So first and foremost, Welcome to Tapped-Out 2D on TSTO Addicts! This humble little page is a proud subsidiary of Wookieecorp (ripping arms out of sockets since 77). If you don’t know me, I am Joe Wookiee Riot and really stoked about this page and I have some pretty cool plans (IMHO) for the site. I consider myself so fortunate that the other authors have given me this page to help other Tapperinos!
Coming soon are how-tos from myself and possibly some guest authors (amazing 2D Artisans in their own right). Other ideas include step by steps for specific images amongst other random ideas floating around in this Wookiee’s noggin.
Now, I know you may wonder, “Who cares?” Well, I do for one and hopefully this page will at least serve a certain sub sect of tappers I’ve come to think of as TSTO Lite-Briters.
There is no one way to do 2D but the two most common attempts are text, images or a combination of the two. Just posting an ad for something in lettering is 2D. Here’s one of my favorites that I’ve done.
I’d love to say that there is a magic formula to doing these but sometimes you’re artistic and other times you are not. The lettering is much easier than the images but neither are especially hard.
Architects vs. Artisans
IMHO, architects are the guys bringing us all the rad 3D designs you’ve come to love. These engineers bring you some great illusions to make your Springfield appear less flat. I do love to tinker with these but let’s be honest, this page isn’t called Tapped Out 3D right?
Artisans are those few that attempt to make their town’s stand out by creating art right there in the town using the myriad of decorations available in the game. I came across 2D on the site which must not be named and Flickr (Group Name: TappedOutPix) I loved the Simpsons designs I found but thought to myself, “How could a giant resident of Kashyyyk who can’t even draw a proper stick figure ever hope to create anything like that?” Well the answer my friends like the horrible Carnegie Hall joke is practice, practice, practice.
I didn’t start right away with anything big. Just some 2D lettering to include an ad for tapped-out.co.uk (where there is a large amount of 2D pics posted by some of the leaders in 2D Design) and decorating my Duff Brewery. Around this time, I came across another 2D Artisan who further sparked my creativity by creating iconic nerd images in 2D like Zelda and Mario. Still figuring this wasn’t for me, she then placed Star Wars images up and my TSTO addiction reached its new plateau. Thinking, “Hey, I may not be an artist but I can certainly steal from others (insert evil Wookiee laugh here), I quickly started my diabolical plan by politely asking permission to try her designs.
Hopefully you got the joke. For the record, most of these 2Ds are recreations of others original artwork and in no way means to violate copyright, etc., blah blah blah.
The above image comes from all the recent drama in the TSTO world but without it, all the new blogs may not have existed so this Wookiee is fine with it.
Through many attempts and tweaks, I was able to recreate some of my friend’s images and even able to tweak it a little or enlarge the designs to feel like I was at least mildly creative.
Next came my biggest failure. The wookieecorp logo which I must say looked nothing like what I designed in Paint from a Chewbacca cupcake I stumbled upon. Despite my horror and chagrin, fellow tappers actually said encouraging things and my redo turned into one of my personal favorite 2D’s so far. Short story made long, patience and practice pay off eventually. Alright, enough of my rambling.
Here are some pros and cons about 2D.
PROS
1) There is nothing quite like having people enjoy your artwork. Just like Mom posting your stick figures from Kindergarten on the fridge, it’s very satisfying.
2) If you’re bored and need something to kill time, this really fits the bill.
3) A nice 2D really does add that special something to a town.
4) WHAT COULD BE COOLER THAN HAVING KRUSTY IN YOUR KL AND COMIC BOOK GUY NEXT TO THE ANDROID’S DUNGEON IN YOUR SPRINGFIELD?
CONS
1) It takes time and patience which are two things even I don’t have in abundance.
2) Decorations cost game dollars so this task may not be for the beginners but I promise, someday you’ll have enough. The rubbish from your town also makes great artwork so hopefully you haven’t cleaned it all up.
3) 2D artwork drains your battery (and your brain power).
4) You need space to do this which for some of us is in short supply.
Whether it’s designing your own lettering to brag on your favorite TSTO site or creating the Mona Lisa of 2D artwork, there are many different ways to create these. I open images on my laptop and then zoom in some while placing my decorations on my game on my phone. One Da Vinci actually creates some images just from her memory ( a true artist!). Another uses pixelated images and then places everything on graph paper which he then uses to make his designs in the game.
I really hope to see some new and aspiring artisans out there. There are many different approaches to creating these and I welcome any questions or comments you might have. Until later, keep on tapa-tapa-tapping away!
