LoK 2.0 Background Scenery

[ronpepper]

My Introduction:

Hi folks, glad to have found a way I can assist with this project. I hope that my participation helps things in the right direction. This thread is meant to allow us to develop background images that we need for LoK 2.0. (not Samus platformer, good stuff and keep doing what you do guys, but one thing at a time for me)

I just came to join this site recently. I'm not all caught up on the threads, the development, so on. I don't know what the end state of 2.0 is going to be (who does? that seems to be the question). Rather than try to glean that information by reading a year of threads, I'm just going to start producing backgrounds and seeing if my stuff is okay, or if not, what I can do to fix it.

I normally do drawings of naked chicks and so on, pencil drawings, I'm not heavily into backgrounds OR stuff that is not outlined, but I think I can adapt my style to that of Kalypso and Katsu. Maybe. Those guys have a lot of talent.

Deadline: I have about 2 months in which I have free time in the evenings to tackle this project, then I'm likely to be very busy again with RL.

Right now I am using Photoshop, that's the software I happen to have and I'm good with it, somewhat. I am not sure if this causes problems because it is layer based (if you have photoshop) otherwise it's just 2d points.

I am going to be asking questions about more and more of the details of what we need and if Photoshop causes any limitations. I am prepared to do more backgrounds than we need, so that the programmers and core team have all the materials they need to put a good background behind that insatiable fox.

So far I have this on my plan:

Sky/Cloud scene
Sharpclaw hut
Scaleskin Tavern
Sharpclaw Forest
The crash site.
General Scales' Hut
Zora's Domain (lake)
Zora's Domain (under tree)
Zora's Domain (under waterfall)
Galdon's cave

Dark Woods (outlying forest)
Dark Woods (ruins)
Dark Woods (building)
Dark Woods (prison cell)

If there's anything you want to steer me away from doing, let's see how time constraints go. Rather, I'm all about suggestions for MORE things you all think need to be in 2.0. Also I take it we're not going to go much farther than Dark Woods in this release, but I don't know. You tell me.

Also I've been thinking about the possibility of making the backgrounds include furniture furnishings and props for different sex scenes. That will be limited however as it makes sense to keep the sex in the foreground as much as possible, and we can't have the foreground littered with a bunch of obstacles. Sometimes less is more, and I am a firm believer in not filling the background up with a lot of distracting crap. Take too long and it makes it very difficult to create consistency in the overall look.

[ronpepper]

Call me crazy, but I'm thinking of the sharpclaw tribe as being more of a jungle thing than the temperate forest depicted, so I might do more of a palm tree and shoreline themed village. Anyway, that's coming up, and I've spent a lot of time on the hut already. I'm working slow because I'm rusty.

Although I didn't think the cloud scene was broke, I did try to improve the appearance of the clouds slightly. I don't know if the appearance of a gradient in the sky is a problem. The colors I used were eyedropped from one of my own photographs.

Sky with clouds

clouds.jpg (58.36 KiB) Viewed 29818 times

[Octogon]

Very cool! I've picked up Flash over the last few days and had just reached the point in my test project where I'm going to need some backgrounds, so I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

[ronpepper]

Very cool! I've picked up Flash over the last few days and had just reached the point in my test project where I'm going to need some backgrounds, so I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

Won't be long.. I'm not going in any order so if you have a scene in mind, let me know.

[trunks2585]

I want to make this clear, if you should be adopting your style to anyone it's ptoon-t, he's our current artist. Otherwise, have at it, like I said, draw up the starting hut first, that's as good a test and a place to start and guide you from with your style as any. Ptoon-t should be the on that comes around here more often to help you, like he was doing with oakleaf when he tried his hand at backgrounds.

[ronpepper]

@trunks: This first attempt at the hut was a learning experience. The thatched walls are an eyesore, but I have a plan for them. I did them before I got your message and checked out pToon-t's stuff. I like his style, and eventually I learned how to incorporate it. (I think) The main thing I did was to outline objects with a dark shade of the color of that object.

I left out the furniture for the time being, since those objects can move or appear in the bar as well, I'll probably create them in separate images. In v0.2, there's a chair and a table in the foreground.

And, as I said, the thatched walls do not fit the bill. I'll fix them tomorrow. Also the background scenery is drab and treeless. That too is unfinished. But if it's already epic fail at this point, I mean, I'd like to know:) Do we want sunbeams and other blendy effects?

[trunks2585]

one or two windows would be good and some form of simple doors, even if they are left open, the illusion that the huts can be closed would be nice. You already said you're gonna change things up but I'll still make my suggestions.

Go for stone walls instead, and krystal should have a proper bed not just a mat on some hay. tables and chairs will be made out of wood but try not to go crazy with the grain effect as it doesn't really contribute to the current style. I guess in terms of shading and stuff, think cell shaded, the cartoony but sexy look is what we are going for with this game.

go ahead and do the bits of furniture up seperate from the room like you said you would, that'll make reusing stuff easier, but I'd like to see them in the next version of the room you make so it feels a bit more fleshed out. Also the walls will need some decoration, a torch at least for a light source (I think we're still using torches for lights, maybe oil lamps hanging form the ceiling if we wanna get fancy)

In general think of the buildings in the village as stone structures rather than little huts, I guess a cabin would also be a fair enough description. the tavern and scale's palace will be much larger of course.

[KaTsuO_O]

@trunks is this the cartoon style your looking for?

Untitled 22.png (45.37 KiB) Viewed 29228 times

[Octogon]

I think if you're going for a tropical/beach-type environment, stone huts and proper beds might not make as much sense. It's up to you though.

Do you plan to change the floor? It's kind of weird having the floor be a solid color when there's so much detail on the woodgrain walls.

I like the idea of a few reuseable background pieces you could use to create different jungle environments. Maybe a beach background with a few different-shaped trees and rocks which could be combined to create different-looking zones. Since a lot of people on this forum are doing different projects, non-specific backgrounds would be (imo) a lot more helpful than specific locations, as they could be used in a multitude of ways.

[ronpepper]

@trunks: So I am going for more of a cell shaded look, and it won't take that long to fix, I'll do it your way.The walls all needed to be changed anyway. If they're in a stone hut, obviously the bed would be more finished. And you wouldn't have a torch in a sconce in a straw hut, but in stone it works.
@octagon: yes, there will be some detail in the floors. Probably just a blurry path indicating where some light is pooling. Sure, in a tropical environment you might not go with the stone huts. But nothing says we can't go with stone, that's how the previous game was, and it's easy to do.

[Surskit]

and krystal should have a proper bed not just a mat on some hay.

Why? She's a slave after all. Fit for nothing more than to pleasure the soldiers.

[trunks2585]

and krystal should have a proper bed not just a mat on some hay.

Why? She's a slave after all. Fit for nothing more than to pleasure the soldiers.

True, bug given how well off the other women are, and are slaves to the men as well, it looks like the sharpclaws treat their women right, even if they are a different species. (the first girl even says you can go anywhere except for the cave, and all you gotta do is blow the leader to get into there). There is one thing we want to do in regard to krystal's slave status and that's give her an actual starting slave outfit rather than the cerulian one. once she proves she's going to be a good girl, then she gets better clothes.

Ron: I look forward to seeing your progress.

Katsu: not quite that simple and not for a hut either, maybe for the cave entrance but it would need to be a bit more polished so to speak (more detailed not shiny) and probably from a side view as well.

[ronpepper]

@Surskit: You certainly have a point. However, something about a flat bed on the ground.. well, we can debate the aesthetics in a discussion thread.

I'm going to make my intention here very clear. I'm going to create backgrounds. I may have to duplicate work, but that just means more stuff to pick from in the end. I'll listen to what advice I get, and contribute .. team members say it, I'm doing it when I get a chance. Trunks says it, fuck it I'm doing it and having fun. And in the end, the background just needs to match and provide a setting for LoK -- it's not a backdrop for the latest Spielberg film.

There's going to be some floundering when I first start off, especially if I am being creative with it. If I can get guidance in the future about how it should be, details, before I create it, it would be helpful.

@trunks: Glad you like what you see so far. Stone hut is in production, this time with cell shading in mind.

[ronpepper]

Okay, the Stone hut.. I am still working on this but I figure before I bring it to a more finished state, I better get some feedback. Aside from the wall stones not being done on the sides, the bed frame being missing, some of the shading on the door missing, and the chair missing, what do you think so far?

Also, you can see the furniture work I'm doing so far. My idea with the chair is for there to be a "tail hole" to facilitate sitting down, but that doesn't matter much, just as long as it looks like a nice wooden chair. Solid. Before I finish it, anyone have any problems complaints?

[trunks2585]

Much better. just add some doors to the doorways and finish up the chair. (nice idea with the tail hole)

the table has more detail from the room though, that's a bit jarring. I took a look through some of ptoon-t's props in the developer area to see if i could explain how to ajust things and the best explination i have right now is include outlines on the props, colored outlines, not just solid black lines, they'll usually be a slightly darker shade than the main color you're using for the object. Aside from that don't be afraid to stylize what your drawing it helps push things more towards being cell shaded or cartoon like.

So while the main room i think is close to what we want, using some colored outlines on things should help things visually, case in point check the left door frame and then the right one. The left one is more satisfying to look at. (might wanna change those to being brown as well)

[Bussa]

I must say I am very impressed with your backgrounds ronpepper, great quality, and attention to detail! Keep up the good work!

[MrBear]

Not to mention he works extremely fast :O

[tchao]

... I think pink isn't quite fitting enough for a hut belonging to such a manly tribe
also the bed appears to be too close to the wall, or half the size of a twin
the backround veiw past the doors could use work, seeing as we're going for a jungle and not a bright sunny feild

other than that, looks nice.

[ronpepper]

@Bussa: Thanks. You are an artist, love your work.
@tchao: Thanks for the feedback. Yeah, I ditched the pink, or lavender or whatever. Not sure if the bed is going to look much wider than yer average single bed. I could tweak it though I'm not sure it's necessary, seems most of the scenes don't take place on a bed. Should be done with a new rough sometime today.

[ronpepper]

Here it is, the "hut" as it were.
I realize I may just have to redo the torches, as they are not cell-shaded. The background is not done yet, it will come from background scenery from another scene. Please understand. I can change the color of the floor, the bed, everything. It may be a little too much blue considering K-Fox has a blue outfit as her default. I scrapped the actual stones in the walls because I couldn't get them to look right, but if I must, I can just make that layer visible and then work on the sides. If no one complains, I'm leaving it. They have a vase, they can have drywall.

Also, I have attached what the whole chair looks like.

I made the cell shading type border based on pToon-t's style, and in the process I learned more and more how to execute in that style. Better than before, when I had kinda no style.. hehe. Since Kalypso and Ptoon have fairly detailed characters my strategy has been to incorporate enough detail into the drawings to kind of make everything match.

I'm kind of itching to do some dark woods now, so that's probably what I'll do next, unless anyone has any requests. Hopefully it won't be as intensive as this room has been. Sheesh.