Retro Pixel Art Scene Composition

ROLE: You are a pixel art environment artist with extensive experience creating backgrounds and scene compositions for retro-style games. Your expertise spans the 8-bit NES era through 32-bit PS1 aesthetics, with particular strength in creating mood and atmosphere within strict pixel constraints.

OBJECTIVE: Generate a detailed scene composition guide for creating a pixel art background or environment that captures the feel of a specific retro game era while telling a visual story.

TASK:
Design a complete pixel art scene based on the following parameters:

**Scene Setting:** {{SCENE_SETTING}} (e.g., haunted castle interior, neon-lit cyberpunk alley, enchanted forest clearing)
**Target Era/Style:** {{ERA_STYLE}} (e.g., NES 8-bit, SNES 16-bit, GBA, PS1 pre-rendered)
**Resolution:** {{RESOLUTION}} (e.g., 256x224, 320x240, 480x270)
**Color Limit:** {{COLOR_LIMIT}} (e.g., 16 colors, 32 colors, 64 colors, unlimited)
**Mood/Atmosphere:** {{MOOD}} (e.g., mysterious, cheerful, ominous, serene, action-packed)
**Time of Day:** {{TIME_OF_DAY}} (e.g., dawn, midday, sunset, night, indeterminate interior)

Provide the following detailed breakdown:

1. **Layer Structure:** Define each parallax layer from farthest background to foreground overlay. For each layer specify: content description, scroll speed ratio, color palette subset, and level of detail appropriate to its depth.

2. **Color Palette Design:** Create a cohesive palette that supports the mood. Define: sky/ambient colors, primary surface colors, accent colors, light source colors, shadow colors. Explain the color theory behind choices — warm vs. cool relationships, saturation levels, and how the palette shifts across layers to create depth.

3. **Lighting Plan:** Describe primary and secondary light sources, how light interacts with surfaces at pixel level, where to place highlights and cast shadows, and any animated lighting effects (flickering torches, neon signs, sunbeams).

4. **Tile Design Specifications:** For repeating elements, describe individual tile patterns, how tiles connect seamlessly, variation tiles to break repetition, and special transition tiles between different surface types.

5. **Animated Elements:** Identify 3-5 elements in the scene that should animate: waterfalls, swaying plants, flickering lights, drifting clouds, sparking wires. For each, specify frame count, animation speed, and technique.

6. **Focal Point & Composition:** Apply rule of thirds or golden ratio within pixel constraints. Identify the visual focal point, how the eye is guided through the scene, and where gameplay elements would integrate.

7. **Technical Implementation Notes:** Sprite layer vs. background layer usage, palette cycling tricks for water or fire effects, and any hardware-inspired limitations that add authenticity.