Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
Appendix
A
Designing and Creating
Graphics
In this appendix, we'll cover three main topics: designing graphics, creating graphics, and some
open-source tools to use in doing so.
When creating a video game, a lot of the work is put into creating the graphics used in the game. In
this appendix, we will be considering 2D games. These graphics will be images for the actors in the
game, backgrounds, buttons, and other decorations. The images are a large part of the game: they
are the first thing people see, and they can dictate whether people are going to download the game.
Images are what grab people's attention. It is the image of Link or Mario that people remember,
not the collision detection algorithm. It is not to say that there aren't popular games with simple
graphics—because there definitely are. But even creators of successful games with simple graphics
spend a lot of time making sure their art conforms to a unified design goal.
In addition to concerns of style, a game designer must also consider what is required to create
images suitable for building a game. We must consider the size of the final images, as well as
how the images are organized. Should we use separate images for everything, or can we create
a composite image for backgrounds? How do we organize our images so we can easily make
changes? Do we have a budget for how many megabytes of images we can include? These are just
a couple of the questions I will be addressing in this appendix.
The last part of this appendix will be a quick review of some of the great open-source tools available
to a game designer. These tools are not only important for small game developers but also were
critical in the writing of this topic.
The Art in Video Games
Before a video game is created, someone has an idea about how the game is played and what it
looks like. That initial vision may or may not make it into the final release. In any case, it is ideal
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