Now that the art pass contest is over and the winner(s) have been decided, a lot of people seem to think they wasted their time because they didn't win (I don't, I'm better now than I was before).
To remedy this, I thought I'd go back and pick out a few of the screenshots I've stolen with things I want to look at when making more maps of my own. There is something to learn from every map and a lot of things in most of them. These are only a few I picked out from the first two pages in the contest entries section that I've posted in but I have several hundred images saved. Take this as a chance to learn from others and get even better, you have fifty (?) entries that were turned in to look at.
Let's get it on:
While starting with one of the winners might feel a bit off, there are several things I think are just amazing in these pictures (and they're in alphabetical order). The red/white texture changes in the top one, the ladder/balconies in the middle and just the smooth transitioning between playable area/3d skybox/2d skybox in the bottom part.
Just like 3Dnj's third image, the top part here is just such an awesome transition between several areas. It also managed to do something more interesting of the right side house (though could use a touch of fog). The middle part is also just an awesome adaptation of the available map with the B houses, I wish my own solution had been that good. The basketball court just looks great and adds ambience.
Showcasing excellence in two areas that I think are my biggest weaknesses, 3D skyboxing and interesting geometry, Gooba really deserved the honorable mention.
Sometimes it's just the little things. Again I've picked parts that I'm not happy with in my own map and taken images that just make them look great.
The floor in the first image and the pure simplicity of the second just shows that you don't need a heavy amount of detail to make something look awesome. B and the surrounding area just look great and manages to encapsulate the area while still having long sightlines and open areas in the 3d skybox.
Again with the little things, the mop and bucket along with the decals and drips really make the ambience amazing in this shot. The second one goes to show that you can make great things even with only barrels and a few brushes. I still get surprised by how great of an idea this was and I've looked at that image dozens of times.
Keeping low on the detail but still making the room feel like a solid environment. Just like the barrels in IrishTaxiDriver's shot, the crates in the bottom part of this one might look a bit uniform but I think it adds flavor. Not every room can contain awesome interesting objects. Some have to be dull to make the cool things stand out more.
I would say that if you don't take this chance to learn from others you will have wasted a lot more than putting time into a contest entry and not winning. If you didn't learn a ton of stuff, then what have you been doing? This was the first time for me with 3D skybox, 2D skybox and basically the entire detailing process. My next map will be a ton better from doing the process all the way up to release and I don't regret it at all, there were really a big difference between mine and the winning entries.
To remedy this, I thought I'd go back and pick out a few of the screenshots I've stolen with things I want to look at when making more maps of my own. There is something to learn from every map and a lot of things in most of them. These are only a few I picked out from the first two pages in the contest entries section that I've posted in but I have several hundred images saved. Take this as a chance to learn from others and get even better, you have fifty (?) entries that were turned in to look at.
Let's get it on:
While starting with one of the winners might feel a bit off, there are several things I think are just amazing in these pictures (and they're in alphabetical order). The red/white texture changes in the top one, the ladder/balconies in the middle and just the smooth transitioning between playable area/3d skybox/2d skybox in the bottom part.
Just like 3Dnj's third image, the top part here is just such an awesome transition between several areas. It also managed to do something more interesting of the right side house (though could use a touch of fog). The middle part is also just an awesome adaptation of the available map with the B houses, I wish my own solution had been that good. The basketball court just looks great and adds ambience.
Showcasing excellence in two areas that I think are my biggest weaknesses, 3D skyboxing and interesting geometry, Gooba really deserved the honorable mention.
Sometimes it's just the little things. Again I've picked parts that I'm not happy with in my own map and taken images that just make them look great.
The floor in the first image and the pure simplicity of the second just shows that you don't need a heavy amount of detail to make something look awesome. B and the surrounding area just look great and manages to encapsulate the area while still having long sightlines and open areas in the 3d skybox.
Again with the little things, the mop and bucket along with the decals and drips really make the ambience amazing in this shot. The second one goes to show that you can make great things even with only barrels and a few brushes. I still get surprised by how great of an idea this was and I've looked at that image dozens of times.
Keeping low on the detail but still making the room feel like a solid environment. Just like the barrels in IrishTaxiDriver's shot, the crates in the bottom part of this one might look a bit uniform but I think it adds flavor. Not every room can contain awesome interesting objects. Some have to be dull to make the cool things stand out more.
I would say that if you don't take this chance to learn from others you will have wasted a lot more than putting time into a contest entry and not winning. If you didn't learn a ton of stuff, then what have you been doing? This was the first time for me with 3D skybox, 2D skybox and basically the entire detailing process. My next map will be a ton better from doing the process all the way up to release and I don't regret it at all, there were really a big difference between mine and the winning entries.
