Graphic feedback

[Jack Norton]

I'm making a space game.
Look at this screenshot:
http://www.g-generation.com/images/battlefield.jpg

is it clear? or the big planet and the other stars make it too messy? I want a good graphic but I don't want the player to lose sight of their ships... :)

Any feedback welcome!

[Gilzu]

the background is fantastic, but the ships seem to disappear in the background and not capture the attention it needs.

brighten and add effects to the ships, the models are great, they just need to capture more of the player's focus.

[20thCenturyBoy]

The white star in the middle is much too bright, and the ships are much too dark. IMHO of course!

[NuriumGames]

I would suggest to add a thin white line around the ships, this will make them quite more visible in dark environments.

[Jack Norton]

Thanks :)
Yes, I'll add a slight white outline around the ships, so they'll be visible even in dark environments, that's a good idea!

[Anthony Flack]

Hmm, I dunno if a white outline would be the thing. It would show them up well, but it would also look ugly.

I'd do it with lighting. The ships are just too dark at the moment... give them some decent highlights. You could light them from the side, which would give something like the white outline effect without breaking immersion.

[Jack Norton]

Hmm yes, that would be a good solution too.
I'll have to do some experiments :) Thanks

[VengefulPastry]

If the ships had energy shields, it would be a good excuse to put a colored lining around them, and be brightened up as well.

[Nemesis]

Jack, is it flat 2D? Or are you using top-down 3D? Might look good done that way.. for example: Small Rocket's Space Monkey and Ultra Assault

As for the graphics... can't add anything new: Tone down the star highlight and brighten up the ship or apply some contrasting lighting on it.

[Greg Squire]

Nice Art. The background looks great, but I'd tone down the detail some (less stars and some of the stars look too big), so that the player can focus on the ships (the important part).

[ggambett]

I want a good graphic but I don't want the player to lose sight of their ships... :)
What ships???? :D

[Jack Norton]

Jack, is it flat 2D? Or are you using top-down 3D? Might look good done that way.. for example: Small Rocket's Space Monkey and Ultra Assault
Is flat 2d :) with pre-rendered models...


Nice Art. The background looks great, but I'd tone down the detail some (less stars and some of the stars look too big), so that the player can focus on the ships (the important part).
Yes true, I'll remove the coloured stars, they're too confusing.


What ships????
Shut up, you got my vote!!! :D

[NuriumGames]

I've tried some glows and lines, see here :)
http://www.nurium.com/nnu/battlefield_ship.jpg

[Anthony Flack]

Yep, that would work, but I don't like it. I tell ya, those ships just need more contrast; they're practically black.

Background - now I look closer - planet and sun looks nice enough. Big coloured star-blobs look quite silly, I'd scrap them. Background stars look too evenly-distributed and spraycan-made. I suggest checking out some actual photos of starfields...

[JaffaMused]

The ships are definatley too dark for that background, either lighten up the ships or reduce the contrast on the background.

However, I do like the new outlines on the ships, they'd look cooler if they had alpha though, perhaps pulsating with alpha, and then you could use different colors depending on the weapon you currenly have.

Just a thought.

[Ratboy]

What you have to decide is where you want your player's eyes to go. Do you want them drawn inexorably toward that huge sun glare in the middle of the screen, or to the ships? I'm betting I can guess what the players should focus on, but my eyes are pulled into that huge glob of bright in the middle, and I didn't even notice the ships right away.

Your ships should be brightly colored and your background should be mostly dark. You can break up the starfield with a good looking planet, but make sure it's not so garish that it overpowers your ships & effects.

[Jack Norton]

Yes the "big light bulb" in the center of the screen is too distracting (and I can't imagine when they'll shoot bullets over it...!).
I've already made some more tries either with gloving border around the ships. The effect isn't bad but I think I'll also try the Anthony's suggestion, they're too dark indeed. Beside I might also render the ship a little bigger :)