Hill Top Zone

The background is done. Is it not?


Which is why it isn't listed on the to-do list.

 

I don't see how the irregularly shaped tree on the right fits with these finished graphics:


Those show clean, perfect shapes, which certainly don't look "hand drawn". So is the art direction purposely inconsistent or what?

 

Resized. And I'm glad it was as simple as resizing all the layers all at once.


If you don't like my brick/lava tube then be vocal about it. I did a half ass job on it and I know it. Put up a drawing of how you think its supposed to work. I'm trying to motivate people here by being the only one contributing artwork. No one has even done anything about the trunk.

What should I be working on here? My plate is empty.

 

I have to agree with ICEknight as well.

 

I don't think either tree works as they currently are; the metallic tree is glaringly bright and the organic tree is smudged and blurry. Perhaps if the tree had colors like the organic one (although, perhaps not quite as dark) with the sharp, crisp edges of the metallic tree?

 

You're not seeing the latest version...

 

Oh, I guess I hadn't. I like it!

[E] Wouldn't hurt to see it in a mockup, though

 

Thanks ICEKnight I was about to say that but I was just swirling words around in my head how to put it because I am over here banging my head on my desk. I don't even know why my straight render ended up on that picture. He didn't even use that version a base for his tree seen by the shading and shadows.

Am I in bizarro world?

 

For god's sake, we have a perfect pine tree already, why start all over again instead of making something else?


People like it, and I still don't understand what makes it not valid. It doesn't even look like a 3D render anymore.

 

I honestly don't see what's wrong with the trees here other than the fact that they're bright enough to burn my eye sockets and the trunk.

 

Wow, am I the only one who doesn't like how that tree looks at all?

 

What was wrong with this one? I really can't picture the original tree in HD without it looking exactly like this. I mean, it's the right colour, and the right shape, and it doesn't have retarded leaves.

 

Nobody on the staff is happy with 'em either, hence why we're still tossing ideas around.

 

Well I don't see what's wrong with continuing to throw ideas around, at least things are happening around here. I don't believe it's quite "perfect" yet (if anything can be called perfect). If throwing up ideas was stopping us from doing other work then sure, I could understand. But it's clearly not, so the more ideas the merrier . And if we can rule out all of them... then we can much more safely assume that we've got the right tree!

The current tree's shading could be polished, looks a little rough compared to everything else on screen. I also sort of feel the edges look too straight and jagged (sharp). I'm not really sure what I'm trying to say... what with all the pixelation, the original sprite sort of looked a little softer or something.

 

The tree looks fine. But the trunk blends too much with the mountains in the BG, so it should need a different color.

 

Well yeah, I mean that's kind of how I feel. My mockup sketch was probably rather exaggerated, but if you look around at all the other art clearly we've already taken some liberties with the extra resolution. Adding details where there were none, adjusting shapes, colours. Why does this tree have to be any different? I recall the EHZ palm silhouette posted earlier which seemed to have been modified quite a bit. The HTZ tree (shape) just seems so simple that it kind of feels out of place now. It has to be possible to make it more interesting while retaining most it's original style. I think a zone like Hill Top desperately needs that sort of approach.