Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[mendonca]

I really like that.

My advice would be to get it in the game; it will look great in game but as you play with it, it will inform you what you need to do with it to adjust the weaponry; which could impact the sprite. Just 'energy' weaponry can be a bit one-dimensional in terms of gameplay, so maybe you would think about the odd universal / missile to give some kind of tactical variation in fighting with it.

In terms of the sprite, the form is great, yeah but would take some work on more 'detail'. Just look at the falcon / mule for reference. Don't need to overdo the 'greeble', if you get the shading correct and add a bit of interest with some subtle contrasts in shade and colour.

[Sollis Gratis]

Thanks for the advice mendonca, I'll see about putting it in-game.

I've done a little more work on the detail, played with the light and contrast. Added some cyan/cobalt tints and added a kind of patchwork to some of the armor panels.

I've been quietly enjoying the junk pirates et al. Thanks for keeping them up to date.



[attachment deleted by admin]

[kazi]

One very useful trick for shading is to create a new layer in GIMP/Photoshop/Krita, set its layer mode to "soft light", then paint/airbrush on some pure white and black. Makes for a very good-looking shading effect for very little effort. I don't use this technique quite as much as I used to, but most of my work on these forums make pretty heavy use of this style of lighting.

[King Alfonzo]

I've done a little more work on the detail, played with the light and contrast. Added some cyan/cobalt tints and added a kind of patchwork to some of the armor panels.

The detail looks good, but it seems a little flat - you'll need to shade it more to give it structure. Kazi's advice is pretty spot on - using layers to brush up or down sections is tremendously useful. And when combined with contrast, you can get a pretty good result.

In the meantime, observe my pitiful 2 month long attempt to sprite:

Spoiler

[close]

At 13 right now, and I'm currently trying to detail it (similar to vanilla hammerhead). With difficulty. It's like if you add detail to it, it ruins the lines of the ship, which is supposed to be smooth and sleek. Any ideas?

[Sollis Gratis]

Kazi & Alfonso: Is this more or less the effect you guys were thinking of? (two to three)

mendonca, if you are still lingering around, I've followed your advice and put it in the game. It looks better in game than out; a dark background does it some favours; as does the bright contrast the engine lights offer.

The concept I've gone with is that it is a blockade runner. Good top speed, a burndrive, average maneuverability, good survivability (shield, armor, and pd coverage), poor damage output. Moderate cargo, +1 burn speed for it's size.

TBH, I still prefer the second iteration over the others, though there is some value in the shading in number three, it kinda loses something I can't put my finger on. I dropped the saturation in light of it's almost taxi corloured hull plating bothering me, increased the brightness of the cyan light details (the engine flares in-game informed the decision). I am in two minds about the colored greeble detailing in number four.

If you have an opinion let me know, good or bad, agree or disagree. Let me know what you think.

Re:Alphonso
I agree with your statement about details with your concept. Perhaps looking at the Aurora/Medusa may help inform the right balance of smooth lines to greebling? Perhaps less high contrast details on the hull and focus the detailing on the spaces between. I really like the details you've applied on the dark fins behind the bridge. The greebles on either side of the bridge appear to sit a little higher than the turret mounts, perhaps accentuating the shape of the mount around their circumference will address this if it is unintentional. It is a cool concept, I'd like to see where it ends up

[King Alfonzo]

TBH, I still prefer the second iteration over the others, though there is some value in the shading in number three, it kinda loses something I can't put my finger on. I dropped the saturation in light of it's almost taxi corloured hull plating bothering me, increased the brightness of the cyan light details (the engine flares in-game informed the decision). I am in two minds about the colored greeble detailing in number four.

If you have an opinion let me know, good or bad, agree or disagree. Let me know what you think.

The shading seems...strange in 3. Like it's gone a slight tinge of blue or cyan, making the shading seem less due to light, and more due to perhaps a stain? Otherwsie I prefer 3 over 2. Also, because you can pick up the details in the greebling, I prefer 4 over 3. The back still seems a little flat, though - maybe some highlights around some of the plates the get a more distorted, rough surface?

Re:Alphonso
I agree with your statement about details with your concept. Perhaps looking at the Aurora/Medusa may help inform the right balance of smooth lines to greebling? Perhaps less high contrast details on the hull and focus the detailing on the spaces between. I really like the details you've applied on the dark fins behind the bridge. The greebles on either side of the bridge appear to sit a little higher than the turret mounts, perhaps accentuating the shape of the mount around their circumference will address this if it is unintentional. It is a cool concept, I'd like to see where it ends up

I've already had a peek at those - and they just have faint lines spider-webbing all over it, which is something I'm trying to avoid. AS for the greebles around the mounts - I kind of wanted the mount to look like it's part of the greebles (observe 6 thru to 8 where I try to keep the rear mounts as apart of the greebling), to get the feeling that the ship is just a little bit stripped down. Thinking on this...I might use that for the back detailing.

EDIT:


Little bit better.

[Sollis Gratis]

Spoiler

[close]

Ah, in a spoiler and linked. I'll get all the posting conventions right one day I swear.

Anyway, Alphonso, I think you were right about the cyan being bumped a little too high, and so I added some orange tones back into it to try to balance it out. The stain comment you about the shading was what was really bothering me about what I had done, it was a fairly apt description, like tea stains or something. I cut back on the black layer and added some more white, smoothing it out and adding colour back in where I had lost colour depth.

I added some contours around the center of the ship, redid some of the lines and tried to give the motor pods some shape (I need to cut a little orange back maybe?). I think I'll start on another sprite so as I am not looking at the same thing too long and missing what is right in-front of me. I think I am close to done with the sprite. Again, open to feedback but I am close to calling it, so if anything is strikingly wrong with it jump on it and I'll meddle a little more before I move on.

Alphonso, I like the greebling toward the engines, it looks a lot better to me than the other detail you used before. It seems to make the engines appear less attached and more a part of the whole ship, more integrated. Good call.

[King Alfonzo]

The white definitely made it pop, really brought it out and made it look tangible.

there's still a bit of 'staining' so to speak at the top - perhaps instead of using black or grey for your shading, you could use a darker version of the colour you're already using - that way you don't get a 'greyed' product you can sometimes get when using straight white or black to shade. I like what you've done - very ASPish / PACKish / 90's-french-kids-space-stopmotion-series-ish.

[DrakonST]

I thought that draw sprite it is very difficult, need special program and skills is for this purpose necessary. But it appears for this purpose it is probably necessary simply SAI. And to be engaged in it quite interestingly. And yes, it`s my first sprites.

[attachment deleted by admin]

[Tartiflette]

[...]

Spoiler

[close]

At 13 right now, and I'm currently trying to detail it (similar to vanilla hammerhead). With difficulty. It's like if you add detail to it, it ruins the lines of the ship, which is supposed to be smooth and sleek. Any ideas?

So here is my take on this ship:



And while I was at it, I recorded the process:

Spoiler

[close]

Couple of remarks on your sprite:

Way too sharp: you need some anti-aliasing, Starsector's sprites aren't "true" pixel art but rather extremely detailed painting.

Too saturated in the dark areas: Light actually work the other way around with bright areas more saturated and darker ones more dull. This is in part compounded by the fact that metals reflect a lot of light. If that light is white, it then drown the saturation. Since this is suposed to be a very shiny ship, only the mid range areas should be saturated.

You can check my Paintjob Tutorial for some advices about colors, or directly go see Niklas Jansson awesome tutoriels.

Too strong armor greebling: While there wasn't too much greebling, it was very contrasted, cutting the sprite rather than adding subtle details. This could have been okay for some sprites, but in this case it clashed with the intend of smooth well assembled "car" spaceship. Additionally, the mechanical greebling was probably not necessary.

[King Alfonzo]

Couple of remarks on your sprite:

Way too sharp: you need some anti-aliasing, Starsector's sprites aren't "true" pixel art but rather extremely detailed painting.

Fair cop - I've been doing old school, zoomed-right-in, MS Paint, pixel-by-pixel alterations. It's only until I saw your vid that I realize how far into detail I could reasonably go - still got a bit of a 'only so many colours' mentaility. Helps for greebling detail, but sucks on body lines.

Too saturated in the dark areas: Light actually work the other way around with bright areas more saturated and darker ones more dull. This is in part compounded by the fact that metals reflect a lot of light. If that light is white, it then drown the saturation. Since this is suposed to be a very shiny ship, only the mid range areas should be saturated.

You can check my Paintjob Tutorial for some advices about colors, or directly go see Niklas Jansson awesome tutoriels.

Ah, that makes sense. I never realized that saturation was the issue rather than darkness so to speak. This is something that's actually been haunting me for a long, long while - I could do chalk and pencil shading pretty well, but as soon as colour was introduced I'd fail horribly. Thanks for correcting that.

Too strong armor greebling: While there wasn't too much greebling, it was very contrasted, cutting the sprite rather than adding subtle details. This could have been okay for some sprites, but in this case it clashed with the intend of smooth well assembled "car" spaceship. Additionally, the mechanical greebling was probably not necessary.

This was something that I was trying to figure my way around, and I think I complained bitterly that I was having this problem, where you either did no or subtle greebling, and you wouldn't notice it, but as soon as you notice it, you ruin the lines. As for thr greebling - this ship isn't a 'supercar', like your is (Heck, I reckon put some purple on yours and it wouldn't look out of place in the CABAL lineup). It's supposed to be a ship that's been modified into an improved 'sports' model - added speed, but it's still an alteration, for all the ill that implies.

Regardless, it's an insane improvement over my clumsy attempts - I'm definitely going to have to step it up.

[HELMUT]

(Heck, I reckon put some purple on yours and it wouldn't look out of place in the CABAL lineup).

I... Should try to do that.

DrakonST, that's a very good first attempt at spriting. I spotted a few issues though. For example, the bridge's windows are unicolor which isn't something you see in the vanilla game, there's always a few darker/brighter pixels in there.

The second thing i noticed were the pitch black parts on your ships, in Starsector nothing is pure black and white, there's always some very slight colors tints even in grey, metallic parts. Take a very close look at the vanilla ships, it should be more clear. The white parts personally don't bother me that much, but the black greebles really need to be taken care of.

And lastly, the shading on your ships is too discreet. Shadows helps making 2D things looks 3D, unfortunately they are too subtle on your ships and as such they still looks quite flat.

I did a (very) quick change to show you the differences :



My attempt is a bit clumsy and probably too heavy-handed, but at least it shows more clearly the volumes of the ships.

If you can fix those little things, then your ships will start to looks really, really nice.

[DrakonST]

(Heck, I reckon put some purple on yours and it wouldn't look out of place in the CABAL lineup).

I... Should try to do that.

DrakonST, that's a very good first attempt at spriting. I spotted a few issues though. For example, the bridge's windows are unicolor which isn't something you see in the vanilla game, there's always a few darker/brighter pixels in there.

The second thing i noticed were the pitch black parts on your ships, in Starsector nothing is pure black and white, there's always some very slight colors tints even in grey, metallic parts. Take a very close look at the vanilla ships, it should be more clear. The white parts personally don't bother me that much, but the black greebles really need to be taken care of.

And lastly, the shading on your ships is too discreet. Shadows helps making 2D things looks 3D, unfortunately they are too subtle on your ships and as such they still looks quite flat.

I did a (very) quick change to show you the differences :



My attempt is a bit clumsy and probably too heavy-handed, but at least it shows more clearly the volumes of the ships.

If you can fix those little things, then your ships will start to looks really, really nice.

I know about these problems. Pay attention that the first ship (frigate) looks even worse. I need simply more practice. And still I have some problems because I am a color-blind person.

This ship`s better?

[attachment deleted by admin]

[kazi]

And we're done! I tested it out briefly just now (without the built in weapon or ship system), and it's still literally the most OP thing ever. 

[RandomnessInc]

Sexy, any ideas for a name yet