Screenshots of a Custom Story I'm Making

[Adny]

I wouldn't be able to create an environment as good as that.

Since "Nightmare-making" is your talent...

Ba-dum-tss.

Mr. Zaffre, that 4th picture concerns me. Billboards are probably the most difficult things to properly utilize in HPL2, and take a lot of time to do properly. Here are some ideas I try to keep in mind when making them:

In real life, we perceive light rays or "billboards" only when there is a medium to reflect the light off of (i.e. dust or fog). Even when we can perceive them, they are very faint.

A few placement tips are:

a)Make a basic outline of the source i.e. a square window with an open curtain general resembles a rounded pentagon
b)Place them based on where the player will perceive them from; this will make cutting out flat ends a lot easier
c)Make a small point light, place it in an area where said light has no effect on the level, then tie all the billboards to it (using the connect light option under the billboard's options)
d) Use very faint colors that closely resemble the color of the light you're using.
e)An easy way to do "d" is to copy the color of the light you're using to the billboard's pointlight, then systematically start subtracting 1 from each color value until it is dark. When it is very faint, you can then fine-tune it to match the color perfectly.
f)The more billboards you use, the darker the color has to be to keep it faint; in turn, the less billboards you use, the brighter the color should be or else you run the risk of not being able to see them at all.

[crisosphinx]

Very empty. You definitely need more objects in there, unless the emptiness is meant to symbolize something.

Perhaps you could use that to your advantage. Subconsciously train the player into thinking empty rooms means a creature is about to attack soon. You'd only have to do that a couple times, and then when the player is at the next empty room, make it not appear. Environmental fear factor. ;]

Otherwise, make sure you fill in objects like candles, wall-torches, chairs, rugs, wardrobes, dressers, tables, alchemical stations, etc. Obviously, what you pick has to be suited to the room, not just some random sacrificial table in the middle of some bright and cheery room with pink wallpaper and unicorns.

I hope some of my advice helped ;]