Well, GUI Backdrops aren't missing per se, just overlooked in terms of game design in general -- that and decent quality textures. If you think about it, many of the smaller indie games, such as the match three, hidden object, and other casual games, have GUIs that require backdrops, be it tiled or a stretched image. I've seen a lot of wood textures and grid like textures, or they resize a desktop background image to use as the backdrop for theirs, often distorting it.
I figure that if I make some nice and unique tiled backgrounds, I could give the indie developers a wider variety of patterns to use.
As for the patterns I already have launched, those were created out of necessity long ago when I wanted to be a web designer -- back when colorful tiled (and often overbearing) backgrounds were the norm and CSS / HMTL 5 were in their infancy. I wanted to create unique, but generally easy-on-the-eyes, tiled backgrounds for my projects -- not just swipe some background off some other homepage like everyone else did. I was also working with strict limited online storage limits then as well, using Angelfire as my choice of server (long before the days of GoDaddy). So those came of the necessity for that, but... well, to make a long story short, an ex husband with severe Control Freak issues put an end to that business real quick.
When I stumbled on the patterns while sorting out my harddrive files, I figured that they deserved a second chance at life, so to speak, and posted them here in the hopes someone would find some use for them.
The cursors in that pack weren't made of necessity; but they came about as a result of some early experimentation with pixel art in general and to test the cursor creation.
Nonetheless, I've thought about including some icons as well for game designers to use for their .exe files. Now that I think about it, Icons are also an overlooked feature in game design.
What's funny about this is, most of all my work submitted on here had come from some form of necessity. My planets, for example, were created because I wanted a ringed planet for my game, but couldn't find any CC or PD planets that weren't just recolors of Saturn. The mailbox sprites were also born of necessity, as were the theatre seats, the slot machine resource pack, and the various icon packs. And, because I had created these objects, I knew there were other people out there that were programming savvy but not art savvy, and I decided to release my work here so that they too could benefit.
I've been focusing a lot of my art lately on custom cursors and backdrop patterns. I may submit something more along those lines.
I missed this challenge, unfortunately, because real life hit me in the face with some challenges. But congrats to the winner though! Mine was going to be a sort of hourglass. I may still draw it up when I can find the time.
Update: Might I be so bold as to offer an idea for the next challenge a little early? How about a Summer theme, since Summer is just around the corner?
Well, yeah. I was just more focused on how to convey the idea to others, other than just a two word title. I get analytical like that sometimes, and always overthink things. XD
Sounds good to me... the only thing is, are we thinking of "Lost in Time" being more about time machines and time travel in general, more along the lines of lost history, or a combination of both in some way?
@MedicineStorm: https://opengameart.deviantart.com/ There it is. I also noticed it has a twitter feed that looks like it's been inactive since 2014.
If the original owner of the OGA DA art page isn't interested in updating the group anymore, I'd be more than happy to take it over. It will give me something to do during my overnight shifts, especially ones that are just 2 hour wellness checks. Granted, the update schedule would need to be a bit flexible like my job, but I'm thinking updating at least every Thursday to start.
If that's ok, of course. I don't want to seem like I'm begging to be an Admin or anything like that, but I would like to help out this community a little more than just contributing art once in a while. I've grown to love this place and the people and want to help you all in any way I can.
Not to change the subject much, but speaking of Deviant Art, is the Official OGA group on DA still a thing? I requested access to add my art but nothing ever came of it.
Back on subject, I will refrain from voting only because I added my own ideas and I don't think it would be fair to vote because of it, unless ya'll are cool with it. <3
(Edited this post to correct a sentence that didn't make sense. I was half-asleep at the time of writing it, sorry.)
I was thinking more of a "Good Night" or "Sweet Dreams" theme, lullabies and sleep-themed. Maybe even mythical creatures that protect our dreams (Bakus and such).
@MedicineStorm: Makes sense. That was the part about CC-BY-SA that confused me from the get-go and why I changed all the licenses on my stuff.
Regardless, I know that CC-BY-SA stuff does infact allow Commercial use, but it is very restrictive on how it can be remixed/transformed -- mainly that you have to release the remixed asset under the exact license and some other restrictions that I can't remember off hand.
@Spring: As far as I know, everything on OGA is available for Commercial and Non-commercial Use, but they can't apply DRM to CC-BY-SA (and GPL, I think) material. It just means that they have to release their game as open source rather than closed source.
Reading the license in detail would be the best way to be sure though, I agree.
Well, GUI Backdrops aren't missing per se, just overlooked in terms of game design in general -- that and decent quality textures. If you think about it, many of the smaller indie games, such as the match three, hidden object, and other casual games, have GUIs that require backdrops, be it tiled or a stretched image. I've seen a lot of wood textures and grid like textures, or they resize a desktop background image to use as the backdrop for theirs, often distorting it.
I figure that if I make some nice and unique tiled backgrounds, I could give the indie developers a wider variety of patterns to use.
As for the patterns I already have launched, those were created out of necessity long ago when I wanted to be a web designer -- back when colorful tiled (and often overbearing) backgrounds were the norm and CSS / HMTL 5 were in their infancy. I wanted to create unique, but generally easy-on-the-eyes, tiled backgrounds for my projects -- not just swipe some background off some other homepage like everyone else did. I was also working with strict limited online storage limits then as well, using Angelfire as my choice of server (long before the days of GoDaddy). So those came of the necessity for that, but... well, to make a long story short, an ex husband with severe Control Freak issues put an end to that business real quick.
When I stumbled on the patterns while sorting out my harddrive files, I figured that they deserved a second chance at life, so to speak, and posted them here in the hopes someone would find some use for them.
The cursors in that pack weren't made of necessity; but they came about as a result of some early experimentation with pixel art in general and to test the cursor creation.
Nonetheless, I've thought about including some icons as well for game designers to use for their .exe files. Now that I think about it, Icons are also an overlooked feature in game design.
What's funny about this is, most of all my work submitted on here had come from some form of necessity. My planets, for example, were created because I wanted a ringed planet for my game, but couldn't find any CC or PD planets that weren't just recolors of Saturn. The mailbox sprites were also born of necessity, as were the theatre seats, the slot machine resource pack, and the various icon packs. And, because I had created these objects, I knew there were other people out there that were programming savvy but not art savvy, and I decided to release my work here so that they too could benefit.
I've been focusing a lot of my art lately on custom cursors and backdrop patterns. I may submit something more along those lines.
I missed this challenge, unfortunately, because real life hit me in the face with some challenges. But congrats to the winner though! Mine was going to be a sort of hourglass. I may still draw it up when I can find the time.
Update: Might I be so bold as to offer an idea for the next challenge a little early? How about a Summer theme, since Summer is just around the corner?
Well, yeah. I was just more focused on how to convey the idea to others, other than just a two word title. I get analytical like that sometimes, and always overthink things. XD
Sounds good to me... the only thing is, are we thinking of "Lost in Time" being more about time machines and time travel in general, more along the lines of lost history, or a combination of both in some way?
@MedicineStorm: https://opengameart.deviantart.com/ There it is. I also noticed it has a twitter feed that looks like it's been inactive since 2014.
If the original owner of the OGA DA art page isn't interested in updating the group anymore, I'd be more than happy to take it over. It will give me something to do during my overnight shifts, especially ones that are just 2 hour wellness checks. Granted, the update schedule would need to be a bit flexible like my job, but I'm thinking updating at least every Thursday to start.
If that's ok, of course. I don't want to seem like I'm begging to be an Admin or anything like that, but I would like to help out this community a little more than just contributing art once in a while. I've grown to love this place and the people and want to help you all in any way I can.
Not to change the subject much, but speaking of Deviant Art, is the Official OGA group on DA still a thing? I requested access to add my art but nothing ever came of it.
Back on subject, I will refrain from voting only because I added my own ideas and I don't think it would be fair to vote because of it, unless ya'll are cool with it. <3
(Edited this post to correct a sentence that didn't make sense. I was half-asleep at the time of writing it, sorry.)
I was thinking more of a "Good Night" or "Sweet Dreams" theme, lullabies and sleep-themed. Maybe even mythical creatures that protect our dreams (Bakus and such).
@MedicineStorm: Makes sense. That was the part about CC-BY-SA that confused me from the get-go and why I changed all the licenses on my stuff.
Regardless, I know that CC-BY-SA stuff does infact allow Commercial use, but it is very restrictive on how it can be remixed/transformed -- mainly that you have to release the remixed asset under the exact license and some other restrictions that I can't remember off hand.
@Spring: As far as I know, everything on OGA is available for Commercial and Non-commercial Use, but they can't apply DRM to CC-BY-SA (and GPL, I think) material. It just means that they have to release their game as open source rather than closed source.
Reading the license in detail would be the best way to be sure though, I agree.
@Aster: Here's a source for music. You might find what you are looking for here? https://opengameart.org/forumtopic/all-music-at-soundimageorg-is-now-fre...
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