Hill Top Zone

Okay, with your shading (Blinn) the leaves on the far right side look almost completely black. This is not seen as much on the left side. Please fix this, it's been bugging me.

 

Just trying some more new things, to help point this tree in a direction...

 

I've never used liquify outside of photography retouching but I gave it a shot just to put it out there going with subsubstantive's take.

Soggy Tree:

 

Alright I added a bit more to that mockup. I also did another but it turned out looking totally ridiculous so it ended up in the fire! ...And then I got sick of drawing so this is all I'm left with. I know it's looking less and less like the original tree but it's just a concept anyway.



I really should loosen up. Just do a whole bunch of quick sketches!

 

The idea of a "soggy tree" is an interesting one, so long as the leaves(?) are bending in the correct directions.

Just to note, I LOVE the texture of subsubstantive's tree - I think that looks the most organic one I've seen so far.


Ignoring the presents and the suff on this tree, I was thinking more along these lines with how the "leaves" could bend:

 

Soggy Tree 2:

 

You guys are slowly disfiguring an already perfect graphic.


The original felt stiff and symmetrical, it didn't look like it had needles, it was almost metallic like and looked like nothing that could be alive at all. It was a piece of scenary that looked artificial and perfectly shaped in an equally non-organic, toy-like environment. And it merged with the rest of the graphics while looking cool.

If anything, perhaps it's the other background elements what should be made more 3D-ish and less organic-like? Note that this could make a difference between Emerald Hill and Hill Top, one more organic and one more metallic.


I seriously don't think making the objects look like they're hand drawn does anything good for this project. This is not Yoshi's Island HD.

 

I agree with ICEknight. These later additions on making it more organic is making something that looks cool look like shit.

 

I agree, but I'm just trying to conform to some idea that people want to see. Obviously warping an image around isn't the way to do it either. All it is doing is crapping all over what I just made by distorting and stretching pixel information that just isn't there.

I personally love my tree. Some things just aren't supposed to look organic.

Emerald Hill Trees SHOULD look organic. The tops should at least. But no one complained that all their trunks go straight up in a vertical line. Is that organic? I'm not busting on the Emerald Hill Tree/artwork, I love them. I'm just trying to understand where this organic argument is even coming from when so much of the art isn't supposed to look organic.

Do the trees and the flowers and bushes look "organic"? No way.

There is metal in every single stage, it isn't something you are going to escape anytime soon. If you aren't getting it through the stage itself, you have a mess of badniks bringing the metal. I don't think my rendition of the tree looks any more metallic than it should.

 

Can we have people working on purely conceptual ideas without being told to stick to he already "perfect" (which is totally arguable) tree? The idea is to think outside of the box and, who knows, an offshoot tree may spark some creativity that we haven't seen yet.

 

yes, this is all the tree was meant to be.

Here is a thought I just had. See the blue hue on the outside of the tree. Maybe some variation of it could be added, as it might give some nice atmospheric detail. The way I see it, HTZ is up high in the mountains and crisp and cool. The orange and blue are complementary colours also, which should be played up. In my mind I see the background, as "lit up" by the sun (sorta like the grand canyon) which is obviously above the cloud cover and therefore providing a vibrant orange cast on the mountains in the background. Then the foreground is more cool and more secluded from the bright cast of the sun, sort of more shadowy. As if the foreground isn't on a peak, but more of plateau on the other side of a mountain, which isn't in direct sunlight. This will also draw attention to the magnificent scenery of the background, and allow a further deviation from what is otherwise a rehash of EHZ. I know this probably doesn't make sense to most of you, but I'm trying to explain how I envision the atmosphere, to try and explain how I see the tree. As well, the sky in the background could also portray the thin atmosphere at this height, rather than simply a solid blue, as ingame. Even if not on a hypothetical plateau, the hills still seem to vary between orange high peaks, and rows of blue ridges, which are less high, as evident in the BG. The foreground could also continue this contrast.

 

That... is... GLORIOUS.

 

What happened was when I rendered the earlier versions, there was a blue backdrop plane. And since it was a blinn you really got the blue reflected in it. It wasn't my intention and created extra work in photoshop to get the blue out.

Here is my semi-crappy attempt at the door. And boy was it a bitch of work to get animated.




Proportions are off, but its probably hard to tell with mine and the original two different sizes.

 

It seems weird that part of the "magma" moves, while some remains stationary. The animation is choppy. Also, please repost at the correct 4x size. finally, could you add a reflection on the glass tube part, something really thick? Nevertheless, great job so far, good progress! there is also a lot to be done on the metal blocks, you don't have to be so faithful to the original.

 

Nice start.

The thing is that while it seems an idea to have lava in there. It just doesn't seem right considering the door closes when there is no lava, and the lava never goes to the top of the door.

I guess I just feel that it's meant to be lights rather than lava. lights seem more plausible to what it's really meant to be.

If anything. This is how I see the pattern should be at hi res.



I'm sure you could interpret that onto it with animation.

 

I purposely kept part of the magma there to give the impression that it is in a tube. Its kind of to give the impression similar to that of water stains on a shower door.

 

I like this idea!! I don't see how added detail like this should be out of the question. I'd love it to be considered. Sounds like an excellent way to give Hill Top Zone a little extra character.

 

I like the lava as well, but maybe we could try spinning warning lights as well, and see which one's better.

 

Well if someone could draw out what they mean, maybe someone would make it. Because after what happened with the tree, I want to make sure everyone is on the same page here as to what exactly that you think that sprite is and agree on a hand drawn concept before actually putting work into it.

 

So essentially this is kind what im seeing fore the background, but less dark and more toony. Notice the thin atmosphere, and the blue hue of the atmosphere? My intention isnt to imply it should be dusk, but come to think of it early morning would suit.