novafarma/docs/art_guidelines/BUGS_STYLE_GUIDE.md

🐞 BUGS STYLE GUIDE - Gothic Dark Style 32

Date Created: 2026-01-06
Status: APPROVED ✅

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🎯 DEFINITIVE BUG STYLE

⚠️ CRITICAL REQUIREMENTS:

1. 🚫 ABSOLUTELY NO PIXEL ART! - SMOOTH VECTOR LINES ONLY!
2. ✨ 100% TRANSPARENT BACKGROUND! - NO white, NO color, PURE ALPHA!
3. ⚫ ULTRA-THICK BLACK OUTLINES! - 5px minimum, clean and smooth!

Base Style: Style 32 + Gothic Noir Dark

All bugs must follow:

• ✅ SMOOTH VECTOR LINES - NO PIXEL ART, NO PIXELATION, NO JAGGED EDGES!
• ✅ Ultra-thick black outlines (5px) #000000 - clean and consistent
• ✅ Flat cel shading (cartoon style, sharp boundaries)
• ✅ Gothic dark aesthetic with vibrant accent colors
• ✅ Chibi proportions (cute but creepy)
• ✅ High contrast (dark base + bright accents)
• ✅ 32x32px SIZE for all bugs (high resolution)
• ✅ 100% TRANSPARENT BACKGROUND - for easy background removal!

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🎨 COLOR PALETTE (Gothic Dark)

Base Colors:

• Dark purple/black (#1a0a1f, #0d0315)
• Deep grey (#2a2a2a, #1a1a1a)
• Blood red accents (#8B0000, #DC143C)
• Neon purple (#9D00FF, #CC00FF)
• Toxic green (#00FF41, #39FF14)
• Eerie cyan (#00FFFF, #00CED1)

Eyes (if visible):

• Glowing red (#FF0000)
• Glowing purple (#9D00FF)
• Glowing cyan (#00FFFF)

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📐 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Size:

32x32px (NOT 16x16px)
High resolution rendering
Smooth anti-aliased curves
NO stair-stepping, NO jagged edges

Outlines:

Thickness: 5px ultra-thick
Color: #000000 pure black
Style: Smooth vector (rounded corners)
Consistency: Same thickness throughout

Shading:

Type: Flat cel shading
Transitions: Sharp boundaries (NO soft gradients)
Colors: Solid fills with subtle highlights
Texture: Clean (NO grain, NO dithering)

Background:

100% transparent
NO green screen
Clean alpha channel
Smooth edges

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🦋 APPROVED REFERENCE EXAMPLES

✅ GOLD STANDARD BUGS:

• bug_test_butterfly.png - Dark purple/black wings, red/purple accents ✅
• bug_test_beetle.png - Metallic green/purple shell, glowing red eyes ✅
• bug_test_moth.png - Skull pattern, glowing purple/cyan markings ✅

Use these as visual references for ALL future bug generation!

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📋 PROMPT TEMPLATE (Every Bug)

[Bug Name] collectible sprite. 

Style 32 + Gothic Noir Dark aesthetic:
- SMOOTH VECTOR LINES (NO pixel art, NO pixelation)
- Ultra-thick black outlines (5px) #000000
- Flat cel shading with sharp boundaries
- Dark gothic colors: [base color] with [accent color] accents
- Chibi proportions (cute but slightly creepy)
- High contrast (dark + vibrant)

Bug details:
- [Specific features: wing pattern, body type, etc.]
- [Distinguishing marks: spots, stripes, glows]
- [Eye color if visible: glowing red/purple/cyan]

Technical specs:
- SIZE: 32x32px high-resolution sprite
- Transparent background (100% alpha)
- Smooth anti-aliased rendering
- NO jagged edges, NO stair-stepping
- Professional polish matching approved references

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🐛 BUG CATEGORIES & STYLE NOTES

Common Bugs (6):

• Darker, simpler colors
• Less glowing effects
• Basic patterns
• Example: Dark purple butterfly, simple black beetle

Uncommon Bugs (6):

• More vibrant accent colors
• Subtle glow on eyes or markings
• More detailed patterns
• Example: Metallic beetle with glowing eyes

Rare Bugs (6):

• Bright neon accent colors
• Strong glowing effects
• Complex wing patterns
• Example: Rainbow beetle, glowing moth

Legendary Bugs (6):

• Maximum vibrancy and glow
• Magical/supernatural elements
• Unique special effects
• Example: Crystal butterfly, phoenix moth with fire glow

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🚫 FORBIDDEN (NEVER USE)

❌ PIXEL ART:

• NO chunky blocks
• NO stair-stepping edges
• NO low-resolution sprites
• NO retro 8-bit style

❌ WRONG AESTHETIC:

• NO cute pastel colors (must be gothic dark)
• NO realistic photographic style
• NO soft watercolor effects
• NO muted/natural colors (needs vibrant accents)

❌ TECHNICAL ERRORS:

• NO green/colored backgrounds
• NO thin outlines (<3px)
• NO soft gradients (sharp cel shading only)
• NO compression artifacts

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✅ QUALITY CHECKLIST

Before saving any bug sprite:

Visual Quality:

• SMOOTH vector-style lines (NO pixelation)
• Ultra-thick 5px black outlines (consistent)
• Flat cel shading (sharp boundaries)
• Dark gothic base + vibrant accents
• High contrast and professional polish
• 32x32px high-resolution

Style Match:

• Matches approved test bugs (butterfly, beetle, moth)
• Gothic dark aesthetic (not cute pastel)
• Chibi proportions (cute but creepy)
• NO pixel art elements

Technical:

• Transparent background (100% alpha)
• PNG format with clean edges
• 32x32px exact dimensions
• File size reasonable (<500KB)

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🎯 SUCCESS CRITERIA

A bug sprite is APPROVED if:

1. ✅ SMOOTH vector lines (NO pixel art)
2. ✅ Matches gothic dark aesthetic of test bugs
3. ✅ Ultra-thick black outlines visible
4. ✅ Dark base with vibrant accent colors
5. ✅ 32x32px, transparent background
6. ✅ Professional polish (like commercial indie game)

If ANY of these fail → regenerate!

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🔄 GENERATION WORKFLOW

1. Check References:

# Always view approved examples first
open references/bugs/bug_test_butterfly.png
open references/bugs/bug_test_beetle.png
open references/bugs/bug_test_moth.png

2. Use Exact Prompt Template

• Copy template from above
• Fill in bug-specific details
• Emphasize "SMOOTH VECTOR LINES, NO pixel art"
• Reference gothic dark aesthetic

3. Generate

• Use 32x32px size
• Request transparent background explicitly
• Specify smooth anti-aliased lines
• Reference approved test bugs in prompt

4. Verify Quality

• Compare side-by-side with test bugs
• Check for pixel art artifacts
• Verify gothic dark aesthetic
• Confirm outline thickness

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📊 BATCH GENERATION (All 24 Bugs)

When generating all bugs in one session:

1. Generate in category batches (Common → Uncommon → Rare → Legendary)
2. Use SAME prompt template for consistency
3. Verify each batch before continuing
4. Increase vibrancy/glow for higher rarities
5. Commit in batches with clear messages

Example batch structure:

Common (6): Simple dark colors, minimal glow
Uncommon (6): Metallic colors, subtle eye glow
Rare (6): Neon accents, strong wing glow
Legendary (6): Maximum glow, magical effects

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🎨 FINAL REMINDER

ABSOLUTELY NO PIXEL ART!

This is a SMOOTH VECTOR style game, not a retro pixel art game!

Every bug must have:

• Smooth anti-aliased curves
• Clean vector-style rendering
• NO jagged edges
• NO chunky pixels
• Professional polish

Think: Cult of the Lamb meets Don't Starve Together
NOT: Stardew Valley or Terraria pixel art

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APPROVED GOTHIC DARK STYLE - Use for ALL bug generation!

Date: 2026-01-06 12:28
Status: LOCKED ✅