THE SCREENSHOT TOPIC RETURNS

author=LockeZ
You can make the caves less boring by putting things in them.

And I don't mean, like, moss and mushrooms and mining picks. I mean things that matter. Ruins of a dwarven city, or a fountain that's the source of the world's magic energy, or a room filled with torture devices and with walls covered in blood, or an opening that leads to the netherworld, or a tower that sunk into a fissure in the earth and fell on its side, or an orcish army that's set up a bunch of tents in the caves and created an underground war camp. Or all of the above, in one area.

Not only is the Cave of Genericness a boring zone that does nothing to enhance your game's story and theme, but seriously, if it's just a dumb normal mineshaft, why are the heroes even visiting it?

On the other hand, I know and admit that filler areas are totally way easier to create, and sometimes you just want to make a dungeon without having to make an experience.

So more dwarves in my mine and more ... flying bird society in my tower?

I was just thinking about putting wandering enemies in the cave and pacing axe guards in the tower, but now I realize that I've gotta include two gimmicks to make it pop and be less generic.

God gracious, Kyrsty! What's gotten into you? ...Y-you're glowing! ;D Keep chewing up n00bs like a pro, and nvm their butthurt comebacks.

Oh, geez, screens topic! Screens, screens, screens... here, this old one should do. xP
http://rpgmaker.net/media/content/users/6507/locker/BgWar02.png

ShortStar
but now I realize that I've gotta include two gimmicks to make it pop and be less generic.

The ShortStar school of game "design:" INSTANT ATMOSPHERE, JUST ADD A + B + WATER

(i'm mocking you)

@obsorber : right, no use getting so upset but the colors are really really off, except, I agree, for the sprite. Try changing the colors to start.

@obsorbor: that screenshot really is bad. Everything is the wrong colors and looks totally bizarre. It looks almost like one of those color-inverted images, except even more discordant. If you are going for a 4-color palette, you definitely need to pick those colors really carefully. You need to make sure you can make every object you need with those four colors; if you can't, then you need to choose different objects to make. Since you are obviously pretty new at custom graphics, I recommend just using the default RMXP tilesets.

author=Craze

ShortStar
but now I realize that I've gotta include two gimmicks to make it pop and be less generic.

The ShortStar school of game "design:" INSTANT ATMOSPHERE, JUST ADD A + B + WATER

(i'm mocking you)

I'm 70% sure he was actually being sarcastic and mocking me (and also 70% sure the object you're standing on is a cake), so I don't think he minds. You can both mock me though, but I still think it works. If you combine two or more generic things, the result is less generic.

A trainyard that's also a graveyard is more interesting than one or the other; a cathedral that's also the site of a meteor landing is more interesting than one or the other; a treasure-filled cave that's also the ruins of a prehistoric fortress is more interesting than one or the other; an ancient ruined city that's also an outpost for researchers is more interesting than one or the other.

author=obsorber
Once again you spotted the obvious. Looks like you're just a hater of the style who obsessed with graphics being typical. Graphics don't turn me on, it's presentation. Now if you don't like it fair enough but you don't have to be such a rude ignorant fool about it. Read the points below:

-Go fuck yourself you stupid kunt!
-I never cared about the opinion of an ignorant fool.
-I wanted positive and constructive criticism not negative ones from a nuisance.
-I also stated your so called "drabble" before which you have now repeatedly pointed out that Yes the game is using the "RTP" which is de-colourised to fit with my crappy ability to create them. Maybe I'll highlight that so you can understand it.
-It's not going to stop my ego from creating a good game. I'm tired of losers like you talking down on everyone as if your gods gift to the planet.
-If you think something isn't good just say it but within reason not just to be little and embarrass others because you think you have power in this community.
-Lastly, you're nothing, a meaningless dribble, an ant in this world we live in so screw you.
-Actually, concluding my rambling may mean nothing to you but your existence is meaningless to me.


EDIT

Are you seriously telling me this games graphics are flowing with smoothness and amazingly good textures even though it's a true classic. Heck I don't think so! At least I know what clearly happening on screen so I won't necessarily moan about it.

Wow, butthurt. Nice language there.

Yeah, IT DOES FLOW. And I'm taking my time to critique, and I HAVE NOTHING POSTIVE TO GIVE YOU, so maybe you should shut your trap and listen? I know what I'm talking about. Even I know how to compose at least a somewhat coherent screenshot.

Also, I'm loving the ant-comments. You do realize you're just as pitiful and insignificant as I am, correct? You also do realize that you are just as much a member of this site as I am, and I have equal rights as you do. I am allowed to be offended over the tripe you call "old school". Why are you intentionally making something eye-tearingly terrible? That makes no goddamn sense.

"-I never cared about the opinion of an ignorant fool.
-I wanted positive and constructive criticism not negative ones from a nuisance."

Nuisance, ignorant fool?

"-If you think something isn't good just say it but within reason not just to be little and embarrass others because you think you have power in this community."

Throwing around names and accusations is pitiful and idiotic. I have no illusions about my role in this community. I'm just a game maker, like you. Maybe people wouldn't rip apart your screenshots if you actually made a decent amount of effort (unlike that screenshot you posted before)? You'll notice that people were being decently constructive with your previous screens, YOU were the one who jumped into calling people names and acting immature.

I pointed out the issues in my first post. The colours make no sense, the character is resized, etc. If you want to go for old school, maybe actually emulate old school? Making those graphics isn't that hard, they're simple palettes. But using RMXP's tiles in that way is nonsensical because old-school couldn't handle tiles of that size. Do you understand me now? You should be able to realize on your own that it looks terrible and I shouldn't have to go out of my way to help you- goddamn, I don't- but I am, so maybe you should be a little more appreciative instead of acting like a twelve-year-old with an ego the size of a blimp and a vocabulary mainly suited to calling people names.

Jesus christ, man, forums. You'd think I actually kicked you in the balls or something. Which, if you did legitimately think that screenshot looked good, should probably be done to you as a reality check.

EDIT: Graphics are a part of presentation. Undeniably in this day and age graphics are what matter. It's how we know effort has been put into it. You might have the best gameplay and plot ever but if your graphics suck no one will play it- and if they do their experience is going to be terrible. I have made a terrible looking game myself and you know what? It's not often that you can live up to a promise of great gameplay with shithouse graphics. You don't even know how people are going to react to your gameplay, so you should at least be trying to achieve something close to moderately good so people are attracted to it.

Remember, you were the one who called me names. Spewing vitriolic spittle my way isn't going to change how I or anyone else feels about your screenshot and isn't going to magically make your screenshot even half way decent. I called your reply drabble because it was. Ignorant drabble.
Graphics matter. You can't present a game well with what you posted before, so your "presentation" argument is hollow and flawed, and in that respect, everything you've said to me since I posted is as well.

@LockeZ ok! screenshots!
also it depends on whether it's FT3 quality or not orz

(Obviously a WIP):

SorceressKyrsty, are you single? ;) I agree 100% with the things you said concerning obsorber's screenshots.

Yeah obsorber, your screenshots could be improved on. I totally get your admiration for the older consoles (I don't game much past the PSX era), however when I look at those screenshots of your project I (honestly) want to vomit because it looks so dull and lifeless. You can still get away with using limited colors (like that DQ shot you showed us), but you need to learn how to properly adjust them so that they stick out and keep the player's eyes from looking elsewhere.

I like it! :)

You make really really good use of the space, but it's still a lot of space.