Castle Tileset

paradoxfox93 · Post by **paradoxfox93** » 17 Dec 2007, 01:12

Tilecount: 8
Currently working on: window

So I'm messing around with building a castle map using gimp to draw my own brick tilsets. S far I've got 5 tiles drawn (two of which are just inverted tiles). I was going to post the tileset but the transparency got jacked up apparently in the making of a single .png tileset so if anyone is interested I will post it and whatever else is part of the tileset when I get a single file tileset working. For now here is what it looks like screenshot out of Tiled:

The arches are transparent at the corners. Like in the desert city walls. Any comments welcome. I'm a little anal so I'll fix anything someone notices that I haven't I've been over and over these little pieces for quite a while getting them to arrange seamlessly and look as realistic as possible.

Edit - I put a picutre that actually makes more sense. When I thought about it, I had more accomplished than I thought so I put it together to look decent and more meaningfull. Also I was wrong, the tileset works perfectly. Here it is:

Also - IK it is kinda bland atm. I plan to add a lot of detail. LIke Arrow slits, a cool archway and drawbridge, A chapel with stained glass windows and more.

That's two more tiles!

+1

Okay, So I'm observing that my castle walls-and more notably-the towers, wll create some "hiding" places for mobs and players. Since this isn't really going to be a dangerous area and it's not a place where pertinant details to be observed at I can't think it should be too much of a problem. If it's a problem I can find a way to work around it and prevent it from happening but my towers might be a few pixels smaller.

Post by **Crush** » 17 Dec 2007, 02:31

As a beginner you should start with simple pixel-art techniques. This will better teach you the basics of shading based on light direction. This will help you, for example, to understand why you can't use the same tiles for walls and for floors.

By the way, we already got an almost complete tileset that seems to be very similar to what you want to accomplish. So when you don't create these tiles only for practice but to advance TMW you should be aware that your work is redundant:

paradoxfox93 · Post by **paradoxfox93** » 17 Dec 2007, 02:44

Crush wrote:As a beginner you should start with simple pixel-art techniques. This will better teach you the basics of shading based on light direction. This will help you, for example, to understand why you can't use the same tiles for walls and for floors.

By the way, we already got an almost complete tileset that seems to be very similar to what you want to accomplish. So when you don't create these tiles only for practice but to advance TMW you should be aware that your work is redundant:

Well, I flipped the "wall" to use as a "floor" on top just to give a visual of how the battlements would look together. I was planning on making an actual brick "floor"

I didn't know there was already concrete artwork done though. It looks a lot neater than mine and might be better fit for an actual castle. Maybe Mine would be for something more like a brick cottage somewhere. Maybe I'll work on a thatched roof for it.

Also where I can I find a directory of artwork thats already been done?

Post by **Crush** » 17 Dec 2007, 03:06

Unfortunately there is no such directory. The best method to get an overview over what is currenty happening is to lurk around in the graphic development forum or simply to ask on our art development IRC channel #tmwart (the best time to actually find someone active there is during the european evening hours).

Post by **Len** » 17 Dec 2007, 17:47

You actually are doing a few things surprisingly well, try and up the contrast and bring out the textures that naturally form

(see, that is so much nicer

it surprises even me!)

(also a different texture for the path on top of the bridge would help)

(I used a darker vision of one of the castle tiles, and because the tiles do not look the same it makes it a little less flat )

You did put a lot of detail into this but its impossible to see when its so light and all the tones and colors are the same...

Avoid using gray scale in this game (just because something looks gray doesn't make it gray)...
Go darker ...
Try to get greater tile variety ...

good luck

paradoxfox93 · Post by **paradoxfox93** » 17 Dec 2007, 18:45

Hey that looks awesome. Yeah it might look greyscale but it's not. There is quite a bit of brown in there actually.

Again, I do know about the floor, I just haven't worked something out for that. I think I'm going to continue designing it as a brick house with a thatched roof So a floor isn't necessary as such will be dirt (And I already am ripping those pixels from a few places)

Thanks for the advice. To be honest. I just draw a rough, repeating pattern, stack it on top of each other in a 96x96 tileset and smudge away. If I Go a certain direction and strategically place brow pixels i get a good shading effect.

The ledge will be good for a windowsill and then I think I'm just going to rip the thatch from one of the in game tilesets. I will have to build a chimney cap though and shutters which are my next goals for the project.

Post by **Len** » 17 Dec 2007, 19:00

paradoxfox93 wrote: Yeah it might look greyscale but it's not. There is quite a bit of brown in there actually.

How do i say, this you basically went from pure gray to pure white rather than using different shades of a color or colors

Jaxad0127 · Post by **Jaxad0127** » 17 Dec 2007, 19:03

I think what Len meant is that its the same color in different shades. Real brick walls aren't usually made of bricks that are all the same color, even if they're meant to be. Add some variety. Make some darker and some lighter. Make some more reddish and other more brownish.

paradoxfox93 · Post by **paradoxfox93** » 17 Dec 2007, 19:17

I agree that it could use a little more color. I didn't want to overdo it though maybe I went a little too scarce with the brown or the smudging nullified it. Also I think I ended up wiping the prominent brown out before I posted it when I was trying to make it seamless. Still, I was kinda going for something on the greyish scale, though it might have ended up more so than I was really going for.

Website · Post by **yosuhara** » 17 Dec 2007, 19:44

paradoxfox93 wrote:I agree that it could use a little more color. I didn't want to overdo it though maybe I went a little too scarce with the brown or the smudging nullified it. Also I think I ended up wiping the prominent brown out before I posted it when I was trying to make it seamless. Still, I was kinda going for something on the greyish scale, though it might have ended up more so than I was really going for.

i recommend you stop using tools like smudge at all or at least minimize their usage IMHO.

Post by **Len** » 18 Dec 2007, 06:13

yosuhara wrote:
paradoxfox93 wrote:I agree that it could use a little more color. I didn't want to overdo it though maybe I went a little too scarce with the brown or the smudging nullified it. Also I think I ended up wiping the prominent brown out before I posted it when I was trying to make it seamless. Still, I was kinda going for something on the greyish scale, though it might have ended up more so than I was really going for.
i recommend you stop using tools like smudge at all or at least minimize their usage IMHO.

it can be useful from time to time....but yea don't depend on it

Post by **Rotonen** » 21 Dec 2007, 12:00

Moved to graphics.

Just remember to keep on trying and redoing until you get your first bit of positive commentary from someone as negative as me.

For now I'm not going to give any further input on your work. You seem to be in more than capaple hands for tutoring.