It's a Matter of Perspective

As I'm getting to work on our first few games, I recognise the familiar excitement of starting from scratch and being able to create anything that's within the bounds of my imagination -- and perhaps the user interface of a computer.

I've been going over the different perspectives that I've used in games, and it's remarkable how much of an impact that sort of decision makes on the overall feel of a game.

Since the games are being created by myself and LadyStripes, we made the decision to keep them 2D for now.  We've both done work in 3D, and we can tell you from personal experience that it's very time-consuming in ways in which 2D games just can't compare. 

However, you don't have to start panicking; I started out as a programmer of 2D side-view and isometric games, and 2D has a lot of potential.  I hope to make games that are so immersive, perspective won't even be a thought in the back of your mind.

One of the unique challenges of 2D perspectives is how to add depth without... well... actually adding depth.  Aside from the virtual depth within LadyStripes' art, there are a number of ways in which I'm going to augment the sense of spaciousness. 

Axonometric Projections 

This is a classic way of producing the illusion of 3D within a strictly 2D framework, and (in some regards) is the baby brother of 3D rendering.  Among the different types of axonometric perspectives, isometric views are the most famous.  Less common is a dimetric or trimetric approach, which actually look a lot better than the standard isometric view (in my humble opinion).

Layering

By allowing objects to move in front of some objects and beneath others, the player gains a strong sense that they are at a specific depth within the game world.

Sizing

As you probably already know, objects look smaller as they move farther and farther away.  By having objects which are of an identifiably large size (like a castle) and making them really small, one can give a sense of distance between the foreground and background.  Placing small objects in the 'foreground' area and inflating them has a similar effect.

Now, to decide which games should have which perspectives...