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Wait, do people usually make level ground? No slopes?

level ground slopes mountain ridge gb

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#31 Aevin

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Posted 10 April 2014 - 03:13 PM

I'm a little late to the discussion, but there's a few points where I include slopes in my quests. It always feels a little strange to me, and I think it's usually better to just keep the mountain heights even, but sometimes I can justify it. Here's an example.

 

slope.png

Here, the sandy ground is meant to be the lowest level, with the grass and lower mountains on the same plane, and additional mountains above them. The slope happens at the point where the grass transitions into the sand. If it were truly a gradual slope, part of the lower mountains near the grass could have a height of one tile instead of two, but it looked too bizarre to do that, so this is the best I could do.


Edited by Aevin, 10 April 2014 - 03:15 PM.

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#32 nicklegends

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Posted 10 April 2014 - 04:29 PM

I'm a little late to the discussion, but there's a few points where I include slopes in my quests. It always feels a little strange to me, and I think it's usually better to just keep the mountain heights even, but sometimes I can justify it. Here's an example.
 
slope.png
Here, the sandy ground is meant to be the lowest level, with the grass and lower mountains on the same plane, and additional mountains above them. The slope happens at the point where the grass transitions into the sand. If it were truly a gradual slope, part of the lower mountains near the grass could have a height of one tile instead of two, but it looked too bizarre to do that, so this is the best I could do.

Looks good enough to me. You could also use a ladder at the transition if you really wanted.

#33 Russ

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Posted 10 April 2014 - 04:30 PM

I have to say... I'm really not seeing it. It doesn't look like a slop, just a tile error. It feels much too abrupt to be logically able to slope up like that, and the fact that the height of the mountains doesn't change at all like you mentioned doesn't help. It just... doesn't look that good.

 

RR's example, on the other hand, is pretty spectacular. That, folks, is how you do slopes.



#34 anikom15

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Posted 10 April 2014 - 04:50 PM

Yeah I thought that the grass was the same as the sand until I read the post....

It seems you can justify a perspective if you think about it long enough, but always let fresh eyes decide if the illusion holds.

Edited by anikom15, 10 April 2014 - 04:51 PM.


#35 Aevin

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Posted 10 April 2014 - 04:52 PM

Ah well. I've pretty much closed the door on that quest, so I'm not about to go back and change it now. It's probably best if I just avoid stuff like that in the future.



#36 Cjc

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Posted 10 April 2014 - 05:07 PM

This discussion inspired me to construct the following image for an AGN Screenshot of the Week:

 

SotW24CJC_zpsa21cdcad.jpg

 

(I know the image quality is poor.  Sorry)

 

 

Any thoughts on the height perspective in this shot?

 

(I am aware that the sloping mountains along the bottom of the right hill are geologically incorrect.  In a later version of this screen I replaced them with more down-sloping soil like the stuff near the shore to imply the hill was formed by a landslide).


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#37 anikom15

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Posted 10 April 2014 - 05:44 PM

Honestly, even without the textural gradient, I think it works fine.



#38 Russ

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Posted 10 April 2014 - 05:54 PM

I really like it. I don't think I've eve seen slopes handled like that, and it looks great.



#39 nicklegends

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Posted 10 April 2014 - 06:00 PM

Well, it's certainly different. I feel like I have a good understanding of the terrain. What's going on with the plateau on the left, though?



#40 Lejes

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Posted 10 April 2014 - 06:03 PM

That shot is Illusion of Gaia-y as all hell.



#41 nicklegends

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Posted 10 April 2014 - 06:14 PM

Why are we even having this discussion? We've already hit the pinnacle of perspective design.


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#42 Cjc

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Posted 10 April 2014 - 06:33 PM

@Lejes:  I will take that as a compliment!

 

@Russ:  I'm glad you like it!

 

@nicklegends: ESCHERION TERRAIN IS MADNESS!

Anyways, in response to your question about the plateau, the black areas  are transparent because they are meant to be a layered combo and Link may be able to walk behind them in certain screens.  This is what is causing the bizarre green at the top; it's the bricks from the stairwell behind it.  I was/am experimenting with whether I want to use regular scenery beneath these plateaus or just use black tiles.  I haven't decided yet.

 

 

EDIT: Removed Signature


Edited by Cjc, 10 April 2014 - 06:33 PM.


#43 Shane

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Posted 10 April 2014 - 09:13 PM

I'm a little late to the discussion, but there's a few points where I include slopes in my quests. It always feels a little strange to me, and I think it's usually better to just keep the mountain heights even, but sometimes I can justify it. Here's an example.

 

slope.png

Here, the sandy ground is meant to be the lowest level, with the grass and lower mountains on the same plane, and additional mountains above them. The slope happens at the point where the grass transitions into the sand. If it were truly a gradual slope, part of the lower mountains near the grass could have a height of one tile instead of two, but it looked too bizarre to do that, so this is the best I could do.

Yep, I see how the mountains work, and it looks great! The GBZ perspective mountains don't randomly change height to accommodate realistic slopes; this is more readable and still manages to look like a slope. I like it. This is how I like to see slopes designed with the GBZ tileset, personally.

 

Also I think Aevin's example provides more help for the OP too since every other example is using tilesets that don't follow the GBZ perspective. So kudos there too. :P


Edited by Charizard, 10 April 2014 - 09:29 PM.

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#44 symbiote01

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Posted 12 April 2014 - 03:59 PM

I'm a little late to the discussion, but there's a few points where I include slopes in my quests. It always feels a little strange to me, and I think it's usually better to just keep the mountain heights even, but sometimes I can justify it. Here's an example.

 

slope.png

Here, the sandy ground is meant to be the lowest level, with the grass and lower mountains on the same plane, and additional mountains above them. The slope happens at the point where the grass transitions into the sand. If it were truly a gradual slope, part of the lower mountains near the grass could have a height of one tile instead of two, but it looked too bizarre to do that, so this is the best I could do.

 

To me, the area on the far right looks very weird.  Areas 1 and 2 (top right) look like they are on the same level, and the GB-style cliff face becomes a bizarre stone wall as it makes that last bend.  Part of the problem is that the transition 'slope' doesn't look any different than the flat sand of area 1.  Some kind of transition tile, like stairs/steps or even just sand ribbons in a different direction, would help fix this.  Add a convex-curved grass transition instead of straight across that opening, and the illusion would be much more effective.

 

Add a script that makes you WalkFast while moving down the hill and WalkSlow when moving up, and your illusion is complete.  If you could get enemies to follow those rules, too- that would be bonus points.


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#45 LikeLike on fire

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Posted 09 June 2014 - 06:47 AM

this is a helpful topic. it should be marked with great importance. using the classic tile set, it is the ultimate in optical illusions.  I think I will recolor those slope steps now. should they have a conver ablity? so it is like a real hill, you can walk fast down the hill(fall down it?) and it is harder to walk up, the hill.





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