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Making a Good Desert


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#1 Castelia

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Posted 10 April 2017 - 04:16 AM

Hey. I'm just wondering how I can make a desert area that looks interesting and isn't just sand, mountains, and cacti. I know I've made deserts in previous quests, but for some reason, I can't make desert screens that look decent and non-repetitive. Thanks in advance for any help.

 

PS: I'm using Moosh's Instrumentality tileset again, meaning I'm mainly working with the Classic tileset here, if that helps.


Edited by Bombos, 10 April 2017 - 04:17 AM.


#2 Zaxarone

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Posted 10 April 2017 - 05:27 AM

try adding in mesas, bones and pits or perhaps stone archways top your desert


MUVIw7r.png

 

something i whipped up as an example


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#3 Orithan

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Posted 10 April 2017 - 07:12 AM

Before I start going into design choices for a desert, I would like to address this: The default Instrumentality sand carries far too much contrast and it does not contribute to the feeling that sand is supposed to have as a result. It would be better if it wasn't 8-bit into CSet 1 colors.

 

The main defining feature of a desert is that there is very little life and therefore shouldn't be busy - Go easy on the details but place them with careful consideration to the overall layout of the screen and to the atmosphere you want this particular area in your desert to have. Oases, wherever they are formed as the result of a lake being at the surface of a desert or formed just after heavy rain, are the exception and should be more busy.

One major pitfall I see in deserts in quests that makes them repetitive is that people seem to neglect to add in details that make these screens memorable - In way too many quests the desert screens just feel bland and lifeless and/or lazily designed. Going the complete opposite way around and cramming them with details makes the screens feel a lot more interesting, but the resulting desert just doesn't feel like a desert. Strike a balance between the two extremes and make sure that you take care in making each screen memorable, giving the desert the atmosphere you want it to have and telling the story you want it to tell (remember, the written word isn't the only way to convey a story!) and you should be on your way to making good deserts.


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#4 Castelia

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Posted 10 April 2017 - 07:46 AM

Thanks for your help, guys. I'll try to keep your tips in mind while designing my desert.

I think the Instrumentality sand is alright since I'm using the desert palette for my desert instead of the default Zelda 1 palette.



#5 Moosh

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Posted 10 April 2017 - 07:47 AM

Before I start going into design choices for a desert, I would like to address this: The default Instrumentality sand carries far too much contrast and it does not contribute to the feeling that sand is supposed to have as a result. It would be better if it wasn't 8-bit into CSet 1 colors.

It isn't actually 8-bit. It uses as far as I know unused colors from the default classic palette, meant to be used with a palette where they're changed to not look like poo. 

 

s90s6.png

Here's one of the example screens showing how the sand was supposed to look. Still not great, but it's something.


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#6 Evan20000

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Posted 10 April 2017 - 04:34 PM

In real life, deserts are usually barren and open. This doesn't naturally translate well to ZC, so you need to over-saturate interesting mountain formations and various landmarks. Functionally cacti/bones replace bushes/shrubs as your screen decoration. Once you have that mentality down, you can build it as if it were a valley/mountainous area in terms of layout and pretty up the details to make it feel more desert-y when you're done.
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#7 Aevin

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Posted 10 April 2017 - 05:48 PM

I'm guessing you'll find this helpful.

 

But Seriously...


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#8 Castelia

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Posted 10 April 2017 - 05:52 PM

I've finally been able to get some desert design going. I've decided to go with the detailed desert route, since that way, I can make screens more unique. Thanks again for your help, guys.

Also, is Martha Stewart a meme I don't understand or something?



#9 peteandwally

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Posted 12 April 2017 - 09:01 AM

I like to put elevation in desert areas. You can make plateaus and natural bridges out of the rock formations. Also, have a small river (or oasis) going through it with some bushes near the shore for color in the middle of an otherwise neutral palette.


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