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The Pack of DorianGrey

Highlights:

-I absolutely adore the dark fairy-tale aspect of this pack. The detailing on the doors, glass, and ladders; the ancient feel of the cobble and planks-- all of these little touches come together to create a world right out of 'the portrait of Dorian Grey'. Which is why the name of this pack is particularly fitting, I think. :smile.gif:
-The shading and detail work done on many of the blocks is absolutely fantastic-- stone and pine bark in particular appear to be 64x in their level of artistic quality. Very nicely done.
-I love how the leaves on the reeds and the thorns on the cactus really jump out at you. Nice touch.
-Your ores are fantastic, particularly the gold and diamond ore, which both look very luscious and expensive.
-The shape of your wheat is unusual, and very pleasing to look at because of it.
-A adore the rustic, haunted attic feel of your chests. Excellent job.
-Long grass- again, not what is normally seen, but I feel it works well here. It might need just a touch more contrast, however. Other than that it's perfect.
-The planks in this version are a great improvement over the toothpick thin planks in the last version. I especially like that you kept the detail at the corners.
-The stone, dirt, and gravel have a great synergy together, and cave diving is a real pleasure with this pack.
-The water is moody and dark, and fits perfectly with the rest of the pack. I really like that its patterning is different from the usual sparkling criss-cross lines.
-Your rails have a very nice design, ornate without going overboard.
-Pistons are nicely detailed and work well with the theme. I'm jealous. :\

Things that need improvement:

As I don't have any 'big issues' that I feel need to be changed about this pack, I'm going to skip straight to nit-picks. Be warned, however-- it's a long list.

Nitpicks:
-The iron ore should be darker/less yellow. It looks too much like gold at the moment.
-The sand should be a bit darker-- it stands out too much from the gloomy landscape.
-Along the same lines as the sand, the brightness of the birch bark should be toned down a bit, and/or more contrast should be added. Although it looks very beautiful up close, from a distance it simply looks like a white square.
-The flowers, particularly the yellow flower, are far too bright and cheery.
-The detailing along the bottom of the bed is very nicely done, but the covers and pillow look a little plain when compared to the ornate windows and doors.
-The wools should perhaps have a little more texture to them-- right now they are a bit too smooth, and it took me a minute to recognize them as wools.
-Although I love the design of your forge, it's difficult to tell where the fire pit is on the unlit version. Try making the hollow space inside darker so that it screams 'I am a hollow space'.
-Your grass, dirt, and cobble all have small problems with patterning, as highlighted below:







The grass has a repeated 'v' shape that sticks out like a sore thumb, the dirt has a line of smaller stones running horizontally across the block, and the gravel has one smeared line that should probably be broken up.

-Your netherrack is interestingly designed, well executed...but it just doesn't do it for me. Maybe it's just too orange, maybe it's just too busy, but for whatever reason I don't particularly like it.
-I almost liked your glowstone better when it had a slight pink/orange cast. It looks a bit too washed out now.
-The cracks on your halfblocks look more like folds in a piece of cloth than cracks. I'd advise you to go back, take them out, then put them back in again with a pencil tool, so that you can get the sharpness you need to suggest cracks.


And the nitpick of nitpicks:
If I were you, I'd make the red coloring of the redstone torch and the booster rails a little more saturated. They look too gray and washed out right now.

Overall Impressions:

This is a wonderful pack. Beautiful, evocative, inspirational. With just a few touch ups, I think it will be one of the best packs on the forums.

Quote from MSchwaa

Wow... you have the patience!

I had an idea for this a while go (Link Below), but didn't have the time to review the so many growing
artists and their texture packs.

Not to even mention the detail you put in your first review! That is much
better than my paragraph-length reviews that took me 20 minutes alone...

What are your thoughts on others reviewing packs requested in this thread. If
I see one that tickles my interest by all means I'd gladly post a detailed review, you know...
I have my standards (You don't know but whatever :smile.gif:)

Another suggestion or more or less tip, YOU DON'T HAVE TO PLEASE EVERYONE! By
reviewing every single pack asked for on the thread, you'll quickly lose interest in all of this,
well for me that's what happened at least.

Good luck with this "steelfeathers" (I hate calling people by alias', but anyway...) Here's
the link to my thread, it quickly fell off the map, but you're more known for your texture packs
so this just might work!

Here ya go: http://www.minecraftforum.net/topic/453446-resource-texture-pack-review-and-help-center/page__p__6082808#entry6082808

I'm taking all comers because those people whose packs would normally be 'rejected' are just the sort of people who never get the feedback they need. I'm trying to improve the overall quality of the work on this forum, and the only way to do that is by polishing the weakest links, not by applauding packs that already have their gold stars.

You can go right ahead and review someone's pack if you want, but I will still be posting my own review since they asked for my help in the first place.

You no liek screen names? Well I don't like random people online knowing my real name, so we're even. :smile.gif:


See you around.

Quote from 42and19

I would greatly appreciate a review of my work. The link can be found below. Specifically, if you have time, I would like a little bit comparing the current terrain.png and the one that I posted on page 5 about halfway down. The changes are subtle but at the same time profound.

I'll be sure to compare them. Added to the list.

Quote from Xamanthas

It would be a great if you reviewded my pack as ive had little constructive criticism mostly just praise & your really good at reviewing,you put heaps of effort into it like it was a hobby

The one in your sig? Sure thing.

Quote from dorianGREY326

Thanks for the review. I agree with all points and have been looking into them ALOT. I think 0.8 will be getting the terrain done, then it will be 1.0 and the beta which will included all the tweaks you mention above and a lot more that I am dissatisfied with. I will reply in a less hectic way when I am home in a few hours. Cheers again steel feathers,easily the best reviews ever. Also I have a request that you do john smiths pack :smile.gif: as a if you ever get time sort of thing. (oh and dont stress over the banner at all, it should be your lowest priority!)

Haha, thanks.

Well, I'll do John Smith's if he ever asks me too. :wink.gif:

(Unlikely, but hey, it could happen)

Quote from Matonk

I have a pack that im interested to see if you will do a review for, that I believe fits your exception for "item packs."
The pack currently edits mostly the items, but also has some GUI edits(though currently the GUI is not complete, thats what im working on in it now)

Link to the thread here as well as in my sig: http://www.minecraftforum.net/topic/212742-64x173monster-hunter-themeupdated-731/

Im mostly looking for some ideas of how to make it better from here, and what items and GUI parts you think are rough to view and need some polish. Oh, and also: apple.

Thanks in advance.

Edit: a bit more about the pack, some of the items wont look exactly like the item they represent, and this is to a degree intentional, as I am trying to keep to just using icons from my source game(monster hunter) I just want to know more or less how this pack looks quality wise and where it needs work.

Haha, yay! Someone finally read the instructions! Bonus points to you-- added to the list.

Quote from Dirty_Christ

Seems like the queue is about to be filled up (if 10 is the maximum you're doing). If you got any room, you ought'ta take a cool look at the WIP in my signature. It's a 128x, but I personally feel using fog compliments it for the most part, so it shouldn't be a huge problem. You've seen it before, I know that. But, as a fellow art student, I know how constructive an in-depth critique can be.
You seem to be very nit-picky about tiling, which is good. So am I. Our pack tiles very well for the most part so it will be interesting to see what stands out to you.
So, if you got the time, hit that **** up.
Thanks in super advance.

I expanded it to 11 just for you. Added to the list.

Slime craft

I probably should have examined this pack more closely before agreeing to review it, because in some respects it is very much a 'gimmick' pack. But what's done is done, and I will do my very best to provide detailed feedback on your work.

There are three different ways I could have gone with this review:

1)I could treat it as purely a crack pack *grimace*gag* and ask why there isn't a slime face on absolutely every last texture, because hey, for it to really be 'slimecraft' it should smack you in the face with the green little blighter at every opportunity.

2) I could completely ignore the slime influence and treat it like a regular pack, in which case my first criticism would be 'why the hell is there a slime face on every third texture?', followed by a resounding slap for being such a complete fanboy and allowing it to bleed over into your art where it doesn't belong.

Or 3) I could treat this pack as a mixture of serious and fun, crack and art, and attempt to review it accordingly, steering you towards something that is both slime-influenced without just being silly.

As you've probably guessed by this point, I decided to go with the third option. If a mixture of gimmick and respectability was not your intention, however, feel free to re-read bullets one or two above and skip the rest.

Highlights:

Though there are some instances where the slime theme runs overboard and completely ruins the mood of the pack (which I will touch on below), there are a lot of textures that are able to tastefully incorporate da slime in a way that is both whimsical and very appropriate. Supporting these textures and adding to the classiness of the pack are the blocks which have not a trace of green, but are still masterfully executed and wonderful to look at.

First, the cake.

Yes, that's right, I said the cake. For the very first time, I have found a pack where the most brilliant texture is the cake. Why? Because when I first loaded up this pack, I expected the top of the cake to have a big green slime face. 'Well, I guess that would be okay,' I thought to myself, 'I mean, it's easy enough to imagine a slime drawn in green frosting. It at least makes sense.'

But to my surprise, I found not one big obnoxious slime face, but a few scattered green squares-- colored to suggest slimes- spread over the white frosting like sprinkles. Halleluiah, tasteful slime sprinkles. This should be a guiding example of how to construct the other textures in this pack: playful, surprising, and sometimes only hinting at the loveable green cubes.

After all, isn't that what we love about slimes to begin with, their ability to pop in when we least expect them and bounce around so adorably?? It would probably loose its effect if a slime ambushed you around every corner, which is part of the problem with some of the other textures. But let's set that aside for later.

Another surprisingly well thought out texture in this pack is the pumpkin. Again, having it turn into a glowing slime melon just fits-- it's not gimmicky, its not stupid, and it has the added 'cool' factor of being a stand-in 3D slime for when you can't find a pet slime of your own. Hurray for pet rocks! Or, uh, pumpkins. Same idea.

Some other slime-based textures that I felt really hit the mark:
-Netherrack. This little bugger blends in so well that I didn't even realize he was staring at me until I started examining the terrain png. Boy was that a neat little surprise!
-Dispenser. Having a face spit out arrows is a time-honored tradition among texture-packers, and I see no reason to exclude the loveable slime from this list of arrow-spewing visages. Like I ranted about above, here is an example where having an overt slime face fits in very well, and doesn't make the pack feel cheesy.
-Sticky piston. Duh, it's made with slimeballs to begin with. Why not just throw in the face as well and be done with it?
-Spawner. Screw creeper spawners, slime spawners is where it's at. Yeah dawg.

Okay, now it's time to move away from the slime overload for a moment and talk about the supporting textures.

-Like the slime cake, your smooth stone immediately hit me as a masterpiece texture. I am in love with this stone. It's wonderfully craggy without feeling too rough, and it just gives the pack an amazing feel. I cannot over-emphasize how much I want the other textures to match this level of classiness. Very well done.
-Your cobble and slab are both well designed and nicely shaded, their color contrasting beautifully with the smooth stone in buildings. Here's a screenshot that I think showcases how nice this pack can look:



SHAZAM. Now that's a good looking pack.

-Your forge is probably one of the best forges I have ever seen for a 16x pack. No, really. It has just the right balance of uneven stone and smooth shading, and the color of the fire is simply gorgeous. This texture is a real pleasure to look at. I wish I had made it.
-Your ores have a nice diversity to them, and they really seem embedded in the stone. Good work there.
-The gears on the side of the piston are a nice touch, though I wish you had edited the back and done something unique with the wooden portion.
-The logs are very nicely done, again carrying the theme of subtle classiness.
-I laughed when I saw the gold lock on the iron door. Would you believe that I have never seen someone make a modern lock that color? Like the slime sprinkles, this is a very nice touch. DO THIS KIND OF THING MORE OFTEN. I LIKE BEING SURPRISED.
-The redstone torches and dust fit well with the theme, and I like the shade of green you chose.
-The torches fit well with everything else, and the shading on the candle holder really makes it look metallic.
-Your cacti, while simple, are just precisely the right shade of green which (when combined with the subtle vertical strokes)makes them look completely awesome. I would ditch the slime face on top, however-- it's unnecessary and rather silly.

Things that need improvement:

Okay, now for the stuff I didn't like. If you are still reading by this point, I'm going to assume that you want this pack to be taken seriously and not pigeon-holed as a crack pack.

First and foremost, aside from any other complaints about execution or tiling, there are simply too many slimes at present. While I might be able to see slime tnt, I can't see slime diamond, slime lapiz block, slime bed (unless its a decoration on the comforter, or a slime plushy), slime bedrock, slime glowstone, and-- god almighty-- slime wheat. They do not belong in any serious pack. You might be able to swing it with the diamond block if you make it look like it's carved out of diamond (which would be very cool), but just pasting three black squares over the texture looks very noobish. And very bad.

And as for the wheat, I will say this once and only once-- NO. SLIME. FACE. IN. THE. WHEAT.

PERIOD.

Okay, now that I've gotten that out of my system, let's talk about generic fixer-uppers.

-The basic layout of your chest and crafting box look alright, but it's very obvious that you took the easy way out of actually coloring them in by simply copying and pasting the plank texture on top of them. It's unprofessional, and it doesn't fit with either the stylistic or physical design of the chest/crafting box.
- The shading on your dirt is a little too harsh. The cracks are too extreme, and it looks like you simply went back with a darker color brown and penciled in some lines over the default texture. Definitely tone down the intensity of the shading so that it fits better with the stone. (because right now, it looks even rockier than the stone itself.)
-Your leaves appear to be default leaves that have been smudged and peppered with little black dots:



I know you can do better than that.

Nitpicks:

-Your ice looks like default with a noise filter over it. Ice should not be grainy! It doesn't look right!
-While the shape of your wooden door is original, I can't think of the last time I've seen a real door that was made from horizontal boards. Tip: Make them vertical, if you show them at all.
-The shape of your gold ore is strange-- to stringy and elongated. It also doesn't have much depth. Try making it more compact, like the coal, and adding some more shading.
-Your snow side dirt is too blue, and doesn't match the snow sitting on top of the block. Make it white. :biggrin.gif:

Overall impressions:

I really like some of the things about this pack, and I think you could pull off the slime thing without having it be derptastic. Be like the sprinkles and the golden lock, my son-- be quietly quirky and surprising while keeping things tasteful, and this will be a really great pack.

Thanks steel. I understand all of your points of being a gag pack and over-dramatizing slimes a bit too much. And I do admit there definitely are textures I need to fix up. Totally agree with everything in your review, thank you very much. :smile.gif:

Quote from XSSheep

Wait so are you still open to reviews? You said just there^ that you expanded it to 11, even though you have no limit in the OP. :wink.gif:
If you are still open for packs, would you please do Sheep Pack (XSSheep's TP in my sig... It had a name change ages ago and I can't change my sig because I would only be allowed one link)

Anyways, If yes, Unless you want to do each variant (basically 4 packs) I would like the fantasy variant to be reviewed because it's the one I spend most time with!

Great reviews btw, they look very helpful!

Added to the list. I don't have enough time to do all four, so I'll just do fantasy. :smile.gif:

(Man, these things take FOREVER. I really need to man up and cap off the list...)