How hard is it to use 3D to make a game like Axiom Verge / Super Metroid for Unity as a beginner over pixel art?
I suck at both, in this case should I also get a tablet and pen to draw? or just use low poly?
I know 3D gaming is much more difficult to program, but is it if you are making 2.5D?
It’s a choice of preference. You might expect 2d art to be simpler. I don’t think that’s the case. You’ll need to develop more artistic skill to make good 2d art, and as far as workflow goes each style has it’s own pro’s and cons.
Either way, if you are making any kind of digital art you will need a tablet. The cheapest wacom (called bamboo I think) is more than adequate.
For beginner, who never used 3D software, or even 2D, is better to focus on Unity prototype game, using placeholders. Eventually use some free assets, to learn things.
When starting playing with 3D it will sink your time, driving away from actual making game.
So need to decide, what you really want to do at given time.
It will be much quicker learn and draw / modify some textures, for some existing meshes.
Realistically speaking, the only things you need for pixel art is computer capable of running aseprite and mouse.
Because you’re operating on a grid, resolution is low, pressure sensitivity is not a factor. So, you don’t really need a tablet and benefits from having one are small.
You CAN use blender for making sprites, but, uh… it is very non-trivial, and typically you’d be using it for making sprites similar to enemis in Doom I or Baldur’s Gate, Diablo I. Those are no longer “pixel art”, as resolution is higher.
Titles like axiom verge are hand painted, and in case of trying to make something like that you’ll waste far more time modeling it in blender and then rendering to make it look right compared to amount of time you’d need to paint them by hand from scratch.
Examples (not for reproduction, by the way):
Original:
Sprite:
The process of making something like that is incredibly time consuming, by the way.
So, I suggest to stick with handpainting. If you can find a tablet, great, but for pixel art you don’t really need it. unless it is a tablet with a screen.
how about a samsung note or some kind of android tablet? are those better?
what of this?
ok thank you didn’t realize modeling in blender was so much more time consuming than hand painting with a mouse
Its also good to know I don’t need a pen tablet either
I’ve only used wacom. I’ve heard mixed reviews about most of the other brands. My wacom tablets have served me with zero issues for over three years now and I am using them weekly. So money well spent.
In general, I try not to mess around with less than the best hardware/software. Game dev is hard enough.
Waste of money and unsuitable for pixelart.
Do keep in mind that there are multiple “sketch pad” devices on the market that are incapable of sending images to computer. You just doodle on them, and can erase, but that’s it. Kind of like an electronic magic screen.
If you insist on having a tablet, default go to choice is Wacom (another bamboo, or whatever they’re called these days), but the second choice is XP Pen, because they offer tablet with display at fraction of price of Cintiq.
However, they will not give you any big advantage when making pixel art.
Modeling is always more time consuming, the advantage of 3d modeling is that you can reuse objects easily. You can make a puppet and then pose it million times. In case of digital drawing you almost always start from scratch.
By the way, if you’re looking for an “easy way” then that’s not a thing. You need to sink XYZ hours into it to get better at it. There’s no way around it.
Alright thanks I agree.
I assume Unity would be far better for making a Axiom Verge clone than UE4?
I’ve dabbled in both 2d and 3d art, including using Blender to pre-render models for sprites. In my experience, at least for me personally, I’ve learned that 2d art is generally less time consuming just to do, and less complicated.
Now there is a level of skill that I call “acceptable.” It isn’t good, but is “serviceable” in a lower end game. In my opinion, it is much easier to get to that level in 3d than 2d. The reason is that 3d feels more forgivable, and errors in judgement and lack of skill can be better covered up. There are more steps in 3d too. But for example, you can directly paint on models in multiple programs, including Substance Painter, so the UVs don’t have to be just perfectly paintable any more since you no longer have to paint on them in 2d. You can also easily find textures and just splat them onto your models and make some adjustments. With 2d, you can’t really do that. You also can’t kitbash the same way. And as neginfinity said, there can be tons of reuse, not only in the animation side, but with the models themselves.
So, I feel that with 3d it will be faster and easier to get to the “acceptable” level, simply because of all the resources available, and the re-use you can get away with. But…I feel like getting to the higher skill levels will be faster in 2d art styles. When I say higher skill levels, I’m also meaning making everything yourself, not using pre-made textures or models(except typical primitives). With 3d, there are simply too many steps to get a model from start to finish, and to get “expert” at all of them would take quite a long time. This is why Studios typically specialize these jobs. The person who models isn’t the same person who animates, and even the animation sometimes is split up with a specialized rigging job. With 2d, it isn’t anywhere near as complex. You still have to get good at it, but I think you can get to that level faster than with 3d.
You are on Unity forum. It will be hard to expect objective answer.
You can 2D platformer in most game engines, as long you master them to decent level.
Thanks I will go with 3D then
One question is it possible to add fancy lighting from the Unity Engine onto your pixel art? or does the pixel art itself has to be done with natural hand drawn talent of a clever artist?
My mission is to make something like a super metroid clone over 8 years doing everything myself
If you somehow generate normal maps for your pixel art, then yes you can have the Unity engine light it for you. They make programs that help with that, such as SpriteLamp. You could also easily get normals if you were working with 3d models and pre-rendering them…but at that point you may as well just go with 3d and get those extra goodies that come with it if you are using Unity.
I don’t think 2D art is easier than 3D art. What about lighting and animations? Changing textures and camera angles? The cost of inevitable revisions? In 3D art you get a lot of things for free once your model is made.
Unless you’re making a super low res pixel style (and probably even then), I would always say that 3D art is much easier and better option for beginners. Maybe if you already have good drawing/painting skills, then 2D may be a better route.
Not to mention the fact that it’s generally much harder to succeed these days with 2D games compared to 3D.
No. After watching a quick video of the gameplay I don’t see anything in it that isn’t easily covered by the features available in UE4. You don’t need much more than the basics to make a game like that.
This is EXACTLY what was on my mind, 3D games once you get the lighting done can make the world of difference in marketing with a steam advertising video.
I completely and utterly SUCK at lighting on 2D pixel it has ALWAYS been a HUGE failure everytime I tried 2D pixel art, where as with 3D I was able to get a low poly scene up and running faster thanks to the 3D features and engine taking care of lighting and stuff. I did it with UE4 a couple years ago and it wasn’t too bad certainly a lot better than when I tried 2D pixel art.
maybe I should just go with 3D? I know it won’t look like axiom verge but maybe I can modify my goal on the kind of game I want to make. From what I have seen low poly 3D appears to be a lot easier to make because a head can be something like a square and you would get away with it. And with UE4 lighting it is like you saved 1000 hours trying to make it look good by letting the engine do so much work
Ah if that’s the game you’re going for, you don’t have a choice, 2D for sure!
It’s up to you. But remember pixel games have their own thing. I’m not sure you can just transfer them to 3D and get away with it.
My point was more general. I think you’ll have a much easier time with 3D, but if that’s your dream game you might as well start learning 2D now.
That’s the thing I SUCK at Pixel art, using colors and doing anything art related. I was better able to make a cylinder as an arm and a square as a head in low poly 3D and using UE4 to do the lighting effects the visual image I got when I did that in 3D looked like it would take me a million hours to get the same effect in 2D.
So what if I change my goal of making something like Axiom Verge, make a cartoony sci fi axion verge or something?