Why does my game look amaturistic?

Why does my game look amaturistic?

hyperion

Member #8,907

August 2007

Can i get a few design tips for my game cuz i think it looks really really amateuristic.
Screenshot:
http://img139.imageshack.us/img139/3457/rpg4op7.png

imaxcs

Member #4,036

November 2003

Are you kidding? You tell us you can't see what's looking bad on the screenshot? Font, colors, ... everything. Sorry for being harsh!

hyperion

Member #8,907

August 2007

No problem man, but it's my first rpg. So i really dont know how to design 'em.So wich font do u reccomend and how do i load it in?

gnolam

Member #2,030

March 2002

If you're going to use the same style of writing in your RPG as on these forums, no font in the world is going to make it look professional.

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hyperion

Member #8,907

August 2007

U think these colors are better?

http://img134.imageshack.us/img134/79/rpg42ca3.png

Kris Asick

Member #1,424

July 2001

Two things:

1. If you're not experienced with Allegro and you think your program looks "amateuristic", you seriously should not be making an RPG. It will take you years to finish. Several. Try making some smaller projects first to build up your skills, then go for something larger. If I had a dollar for every person I've heard on programming forums say they're going to make an RPG or MMORPG with little to no skill, only to fail after a month or less, I'd be filthy rich.

2. The other side of the coin: Almost every project will look like hackwork when it's begun. You make it look good after it works. Making it look good before it works might mean making huge changes later on that you could've dodged by avoiding making it look good too soon.

--- Kris Asick (Gemini)
--- http://www.pixelships.com

Mark Oates

Member #1,146

March 2001

Quote:

If I had a dollar for every person I've heard on programming forums say they're going to make an RPG or MMORPG ... I'd be filthy rich.

If I had a dollar for every person who I've heard say that I'd be rich.

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piccolo

Member #3,163

January 2003

Quote:

U think these colors are better?

Big improvement now do some thing about that fount and the outline around the menu

EDIT: lets see what the outline looks like on the new back ground but that Grey has got to go

wow
-------------------------------
i am who you are not am i

hyperion

Member #8,907

August 2007

I am making a RPG to get used to allegro, i am making a very simple 1 so at the end i have some experience on making games in allegro. A type of rpg liek this is very easy to make, and i wont release it cuz i'll just finish the programming work, i made it so that all the content is made outside the program When i start a new language or graphics library i make like 5 to 10 tests to get the hang of it, then i'll move on to games wich will be non-standard

EDIT:

Should i upload the program and the data so u can see the game by urself?
And about the font, do u know a good font that allegro can run easaly?

piccolo

Member #3,163

January 2003

Quote:

Should i upload the program and the data so u can see the game by urself?

you could just render more screen shots

Edit:
i am also make and RPG

http://www.allegro.cc/depot/Thegame

wow
-------------------------------
i am who you are not am i

hyperion

Member #8,907

August 2007

Here you go: http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/8854/rpg43vu6.png

EDIT:

Picollo, didn't you post a video on youtube of that game? I commented it about the text_drawing

piccolo

Member #3,163

January 2003

here is some code for a better looking menu Rectangle

1// draw a rectangle
2// since we use it three times in the editor, it would be nice to have
3// a function for it.
4extern void drawRectangle(BITMAP *bmp,int x, int y, int w,int h,int color, int style, int bgcolor)
5{
w--;
h--;
if (style==0)
{
  vline(bmp,x,y,y+h,color);
  vline(bmp,x+w,y,y+h,color);
  hline(bmp,x,y,x+w,color);
  hline(bmp,x,y+h,x+w,color);
}
if (style==1)
{
  rectfill(bmp,x,y,x+w,y+h,bgcolor);
  vline(bmp,x,y,y+h,color);
  vline(bmp,x+w,y,y+h,color);
  hline(bmp,x,y,x+w,color);
  hline(bmp,x,y+h,x+w,color);
}
23 
24 
// this is for our dialog. This draws a box with rounded corners.
if (style==2)
{                  
  arc(bmp,x+10,y+10,itofix(64),itofix(128),10,255);
  arc(bmp,x+10,y+h-10,itofix(128),itofix(192),10,255);
  arc(bmp,x+w-10,y+10,itofix(0),itofix(64),10,255);
  arc(bmp,x+w-10,y+h-10,itofix(192),itofix(256),10,255);
32 
33 
  hline(bmp,x+10,y,x+w-10,255);
  hline(bmp,x+10,y+h,x+w-10,255);
  vline(bmp,x,y+10,y+h-10,255);
  vline(bmp,x+w,y+10,y+h-10,255);

  floodfill(bmp,x+w/2,y+h/2,255);
40 
  arc(bmp,x+10,y+10,itofix(64),itofix(128),8,bgcolor);
  arc(bmp,x+10,y+h-10,itofix(128),itofix(192),8,bgcolor);
  arc(bmp,x+w-10,y+10,itofix(0),itofix(64),8,bgcolor);
  arc(bmp,x+w-10,y+h-10,itofix(192),itofix(256),8,bgcolor);
45 
46 
  hline(bmp,x+10,y+2,x+w-10,bgcolor);
  hline(bmp,x+10,y+h-2,x+w-10,bgcolor);
  vline(bmp,x+2,y+10,y+h-10,bgcolor);
  vline(bmp,x+w-2,y+10,y+h-10,bgcolor);
51 
  floodfill(bmp,x+w/2,y+h/2,bgcolor);
}
54}

wow
-------------------------------
i am who you are not am i

Mark Oates

Member #1,146

March 2001

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piccolo

Member #3,163

January 2003

Quote:

Picollo, didn't you post a video on youtube of that game? I commented it about the text_drawing

seems you did for some reason i did not get a email from youtube yet about your post. But that is an old video. i used text mode = -1.

the version of allegro i am using old and textprintf_ex is not support in it.

edit
your font maybe fine i thing its the choose of colors

wow
-------------------------------
i am who you are not am i

imaxcs

Member #4,036

November 2003

Believe me, the font is just bullshit for looking "professional".

piccolo

Member #3,163

January 2003

well i would say change the colors first and take a look before changing the font.
here how you load font.
http://www.allegro.cc/manual/api/fonts/load_font

I wanted to edit that pic you load but i can find my photoshop 7.0 cd.

i want to move the quit button you don't put them any where at the top. put it at the right bottom corner.

Note it should not be named quite change the name to something like 'Done' or even 'close' . EXIT sound like it will shout down the whole game.

If those are all the stats give them a littl more room on the y-axes 15 should look good and make the menu small so your not showing all that blank space at the bottom.
When the show weapons button is click you can just resize the menu and display what you want then.

EDIT and dont for get to add the title to the menu 'Stats' at the top center

wow
-------------------------------
i am who you are not am i

Paul whoknows

Member #5,081

September 2004

You need more than just a couple of horrible tiles to make a game look good.

____

"The unlimited potential has been replaced by the concrete reality of what I programmed today." - Jordan Mechner.

Sirocco

Member #88

April 2000

Everything about what you're doing says "I'm using what I've been given to the lowest extent." You're using default fonts, boring windows with no detail, texturing, or edging, and your color selection also reeks of the standard 16 color EGA palette. If you want to look professional, you need to develop your own unique style and run with it. Come up with a unique yet readable font (unlike many indie RPGs that seem to intentionally pick the most overwrought font available regardless of readability), make use of the full range of colors when selecting things like menus, text, and sprites, and understand that endlessly repeating patterns and an abundance of perfectly straight angles are the hallmark of mediocre visual design. Break things up a bit.

Even a low color, low res game like Commander Keen IV looks suitably awesome because it was unique, stylish, and well designed.

-->
Graphic file formats used to fascinate me, but now I find them rather satanic.

arrowhen

Member #8,829

July 2007

Quote:

If you want to make a game to get used to a library/language, an RPG is probably your worst possible choice--you've got all these design decisions to make and all these resources to create which have nothing to do with the library or language you're trying to get experience with.

If you like RPGs and eventually plan on making one, I think a good practice/familiarization project would be making a nice-looking Sokoban clone. As far as programming goes, it's got a lot in common with RPGs: tile-based graphics, collision detection, animation (assuming you have an animated character pushing the blocks around)... but it's also got the advantage of already having been designed for you. You don't have to worry about how to make the game fun, you just need to make it work. Which also means you can spend the time you saved in not designing the game on practicing your "making the game look good" skills.

Demons

Member #8,807

July 2007

Make the button an image file instead of allegro drawing routines (which I assume that is). Easier to make buttons look better when they are loaded images.

But as said, I wouldn't worry about the look right now. That is stuff that you can improve on later. Worry about the gameplay first.

Mark Oates

Member #1,146

March 2001

look at the source code to Monster. Also check out the depot for ideas on RPG games.

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TeamTerradactyl

Member #7,733

September 2006

I want to second Mark Oates' text and thought bubbles: they look good (several colors, rounded corners, and transparent background. I like the one from kqlives as well; not as colorful, but similar features:

{"name":"592922","src":"\/\/djungxnpq2nug.cloudfront.net\/image\/cache\/1\/8\/18ac8abe355d63e8dd77e6911b766eee.jpg","w":646,"h":512,"tn":"\/\/djungxnpq2nug.cloudfront.net\/image\/cache\/1\/8\/18ac8abe355d63e8dd77e6911b766eee"}

hyperion

Member #8,907

August 2007

Whats bad about the quit button an the upper left corner, alot of games do that. It's called the escape menu. I have placed the stats in the inventory, from there you will have to press some buttons like weapons, or something else i might add to get to that menu.

EDIT:
How do i create a semi-transparent background then?
And after so many post, i will put this project in the freezer for a unkown time. Gonna make that game that someone suggested. And thx for all the posts.

X-G

Member #856

December 2000

Troll.

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hyperion

Member #8,907

August 2007

ok, i finished the game mechanism for the sokoban clone, all i need to do now is get some sprites and add things like moves and and a menu...