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Moon lander craft

Printed From: Pixel Joint
Category: Pixel Art
Forum Name: WIP (Work In Progress)
Forum Discription: Get crits and comments on your pixel WIPs and other art too!
URL: https://pixeljoint.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=24994
Printed Date: 24 April 2026 at 12:51am


Topic: Moon lander craft
Posted By: Nppsf
Subject: Moon lander craft
Date Posted: 15 March 2016 at 7:31pm
Hey guys,

I drew up this moon lander a while ago, and recently stuck it in a http://www.chadtech.us/elm-prac-2 - very simple moon lander game .




Right now I am thinking the surface is pretty noisey and hard to see. Im thinking that the nose should be improved. Also, maybe I should make the craft narrower.

I dont know, what do you think?



Replies:
Posted By: Nppsf
Date Posted: 03 April 2016 at 10:42pm
Been working on it some more.



Posted By: delicatone
Date Posted: 04 April 2016 at 1:21am
I like the first and last versions, the bigger flag looks nice. It would be cool if you could make a sprite sheet that includes versions how the shadow moves when the orientation changes. Shouldn't be too difficult to pixel or code, and could probably get away with 8 sprites? worth a try.


Posted By: Nppsf
Date Posted: 04 April 2016 at 8:56pm
Thanks yahkehbu.

Yeah I wanted to do shadows, but I had in mind that the ship would be rotating and it would make sense if the shadows were static. Good idea to code shadows in tho.


Posted By: rocifier
Date Posted: 06 April 2016 at 3:13am
I think I prefer the original, the forms/lighting read the best on it and it's fairly detailed and realistic. I think the booster underneath needs work on all of them. The perspective doesn't match the body.


Posted By: eishiya
Date Posted: 06 April 2016 at 7:09am
Seconding rocifier.


Posted By: Nppsf
Date Posted: 06 April 2016 at 10:19am
Oh huh, you guys like the original better? Interesting.

I was worried it was just kind of a mess of random details. I could shade and anti-alias those details, but I think it would just become a blurry mess.

Thanks guys! Ill just start over from the original. Maybe work on the thruster a bit.

Also here is some more progress I made. I realized that the perspective on all of these hasnt been directly over head, but rather from an angle, kinda like pokemon. I wondered if drawing something totally from the side would improve it, and I dont think it did. Its kind of weird how giving the lander an angled perspective seems to be better, even though it defies the actual perspective the player has on the lander in the game.



Posted By: Nppsf
Date Posted: 06 April 2016 at 9:01pm
So I drew up a version of the ship that has lighting and shadows from lights mounted on the ship itself. What do you think?



Posted By: rocifier
Date Posted: 06 April 2016 at 11:12pm
I think it's too flat. The original had a definite primary light source and 3D form. You've also used a lot of colours.


Posted By: Kee
Date Posted: 07 April 2016 at 7:31am
Originally posted by Nppsf



I definitely like the one on the left in this. I think it looks a lot cleaner. Depending on the background color I might change the booster color(where the flames would come from) to a lighter color to make them more noticeable. But like I said that depends how dark or how light your background is in your game.


Posted By: Nppsf
Date Posted: 07 April 2016 at 4:25pm


Here is where I am at. Im really happy with how much some simple shading added. Maybe I could improve it with dithering? Now it looks almost exaggeratedly cylindrical.

Thanks rocifier. I wonder if I could get the same benefit with shading with fewer colors?

Originally posted by Kee


I might change the booster color(where the flames would come from) to a lighter color to make them more noticeable. But like I said that depends how dark or how light your background is in your game.


Yeah I noticed the thrusters are basically invisible on a black background. I tried to brighten them in these revisions. That said, if I ever take this game anywhere, I would probably add levels and different areas, some with bright backgrounds.



Posted By: Nppsf
Date Posted: 07 April 2016 at 9:57pm


Dithering is amazing.


Posted By: Michno
Date Posted: 08 April 2016 at 2:41am
I think you're using the dithering a bit too much :b but that may just be me


Posted By: Nppsf
Date Posted: 08 April 2016 at 11:06am
What do you mean by 'more or less' dithering? Ill fix it up with less dithering, I just dont know what that means. A smaller area of dithering transition? A more gradual transition?


Posted By: Michno
Date Posted: 08 April 2016 at 2:39pm
I dk might be hard to do on this. But what i mean is that it kinda gives the surface some texture. Like small bumps on the spaceship. But as i said. It might just be me :)


Posted By: rocifier
Date Posted: 08 April 2016 at 5:50pm
Those dithered edits look sick


Posted By: Nppsf
Date Posted: 14 April 2016 at 4:00pm


Im drawing landing gear now. Im partial to the upper right most, and lower left most. My biggest problem with the upper right most, is that it looks too flimsy to support the craft. My biggest problem with the lower left most, is that its hard to understand


Posted By: Michno
Date Posted: 15 April 2016 at 12:55am
Maybe try adding a cross beam going across the widest part ?

Edit: on the one you liked :)


Posted By: Nppsf
Date Posted: 16 April 2016 at 12:29am




Yeah I think that helped Michno.


Posted By: eishiya
Date Posted: 16 April 2016 at 10:58am
Why have the dithering if it's not going to be visible? Surely solid colours look better rotated/resized.


Posted By: Nppsf
Date Posted: 17 April 2016 at 10:29am
Eishiya,

Oh, I dont know. Thats a good point. Im trying to work out a version of this game where the ship stays stationary in the center, so perhaps dithering has a use.

Still tho, thanks for your insight.



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