New Dwarvish castle

[Ranger M]

I'd like to work on castles, but I don't feel like getting perspective and all that hassle I'd have to figure out done,

I can easily emulate Pekka's style otherwise though.

Then you can start by churning out concepts. You can use the current castle tile as a starting point, should help you along to get the pespective right. You don't need to make all the needed tiles and make everything fit to begin with. A lot of people can do that part.

I would like to see:
* Dwarven castle - in the style of the new dwarven village
* Orcish castle - pekka is working on this one
* Undead castle - I would like to see something dark with eerie green light like in the LOTR movies. Rip-off, but it's cool
* Drake Castle - no idea how this one should look
* A new encampment - either a new one, or a revamp of this one

A combination of remembering this and getting tired of seeing the old castle graphics next to the new dwarven villages made me to have a go at this.

this is only a basic idea, but should I carry on along these lines?

I just hope that they end up as good as the new castle graphics

[freim]

A combination of remembering this and getting tired of seeing the old castle graphics next to the new dwarven villages made me to have a go at this.

this is only a basic idea, but should I carry on along these lines?

I just hope that they end up as good as the new castle graphics

I think it's a good start. I think you kept the style quite well. My biggest concern is that it blends into the terrain tile to much. You need to make it stand out more. Look at how the dwarven village use shading and a very slight outline to stand out. Try to imitate that.

One note: all castles has been shifted 9 pixels up (not the current dwarven castle because we want to replace it). You also need to make new castle<->cave wall trans, but that can be done last.

[Ranger M]

I think it's a good start. I think you kept the style quite well.

thanks.

My biggest concern is that it blends into the terrain tile to much. You need to make it stand out more. Look at how the dwarven village use shading and a very slight outline to stand out. Try to imitate that.

I tried imitating this too, although I didn't do a very good job of it (more contrast between the outlines should help)

One note: all castles has been shifted 9 pixels up (not the current dwarven castle because we want to replace it). You also need to make new castle<->cave wall trans, but that can be done last.

yep (I haven't actually put this into the right dimentions yet, this is just a demonstration on the cave floor).

[Ranger M]

I think that I have fixed the contrast problem (it not standing out from the cave floor), this works much better.

[Darth Fool]

The color of the stones is still too similar to that of the cave floor. I don't know if making it lighter still will help, or whether it needs to be tinted slightly differently, but if I stare at it ong enough I can convince myself that the walls are actually translucent with only the frames really visible. Overall, it looks like a great design and a good replacement for the current dwarf castle.

[Eleazar]

I think that I have fixed the contrast problem (it not standing out from the cave floor), this works much better.

No, you only slightly mitigated the contrast problem.
When working you need to un-zoom back to 100% and let your eyes unfocus a little to get the general impression. And/Or temporarily mirror it. And/Or leave it zoomed in and look at it from across the room.
It's very easy as you work on art to start to see it, not as someone with fresh eyes would, but as the thing you want it to be. Your brain remembers what those 3 pixels were supposed to be, and tellls you that's what they are--even if no one else would see it.

You need more darks & lights, something like this:

[Leonhard]

I'm certainly going to say something 99% of the people are aware of but I like to use the Gimp ability to have several views of the same picture, this way you can have always a 100%-zoomed version of your picture in a corner of your screen.

[Ranger M]

I think that I have fixed the contrast problem (it not standing out from the cave floor), this works much better.

No, you only slightly mitigated the contrast problem.
When working you need to un-zoom back to 100% and let your eyes unfocus a little to get the general impression. And/Or temporarily mirror it. And/Or leave it zoomed in and look at it from across the room.
It's very easy as you work on art to start to see it, not as someone with fresh eyes would, but as the thing you want it to be. Your brain remembers what those 3 pixels were supposed to be, and tells you that's what they are--even if no one else would see it.

I do normally zoom out regularly to check that I'm getting the right effect, although not for long, your right, I should let my eyes adjust more.

You need more darks & lights, something like this:

Curse my abnormal fear of bright colours in my art (really, its a problem a have in most of it).

This works much better, although your cave floor seems much brighter than that one I was using, might look a bit out of place on the other cave floors (BTW where did you get that floor from, it's not one of the cave floors in 1.1.1) It also definatly solves the problem that darth fool pointed out.

It is also much brighter than the dwarven house, which is what I was basing mine on. see below.


EDIT:

I'm certainly going to say something 99% of the people are aware of but I like to use the Gimp ability to have several views of the same picture, this way you can have always a 100%-zoomed version of your picture in a corner of your screen.

you can? How?

[turin]

I'm certainly going to say something 99% of the people are aware of but I like to use the Gimp ability to have several views of the same picture, this way you can have always a 100%-zoomed version of your picture in a corner of your screen.

you can? How?

Actually, I just learned of this frm Leonhard's post also. You go to "view", then "new view".

[Ranger M]

you can? How?

Actually, I just learned of this frm Leonhard's post also. You go to "view", then "new view".

*experiments by drawing big red line across image*

your right, it changes as you change the origional, sweet

[Ranger M]

Ok, I think that I have got a nice balance here, it still reflects the fact that the dwarvish castle would be made out of the same stuff as the surrounding cave, but is different enough that it stands out (helped by the outline).

it is also lighter than it used to be, but not as light as Eleazar's one which was too bright IMHO.

If this gets accepted then I can get on with doing the actual bits without having to post as much (hopefully). Only updates when whole bits get done.

[xtifr]

it is also lighter than it used to be, but not as light as Eleazar's one which was too bright IMHO.

So you're saying that that solid black hex is supposed to be art of some sort?

Only semi-kidding, I can make out details if I zoom in. But just sitting there in my browser, I can't make out anything at all. Not everyone leaves their contrast and gammas cranked all the way up, and not everyone has perfect eyesight. Subtlety can be nice, but in this case, I think you may be taking it to the point where it affects playability.

Honestly, I am not normally the kind of guy who complains about subtle effects, but in this case, I am really having trouble with the image.

[romnajin]

Hum...you must have a really dark monitor, on mine it almost looks too bright.

[Ranger M]

I do have my brightness pretty high, although not full, but even on my lowest I can make it out. Unfortunately I don't know where my contrast settings are, or I would have changed them too.

I'll try addressing this soon (once I finish my coursework for today)

[WTL]

What if instead of greys you used something closer to a bronze or brown color? It might not match the dwarven town exactly, but castles are usually made out of different material than towns are.