Hey everyone! A while ago I was working on an RPG in VB and graphics just completely sucked ass... I decided to started from scratch and started working on the tiles. I created a lot, recently, and they can be found at: http://www.flatface.net/~liquidsoft/tiles.html Can someone tell me if they look good? What I can improve on... Etc.? This is still the basics and there''s a couple of things I have to add, like transition tiles... But other than that, how do they look? Thanks, Voytek

pretty poor, are they for a 2d or 3d?

They''re for 2D.

One other question, does anyone have tips on how to make the tiles follow each other nicely? For example, if I have 3 grass tiles beside each other, they don''t look like they''re going from one to another. Any tips on how to achieve this?
Thanks,
Voytek

Search for, "Photoshop seemless tiling," on google or something -- assuming you used Photoshop. If not, then just search for "seemless tiling techniques."

[edit]
Also, instead of trying to just slap on different filters on each tile, try to use a whole lot of them into one and make an action for it so you can use it consistently. Or airbrush them separately which would turn out the best and is my top suggestion.
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[edited by - Faze on October 27, 2002 2:16:56 AM]

They are ok, but think about how they would tile, not very well. I am not a tile art expert, but take a look here and here for plenty o'' tips and tricks from people who are. The texture just is not quite right, especially with the water and stone.

Hey!
Thanks for all the input... I decided to put up a little new thing, just to show how I''m making the tiles without the grid (although there is a super-imposed grid ). I read the two tutorials and they were fairly helpful, so thank you very much.
Check out the new way I''ll be making the tiles:
http://www.flatface.net/~liquidsoft/tiles.html
It''s just something I put together quickly, so it''s not of the utmost quality. But basically, is this how I should do it?
Thanks,
Voytek

Well, I took a look at your tiles, and the first thing that jumped out at me was the obvious use of Photoshop filters. This is something that you should stay away from. Not filters really, but reliance on them to create a texture for you isn''t a good way to go, because most people who work with it can pick out a PS Filter right away. You should put in a lot of hours experimenting with various techniques and reading and practicing as many tutorial how-tos as you can. Once you have a good idea of what the limitations are of yourself and of the application, you can really create some amazing stuff by utilizing various filters in ways that aren''t immediately obvious, and this creates a richer, more professional looking piece of work.

I also highly recommend you invest in a Wacom tablet as soon as possible. They are expensive, but I have never, ever gotten more of my money''s worth from another purchase. Using one will make your life 100x easier, and your work will reflect this.

Also, as a quick tiling tip:
Use Offset a lot to get your desired tiling effect. Say you''re creating a texture or tile that is 128x128, once you have the overall image down for your tile, go to the Offset filter [Filters | Other | Offset] and offset your image by half (in this case: 64x64). Then use the clone tool [shortcut "S] to blend in the seams. I recommend staying away from the smudge tool, even though at first look it might appear to help with seam blending, it will ruin your overall texture if used too much. Lastly, subtle use of the Noise filter [Noise | Add Noise] works wonders on textures if you are trying to get a slightly more organic or natural look to a surface.

I hope my advice helps you in some way. Good luck and keep it up!

WOW! Offset works wonders! Thanks a lot!

I have one more question... If you go to the site again, you'll see a two new grass tiles. I think they look pretty good. I'll still look for tutorials, but can you guys tell me if that grass looks better?
Thanks,
Voytek

[edited by - VoytekG on October 27, 2002 1:54:56 PM]

Heya. Well Tile B looks the best. I can still see you''re using the Smudge Stick filter, but it''s less apparent. Try using some more color in your tiles, and mix in some dirt areas showing through the bottom in some areas. Do this in a way that has balance, so it won''t look too bad if it''s tiled, but it will break it up a bit. You should take a look at old SNES and GBA games (RPGs are the best source) at how they did their tiles. Compare them to yours, and see if you can emulate what the artists did in their work.

Keep it up!