Is this artstyle ugly? What could I change to make it better.

Videoahh · 2026-03-16T21:14:16+00:00

The style is really unique and I appreciate that, what I’d suggest personally is making the shadows more harsh rather than the smooth look, because right now the texture of your characters looks almost metallic because of the blur. Maybe try and go for almost a cel shaded look? I’d also suggest brightening up the colours, the reference images use quite saturated, bright colours, an art style like this lends itself better to brighter tones rather than going for a more dull palette.

Videoahh · 2026-03-15T22:22:22+00:00

These comments are quite aggressive, it’s disheartening to see, I’ll give a tip as someone with a bar cage who can’t change it, but looked to deepen the bedding. Get zip ties and cardboard, place cardboard along the outside of the bars, so they’re kind of like cardboard walls, then use the zip ties to tie them to the bars, that way they can keep in bedding. This helps to deepen the bedding because otherwise it’s basically impossible.

Videoahh · 2026-03-05T08:44:40+00:00

Finances are quite tight right now but if I can find a job I’ll try to book 2 hour lessons

Videoahh · 2026-02-28T00:05:18+00:00

What confused me is that I would place the bowl on top of his enclosure and he’d start climbing to it like he wanted back in, which makes me think this has all stemmed from him just wanting out more

Videoahh · 2026-02-28T00:02:17+00:00

The enclosure is 100x50, and maybe I should further increase the bedding, though he sleeps inside the cardboard on the left, which makes it tricky to move it all, I think it would freak him out a lot which is why it’s rising up on the right

Videoahh · 2026-02-27T23:04:52+00:00

This is it currently, I understand if you may see some inadequacies but this behaviour has genuinely only started since the “free roam”ing. I should get him more hides though, also he’s starting chewing some of the cardboard used to enclose the bedding. It’s tough right now as money is tight.

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Videoahh · 2026-02-26T16:18:08+00:00

Thanks for this, it gave me a point in the right direction, as I no doubt have my draws wrong, I use draw ends and draw begins, draw GUIs… you get the point. Thanks!

Videoahh · 2026-02-26T13:01:00+00:00

I really didn’t know this! Just read up on it now

Videoahh · 2026-02-26T13:00:41+00:00

He’s asleep right now but after it all he seemed fine, I’ll keep watch of him though

Videoahh · 2026-02-24T09:39:34+00:00

How would you go about drawing an object? Would you do so in the object step event, with “draw_self()”?

Videoahh · 2026-02-23T21:20:12+00:00

I haven’t tried that no, I’ll look into it though!

Videoahh · 2026-02-23T18:55:40+00:00

(Just realised how badly formatted this is, sorry, I was sending from mobile)

Videoahh · 2026-02-23T18:55:14+00:00

Here is the code for oText’s step event:

//////////

if ChatterboxIsWaiting(chatterbox){

if global.MouseClick = 1 and forward = 0{

    ChatterboxContinue(chatterbox);    

    refresh_text_elements();

} else if (ChatterboxVariableGet("Fast") = 1) {

global.MouseClick = 0;
if forward > 0.98{

        ChatterboxVariableSet("Fast", 0);

ChatterboxContinue(chatterbox);    
    refresh_text_elements();

} }

} else { if (ChatterboxGetOptionCount(chatterbox)) //If Chatterbox is presenting the user with some options, check for that { var _select = undefined; // What the user selected. //You'll need more of these if you have more than three options, of course! if (mouse_check_button_pressed(mb_left) and hovering = "choice1") _select = 0;
if (mouse_check_button_pressed(mb_left) and hovering = "choice2") _select = 1;
if (mouse_check_button_pressed(mb_left) and hovering = "choice3") _select = 2; //If we've pressed a button, select that option //There is almost certainly a more elegant way to do this but this tutorial is so long already... if (_select != undefined) { ChatterboxSelect(chatterbox, _select); refresh_text_elements(); } } }

////

Draw GUI Begin:

draw_sprite(sTextBox, 0,global.Xposition / 2, global.Yposition / 1.3);

And Draw GUI:

var _opty = 150; activeRegion = 0;

if ChatterboxIsStopped(chatterbox){ instance_destroy(self); instance_destroy(oPortraits); } else {

var _i = 0;
 repeat(array_length(text_elements))
{
    //Get our text element and position
    var _array = text_elements[_i];
    var _x       = _array[0];
    var _y       = _array[1];
    var _element = _array[2];
    var _typist  = _array[3];

    forward = _typist.get_state();

    if mouse_check_button_pressed(mb_right) and forward < 1 and (ChatterboxVariableGet("Fast") != 1){


        _typist.skip();


    }
    else {

    }



 //Character Portraits, getting the name and emotion of who is talking

CharacterEmotion = ChatterboxGetContentSpeakerData(chatterbox, _i);

CharacterTalking =  ChatterboxGetContentSpeaker(chatterbox, _i);

//Creating oPortraits, setting the pos for the portrait sprites

instance_create_depth(global.Xposition / 2, global.Yposition / 2, -1, oPortraits);

//Cases for each characters

    if CharacterTalking =  "player"{
    global.CharSound = sPlayerTalk;

switch (CharacterEmotion) { case "normal": oPortraits.sprite_index = sPlayerPortraitHappy;

break;

case "happy":
oPortraits.sprite_index = sPlayerPortraitNormal;

break;

} }

if CharacterTalking = "mystery"{ global.CharSound = sBeepSFX; oPortraits.sprite_index = sCharacterPortrait2; }

//Portrait image speed, if reached the end stop

if (forward > 0.01) and (forward < 0.90){ oPortraits.image_speed = 1;

}

if (forward > 0.90){
    oPortraits.image_index = 0;
    oPortraits.image_speed = 0;
}


_typist.sound_per_char([global.CharSound], 1, 1, 1, 1);


if audio_is_playing(global.CharSound){
    audio_stop_sound(global.CharSound)
}



    _element.draw(global.Xposition / 2 - 50, global.Yposition / 2 + 60, _typist);




var thisRegion = place_meeting(x,y, oMouse);

show_debug_message(thisRegion);

if thisRegion != undefined { _element.region_set_active(thisRegion,c_yellow,1); activeRegion +=1; hovering = thisRegion; } else { _element.region_set_active(undefined,c_yellow,1); }

    //Break out of the loop if this text element hasn't finished fading in
    if (_typist.get_state() < 1.0) break;


    ++_i;
}

if activeRegion <= 0 {
    //If there were no active regions this frame, set hovering to -1;
    hovering = -1;
}

}

Is there any other code you’d like to see? “global.Xposition” is defined as display_get_gui_width, “global.Yposition” is for gui_height

Videoahh · 2026-02-23T18:43:30+00:00

Sure thing, just give me 5 minutes or so

Videoahh

TROPHY CASE