The Gang of Five

The Land Before Time => Cancelled and old projects => LBT Projects => LBT Multiplayer RPG Project Discussion => Topic started by: action9000 on June 19, 2008, 03:43:23 PM

Title: 2D Graphics
Post by: action9000 on June 19, 2008, 03:43:23 PM
2D graphics:
To anyone who has played the game so far, the menus are pretty ugly, there is no interface to speak of in the game, no real eye candy at all! We need people who are willing to fix that problem!

I'm posting up pictures of our current game, pointing out what will need to be replaced with nicer graphics:

First of all, the Main Menu:
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h141/action9000/Main-Menu-Reference.jpg)

The Host Game / Character Select screen:
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h141/action9000/Host-Game-Reference.jpg)

Join Game screen:
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h141/action9000/Join-game-Reference.jpg)



The main game world will need quite a few graphics later on but I'm still working out the details on that.  Here's what I know so far:
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h141/action9000/Main-Game-Reference.jpg)
Title: 2D Graphics
Post by: Mumbling on June 19, 2008, 03:48:18 PM
Moving the text box is a good idea, to me :) .

Though.. I don't think I'm a good person to do this. :p

Edit: What about the 'loading graphic' screen?
Title: 2D Graphics
Post by: SolarThreehorn on June 19, 2008, 03:54:05 PM
Just an idea i think...
Swap the map/compass and chat around,  :huh: might be better but It is up to you :yes
Title: 2D Graphics
Post by: action9000 on June 19, 2008, 04:16:10 PM
Quote
Edit: What about the 'loading graphic' screen?
I was going to mention that in text but I totally forgot because *somebody* was rushing me! :lol  :lol

Ya, we will need a new loading screen, too. :yes  Thanks for the reminder.

Quote
Swap the map/compass and chat around,  might be better but It is up to you 
I'll think about it.  I'm just so used to having a game like this laid out as I show in the picture that changing it much would feel weird to me.
Title: 2D Graphics
Post by: Mumbling on June 20, 2008, 01:11:01 AM
Quote from: action9000,Jun 19 2008 on  10:16 PM
Quote
Edit: What about the 'loading graphic' screen?
I was going to mention that in text but I totally forgot because *somebody* was rushing me! :lol  :lol

Ya, we will need a new loading screen, too. :yes  Thanks for the reminder.

Quote
Swap the map/compass and chat around, might be better but It is up to you
I'll think about it.  I'm just so used to having a game like this laid out as I show in the picture that changing it much would feel weird to me.
Ah I'm sorry :lol  :unsure:

To me the compass looks on the right place :yes
Title: 2D Graphics
Post by: action9000 on June 20, 2008, 02:40:15 AM
Quote
Ah I'm sorry  
LOL, 's okey. :lol:

Quote
To me the compass looks on the right place
I agree, I think it seems pretty 'natural' where it is.
Title: 2D Graphics
Post by: Sky on June 20, 2008, 03:47:40 AM
Those are screens at their original size, right?
Is this an all-in-one picture or are the "Back", "Start", etc. an own picture?
Title: 2D Graphics
Post by: action9000 on June 20, 2008, 03:53:20 AM
Quote
Those are screens at their original size, right?
Is this an all-in-one picture or are the "Back", "Start", etc. an own picture?

The background is one image:
The Main Menu text is another image
Start is another image
back is another image
etc.

We don't have to do it that way but the more seperate we have the images, the more customization we have when/if we want to change things.

As for the size, no.  The original size of the images are in the zip file of the game itself.  

However, we must consider the fact that players will not all be running the game at the same screen resolution.  The size of the images needs to scale to fit the screen.  My program will handle this, so no worries.

Basically, I need images as big as you can get them to me.  The game supports resolutions as high as 1920x1080 (1080p) right now (we can go even higher if we really want but it requires dual DVI or multiple video cards to effectively go any higher in widescreen, so I limited the game to 1920x1080).

Basically, if the background images are 1920x1080 and the other images to whatever scale you want them to be to make it look pretty, my program can scale them as needed to fit any resolution. :)
Title: 2D Graphics
Post by: Sky on June 20, 2008, 03:59:57 AM
Alright.
I'll go to work then. ^^
Title: 2D Graphics
Post by: action9000 on June 20, 2008, 04:24:58 AM
Quote
Alright.
I'll go to work then. ^^
Awesome!

No rush at all, by the way!  I have basically an infinite number of things I could be doing before I need graphics.  It just needs to happen eventually so I thought we could get a head start on it. B)

By the way, Sky:
The graphics I have for the menus are just ideas.  If you have a clever idea for a menu layout, please feel free to get creative!  My menus are about as basic as I could get, for testing purposes. :p  You don't have to make the menu layout anything like what I have above.  I just needed *something* to test the game with.
Title: 2D Graphics
Post by: Sky on June 20, 2008, 04:37:11 AM
Ok. I will take my time then.  :P:
Maybe I can come up with a cool layout. Hmm...
Title: 2D Graphics
Post by: action9000 on June 20, 2008, 04:41:55 AM
Quote
Ok. I will take my time then.
If I'm done programming the rest of the game before you're done the menus, I'm going to tell you to hurry up though! :p
fair warning! :lol  :lol
Title: 2D Graphics
Post by: Kor on June 20, 2008, 10:41:41 AM
I guess you'd both have to work more hand in hand then.
Title: 2D Graphics
Post by: Sky on June 21, 2008, 03:30:04 AM
I'm working on it. :)
How's this for the loading screen and the main menu:

(http://img-up.net/img/Scannen000o9wq9.jpg)

The characters in the loading screen could be the playable dinosaurs or the gang.
And on the 2nd pic, instead of "Main Menu", it could be the title of the game and the spot above "Host Game" could be a welcome sign.
Though, it won't be that customizable, but still possible.

Still don't know how the other menus should look like. Hmm..
Title: 2D Graphics
Post by: Kor on June 21, 2008, 03:40:40 AM
Those look very nice.
Title: 2D Graphics
Post by: Sky on June 21, 2008, 03:50:13 AM
Here is another idea I just came up:
If you use many different loading screens, maybe we could use pictures as instructions.
Like "Press Spacebar to jump from a spot to another" and a picture of a dinosaur doing so appears.
Title: 2D Graphics
Post by: Mumbling on June 21, 2008, 04:53:59 AM
Very nice ideas sky. It really looks nice! wow  :^.^:

About the loading screen tips/help thing it's a good idea too. They do that in more games :)
Title: 2D Graphics
Post by: Coyote_A on June 21, 2008, 08:23:17 AM
"Character Selection Screen" can looks like a large field, somewhere in a Valley, where all previosly created characters are standing and waiting to be chosen. :)
And while creating the character, the player, for example, can see the results of his customization like a reflection in the water, of the character, he's creating.
Title: 2D Graphics
Post by: Sky on June 21, 2008, 02:28:12 PM
Yo, finished the lineart with base color:

(http://img-up.net/img/Main_Menu_dv3Qh.png)

The final pic might be finished tomorrow.
Title: 2D Graphics
Post by: Kor on June 21, 2008, 08:11:52 PM
It looks very nice.
Title: 2D Graphics
Post by: Coyote_A on June 22, 2008, 12:30:05 AM
I'm curious: will it be possible to add animation on that waterfall inside the game? :)
Title: 2D Graphics
Post by: action9000 on June 22, 2008, 03:37:35 AM
Quote
I'm curious: will it be possible to add animation on that waterfall inside the game?
Since it is a 2d graphic, I will need multiple frames of images in order to do so, but yes, Absolutely!

If we're willing to put forth the effort to draw a graphic of the waterfall in another frame of animation, I can animate it in the program.

It should be quite simple actually; a few lines in the water that are changed from frame to frame, I would think.

I fell a little behind on the project / forum today...got distracted. :p

I'll try to keep this project going steady though. :)
Title: 2D Graphics
Post by: aabicus (LettuceBacon&Tomato) on June 22, 2008, 04:04:44 AM
Sky, that colored pic is awesome! That'd make an awesome menu screen. Nice touch to add the eponymous waterfall, it begin the Great Valley's most readily visible landmark.

Is the picture going to be shaded to look more 3D, or are we keeping it 2D? Both are fine, and since I'm not the one drawing I'm in no position to make requests anyway.
Title: 2D Graphics
Post by: Kor on June 22, 2008, 09:18:36 AM
The waterfall, and maybe any river, and maybe certain other things could be not to difficult with looping a few frames.  I would guess it'll stay 2d or 2.5 d since that is easier to code and do then full 3d.
Title: 2D Graphics
Post by: aabicus (LettuceBacon&Tomato) on June 22, 2008, 12:14:47 PM
Right, I didn't mean actual, full-blown 3D. Just 3D in the sense of a perception of depth, and shading. Or is that what 2.5D is?
Title: 2D Graphics
Post by: Sky on June 22, 2008, 01:00:40 PM
2.5D is I think isometric.

And the menu is already done.
This is how it might look like:

(http://img-up.net/img/Main_Manu_4PtJA.png)

@action9000:
I sent you the menu and buttons.  :)

And now I'm taking a little break. Must do other artworks as well.  :^.^:
Title: 2D Graphics
Post by: SolarThreehorn on June 22, 2008, 01:12:33 PM
All I can say is. That look's great :DD
Title: 2D Graphics
Post by: The Chronicler on June 22, 2008, 04:25:44 PM
That picture looks great. :yes  However, the trees don't seem quite right to me. That outline on a few of them makes them look like a single object instead of separate trees. In fact, I see that twice. Other than that, that's an excellent picture!
Title: 2D Graphics
Post by: Kor on June 22, 2008, 11:03:39 PM
The picture and buttons look nice.  As for the trees I didn't notice it at first and for a log in screen that may be ok, and any touchups could  be done later, if it needs doing.  Plus how long would most folks be looking at the log in screen?
Title: 2D Graphics
Post by: action9000 on June 22, 2008, 11:34:00 PM
Honestly though, it's very pretty and that's exactly what I'd like to see on a login screen: lot of prettyness. :)

Very awesome job, Sky!  I'll replace the graphics with these. :yes
Title: 2D Graphics
Post by: Kor on June 22, 2008, 11:49:06 PM
Quote from: action9000,Jun 22 2008 on  10:34 PM
Honestly though, it's very pretty and that's exactly what I'd like to see on a login screen: lot of prettyness. :)

Very awesome job, Sky!  I'll replace the graphics with these. :yes
That sounds great.  I think it'll make a good log in screen.   The buttons are nice and large and prominent with, as I said before, a nice picture.
Title: 2D Graphics
Post by: Coyote_A on June 23, 2008, 01:07:50 AM
Awesome artwork, Sky. :yes
Title: 2D Graphics
Post by: Vilstrup on July 20, 2008, 04:11:08 AM
Yep, nice indeed
Title: 2D Graphics
Post by: Mumbling on July 20, 2008, 04:19:22 AM
The images are gone..
Title: 2D Graphics
Post by: Malte279 on July 20, 2008, 04:59:05 AM
Are they still invisible for you Iris? They show up alright for me.
I must confess I've been neglecting this thread so far, sorry about that. I really love that menu art you created Sky :yes
Title: 2D Graphics
Post by: Mumbling on July 20, 2008, 05:01:43 AM
Well.. they are still not showing up.. It says Grafik existiert nicht mehr. I know that it means, that it doesnt exist anymore. But I wonder why they do with you guys.
Title: 2D Graphics
Post by: Kor on July 20, 2008, 06:06:58 AM
Looks german to me.
Title: 2D Graphics
Post by: Malte279 on July 20, 2008, 06:34:46 AM
It is. I translated it to Iris (though I think she knew the meaning before anyway), but I have no idea why she can't see the picture :(
Title: 2D Graphics
Post by: Mumbling on July 20, 2008, 12:23:32 PM
I could see it on laptop, maybe I can see it soon on computer too.
Title: 2D Graphics
Post by: kjeldo on July 21, 2008, 08:26:50 AM
cool,