Ideas how to improve graphics in my game?

[a-k-m]

Hello,

here’s a WIP clip of my game.

Do you have an idea how I could improve the overall graphics quality?
Since I cannot work with too much detail (since it is a wide angle camera and mostly landscape is displayed), I have to find other ways to make my game look good.

Thanks in advance for all advices!

Here’s the clip:

[video]https://youtu.be/NJzRy1JVP78[/video]

[OTO]

Well, it looks “good” to me…?
Bye

[adriansnetlis]

Some 2D filters would work well.
The color scheme of GUIs could also be improved a bit(try googling some color schemes, you’ll find some good ones).
Make the waves smoother, blending. Also try to add dynamic normalmap for ripples(if you can).
Other than that I don’t see much to do. It looks great already!

[Mumrik]

I think it might look like you’ve just pasted photos onto the 3d models. By increasing the color and changing the color scheme a bit you’ll achieve a bit more of an appealing look to your game. Not a more realistic look but realism you won’t be able to achieve in the bge so might as well go for a more colorful look.

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[BluePrintRandom]

realism is possible in any engine,

what makes things look real is a mix of many texture maps,

PBR makes this easier.

Part 1 -you are using ALOT of logic this leaves no wiggle room

Part 2 -planular reflections

Part 3- variance sun shadows

Part 4 - use alpha blending on your waves, the edges are too hard and defined.

nice work keep it up!

Mumrik, if other engines are so good, why are you here?

Can we see some of your amazing work?

[Mumrik]

Blueprintrandom you would agree with this guy:

What he has done is 3d scanned real life objects into his game with models and textures and he says it looks amazing. Look at the realism, nah it looks like a photo and that’s what you’ll get when you paste photos onto models in the blender game engine. Most “super realistic” games today are made by hand. Surfaces are sculpted by hand then given diffuse maps. Rarely do they create normal maps from photos, it happens but not in the games people look at and go woah those graphics.

There is no pbr in the blender game engine either so making a blender game look realistic is a waste of time. But a game doesn’t have to look realistic to look good, there are many ways to stylize your game. Some of these games from the ps1 are stylized and look much better than most games today that attempt to do realism and fail at it.

[BluePrintRandom]

edit: AKM I was responding to murmurik
in this post****

That looks bad because there are no reflection maps, or specularity, it’s just diffuse and it looks bad, it does not even appear to have normals*

edit: I dont see any realtime shadows either…

I think this looks ok…

an artist, skilled with a an engine, makes a good looking game, plain and simple.

[Monster]

It looks good too me. Just some minor issues that break the good impression:

I think the spray behind the board is a little bit too repetitive. I think the feeling would benefit from more variance.

I know the breaking wave looks too rectangular.

[a-k-m]

Thanks for the feedback!

I’m now trying to implement each of your advices!

[mziskandar]

Thats cool… here’s some tips from me. I’m not pro artist (warning: my tips might be wrong)

1. Use 3 or more basic lights
2. Ground hemi (sand/water color with low energy eg: 0.2, diffuse only)
3. Sky hemi (low energy overall sky color, diffuse only)
4. Sun (yelowish almosy white high energy, this will follow your viewing camera and cast shadow diffuse n specular)
5. Use photoshop/gimp photo editing concept to get the game mood for color adjustment. (brightness, contrast, equalize, etc.)
6. Mmm… your font: make it bigger, jump it when you receive score, make it white. outline it with red or black.
7. Put some shade at the horizon.

[Grenzer]

I’ll suggest adding mist- it can go a long way in making the world seem more realistic. Don’t make it clots to the player, make it start far away so it makes the landscape blend with the sky. Here’s some images of what I mean:

In both images, the mist adds depth to the scene and creates a more natural gradient between the ocean and sky. The other benefit it that it can help the player’s sense of depth perception. That just my 2 cents.

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[ColorPixel]

I do like a lot the way the games looks so far I would polish a bit the waves and add fun elements, like sharks oh and release it as ALPHA.

[S-Markt]

looks awesome.

you got to animate the board. let it swing up and down, while it is at the watersurface. but don’t move the character too much, only the board.

ever thought about jetties, ships (to jump and grind at?), sharks and submarines

[a-k-m]

Wow, these are all very useful advices!
Thanks a lot.
So far, I already included some of your advices.

But now I still have a big checklist to do

@S-Markt: yes, I was thinking about that, but I still have to finish the main character behavior before I move on to the fun part. Right now I am working on a system to let the player crash with failed tricks.
The idea animating the board, so the ride doesn’t look too smooth is great!
Grinding boats sounds like fun, I could couple it with some kind of grinding system (also to surf waves).

@Grenzer: These photos are great examples and gave me also another thing to do, which I forgot -> the beach foam is missing in my game.

But that’s still a long way off…

[CD38]

I think it looks great so far, and a lot of fun. My only comment is the kite itself seems too opaque and dark, like it’s made of stiff fiberglass or wood.