other than that, I think it's good to look at in terms of overall colour use. It has many instances of bright colours in otherwise dark backgrounds, but the placement of these bright areas helps lead the eye around each level instead of distracting the player.
It also uses contrasting visuals to tell the story. Even where it does have low contrast, it has just enough contrast that different buildings read clearly and there's a lot of detail in the world without overwhelming the player. Some parts of the backgrounds are very bright and draw the eye more than the characters do, at least in stills. These are carefully kept away from the characters, and characters' animations help them draw attention away from these bright spots. The art in this game is worth studying, for its strengths and its flaws.

It's a point-and-click adventure game so its level design works differently, and that's important to keep in mind, as well.
(Though I recommend checking it out for the art, it's not a very good game. Unless you've got money to burn, I recommend looking at screenshots and playthrough videos instead of buying it.)
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Quote ndnNinja Replybullet Posted: 08 June 2017 at 1:38pm
^ Checked out the game and do think the vibe is similar to what I'm aiming for. Sad that it only lasts for like 20 min cause it could of been something so much better.

I did a bit more massaging and decided to switch up the character too. I prefer a masked character so experimented with ways to contrast him by adding a bandana. Not sure I'm entirely satisfied with the design so I'll keep trying different things.

Also didn't like the closer buildings and tried something slightly different.




EDIT: Did some more work on the background and have decided I don't like the saturated blue buildings up front. Will be working on them tomorrow.

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Quote ndnNinja Replybullet Posted: 09 June 2017 at 1:14pm
Decided to try some concrete stuffs



Is this working?
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Quote Quake Replybullet Posted: 10 June 2017 at 4:52am
Much better! I'd potentially make the character bigger, or brighter. Is there a weapon you could attach, as to make the character more noticeable?
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Quote ndnNinja Replybullet Posted: 10 June 2017 at 2:00pm
Tried an outline on the character and did some minor tweaks to him. Uhm, I don't have a weapon in the game, it's an autorunner with one touch jumping is all.

Revamped the buildings and am liking this much better.

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Quote ndnNinja Replybullet Posted: 13 June 2017 at 4:05pm
Are any of the lights too much? Trying to balance the nighttime atmosphere with building lights as well as not distracting the player

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Quote Hapiel Replybullet Posted: 13 June 2017 at 5:04pm
This got a looot better!It is super readible, unlike the first mockups! Well done so far :)
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Quote ndnNinja Replybullet Posted: 17 June 2017 at 10:45am
^ Thanks!

Still playing around with the colors

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Quote ndnNinja Replybullet Posted: 18 June 2017 at 8:17am
Still getting a hold of this contrast thing. I think the background elements are better balanced though the character could use a little more separation. Any suggestions for this?

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Quote ndnNinja Replybullet Posted: 01 July 2017 at 4:14pm
Aaaaaaaaand I'm now here.


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Quote ndnNinja Replybullet Posted: 25 August 2017 at 12:38pm
Wasn't satisfied with this and am still attacking it though I'm at a point where I could really use some guidance. I feel something is wrong with the scene but am not sure what direction to go. Any feedback is appreciated!

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