Brianna Townsend

Really struggling with stair graphics from this perspective. Not sure if I should continue down this road or pivot to something more abstract and iconographic.

What do you think? Any examples to show?

No alpha blending and strict low-color palette requirements!

#gamedev #pixelart

Jul 17, 2024 at 4:18amWeb
Show thread∴ esoterik ∴Jul 17, 2024

@britown my suggestion is to use two different tiles that can't be easily confused with each other.

the tiles that dragon warrior 1 and final fantasy 1 use work well in my opinion:

http://www.thealmightyguru.com/Wiki/images/9/92/Dragon_Warrior_-_NES_-_Map_-_Charlock_Castle.png

https://assets.rpgsite.net/images/images/000/102/570/original/ff1_maps_terra_cavern_dungeon_map_l1.png

Show thread∴ esoterik ∴Jul 17, 2024
@britown the metaphor both of those go with is "stairs down go into a square hole, stairs up are freestanding" which i think looks good and are easy to tell apart.
Show threadEphJul 17, 2024
@britown I'm a fan of how the Gen 2 Pokemon games do stairs
Show threadCanightJul 17, 2024
@britown
The downstairs looks great imo. Maybe the upstairs just needs to be flipped, large step at the bottom and small step at the top?
Show threadvoxelJul 17, 2024
@britown Definitely a struggle to draw them from that perspective, a popular solution is to rotate the stairs to be east-west
Show threadPYM le pirate capoeiristeJul 17, 2024
@britown Zelda Link's Awakening approach to staircase is in my opinion one very good one : quite readable, no arrow needed (not like Link to the past), coherent with the perspective, low resolution compatible.
Show threadRicJul 17, 2024
@britown maybe go with full width steps, the same graphic regardless of direction, but then pop an arrow on the ground in front of them, like a doormat of sorts?
Show threadStefan PrelleJul 17, 2024

@britown I am a bit confused by the stairs going up - I think I would have made the stairs (going up) wider at the floor level and smaller at its top.

Also ... Ultima 5 used this stairs which also worked well.