Does anyone else feel like this?

When other people make structures in starbound:
https://imgur.com/a/gXEcF#ipkIoxL

When I make structures in starbound: (this is an old image, but still)
http://sta.sh/01uakeun0ct4

Even vanilla dungeons look better than the junk I dish out. lol

 

There is nothing wrong with your building, what i can do say is that maybe you need something unique done in your buildings.
Look at what others done and if you see something like then try to use it in your own but change it so it feels more like your own and not some one elses work.

But its normal to feel like your own things are junk compared to others, but in fact most of the time it is not bad... Usualy just missing out on details

 

Actually in my case I have a different feeling. Similar to what the person above is talking about. Inspiration. I like seeing what others build. The variety of ideas no matter how simple or complex the buildings are; no matter how small or big the structures are. I guess it is of course because I have been doing this sort of thing for years with various games that allow it. In the past there wasn't too many games that even offered such a thing beyond level design.

I am one to not really build big, so all those huge or bigger buildings I see around I have yet to go to that size. I build smaller to medium sizes buildings at times. Actually the one you show in your pic is roughly about the size I would initially build or smaller. I don't really compare my designs to others in the way that makes me feel bad about it. I mainly am in awe of what others build, yes; which is a different feeling all together. I like detailing so mine might seem overdone at times, but I do my best to my taste in style.

Like mentioned, take inspiration; look around, see what you like. Then determine what it is that you like about that building; whether it be shape, size, the materials used, or even furniture combinations. Don't let it get you down that others build better. Just look at it for ideas to maybe incorporate into your own style. If you don't know your own style, then maybe trial and error material combos, and the other things I mentioned until you see something you like. Everybody far as I know starts at the basics, so it is up to the person in question to want to improve and have the patience to figure out what it is to do in order to improve what they think needs it.

I am sure there are many ways to go about it, but the primary thing is to find what appeals to yourself. I have seen some impressive awe striking builds, but they may use materials I am not overly fond of using personally. Each has a different taste, and that is what figuring things out is all about. To me your structure looks find as is. There could always be improvements to any building; even the detailed ones I do myself.

I haven't built an actual structure just yet, and have been interior decorating the inside of an abandon hylotl mansion. At first which I believe was the guard room or one of the others I only did basic things, so it didn't really get much detail:

It was only minor touches and the furniture I used. Much of the backwall is the same as I found it in this particular one. I might actually end up eventually redoing the backwall or room itself, but I think you get the picture that there wasn't much too awe inspiring in this one beyond the door that I just replaced. It was just seeing what blocks seem to work together in my own visual taste.

So starting out small is sometimes the best way to trial and error. Granted I did go through and change rooms:

But even in this one it is basic beyond the windows. All I did to this room was mainly changing the windows and switched out backwalls in certain places. It is the small details that I focused on in a specific style. See all the leafy bits, those were already there as is. I didn't even add to them in this one. Obviously this was one of my merchant rooms, hence all the boxes and containers.

So what I am getting at is just seeing what blocks will look nice to you side by side. Don't be afraid to tear down parts at a time to then again replace with something else if so desired; just to see what it would look like with something else. Or just add minor touches to the structure itself.

I always think about structure, as in what is holding something up, even if we have floating blocks. I usually have signs of it within my builds that make it look like it will stand or is barely standing depending on how I want to build. Yes I have a lot of experience, and could show a lot of pics; but I have shown many others here on the forums already. Even one of my multiplayer builds I did way back in Koala beta days, although that old one might be tricky to find... The ones to do with the Hylotl Mansion are more recent.

Anyway just put things in perspective. The thing I really like about your building is the fact you actually built with the terrain. That is something I usually consider doing any place I decide to bulid. As I look for interesting terrain to build on. I rarely would flatten out an area to build, as I can't stand building on a barren planet. It is too flat for my own taste. Some people I could see actually building on those for the ground up freedom. I like to have something to work with, hence renovating/remodeling the Hylotl Mansion, or building on some bits of terrain that I find interesting forms, shapes or patterns. Something like that.

There should be a thread somewhere that helps people if they want to improve their building skills. Me personally, I am always learning more and more just looking at other designs. I mean it is at the point where I can see other builds as inspiration to maybe try or maybe incorporate aspects of what I was inspired by into my own designs.

I hope this wasn't too long, as that is a tendency of mine... Just wanted to point out a few things maybe to look at or consider. I hope some of the tips help.

 

Reddit user Duskera posted a pretty decent guide here:
"Basic building tips and tricks! Building with Duskera "

(Make sure you don't miss the "Load 38 more images" button at the bottom to see the whole thing.)

Hope that helps!

 

Helps a lot!

 

Your building isn't that bad actually. I thought the comparison you were going to make was going to be more funny like this. (Yes I know it's the wrong game but same idea.)

 

For me, stuff like this is mostly due to time constraints. Just you wait until I complete my clockwork tower.

 

Bruh

your building is 27.3 times better than anything i have built


you want to see what im using as a base for my MAIN starbound playthrough?!?!?!


im about to fight the space squid and this is what i have to show for myself

 

@Mr.PotatoFudge Well... it is still not just a box or a hole like in the video comparison thing the above person linked. You have a very compact prison... for a lack of better words... with a lot of function... I think I feel bad more for the colonists. Is that strange...

but yes true in what you said. Since yours does have more function than form, and compact to boot.

@Pangaea It does take a bit of practice. Even some of the stuff I've made were well... just a box or used sole materials. Of course I am referring to minecraft when I say that, as well terraria. I just over the years practiced, and read things like that lovely link. Learn a lot from the community, such a nice place to set in roots and start doing more. Even if it is little by little; which is how I gradually got use to doing what I do till it became I guess natural; of course I used my experience with art itself that I have dawdled in the past with as well, always had an eye for colors; seeing the gradients that is, it was just a matter of figuring out how to put all that knowledge to use.

 

I always go for function over form. My designs are minimalistic and always symmetrical.

 

I tend to go black and purple; Black obelisk-like buildings with bright purple contrasting Erchius crystals jetting out from the ground. Unfortunately 1.0 broke Violium/Opulent furniture and Erchius being obtainable/practical. If I'm going to have to use console I might as well add some Ancient Big Chests since they match the theme perfectly. Using Shadow and Outpost as main materials, Purple painted Geode and lakes of Erchius Fuel, small castle and tomb bricks bring a little variety. Using Easel a bit more now since there is little to the theme.

One issue I tend to have is I'll have a world build around a specific color scheme and the NPC's won't match. In this case friendly cultists work fine but most of their furniture breaks said theme. Eh. Sometimes I'll pop the deed up and down a few times until someone comes in fashionably.

 

i'm the same. i'm.....uhhhhh...an artist but i am NOT a creative builder.

 

I mostly agree. However, if i put a lot of effort into it, I suddenly become a rival to the person I was inspired by.

 

That was my BEST work. Most of the time it's lackluster boxes and stuff lol.

Of course, if I could do as the devs did and draw things with .pngs and block keys, I might could dish out some epic stuff. As it is, planning a building as you're building it is very difficult.

...Especially when you're having to fight things like SNOW BUILDING ON SURFACES AUGH. When I made that image, snow building on things wasn't a mechanic.

 

aye, as that pic is of my second attempt... The first one I well... integrated into an existing village... due to a guard giving me a quest to kill him. Ok maybe it was not so direct, I mean he did give quest to take care of some army of scientists that I brought back. Doesn't help that they were housed like 5 meters away from the entrance of the village. It was an accident to remember, also that was when it was in beta just before it launched into 1.0. However that Hylotl mansion is doing well, and have plans for even more.

After all I have the ambition to create an empire spread across many planets, all linked with a teleporter at each. So many flags I have made and put down... Really aught to get to it more, but at least I have places in mind to flesh out and colonize already with a flag to teleport to.

Good luck.

 

I'mt totally OCD and over the top in my builds, my largest creation is a huge base built into the side of some ice cliffs, took me about 27 hours, and features a medical clinic with wards, ICU, Surgery, Rehab, and reception; an armory, a workshop, storage, a firing range, a nightclub, an excercise facility, living quarters, two common areas, a cafeteria/mess hall with kitchen, bathrooms, (essential), living quarters, a library, communications hub, meeting room, and living quarters for each character I have there. I also went a step beyond and added a maintenance room and emergency exit passages, and then added a geothermal generator a ways away. I'm just slightly insane.

 

Don't worry, if you want to feel better about yourself, I could bring my past self from 2015 here and you could spend the night in Omegagreen's Minimalist Copypaste Towers. Then again, I build because I never throw anything away. I begin to terraform planets because I need to use the dirt blocks in something. Dirt 'aint renewable you know. I am slowly learning how to not build copypaste towers and learning the bold power of asymmetry. It's really hard as the crafting stations never fit in compact space.
Here's advice from someone learning these things too, see those multiple wood block types? Use them. They give you more material and more textures to use.

 

I believe one thing to do is to gather the materials you have and place them in the fore and background to get an idea what they look like.