Do you like the artwork in Meteor Man?

SolarPepperStudiosSolarPepperStudios Member Posts: 754
edited January 2013 in Working with GS (Mac)
Alright, I need to know because from what I have heard (about 10 people), the artwork style in Meteor Man is alright. However, 10 people is not a lot so I need to get a larger majority to ask and the forums is a great place. :D I am working on a few suggestions made by @Tysuru and I hope they are noticed. :D

Comments

  • IsabelleKIsabelleK Member, Sous Chef Posts: 2,807
    And where is this artwork? :P
  • andrewm2211andrewm2211 Member Posts: 341
    I voted needs a lot of work, I like the character and the rock in the screen shots. But the menu buttons were a little plain an inconsistent. And then in the other screen shots look like you weren't using the custom font you had a established earlier. Specifically the 'game over' and the score.

    I think if the buttons and text stayed consistent with the blocky/pixely stule you have on the main character it would be cool.
  • andrewm2211andrewm2211 Member Posts: 341
    Also right now you have the character constrained to where you touch. It'd be cool if it was offset so you could see the character as you were playing it. just my two cents, best fo luck!
  • SolarPepperStudiosSolarPepperStudios Member Posts: 754
    @TheMoonwalls hahaha good point! I expected people who have it to rate this but to help you out (if you really do need it :D) you can look at the app (Meteor Man - Jonathan Feavel) or you can look at the new game submission form for January. :D Also @andrewm2211 Thank you for your suggestion! I will work on that. Do you have the game or were you looking at the screenshots? (They need a few updates.)
  • SolarPepperStudiosSolarPepperStudios Member Posts: 754
    @andrewm2211 Also about the play button, fixing that too! :D
  • SolarPepperStudiosSolarPepperStudios Member Posts: 754
    @andrewm2211 and @TheMoonwalls I sent off 3.0.1 which is a GUI overhaul. If you own the game then check it out once it hits the store and tell me what you think! :D I think I got all of your suggestions. (The screenshots will be updates too) :D
  • SpriteAttackSpriteAttack Member Posts: 524
    Get an artist, mate... Pixelart might look simple enough... but unless you do it consistently and with good colours and contrast it will look like a bad c64 port (or worse).
  • SolarPepperStudiosSolarPepperStudios Member Posts: 754
    @Spriteattack Thank you for your comment. I would like to but at the time I have no means of paying for an artist otherwise I would. :P I am only 15 after all and this is my first game. :)
  • gamesfuagamesfua Member Posts: 723
    edited January 2013
    I think the artwork needs work. I get what you're trying to do (pixel art) but i think it needs a little something more. A little more color. Overall its a very dark and muted color game. I think most players kind of like bright. Plus brighter graphics makes the game just stand out more via screenshots etc. more eye catching is what i guess i'm going for here.

    On to the game...

    I got to be honest the game needs a ton of work. There are actually points in the game where you literally cant win. The entire screen is a wall of asteroids rendering any chance of conquering said meteors- impossible. On game start up the character is stuck in the upper left hand corner (when you play the game). Thankfully you can move him from there but its odd that he immediately goes to the upper left hand side. When you press play on any of the play modes you have to wait for a fairly lengthy music track to play before moving on to the actual game. Controls are tough because most of the time you need your finger directly over the character, which causes problems with seeing the enemies around you. Theres also a black screen at start up with MORE GAMES, but nothing else. Not sure if this was done on purpose. On the title screen if you tap somewhere the character will move towards it but then drift away forever. The shop gives little to no information on how to buy things or even what youre buying. And then if you tap an item it immediately buys it without asking you if youre sure or not.
    I say all of this NOT to trash. Im saying this to hopefully give you a truthful opinion to try and help you. If i had these problems, millions of others will too. I wish you good luck. I think tackling these issues will help strengthen your game! :)
  • SolarPepperStudiosSolarPepperStudios Member Posts: 754
    @anatomyofdreams Thank you for your opinion. :D There are just 2 things I want to point out:
    1. I am only 15 and I am no artist. :D I try to be but you and everyone else is right, it does need a lot of work. :)

    2. This is my first (published) game. I made a few others but they were not worthy of being published. What I plan to do is take what I have learned and expand upon it. :D

    I would like to thank @TheMoonwalls , @SpriteAttack and everyone else for your opinions. :D
  • gamesfuagamesfua Member Posts: 723
    @utveckla_games age is inconsequential. There was a kid younger than you who made a phenomenal game and sold lots of copies. Point is, don't downgrade yourself or your abilities because of age.
    The fact you're taking these comments with maturity and grace proves you're well ahead of your years. Be proud of that. Most people, even older than you, can't do that.
    You've got a game here that can be salvaged. It can be made better. Take these suggestions and make it better. We all know you can. Don't be disuaded by anything said- use it to inspire you to get better and better.
    I look forward to watching the games growth and i commend you on your maturity in realizing there's always the potential for growth :)
  • SolarPepperStudiosSolarPepperStudios Member Posts: 754
    @anatomyofdreams Thank you very much. That means a lot to me. :)
  • TimBOSSDevTimBOSSDev Member Posts: 44
    In my opinion, the art needs lots of improvement, with that kind of art, you'll start to draw less and less customers towards looking/purchasing your app. Another thing, price it down to $0.99. The higher you price it, the less the chance of having people buy it. And I'm just saying this to be able to help you improve for future games, but please look into marketing and how to make good screenshots, these screenshots are very poorly designed. As a costumer, as soon I see the icon and the screenshot, I wouldn't buy it at this stage, to be honest even if it was for free I still wouldn't waste my time and Mb to download it. Remember again, I'm telling you this as a member of the community, to help you become a better designer and app seller for the future. Good Luck! :)
  • EatingMyHatEatingMyHat Member Posts: 1,246
    Don't take it the wrong way but based on the screenshots, it is a bit of a mess and if I would stumble upon it in the app store, I would not download it for free.

    Keep in mind that what sells your game is your icon, app store images and description. Your screenshots really killed it for me, and not in a good way.
    1. You have to much text on your app store images, the text is at different angles and sometimes very hard to read
    2. The screenshots need to get me excited about the game and show me why it is fun to play - keep the long paragraphs to the description
    3. You got 4-5 different fonts going on. Consistency is key in graphic design and the easiest place to start is by using the same fonts. You even have 3 different fonts in the game which does not fit the art style, it makes everything look sloppy (e.g. your end game screen).

    I agree with @anatomyofdreams, age is not an excuse. If you look at your game and say "well, it is good for a 15 years old" - you have a bad game. Aim higher and learn to evaluate your work critically. Things like consistent fonts have nothing to do with skill or age and everything to do with not cutting corners.

    Being 15, don't rush it and don't give up... continue to try and improve.

    Cheers,
    GR

  • SocksSocks London, UK.Member Posts: 12,822
    edited January 2013
    You have no screen shot of the actual gameplay !? But you have a screenshot of the Game Over page !?

    Screenshot 1, the loading wheel is on screen (!?). The game title should be the most prominent feature, at the moment it's competing with your developer logo and 'Dodge Meteors!'

    Screenshot 2, 'Music by Kevin Macleod', I'm not sure why people would want to know this, or why they would be interested in the song titles ?

    Screenshot 3, 'equipt' is a fairly nonstandard spelling of 'equipped' (although not quite a spelling mistake!). Personally, I'd go with the more reconizable 'equipped'. I'd also avoid using language familiar to game developers but not in common parlance ('random spawing AI'), you see a lot of this in game descriptions by people new to the app world and it always comes across as a little inept (to me at least) . . . eg: "great App Store with buttons that make a sound when pressed ! . ." or . . . "custom font designs" . . . or one of the worst I've seen recently . . ."professional looking graphics !" :)) Consumers aren't interested in what goes on under the hood.

    People also aren't that interested in menu screens. Look at Angry Bird's screenshots, gameplay, gameplay, gameplay and more gameplay, no shots of the menus or the store.

    Screenshot 4, "equipt new skins from the point store!" - I'm not entirely sure what this means, feels like someone has translated something from Japanese to English and it's come out a little wrong. Again, as in the music details, why do you feel people would like to see the 'game over, page ? I'm not sure if that adds anything ?

    Screenshot 5, there's a bit of tautology going on here: "for more games . . . and more" + you urge people to check out the iPad version twice in near identical words.

    Hope some of this helps . .
  • SolarPepperStudiosSolarPepperStudios Member Posts: 754
    @Socks and @EatingMyHat thanks for your advice! I'll work on that today! Also I originally had normal screenshots but I read an article online saying the best way is to do it like how I did. :P They were wrong! Anyways thanks! Hey @socks you have any games out yet? I would like to support you. You have helped me out before too. :D
  • SocksSocks London, UK.Member Posts: 12,822
    edited January 2013
    @socks you have any games out yet? I would like to support you. You have helped me out before too. :D
    Cheers ! No game completed yet ! (so you are already way ahead of me . . . and only 15 !!) But I am working on it though . . . . . soon . . . !
  • SolarPepperStudiosSolarPepperStudios Member Posts: 754
    @socks Ok cool! Hey would you let me know when it comes out? :D
  • SocksSocks London, UK.Member Posts: 12,822
    @socks Ok cool! Hey would you let me know when it comes out? :D
    Sure ! :)>-
  • LumpAppsLumpApps Member Posts: 2,881
    I love it, not saying I would buy it but you are getting somewhere. You have a long time ahead of you so I am sure you will get a lot better in the future. For some reason I like your style.
    The layout is a bit of a mismatch but the characters and asteroids are cool.
  • SolarPepperStudiosSolarPepperStudios Member Posts: 754
    edited January 2013
    @LudwigHeijden Thank you! Also the program I use is called Sketch. You should check it out!
  • gamesfuagamesfua Member Posts: 723
    My first game (which isn't out yet- hopefully by the end of the month) is INFINITELY stronger because I told my beta testers, "be as harsh as you can! Give me hell! Don't hold back on your comments." Why? Because i believe that one persons criticism is probably 1 million peoples criticism. So i can be stubborn and not listen- but chances are my game will suffer because of it. So i listened to my testers. Even to things i didn't at first agree with. I think my game is now stronger and better than i could have ever made it alone. Certainly you shouldn't necessarily make every change a tester or commenter (like us) suggests. But at least listen (which you are :). Challenge your vision and let some others in. After all, theyre the ones playing the game- not you.
    I look forward to releasing my game and hearing from everyone on here. I'll be ready to take the good and the bad. But i'll listen. And i'll do everything i can to make the game i want to make- but at the same time, a game thats warm, welcoming, and inviting for others. Thats the goal i think we're all after.
    Good luck to you!
    And when our games come out- we'll look forward to YOUR criticsm. Just play nice okay ;)
  • SolarPepperStudiosSolarPepperStudios Member Posts: 754
    @AnatomyofDreams Hahaha ok I will. :D
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