HGG Community Forums

Ammit · Feb 13, 2024 9:43 PM

I am ready to start doing approvals for backgrounds. Please get your backgrounds approved before you order any tokens. I am doing background approvals publicly because doing so helps everyone learn together. My aim with these approvals is not to be picky about your artistic skills but to prevent people from spending money on something that won't get used because it is a bad fit for the game.

If you are planning to go for backgrounds but are not ready to post for approvals yet that is fine but please do post that you are going to post later. I need to get a rough idea of participation for planning reasons.

What makes a good background

Your images must be exactly 500 by 500 pixels. Anything else will be instantly rejected.
Do not put the game URL on your image. We will do that.
Images must be of good resolution (not grainy/pixilated).
Include an area for the horse to stand at the bottom of the image. Not the middle! This area should be around 100 pixels tall.
Clear area means actually clear. That means if you are working with AI you will need to make your own clear areas. Foregrounds with lots of rocks/sand/grass etc do not count as clear. Stuff to the left and right of the horse does not count as clear.
Do not add heavy shadows where the horses will stand.
Backgrounds may be any subject you want but must visually fit the game. That means photographic images and those with heavy paper textures won't work. The backgrounds should look like digital art to fit the game. Please note, I will be pretty relaxed about style but photos and heavy texture just don't work for the game.
These rules are here to make sure you don't spend money on a background that ends up being shunned because it looks bad in the game. I want you to get good value out of and enjoy your owner

Here is an example currently in the game that works well.

Here is a proposed image that is already approved to be added to the game. Note how the clear area goes all the way across from one side of the image to the other.

How to Order Backgrounds

Post up to 10 candidate images in this thread for approval. After your first 10 are vetted you can post another 10 but please keep it to 10 per post. If you don't know how to post images on the forum please make a separate post asking for help with that.
Once you have that number of approved images you want, you can order your tokens and make your "I am ready to order" post on the Moving Sale order thread.

Thanks so much, everyone I am looking forward to seeing what you make.

BlueValley · Feb 14, 2024 8:07 AM

I will be posting at a later date!

Firebrand · Feb 14, 2024 8:18 AM

I will be posting at a later date also! :)

SpryOfJune · Feb 14, 2024 12:56 PM

I will be posting at a later date! :D

FollysFantasies · Feb 14, 2024 6:59 PM

I will be posting at a later date.

Firebrand · Feb 18, 2024 8:36 AM

Here are my first 5 for approval. I want to make sure I’m on the right track before making more.

Ammit · Feb 18, 2024 9:06 AM

The 3rd and 5th do not have clear ground to stand on. That grass won't look right with the horse hooves but will be very nice with a bit of editing. The rest look great though.

BlueValley · Feb 18, 2024 10:59 AM

Same as Firebrand, want to make sure I’m on the right track. :)

Ammit · Feb 18, 2024 11:02 AM

BlueValley those are all approved. :)

SpryOfJune · Feb 18, 2024 11:35 AM

I may have more later, but these are what I've got so far.

SummertreeFarms · Feb 18, 2024 1:08 PM

I will post at a later date.

SummertreeFarms · Feb 18, 2024 6:48 PM

Very nervous about this, but here goes nothing!

SummertreeFarms · Feb 18, 2024 6:49 PM

SummertreeFarms · Feb 18, 2024 6:52 PM

Ammit · Feb 18, 2024 8:59 PM

SummertreeFarms a bunch of these look like photos with filters applied. Can you clarify how they were created? Did you use photos when creating these?

Ammit · Feb 18, 2024 9:01 PM

SpryOfJune - those are all approved though I think the one with the rainbow boards is a bit off-looking in perspective. The straight boards seem to work better.

SpryOfJune · Feb 18, 2024 10:48 PM

Is this better for the rainbow one?

Ammit · Feb 18, 2024 11:00 PM

Ya I think that works better. :)

SummertreeFarms · Feb 19, 2024 6:46 AM

Yes, I did. Is that not allowed? I used an AI generator to add some style effects. If it matters, they are all my photos.

Ammit · Feb 19, 2024 6:52 AM

It's more that the sunset, henge, gate, and gazebo are still reading very much like photos. I think too much so for me to approve. The winter pond and the red tree are better.

I am not sure which AI image generator you are using but if you have your setting wrong some will just spit own the same image you put in. I think you have your setting weighted too hard to preserve the photos.

Firebrand · Feb 19, 2024 9:01 AM

Thanks Ammit! Here are those two redone and the rest of my backgrounds for approval.

Ammit · Feb 19, 2024 9:03 AM

Firebrand these look great and are all approved.

SummertreeFarms · Feb 19, 2024 11:50 AM

Got it! I'm learning my way around AI as we speak! I'll give the ones you mentioned another shot, plus I have some others in progress. You didn't mention the brick barn, is it ok?

BlueValley · Feb 20, 2024 9:06 PM

Made some minor edits to this one:

Edited the foreground on this one (from the holiday competition):

Redid my hay harvest background:

And these are for approval. :)

Ammit · Feb 20, 2024 9:42 PM

Summertree. You split your submissions into multiple posts which made it hard to see all of them.

The brick barn probably does not have enough ground on the right side. It's borderline. I think that perspective is going to be a problem. The garden below it is ok.

BlueValley - these are approved. Do you already have the haybale one in the game in a smaller version?

BlueValley · Feb 21, 2024 7:09 AM

Yes I created the small version of hay harvest. :)

Ammit · Feb 21, 2024 7:21 AM

Send me a PM with the image and what tack pack it is in. We will add it in for you. No charge! I appreciate you updating prior works for us. :x

BlueValley · Feb 21, 2024 3:52 PM

Awesome, thank you! Done. :)

I've got one new one for approval to make 10:

BoredCowgirl · Feb 21, 2024 5:26 PM

Let’s see if I can get these posted… I’m no good at posting pics in the forum.

Yay! It worked!

I’m wanting to see if these are on the right track before I proceed. I made examples with horses applied too, if needed.

Ammit · Feb 21, 2024 8:15 PM

BlueValley that one is approved.

BoredCowgirl these have several issues. First the poppy field one is the wrong size. All submissions must be 500x 500
The blue valley one has a clear place for the horse to stand the other two do not so only the blue one would be approved

Seaswell · Feb 23, 2024 4:12 AM

This is not exactly an approval post, so much as a plea of inspiration to those that have art skills inside the computer. (And a less than full order.)

Ammit · Feb 23, 2024 4:37 AM

Adorable! :x :)>-

FollysFantasies · Feb 23, 2024 7:27 PM

These are taking way more time than I anticipated. Maybe I'm trying too hard :))
First two up for consideration

Edit: I'm thinking this one probably needs more foreground, now that I've posted it.

Ammit · Feb 23, 2024 8:23 PM

Those are both approved. :)

SummertreeFarms · Mar 4, 2024 8:07 AM

Trying this again:

Ammit · Mar 4, 2024 8:12 AM

Still a lot of overly photographic images and lacking clean spaces for the horse to stand. If you are putting photos into an AI to try and make AI images I have not found that to be an effective way of making images that work for the game. Generating images from scratch seems to work better.

These 4 are approved.

https://i.imgur.com/lq2Tu1V.png
https://i.imgur.com/xyrikfE.png
https://i.imgur.com/XITQ08q.png
https://i.imgur.com/AYNMSjl.png

Ammit · Mar 6, 2024 10:48 PM

Only 30 slots left for background orders.

We have 30 slots left in the MMM3 tack pack. After those orders are placed we will be closing background orders until mid-April. It takes a huge amount of time to get these backgrounds in the game and they are unfortunately becoming a problem with the amount of time they are taking.

Additionally, we will no longer be offering a discount on background orders larger than 10. We simply can't afford it with the number of backgrounds coming in. Thank you for your understanding.

FollysFantasies · Mar 7, 2024 5:29 AM

Ok, here we go.

Out the Window

Wrecking Ball

Winner's Circle

Mountain View

Happy Garden

Mount Rainier

Simple Rainbow Gradient

Showcase

Ocean Castle

Garden Path

Ammit · Mar 7, 2024 10:32 AM

These are all approved.

Ammit · Mar 7, 2024 10:36 AM

10 background slots remaining

Ammit · Mar 7, 2024 11:21 AM

Backgrounds sold out until Mid April

Ammit · Mar 25, 2024 4:32 AM

Update on backgrounds: Because of other stuff we have going on it might be May or June before we open up the final member moving pack. There will be 40 available slots. Limit 10 per member.

SummertreeFarms · Mar 25, 2024 6:18 PM

Finally figuring out AI generators! Some of these need tweaks. I've been told I left too much room for the horse to stand and that some of the footing needs to look better! I also noticed that the lake water on the hills picture is REALLY green! (fixed, I think) (fixed/changed some more)

Four of my previous submissions were already approved.

Ammit · Mar 25, 2024 7:18 PM

You have a bunch of broken images and also one of those is not 500 by 500. :)

SummertreeFarms · Mar 25, 2024 7:52 PM

Fixed the size ones, but what do I need to do to fix the broken images?
ETA: I tried again..

Ammit · Apr 2, 2024 4:38 AM

-The Roma wagons are not approved because of the AI weirdness with the wheels and there being no clear level area for the horse to stand.
The tire tree one is not approved because the tire swing is such a different style than the background and will intersect the horse's head rather strangely. It would be approved if you removed the tire.
- I would caution against the stone henge one. I believe the lighting will not be complimentary to the horses in the game. It's approved if you really want to use it but I would sub it for a different one personally.

The rest are approved. :)

SummertreeFarms · Apr 2, 2024 8:28 AM

Thank you! :)

Summervine · Apr 4, 2024 11:30 AM

I'm not ready for approvals yet, but I intend to later, if they are still possible. Totally understand if not

CarlyManciu · Apr 16, 2024 3:26 PM

Question: how do you guys get the AI to add a place for the horse to stand?

FollysFantasies · Apr 16, 2024 5:37 PM

I got some decent hits with the phrase "empty foreground", but mostly I just clicked and clicked and clicked until I found things I could alter with relative ease.

Ammit · Apr 16, 2024 5:40 PM

It is very difficult to get AI to make art to spec, and most people edit the images after the fact. Good Photoshop skills are still required.

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What makes a good background

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