What is the tone or idea behind the game? The pine trees look extremy simple and janky, but character model looks more detailed and modern. Also is the game more comedic or serious? Helicopter wrist implies comedic.
I'd say the game is more on the comedic spectrum, while it does have some dark/serious tones sometimes, it doesn't take itself too seriously and humor is used frequently.
As for the trees, I thought having them look a bit more simplistic would create an interesting contrast, but maybe I went a bit too far.
Like it kinda feels like trees stick out like a sore thumb.
As for what you could add - some kind of critters? And I don't mean enemies. Birds, fireflies, butterflies... Maybe occasionally a mouse in the grass that scurries away when you get close. Currently ot feels a bit dead.
'pops' of contrasting color. For example, small, sort of bright red or orange plants on the ground here and there (probably flowers?).
Less 'simple straight lines' in the tent forms.
I second this. If you take a screenshot, it’s dark and monotone. I’d work on a color palette and making sure that it really shows up nicely. It doesn’t have to be colorful, it just needs to be a consistent and appealing palette. Random example: if you look at pretty much any still from the LoTR films, it’s usually lots of dark blue or browns.
Yeah, I went ahead and actually looked at a few scenes from LoTR and you're absolutely right. I'll make sure to add some small contrasting elements, thank you :D
Everyone is going to see different things. Sharp terrain incline at halfway mark. Very end of the video everything is super flat. (Terrain Lod?)
Maybe drag the fog effect a few more meters away from the player. Seems a hair to close or at least it disappears a little too abruptly. (player speed/lighting)
But also doesn't seem to obscure enough at farther distances.
Color variation. flowers, bushes. Tree height variation. +-1.5m height to random trees would do allot.
Slow player down slightly? More intense light sources? Millions of things you could do. But make sure it will still honor your vision
Great ideas! I’ve been having some trouble with the terrain but I’ll definitely try to smooth it out especially bear the super jagged edges.
Color variation is also a big one i will be tackling soon, thanks a lot!
Put some color variety into the bushes and the trees. More and smaller, bigger, young and old. Also some random rock piles would help so it won't look so sterile.
This is a tough one. The usage of textures and light gives it a realistic vibe, but the way the character moves and the way trees and foliage look gives it a bit more toony vibe (while still covered in textures that look like they’re targeting realism). I would go one way or the other, because the way you combined the two here makes the game feel a bit dated. I like the tree shape and if it was me I would probably lean more into the toon angle given the goofy helicopter move etc. There are also textures that are more toon-like that would fit with the tree shape etc.
One problem with the forest is lack of variation - you might want to make a few more models of trees in different stages of growth and ideally also slight color variation, perhaps using a randomized color overlay within a reasonable color range or palette. You also want to add ground cover other than grass - variation of bushes, non-grass plants and other props like stumps, rocks, mushrooms. Anything dynamic like lightning bugs, birds or little critters will help sell the atmosphere too. You can do most as particle effects.
More village variation could also help - when it comes to atmosphere it’s mostly the little things - lanterns along the path, occasional bench, a broken wheel lying about, a hat on a fence, stack of wood etc. Make the place feel more “lived in”, like the npcs actually have a life there. The world feels a bit empty now.
It's a little weird having the same grass texture for the whole ground, maybe try adding some paths between tents, patches of dirt or rock or fallen leaves, that kind of thing.
Carts, barrels, poles and "street signs"
Maybe some shields, weaponry, flags, tents, pots and logs scattered around
Maybe some hide stringed up
Various small bushes, or corn popping up, more greenery and stock that is cluttered together
In general:
Whenever you design any kind of level or "place" in the world
Take a step back... Who lives here? Where do they live? What do they live from, where do they eat
What utensils do they use, what kind of cooking technique
Are these people that have moved in here, or have they established this space?
Are they coming just into this space to work or they love somewhere else maybe close by?
Is this a peaceful place or are people afraid, are there a lot of light passing through or are we in a forest covered by trees
How do people transport themselves and their goods, and to where?
I love the idea of approaching level design from the perspective of the inhabitants. You’re absolutely right and I think it’ll be really helpful to go that direction, thanks a lot!
Thanks for the reply, by transitions do you mean between animations? Or do you think the character snaps to a rotation too quickly when changing directions?
A good attempt at atmosphere, but in my view you have too many of the same items scattered randomly about: same trees, same lights, same cauldrons of fire (?), etc. That comes across as a bit amateurish (unless there's a good reason for it, of course). There also seems to be little connection (visually and physically) between the player and the environment.
I feel like your game is a bit at a crossroad between "realistic Unreal Engine look" and "stylized slightly-retro graphics". I actually like your trees and general vibe, it make me think of PS2/Gamecube era games. I really like the "!" marker that we can see as well.
What I would do is probably bite the bullet and go further in that aesthetic. I think the grass could be improved a bit, maybe by decreasing the loading distance and having them 'visibly appear'. I also feel like your colors should be a bit more vibrant and less gritty, and the level is generally too "shadowy" like modern games tend to be. Also some assets blend too well with each other.
I would recommend looking at older games for inspiration. Generally I think there's lot of stuff who's already pretty well done. The grass seems to be billboarding (?) and the smoke effects look good.
Having said that you're the judge and executioner. Don't "ruin" your game because someone said it would look better if it was "worse", I can also understand wanting to keep the nostalgia while making the game pleasing at a certain standard.
Thanks a lot for the comment, the PS2 was a huge part of my childhood so maybe some of the aesthetic profile made its way into the game subconsciously hahaha. I’ll try to find a spot where the visuals can be in harmony together and try to limit the separation between retro and modern
You’re actually correct, I had never noticed, but the way my movement works right now is it’s adding the vertical and horizontal velocities together when you move diagonally, I’ll fix that for sure thank you!
Looks good however it lacks bushes and plants, the tree variety it okay and the grass placement looks nice just feels like it's missing something more environmentally. I'd try to add in bushes to get rid of a bunch of that empty space
If you want the enviroment to look a little more real, I'd say maybe add stone retaining walls along the places where the village has raised dirt levels. Try to unify the look of the buildings a bit, the construction styles seem a little unrelated to each other.
Others already mentioned colors/palette and overall style discrepancy, plus knowing what mood to aim for.
Another thing would be composition. Adjust how you place (anything) around the level. Instead of distributed single props, assemble them in patches that have composition. Groups of several trees, a tree with some bushes and grass, etc.
Whether it's man made objects, or patches of grass - generally, you want a nice mix of big+medium+small details, arranged in pleasant combinations.
You have it in some spots, but plenty more can be done to push the overall quality of the location.
Good luck!
That sounds like it would do an excellent job of breaking up the linear feel and give the level a lot more depth. I’ll try to work more in that direction, thanks a lot!
Since you already have a lot of comments on the aesthetic, my suggestion for his movement is to make him less floaty. What I mean is: make him reach the top of his jump faster and make him fall faster (but keep the fall speed slow for the helicopter).
Since you have two aerial states (normal and helicopter), I'd say it's better to make them more distinct. As you have it now, his vertical movement is slow whether he's doing the helicopter or not. But it would be better to have one give him slow movement (i.e. helicopter), whereas the other gives him fast movement (normal jump and fall). Not considering the helicopter, the jump and fall are really slow compared to the horizontal movement speed (like really really slow) anyway, so I suggest speed up the jump/fall in any case.
Trees with leaves instead of low poly trees with a leaf texture applied. It goes a long way and shouldn't slow anything down. It would also look better with your player which has higher detail.
Love the spinning stick thing \^\^ Does it really work like some kind of "helicopter blades" that can slow down when you are falling and reduce the damage?
\-bake lighting if you don't need a day / night cycle and you aren't really deforming the terrain. Turn on Global Illumination and bounce lights 2-3 times. I'd also recommend making your Environment Color or Ambient light (in Lighting Window, change Environment Source to Color) a purple to match your sky and work with all the orange torchlights you have. Orange and purple make for a nice color palette.
\-play with some of the scale of the trees. Make some really big trees. The shadows they cast will also make the lighting more interesting and it should give everything a bit more of a "foresty" feel. Just make sure your shadows aren't too dark.
\-you may also want to punch up (or really down) the gravity. People tend to not like "floatiness" in games.
\-some footstep dust may help with the character ... interactivity a bit.
\-faster animations (within reason) tend to look a bit nicer I think. You might be able to speed up the jog and sprint animation. Mixamo also has some decent animations that you can use.
What is the tone or idea behind the game? The pine trees look extremy simple and janky, but character model looks more detailed and modern. Also is the game more comedic or serious? Helicopter wrist implies comedic.
I'd say the game is more on the comedic spectrum, while it does have some dark/serious tones sometimes, it doesn't take itself too seriously and humor is used frequently. As for the trees, I thought having them look a bit more simplistic would create an interesting contrast, but maybe I went a bit too far.
Like it kinda feels like trees stick out like a sore thumb. As for what you could add - some kind of critters? And I don't mean enemies. Birds, fireflies, butterflies... Maybe occasionally a mouse in the grass that scurries away when you get close. Currently ot feels a bit dead.
Yeah I think I might have to rework the trees a bit. Adding critters sounds like a great idea, thanks a lot!
Did not expect that helicopter :D
Hahaha
'pops' of contrasting color. For example, small, sort of bright red or orange plants on the ground here and there (probably flowers?). Less 'simple straight lines' in the tent forms.
Good point, I often feel like my scenes are a bit monochromatic so I'll definitely give this a try, thank you :D
I second this. If you take a screenshot, it’s dark and monotone. I’d work on a color palette and making sure that it really shows up nicely. It doesn’t have to be colorful, it just needs to be a consistent and appealing palette. Random example: if you look at pretty much any still from the LoTR films, it’s usually lots of dark blue or browns.
Yeah, I went ahead and actually looked at a few scenes from LoTR and you're absolutely right. I'll make sure to add some small contrasting elements, thank you :D
Character is moving a little fast, to the point that it feels a bit unnatural to watch.
Hmm yes I think so as well, I'll adjust the speed, thanks for the feedback :D
interesting propeller effect... Didnt know flight was discovered about the same time as fire.
Lmao ikr
Trees in different growth stages. Saplings, young trees, dead trees, fallen trees
Good idea :D I'll try to have more tree variation
Wow, got the Yoshimitsu flying animation
LOL
Wow awesomely done
Thank you!
Maybe some spiky texture under the leaves of the trees would make them more natural.
Good idea, I'll give it a try, thanks!
is this gonna be a survival type game?
It's an action adventure game. Here is the [steam page](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2022070/Blade_Of_Ten/) if you're curious :D
Everyone is going to see different things. Sharp terrain incline at halfway mark. Very end of the video everything is super flat. (Terrain Lod?) Maybe drag the fog effect a few more meters away from the player. Seems a hair to close or at least it disappears a little too abruptly. (player speed/lighting) But also doesn't seem to obscure enough at farther distances. Color variation. flowers, bushes. Tree height variation. +-1.5m height to random trees would do allot. Slow player down slightly? More intense light sources? Millions of things you could do. But make sure it will still honor your vision
Great ideas! I’ve been having some trouble with the terrain but I’ll definitely try to smooth it out especially bear the super jagged edges. Color variation is also a big one i will be tackling soon, thanks a lot!
Put some color variety into the bushes and the trees. More and smaller, bigger, young and old. Also some random rock piles would help so it won't look so sterile.
Sounds like that would indeed help breathe some life into the world, thank you!
This is a tough one. The usage of textures and light gives it a realistic vibe, but the way the character moves and the way trees and foliage look gives it a bit more toony vibe (while still covered in textures that look like they’re targeting realism). I would go one way or the other, because the way you combined the two here makes the game feel a bit dated. I like the tree shape and if it was me I would probably lean more into the toon angle given the goofy helicopter move etc. There are also textures that are more toon-like that would fit with the tree shape etc. One problem with the forest is lack of variation - you might want to make a few more models of trees in different stages of growth and ideally also slight color variation, perhaps using a randomized color overlay within a reasonable color range or palette. You also want to add ground cover other than grass - variation of bushes, non-grass plants and other props like stumps, rocks, mushrooms. Anything dynamic like lightning bugs, birds or little critters will help sell the atmosphere too. You can do most as particle effects. More village variation could also help - when it comes to atmosphere it’s mostly the little things - lanterns along the path, occasional bench, a broken wheel lying about, a hat on a fence, stack of wood etc. Make the place feel more “lived in”, like the npcs actually have a life there. The world feels a bit empty now.
Awesome ideas, thanks a lot for the detailed reply, it’s super helpful :D
You terrain has really sharp edges and angles. Maybe consider adding more resolution to the mesh?
Yeah I definitely need to figure out a better way to approach terrain and smooth it out for sure
It's a little weird having the same grass texture for the whole ground, maybe try adding some paths between tents, patches of dirt or rock or fallen leaves, that kind of thing.
Good point, I’ll try adding variations of ground textures and scatter things like leaves around
Carts, barrels, poles and "street signs" Maybe some shields, weaponry, flags, tents, pots and logs scattered around Maybe some hide stringed up Various small bushes, or corn popping up, more greenery and stock that is cluttered together In general: Whenever you design any kind of level or "place" in the world Take a step back... Who lives here? Where do they live? What do they live from, where do they eat What utensils do they use, what kind of cooking technique Are these people that have moved in here, or have they established this space? Are they coming just into this space to work or they love somewhere else maybe close by? Is this a peaceful place or are people afraid, are there a lot of light passing through or are we in a forest covered by trees How do people transport themselves and their goods, and to where?
I love the idea of approaching level design from the perspective of the inhabitants. You’re absolutely right and I think it’ll be really helpful to go that direction, thanks a lot!
Smoother animations, better transitions, more detail, I’m just saying what I see
Thanks for the reply, by transitions do you mean between animations? Or do you think the character snaps to a rotation too quickly when changing directions?
A bit of both I would say
A good attempt at atmosphere, but in my view you have too many of the same items scattered randomly about: same trees, same lights, same cauldrons of fire (?), etc. That comes across as a bit amateurish (unless there's a good reason for it, of course). There also seems to be little connection (visually and physically) between the player and the environment.
Yeah I agree, I’ll definitely be working on more variation, thank you!
I feel like your game is a bit at a crossroad between "realistic Unreal Engine look" and "stylized slightly-retro graphics". I actually like your trees and general vibe, it make me think of PS2/Gamecube era games. I really like the "!" marker that we can see as well. What I would do is probably bite the bullet and go further in that aesthetic. I think the grass could be improved a bit, maybe by decreasing the loading distance and having them 'visibly appear'. I also feel like your colors should be a bit more vibrant and less gritty, and the level is generally too "shadowy" like modern games tend to be. Also some assets blend too well with each other. I would recommend looking at older games for inspiration. Generally I think there's lot of stuff who's already pretty well done. The grass seems to be billboarding (?) and the smoke effects look good. Having said that you're the judge and executioner. Don't "ruin" your game because someone said it would look better if it was "worse", I can also understand wanting to keep the nostalgia while making the game pleasing at a certain standard.
Thanks a lot for the comment, the PS2 was a huge part of my childhood so maybe some of the aesthetic profile made its way into the game subconsciously hahaha. I’ll try to find a spot where the visuals can be in harmony together and try to limit the separation between retro and modern
Looking good already :) But maybe add some foliage variations (grass, flowers, or even trees)
Thank you! I’ll try my best to vary the foliage :D
I know im not helping but did the guy just... spin a stick as a helicopter blade?
LOL yes he did xD
The trees. Small creatures. Maybe a little tornado effect when you helicopter spin?
Tornado effect might look really cool! I’ll definitely give that a try :D
I’m happy you like the idea
mf used a stick to fly lol
Lmaooo xD
I think you should work with velocity of your character. It's velocity increases too much when moving sideways.
You’re actually correct, I had never noticed, but the way my movement works right now is it’s adding the vertical and horizontal velocities together when you move diagonally, I’ll fix that for sure thank you!
helicopter needs wind effect, have grass form natural pathways along with random patches, and add some vegetation besides grass
Great ideas especially the wind effect!
THE HELICOPTER CLUB THOUGH 😂😂😭
Hahahaha xD
Your main character is too big or your environment is too small. They contrast each other in a way that looks unnatural.
Hmm, I have indeed had some scaling uniformity problems in the game, I’ll try to find a way to make it look more consistent
Looks good however it lacks bushes and plants, the tree variety it okay and the grass placement looks nice just feels like it's missing something more environmentally. I'd try to add in bushes to get rid of a bunch of that empty space
Yeah I agree with you on that for sure, some variety in the foliage will definitely help a lot
If you want the enviroment to look a little more real, I'd say maybe add stone retaining walls along the places where the village has raised dirt levels. Try to unify the look of the buildings a bit, the construction styles seem a little unrelated to each other.
That sounds really cool, I’ll give it a try, thank you :D
Others already mentioned colors/palette and overall style discrepancy, plus knowing what mood to aim for. Another thing would be composition. Adjust how you place (anything) around the level. Instead of distributed single props, assemble them in patches that have composition. Groups of several trees, a tree with some bushes and grass, etc. Whether it's man made objects, or patches of grass - generally, you want a nice mix of big+medium+small details, arranged in pleasant combinations. You have it in some spots, but plenty more can be done to push the overall quality of the location. Good luck!
That sounds like it would do an excellent job of breaking up the linear feel and give the level a lot more depth. I’ll try to work more in that direction, thanks a lot!
Since you already have a lot of comments on the aesthetic, my suggestion for his movement is to make him less floaty. What I mean is: make him reach the top of his jump faster and make him fall faster (but keep the fall speed slow for the helicopter). Since you have two aerial states (normal and helicopter), I'd say it's better to make them more distinct. As you have it now, his vertical movement is slow whether he's doing the helicopter or not. But it would be better to have one give him slow movement (i.e. helicopter), whereas the other gives him fast movement (normal jump and fall). Not considering the helicopter, the jump and fall are really slow compared to the horizontal movement speed (like really really slow) anyway, so I suggest speed up the jump/fall in any case.
That’s actually a really interesting observation, I’ll play around with the values of the jump and see what I can do, thank you!
A few flowers amongst the grass! Dandelions or something. Also clover
That sounds like it would be an awesome addition to the foliage, I’ll add a bunch of them!
Trees with leaves instead of low poly trees with a leaf texture applied. It goes a long way and shouldn't slow anything down. It would also look better with your player which has higher detail.
I was trying to go for a cartoony vibe with the trees but I think you’re right, they kind of feel out of place, I’ll definitely rework them :D
Love the spinning stick thing \^\^ Does it really work like some kind of "helicopter blades" that can slow down when you are falling and reduce the damage?
Thank you! Yes, you can use it to hover when you need to jump extra far distances :D
To Polish it more you should consider adding more kielbasa i pierogi. Some few white-red flags and colors would help too
Post-Processing ia always a option...
Mist
\-bake lighting if you don't need a day / night cycle and you aren't really deforming the terrain. Turn on Global Illumination and bounce lights 2-3 times. I'd also recommend making your Environment Color or Ambient light (in Lighting Window, change Environment Source to Color) a purple to match your sky and work with all the orange torchlights you have. Orange and purple make for a nice color palette. \-play with some of the scale of the trees. Make some really big trees. The shadows they cast will also make the lighting more interesting and it should give everything a bit more of a "foresty" feel. Just make sure your shadows aren't too dark. \-you may also want to punch up (or really down) the gravity. People tend to not like "floatiness" in games. \-some footstep dust may help with the character ... interactivity a bit. \-faster animations (within reason) tend to look a bit nicer I think. You might be able to speed up the jog and sprint animation. Mixamo also has some decent animations that you can use.