Standardize game assets

[erri120]

Currently, the game images and icons are all over the place and use different formats and resolutions. These should ideally be standardized: icons should be PNGs and have a fixed size of 256x256 or something similar.

We should also document the source of the images (SteamGridDB or similar).

[Continous]

Since we're using PNG, it conveniently has a way to store the source of an image in the metadata. We could utilize this to document the source of the images as necessary.

[halgari]

We're currently using PNG but we don't need to continue to do so, I recommend using WEBP when possible as it tends to have better compression than PNG and higher visual quality than JPG

[Continous]

WEBP uses EXIF, which also has the same functionality luckily.

[erri120]

The designs from #60 by @captainsandypants produce a game widget with the dimensions 180x228px (15:19). The game image inside the widget has a size of 180x106px and an aspect ratio of 90:53 (calculator):

This aspect ratio is actually very close to 19:6, changing 180x106px to 180x101px is perfect 19:6 aspect ratio. However, currently, game images will be cropped to fill the space, leading to this result:

The image used for Stardew Valley is 460x215px and has an aspect ratio of 92:43. These dimensions are required by Steam (docs and example):

• Header Capsule 460x215px (92:43) - Just your game logo and artwork (example)
• Small Capsule 231x87px (77:29) - Just your game logo and artwork (example)
• Main Capsule 616x353px (616:353) - Just your game logo and artwork (example)
• Vertical Capsule 374x448px (187:224) - Just your game logo and artwork (example)
• Screenshots 1920x1080px or other 16:9 ratio preferred. Any size supported. (example)

Aside from the official Steam assets, the user uploaded Grids on SteamGridDB come in various dimensions:

• 22:31 Galaxy 2.0: 342x482px or 660x930px (example)
• 92:43 Steam Horizontal: 460x215px or 920x430px (example)
• 2:3 Steam Vertical: 600x900px (example)

Finally, there are also the Heroes on SteamGridDB:

• 32:13 Galaxy 2.0: 1600x650px (example)
• 96:31 Steam: 1920x620px or 3840x1240px (example)

Conclusion

The most sensible dimension for the game images would be 460x215px with an aspect ratio of 92:43. The official Steam assets, as well as user made grids on SteamGridDB use these dimensions, enabling us to pick and choose from a large pool of assets.

This would, however, require some design changes, since 92:43 is proportionally smaller than the current aspect ratio of 90:53.

[Pickysaurus]

Don't want to be "that guy" but why not use the game artwork we already have on NexusMods.com rather than reinventing another different standard for the app?

Every icon is 640x800 JPG and cropped in such a way to not feature any text.

[erri120]

Don't want to be "that guy" but why not use the game artwork we already have on NexusMods.com rather than reinventing another different standard for the app?

Every icon is 640x800 JPG and cropped in such a way to not feature any text.

640x800px is vertical, the design is currently using horizontal images or at least horizontal proportions. I'm fine with anything, it should just be standardized and documented.

[Sewer56]

I'm going to play Devil's Advocate here; and try to think of a counterargument for the sake of coming with a counterargument. Thinking outside the box sometimes is good.

MVP mentions 'Support download from non-NXM sources`.

This can be interpreted as either:

• Support download from non-Nexus sites.
• Support download from non-nxm: URL handlers.

If it means the former; and our goal is becoming the GOG Galaxy 2.0 of Game Modding to drive new users to the site (at least that's what I would like the project to be personally); using the Steam ones might not be a bad idea, because that gives us easy access to artwork for games not yet on Nexus.

Either way; doesn't really matter for me, as long as it's standardized. I'm just trying to think outside the box here.

[erri120]

SteamGridDB in particular is great, as it has assets for games not on Steam. It started out as just for Steam games, but now you can also find assets for World of Warcraft, Minecraft and more. The asset dimensions are close to Steam's official requirements, so they can be used in the Steam client itself (you can add non-Steam games to Steam).

[Sewer56]

+1 to SteamGridDB, I'm a fan of it myself.

[captainsandypants]

Just to clarify, these designs aren't final, we just needed something for the game management ticket. There are alternative designs that use the existing assets from the site but nothing is final yet.

[Pickysaurus]

Steam's artwork is generally pretty low quality/resolution. We have to deal with it when adding games to the website. I'm unsure why the designs don't follow the vertical tiles used on the website but that's a different question.

[Greg-Nexus]

All designs for the App will use Steam asset rule dimensions/rations/sizes going forward. This will be in preparation for the use of Steam Grid DB at some point in the future.

We can talk internally about how we'll achieve this.