Backgrounds - your thoughts on this style

[Mirena]

The image below was made in SketchUp (a 3-d program I can actually comprehend). Windows were not made by me, but they should be okay to use. At least it seems like it by the terms on http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/.

The question is, what are your thoughs about having to look at backgrounds like this during a longer game? Is something like this passable? Or could it work better with more filtering? Opinions are appreciated.

This is in no way the final version of this scene. Chairs and more clutter still need to be added. I just want some input before I go much further.

EDIT: Thanks to your input my plans changed a little. NEW PICTURE IS IN A POST BELOW.

[monele]

Why not try a version with a character sprite on it? I think the combination of both will really tell if it works. Some sprites might work and others not.

[PyTom]

Two criticisms. The first is that the composition is boring... Instead of facing the camera into a flat wall, why not go and rotate the room a bit, so you get some nice angled lines to break up the monotony.

There's also the problem that the textures used aren't scaled, so it's easy to see the repeats.

[Wintermoon]

Ouch. Let's see...

• The edges are very messy. Even a non-artist in MS-Paint could do better.
• The colors are just bad.
• The texture on the desk-thing looks out of place, since it's the only part of the scene with texture.
• No lighting, no shadows.
• Desk-thing is a giant rectangular solid with no details whatsoever.
• Bad composition.
• Pure black windows staring out into nothingness.

If there were some individual problems, I would encourage you to fix them. However, the whole picture is one giant problem.

EDIT: Now that I look at the picture with my other computer, I see that areas which looked pure black on my main computer actually contain some detail. The picture still looks quite bad, but not as bad as I previously thought.

[N0UGHTS]

:stares:

...What's that white thing on the desk? And that black thing...

[Samu-kun]

SketchUp's a pretty basic 3D modeling tool. Even though it should work with adequate results for a visual novel, I certainly wouldn't ask people to grade the quality of just the backgrounds by itself. In my opinion, I don't really like SketchUp that much because from what I can tell from using it, it can only render the image real time using OpenGL. You probably want to really restrict the poly count if you want your computer to render the images in any sort of reasonable time period. (Unless you have a nice graphics card) Also, as with any program, the more you practice, the better you will become. I think you could make adequately good backgrounds with SketchUp, just as long as you have the patience and practice.

[rioka]

These types of backgrounds can work. You'll just have to find a character style that works with it as monele mentioned. You know, using it as is in the screenshot is not the only option. You can take that screen shot and make adjustments on it via Photoshop/GIMP or other graphic software program. You can all-out CG it, use some filter like what is done with photos, add slight touches of color, turn everything to black and white for an artsy look, and so on. You can get creative with it if you really put your mind to it.

[Alessio]

Sketchup is quite okay IMHO, at least I got better results with it than by trying to draw things myself (I'm pretty bad at drawing backgrounds). I've got some examples in the Screenshot contest thread and in this post of my the Cyberlin development thread.

It does offers some basic lighting features. Or then you could export the file to Kerkythea and raytrace it there.

I do agree about some general criticism of that office picture, though. Try a different angle like PyTom suggested. And also add more details (get some ideas from real office pictures about what could be added).

Adding to what rioka said, actually if you're good at colouring you could just export the outlines and then draw the rest yourself.

[Mirena]

I guess I was a bit unclear, I wasn't asking for opinions on the picture itself since I know it's bad, but rather on if you would stand looking at that type of picture during a longer visual novel.

Still, I tried to experiment some with line settings I discovered today (>.<) and change some other things (angle, etc.). But since it's hard to do anything much about light settings and the default textures are not incredibly nice looking, I might just take the lines and then color it in photoshop, like a person suggested. I just need to find a preset that'll make it easy to color.

Anyway, thanks for the input.

Here's a quickly colored version, not final but it'll probably look along those lines (the sprite isn't final either). I'll have to experiment with the lines somehow to see if I can make them look nicer.. re-tracing them in photoshop is out of the question though.

[monele]

Muuuuuch better actually . I'd be fooled into thinking you made the whole thing by hand at that point ^.^. I think you should go with this method

[musical74]

In regards to the first picture, I don't think I'd be able to look at such a picture for a long period of time....too boring, really...maybe I wouldn't notice it with the characters there, though...

I really like the second picture. That I could look at on a long game and have no problems with *agrees with Monele, this is a good one to use*

[HAXLION]

Looks like a rough version of what they used a little in Chaos;Head.

Seems kind of awkward, if you ask me. Not BAD, but awkward.

[Mirena]

@HAXLION: You've got me a little confused here.. are you referring to the first or the second version? ^^'