Putting the 'role' back in role-playing games since 2002.
Donate to Codex
Good Old Games
  • Welcome to rpgcodex.net, a site dedicated to discussing computer based role-playing games in a free and open fashion. We're less strict than other forums, but please refer to the rules.

    "This message is awaiting moderator approval": All new users must pass through our moderation queue before they will be able to post normally. Until your account has "passed" your posts will only be visible to yourself (and moderators) until they are approved. Give us a week to get around to approving / deleting / ignoring your mundane opinion on crap before hassling us about it. Once you have passed the moderation period (think of it as a test), you will be able to post normally, just like all the other retards.

Exile Squadron - Space SHMUP from One Bit Studio (J_C)

J_C

One Bit Studio
Patron
Developer
Joined
Dec 28, 2010
Messages
16,947
Location
Pannonia
Project: Eternity Wasteland 2 Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag. Pathfinder: Wrath
I think it is time to create a thread for my next game. So...*drumroll*.... let me announce Exile Squadron my space shoot 'em up.

It is in development for 20 months, and I'm planning to release it this summer. As for the gameplay, I'm aiming to get the feel of the old MAME shmups, with some inspirations from modern ones like Jets 'n Guns.

Opposite to my first game, this one is coded, drawn and hopefully composed by me, so it quite a challange. I can't show you gameplay or ingame screens just yet, but I hope I will be able to do it in a month.

For now, I'd like to get some feedback on the cover art, specifically for the title style. I created 4 versions, would you tell me which one you like the best? A-B-C-D? Enlarge te picture, because the difference is in the title logo.

4J6HPs2.png
 

AdolfSatan

Arcane
Joined
Dec 27, 2017
Messages
1,871
Love playing these kind of games with my friends, so definitely looking forward to see what comes out of this.

Now, on the cover:
It looks bland and generic. You're playing with the same colour scheme and effects that everyone's been doing since the whole retro vibe hit the mainstream. First thought that comes to mind is "Jeez, another dev trying to make some cash on the latest trend".
But putting that prejudice aside, the logo itself is bad. All of the four versions; I wouldn't be able to pick one I like best, because I don't like any.

I get you tried to compensate for the difference in size amidst both words by increasing size and kerning in "EXILE"; but it isn't working, and having both words distanced so much makes it feel lopsided.
If the idea was to give it a sense of dynamism, you could have achieved it by shifting the weight towards the right side. Alternatively, you could have centered both words to give it more gravitas.

Quick paintjob to ilustrate my point:
2u9ia8m.jpg
I still do consider it to be a bad logo, though.
 

J_C

One Bit Studio
Patron
Developer
Joined
Dec 28, 2010
Messages
16,947
Location
Pannonia
Project: Eternity Wasteland 2 Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag. Pathfinder: Wrath
Love playing these kind of games with my friends, so definitely looking forward to see what comes out of this.

Now, on the cover:
It looks bland and generic. You're playing with the same colour scheme and effects that everyone's been doing since the whole retro vibe hit the mainstream. First thought that comes to mind is "Jeez, another dev trying to make some cash on the latest trend".
But putting that prejudice aside, the logo itself is bad. All of the four versions; I wouldn't be able to pick one I like best, because I don't like any.

I get you tried to compensate for the difference in size amidst both words by increasing size and kerning in "EXILE"; but it isn't working, and having both words distanced so much makes it feel lopsided.
If the idea was to give it a sense of dynamism, you could have achieved it by shifting the weight towards the right side. Alternatively, you could have centered both words to give it more gravitas.

Quick paintjob to ilustrate my point:
2u9ia8m.jpg
I still do consider it to be a bad logo, though.
Thanks, I'll try to do some more versions, with other title placement. Unfortunately the art in the background will stay, because it was created by some other guy, who can't work on it anymore. I wouldn't be able to draw something like this by myself. :)
 

AdolfSatan

Arcane
Joined
Dec 27, 2017
Messages
1,871
Well, it's not that the artwork is terrible, but there are some minor adjustments that could make it better. Its two main issues are clutter (too much info + everything in focus) and softness (everything is sitting somewhere amidst the middle grounds of the brightness spectrum). Both can be easily solved by stacking focus and manipulating the contrast, to a more dramatic flair. Spider's idea of shifting the lasers towards red isn't bad at all either.
Here's a —very quick and sloppy— shop to illustrate my point.

2elttoh.jpg

Not saying my version's necessarily better, just bouncing some ideas. Hope it helps!
 

J_C

One Bit Studio
Patron
Developer
Joined
Dec 28, 2010
Messages
16,947
Location
Pannonia
Project: Eternity Wasteland 2 Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag. Pathfinder: Wrath
Well, it's not that the artwork is terrible, but there are some minor adjustments that could make it better. Its two main issues are clutter (too much info + everything in focus) and softness (everything is sitting somewhere amidst the middle grounds of the brightness spectrum). Both can be easily solved by stacking focus and manipulating the contrast, to a more dramatic flair. Spider's idea of shifting the lasers towards red isn't bad at all either.
Here's a —very quick and sloppy— shop to illustrate my point.

2elttoh.jpg

Not saying my version's necessarily better, just bouncing some ideas. Hope it helps!
Every feedback helps. Thanks. :) Do you think using some depth of field effect to put the forefront in focus would help?
 

Generic-Giant-Spider

Guest
What I dislike about the original cover art is you have this perilous situation but the colours are too warm and welcoming which takes away a lot of the urgency. The edited picture above from Hitler is more effective and tells you what you need to know.

If I was browsing through shmups on Steam, which I'd never do because I suck an unprecedented amount of dick at them, but let's say I was Asian and blessed with Jackie Chan reflexes, I'd see the initial cover art and think it's another retro neon '80s thing that at this point has been so done that it needs to take a vacation in a volcano. It doesn't pop out to me, it doesn't grab me.

Now if I see the edited picture from Hitler, I know right away what I'm getting into. I know these fuckers want to kill me. This is not a game to mess with, it's an urgent situation and it demands you come help. Check this... 1991, video rental store named "Fabulous Movies" ran by Indian immigrants, I roam the game aisles and see that shit looking at me wedged between Paperboy and Excitebike? I'm grabbing it. Taking off, see you in 4 days for the return, Kumar.
 

J_C

One Bit Studio
Patron
Developer
Joined
Dec 28, 2010
Messages
16,947
Location
Pannonia
Project: Eternity Wasteland 2 Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag. Pathfinder: Wrath
1. Find a female avatar. Think Angelina Jolie in sky captain & world of tomorrow or something. More flesh = better.

2. Graft it into your covers.

3. Profit.

art-sky-captain-and-the-world-of-tomorrow-angelina-jolie-girl-bandage-forage-cap-clouds.jpg
You forgot the 4th point. Prepare for lawsuit.
 

laclongquan

Arcane
Joined
Jan 10, 2007
Messages
1,870,144
Location
Searching for my kidnapped sister
The key word here is "think". I dont say you have to find an exact likeliness to Jolie or the captain sky uniform, do I? For one thing, I also dotn think that black uni go well with your starting image. Something white or blue would be better. Jolie is just what pop up in my head first.

Honor Harrington would fit better but most of arts about her has her washboard status. Not my cuppa. Twenty years and we only got this. You should check "honor harrington cover" on google to see images about a female captain/commander in star ship command.


latest
 

Haba

Harbinger of Decline
Patron
Joined
Dec 24, 2008
Messages
1,871,744
Location
Land of Rape & Honey ❤️
Codex 2012 MCA Divinity: Original Sin Project: Eternity Torment: Tides of Numenera Wasteland 2
You need a chick with big boobs on the cover. Like have the plane fly in between her breasts.

11-Nazi-Comics.jpg


I'll take my 15% cut form your profits now, thx.

Or else my bot army will rate your game on Steam!
 

J_C

One Bit Studio
Patron
Developer
Joined
Dec 28, 2010
Messages
16,947
Location
Pannonia
Project: Eternity Wasteland 2 Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag. Pathfinder: Wrath
You need a chick with big boobs on the cover. Like have the plane fly in between her breasts.

11-Nazi-Comics.jpg


I'll take my 15% cut form your profits now, thx.

Or else my bot army will rate your game on Steam!
giphy.gif
 

AdolfSatan

Arcane
Joined
Dec 27, 2017
Messages
1,871
Every feedback helps. Thanks. :) Do you think using some depth of field effect to put the forefront in focus would help?
Yeap! That's exactly what I meant. Just make sure to stack different levels of blur/focus to achieve a better sense of depth, and make sure there's a clear line guiding the eye.

What I dislike about the original cover art is you have this perilous situation but the colours are too warm and welcoming which takes away a lot of the urgency. The edited picture above from Hitler is more effective and tells you what you need to know.
Being named Adolf doesn't necessarily imply a homage to der FĂĽhrer, mister.

index20.jpg


I mean, in my case it does, but you shouldn't go around making assumptions like that.
 

Generic-Giant-Spider

Guest
You're right. Hitler kind of ruined that name for everyone else. It's a great first name, but it's forever forbidden now. He should've realized he had a memorable, great first name and done the Stalin thing and go by Tom or something.
 

J_C

One Bit Studio
Patron
Developer
Joined
Dec 28, 2010
Messages
16,947
Location
Pannonia
Project: Eternity Wasteland 2 Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag. Pathfinder: Wrath
Well, it's not that the artwork is terrible, but there are some minor adjustments that could make it better. Its two main issues are clutter (too much info + everything in focus) and softness (everything is sitting somewhere amidst the middle grounds of the brightness spectrum). Both can be easily solved by stacking focus and manipulating the contrast, to a more dramatic flair. Spider's idea of shifting the lasers towards red isn't bad at all either.
Here's a —very quick and sloppy— shop to illustrate my point.

2elttoh.jpg

Not saying my version's necessarily better, just bouncing some ideas. Hope it helps!
So, two other versions I did. Darker colour, red lasers, new title placement. The bottom picture has some blur around the edges. I dunno, I still like the sharper one a bit more, since I like the explosions and the asteroids. I kept the bigger space between the letters of EXILE for now, but I might change it later.

VCiogLD.jpg
 

AdolfSatan

Arcane
Joined
Dec 27, 2017
Messages
1,871
Viata there's a watch thread button, yanaw.

So, two other versions I did. Darker colour, red lasers, new title placement. The bottom picture has some blur around the edges. I dunno, I still like the sharper one a bit more, since I like the explosions and the asteroids. I kept the bigger space between the letters of EXILE for now, but I might change it later.

Looks much better; I still think there's room for some deeper blacks, tho. We're in space, after all.

On the blur, you could reach a compromise. The blur around the edges isn't quite working because it has no real reason to be. You gotta justify it before applying, if you gonna put it to use.

For example, you could set the ship and its hit wing as focus point 1 with 100% clarity, and the asteroids/explosions as focus point 2, with say, 95%.

That doesn't mean every single point of said objects should stay in focus. You could achieve a sense of speed and urgency by adding movement blur on the parts I painted turquoise in the reference picture.

Furthermore, as the eye focuses on moving objects, those larger and static in the background tend to fall out of it. The planet, the station, the furthest ships, and the asteroid belt, should feature a heavier amounts of blur in varying degrees. In turn this will make points of interest jump out by virtue of the contrast.

If you do end up using this technique, bear in mind that it's always better to have too little than too much. Keep it as subtle as possible.

15ridu0.jpg
 

J_C

One Bit Studio
Patron
Developer
Joined
Dec 28, 2010
Messages
16,947
Location
Pannonia
Project: Eternity Wasteland 2 Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag. Pathfinder: Wrath
Viata there's a watch thread button, yanaw.

So, two other versions I did. Darker colour, red lasers, new title placement. The bottom picture has some blur around the edges. I dunno, I still like the sharper one a bit more, since I like the explosions and the asteroids. I kept the bigger space between the letters of EXILE for now, but I might change it later.

Looks much better; I still think there's room for some deeper blacks, tho. We're in space, after all.

On the blur, you could reach a compromise. The blur around the edges isn't quite working because it has no real reason to be. You gotta justify it before applying, if you gonna put it to use.

For example, you could set the ship and its hit wing as focus point 1 with 100% clarity, and the asteroids/explosions as focus point 2, with say, 95%.

That doesn't mean every single point of said objects should stay in focus. You could achieve a sense of speed and urgency by adding movement blur on the parts I painted turquoise in the reference picture.

Furthermore, as the eye focuses on moving objects, those larger and static in the background tend to fall out of it. The planet, the station, the furthest ships, and the asteroid belt, should feature a heavier amounts of blur in varying degrees. In turn this will make points of interest jump out by virtue of the contrast.

If you do end up using this technique, bear in mind that it's always better to have too little than too much. Keep it as subtle as possible.

15ridu0.jpg
Thanks, I'll do my best to incorporate this into the cover.

Hey, aren't you a graphics designer by any chance? :D
 

AdolfSatan

Arcane
Joined
Dec 27, 2017
Messages
1,871
Used to. Grew up amidst the world of classical painting and worked with photoshop when I was younger. Nowadays I only do it for my own enjoyment, but it's always fun to shoot ideas back and forth with other artists on the net.

Isn't there a painters thread on the Public Library? You should probably post this there as well to get other opinions than my own, in case they don't visit GG too often. The more advice from differing sources you can get, the better.
 

J_C

One Bit Studio
Patron
Developer
Joined
Dec 28, 2010
Messages
16,947
Location
Pannonia
Project: Eternity Wasteland 2 Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag. Pathfinder: Wrath
Used to. Grew up amidst the world of classical painting and worked with photoshop when I was younger. Nowadays I only do it for my own enjoyment, but it's always fun to shoot ideas back and forth with other artists on the net.

Isn't there a painters thread on the Public Library? You should probably post this there as well to get other opinions than my own, in case they don't visit GG too often. The more advice from differing sources you can get, the better.
I'll check it out if there is some other thread.

For the meanwhile, new version, with some added blur here and there and darker black for the space.
mNrtijJ.png
 

AdolfSatan

Arcane
Joined
Dec 27, 2017
Messages
1,871
Did you use blur with hard/no feather or smudge tool for the explosions? The transition looks rather abrupt. I still feel like the planet and enemy ships in the distance are too detailed, but the progress here is astounding when you compare it to the original.

Inconsistent in their behaviour as one would expect, /ic/ can be very helpful sometimes. You should consider posting there too for critique.

EDIT: Sorry about random/senseless ratings. I keep clicking the buttons by mistake.
 

As an Amazon Associate, rpgcodex.net earns from qualifying purchases.
Back
Top Bottom