Castle Paradox

The Drizzle · **Who is the Drizzle?** Joined: 12 Nov 2003 Posts: 432

Here's my attempt at making map tiles. I haven't made map tiles in quite some time and I'd appreciate any feedback.

EDIT: Oh, just to get more specific feedback, the time period and architectural style I'm going for for this city is mid-1800's London with steampunk technology. Is there anything that seems wrong about these tiles in that context? Is there anything this house is missing that would be a must in such a place?

I wanted to make each house look unique as possible while maintaining a consistent architectural style. Any suggestions? I have 8 different kinds of windows, several different door styles, and I'm planning on making another roof and brick color. I also want the tiles to allow for a lot of customization of design (mostly regarding the size and shape of each building) and make each building look like what they are supposed to be (e.g. a shop and house would look pretty different).
_________________
My name is...
The shake-zula, the mic rulah, the old schoola, you wanna trip? I'll bring it to yah...

Newbie_Power · Joined: 04 Sep 2006 Posts: 1762

Those are incredible! I love it. Many things about this are done right, mainly the parts where you're better at making maptiles than me.

My first suggestion depends on what kind of scene this is though, and just involves changing colors (not hard at all). If this is a nighttime scene, you may want to tone down the brightness of the gray bricks and rims a few notches to better match the darkness of the rest of the house.

My second suggestion is also minor, but the way you shaded the doors make them look kind of like cylinders.

Other than that, it's really hard to top these tiles.
_________________

TheGiz> Am I the only one who likes to imagine that Elijah Wood's character in Back to the Future 2, the kid at the Wild Gunman machine in the Cafe 80's, is some future descendant of the AVGN?

The Drizzle · **Who is the Drizzle?** Joined: 12 Nov 2003 Posts: 432

It's not night, BUT it is supposed to be a town that is constantly overcast. I definitely see what you're saying though and I wish I would've made them darker. But odds are I will leave them because I am too lazy to make the change on that many tiles.
_________________
My name is...
The shake-zula, the mic rulah, the old schoola, you wanna trip? I'll bring it to yah...

Gizmog1 · Posted: Mon Dec 01, 2008 8:36 pm Post subject:

Simply amazing. The shading on the white concrete part of the house is beautiful, I've seen houses that look like this, and I can instantly place what it is I'm looking at with a real life example. The brightest color of blue on the roof might be a smidge too bright, but that could just be my screen. I also really like how you were able to convey the sense of depth of each "wing" of the building. I also have seen a lot of doors that have a lighter spot in the middle like that, and they're beautiful the way they are. I wouldn't necessarily change those.

My only concern is the shadow around the bottom. Combined with the staircase, it makes the house look like it's levitating 3 feet in the air, which, is actually kind of a cool idea.

Pepsi Ranger · Posted: Mon Dec 01, 2008 11:59 pm Post subject:

If you haven't gotten one of these yet, pick up a copy of the Merriam-Webster's Visual Dictionary and check out the section for architecture. It offers full colored pictures with labeled parts, breakdowns of parts, and basically opens up a whole new world of information you might never think to look for. It might be one of the best dictionaries ever, as using it makes you feel a lot smarter. Using it might also help you implement new ideas for your other houses.

It comes in hardcover and pocket size (I believe).

But yes, very nice. I can't see the shadows, though. It's quite dark on my screen. The rest looks fine to me. Especially those windows.
_________________
Progress Report:

The Adventures of Powerstick Man: Extended Edition

Currently Updating: General sweep of the game world and dialogue boxes. Adding extended maps.

Tightfloss Maiden

Currently Updating: Chapter 2

The Drizzle · **Who is the Drizzle?** Joined: 12 Nov 2003 Posts: 432

Made some changes based on the feedback I was given. This isn't a real map so ignore the poor shadowing on the bricks of the house.

Changes I made:

-removed brightest colors from roof tiles
- added sidewalks and some extra road tiles for flavor (are sidewalks a good idea? I'm torn. Maybe another kind of stone instead of making it look like cement? Also, the gray bricks on the house blend into the sidewalk too much, I'll probably darken them. )
- new window types, new window color, new window/door trim
- Got rid of house shadow
- Made the different sections of the roof connect more realistically. Not sure it's worth it though since the roof now takes up a lot of space. Not even sure I like the way it looks.
- Added rails for steps

If I made any other changes, I can't remember them. Let me know what you think.

Things I plan to do for sure:
-Dark Gray house bricks
-Green roof tiles
-Fancier rails for stairs
_________________
My name is...
The shake-zula, the mic rulah, the old schoola, you wanna trip? I'll bring it to yah...

Blue Pixel · Posted: Fri Dec 05, 2008 5:45 pm Post subject:

Wow, those are really great. I love the dithering on it, as well as the new angle of the roof shingles, but i dont think you need to darken the brick tiles, everythings so dark anyways.
_________________

jabbercat · Posted: Fri Dec 05, 2008 7:05 pm Post subject:

I don't think I like the side walk truthfully. Other than that, they're beautiful.
_________________
Moogle no longer owes prizes.

Snow_fox · Joined: 12 Dec 2005 Posts: 151 Location: Red Deer, Alberta

The Drizzle · **Who is the Drizzle?** Joined: 12 Nov 2003 Posts: 432

8bit · Posted: Sat Dec 06, 2008 4:21 pm Post subject:

If you are going for an 1800s vibe, I think cobblestone would be better than cement. It just kind of modernized the map a little too much for my tastes. Maybe even red bricks? A gas streetlamp would be bitchin' too.
_________________
Peace and love. Peace and love. No more autographs. Peace and love.

Newbie_Power · Joined: 04 Sep 2006 Posts: 1762

The Drizzle · **Who is the Drizzle?** Joined: 12 Nov 2003 Posts: 432

The Drizzle · **Who is the Drizzle?** Joined: 12 Nov 2003 Posts: 432

New town maptiles. Thoughts? A warning: it's very rough around the edges right now.
_________________
My name is...
The shake-zula, the mic rulah, the old schoola, you wanna trip? I'll bring it to yah...

Newbie_Power · Joined: 04 Sep 2006 Posts: 1762

The contrast is much better in your dark house scene.

Your new houses hurt my eyes though. The windows, the door, and the side rimmings all are radically darker than the bright concrete. You did draw it very nicely, though.
_________________

TheGiz> Am I the only one who likes to imagine that Elijah Wood's character in Back to the Future 2, the kid at the Wild Gunman machine in the Cafe 80's, is some future descendant of the AVGN?