koontz1973 wrote:That I can fix. It is probably due to the texture layers being on burn mode.
Oh yeah, burn mode is not really good for textures. In fact it's pretty much the worst mode to use... Burn and multiply modes always make the image darker.
Textures look best with grain merge or soft/hard light. Those modes all work with the basic principle that pixel values less than 128 make the image darker and values higher than 128 make the image lighter (although obviously they have some differences) which is optimal for most textures, since often on textures you have light and dark areas, and also because this way the overall lightness of the image changes less.
koontz1973 wrote:This I do not see as a problem. Having the map blend into the background is OK
Sorry, but it really isn't... this isn't really a matter of stylistic preference, or an issue of opinion - it's simply a matter of following the principles of good graphical design.
Look... I don't want to sound like I'm lecturing to you. The fact that I've made maps longer than you certainly does not mean that I'm always right and you're always wrong. But there are certain things you learn about graphics with experience, and if I sometimes come off as if I think I know better, it's only because I want to share that knowledge which I've learned.
In any graphical image, you can divide the image in parts: the background, the primary elements, and the secondary elements. The background is obvious... the primary element in this case would be the playable area, the map itself, and the secondary elements would be things like title, legend, etc. To achieve a clean and legible style that is easy to the eyes, the primary elements need to be distinct from the background - they need to be what "draws" your eyes in, in the image... the secondary elements should also stand out, but less than the primary ones.
Of course, you can tell what part of the map is playable area, that's not what I'm saying. The problem is, the playable area should "naturally" draw your eyes to it, and currently, it just gets lost in the background.
Now, there are lots of ways by which contrast can be achieved between two parts of an image. It doesn't have to be all that high, you can use several subtle things, which by themselves aren't noticeable but combined they give the playable area a good contrast with it's surroundings. I'm also not saying that the map can't have a uniform style, it can and should. But the style should be executed in a way that makes it easy on the eyes and readable.
Some ways of adding contrast:
- You could add a subtle drop shadow or glow to the playable area.
- You could create a contrast in focus: make the playable area sharper than it's surroundings.
- You could create a contrast in saturation: make the playable area more or less saturated colours than the background.
- or a contrast in lightness, making the playable area lighter than the background
- or some kind of subtle lighting effects, maybe like a spotlight (or several) on the playable area... or gradients or such...
You don't have to use all of them, of course, or you can figure out some other methods of achieving contrast, I'm just trying to say that there are options here, and no one is trying to force you on a certain path...
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