GR#183 - Megamanesque Chars - Sideview

[Elrinth]

Original Mega Man char is 24 pixels high, mine is 32 pixels high. I tried creating a smaller version, but it doesn't look as cool as my tall one.
Now my question is, how will a 32 pixels high char play in a world of Mega Man? Will platforming still work good with the same physics as normal mega man? Or will some trouble appear because he's 32 pixels high instead of 24?

[JonasO]

Original Mega Man char is 24 pixels high, mine is 32 pixels high. I tried creating a smaller version, but it doesn't look as cool as my tall one.
Now my question is, how will a 32 pixels high char play in a world of Mega Man? Will platforming still work good with the same physics as normal mega man? Or will some trouble appear because he's 32 pixels high instead of 24?

There is a lot of problems actually. Two of the main problems:
1. Your aim will be much worse and you will be unable to shoot anything that's 24 px or smaller and on the ground
2. You are much larger and bullets will hit you more easily.

The first one is not that hard to fix, either make enemies larger too or allow for crouch/shooting; The problem is though that something like crouch/shooting requires additional button pressing and that's not really megamanesque is it :/
The second one is a larger problem, because even with crouching, you'll probably not be able to move while crouching, which means that while you're moving you're more vulnerable than mega man.

Apart from that, it looks great. You can in fact mix those two versions, the simple megaman (middle one) sticks out more and works good as the protagonist, while the other two guys look NPCish (they "blend").
I hope the rocks are unrelated, because they do not fit this megaman (Apart from the clash with the shading, they have this realism feel to them that doesn't fit megaman)

One last thing:
Please animate him. (animate - to give breath to something? great word). He looks like he wants to be alive, and he definetly wants it. Although I must admit he doesn't remind me of megaman much.

[Grimsane]

The first one is not that hard to fix, either make enemies larger too or allow for crouch/shooting; The problem is though that something like crouch/shooting requires additional button pressing and that's not really megamanesque is it :/

or make his projectiles bigger, also being bigger target is tied into the balance of the game, it's all relative to the amount of damage you recieve and health you have, and whether the bullets have a throw back stop your action type mechanic like in some mega man games, so I wouldn't think about those critiques as absolute issues and more of things you should think about if you make the game. unless you do just juxtaposition this character into an existing Megaman game without rebalancing anything, but that'd be daft.

also with the same physics? that can be interpreted loosely with the same gravity and fall speed yeah sure but you might need to adjust his jump height to compensate, but if the point it's calculated by is based on his feet then that won't even be an issue either, unless the level design is incredibly tight spaced then it will become an issue if he had to jump out a narrow area uhhh I'll illustrate


which brings my next question what on earth is that thing going on between their legs??? I like the direction the designs are going in otherwise, but some things aren't readable and a few pixel here and there seem bizarrely placed, bad quick edit simplifying and with a lame pose, no adjustments to proportions.


where is his blaster arm btw?

*holy hell wait is that a blaster dong?

[Elrinth]

Finally some serious constructive critique!
Thx JonasO and Grimsane.

My char is supposed to be a mage rather than a robot. I'd like the game to play just like a Mega Man game but instead everything is played out in a world of magic.
So he's supposed to wear some robearmour of some sort. But I guess it's hard to read I'll try to revise it. So he'll be shooting his spells from his hands.
Actually I prefer him to wear a spellbook, but it's hard to make it readable.
As for the tiles, they're old stuff. I'll revise them and make them more in the NES-palette. Ie simplifying alot.

Here's a different take:

[Grundy]

When i think of wizards. i think of beards.
Stick a beard on it maybe?
It sounds very simplistic of me but it could be a cheap and effective way of differentiating the three characters.

[Elrinth]

Or a simple cape?

[Grimsane]

much better! more readable and appealing design, the red one looks like a condom or some other phallic object, avoid straight and roundly pointed objects, it may seem immature for me air such an observation but it is generally something you want to avoid, even if people are polite or aren't willing to admit they see it or consider it even momentarily, it could quite easily come to mind when trying to identify the object, and it is something to avoid, the other's are fine, and glad you decided to remove the loin cloth, it did not read well (an immature exaggeration in my last edit but still)

a suggestion and to push the wizard stereotyping further

[Elrinth]

There I made him more mage alike... How's this? Everythingr readable?

[Grundy]

What part of megaman do you want to "-esque" with your character?
Is it the size? the style of the eyes? or the fact that he is a cyborg?
For me, megaman is about coloured metal plates and a human head.
It looks like the wizard has cloth. Does this matter to you?

There is also more detail on the wizard than on the megaman next to him.
It's readable alright. But i don't think he needs the cape. The huge pointy hat kinda signals his wizardry enough.

[Elrinth]

What part of megaman do you want to "-esque" with your character?
Is it the size? the style of the eyes? or the fact that he is a cyborg?
For me, megaman is about coloured metal plates and a human head.
It looks like the wizard has cloth. Does this matter to you?

There is also more detail on the wizard than on the megaman next to him.
It's readable alright. But i don't think he needs the cape. The huge pointy hat kinda signals his wizardry enough.

Basically by megaman the game I'm trying to do will have similar gameplay like Mega Man. So I'm trying similar style for the sprites etc.
But my world will be played out in a world of magic instead of one with robots. So instead of the main char being a robot, he'll be a mage. Not one of those older mages with beards, but more of an apprentice of some sort.

I'll just use ONE of the sprites in this pic. I still haven't decided on which.

Mega Man himself uses only 5 colours: Black, White, Skin-color, Blue, Teal.

Here's an updated pic. (I still haven't decided which char to go with)

[Elrinth]

Here's what I decided on (probably room for plenty of improvement):


It looks like this in motion (in-game):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5BLy9meULc&feature=youtu.be

Physics like move physics and fall physics might be off. But the jumping height is just perfect like Mega man (3 tiles in y)
Also animation speed might be wrong for movement.. I've got 0.07 sec the first "start move" frame and the rest of the frames (which are looped) which have 0.2 sec each.

[Elrinth]

Hi again!
I got a burst of pepp and have been coding on my engine for awhile. I also updated the spritesheet slightly.

Ok here's the latest spritesheet. Basically just a edit of Mega Man


I borrowed tilesets by Mt &QuickSilva which was in mockup frenzy: http://www.wayofthepixel.net/index.php?topic=6890.0

Here's what it looks like in motion. I didn't try very much to create a good looking level from the tiles just yet.
It's basically just testing my engine.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-U2QZZAeIqg&list=PL7d7nJ1V45_ZJYGjKZaQUKnFTojsBwrky&index=8&feature=plpp_video

[Elrinth]

Here's some tiles, and also usage of backgrounds and background objects (clouds & sun)
Hopefully I can get this scrolling in the engine later. Now time to draw an enemy (which isn't a robot!!)
Here's some plant enemy.


New video of what it looks like ingame: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qOndN-byXs

[PypeBros]

I think those black pixels on the spiky hat do no good to your character. I'm a bit suprised by the shape of his fist in the "run, charging a blast" frames.

The tileset of this new mockup works pretty well, imho, except maybe the lightgreen/darkgreen transition on the grass tile that is too geometrical for grass.

[Elrinth]

This project has been going super sluggish. But I've coded the game engine and metal man stage is fully playable. now I need some original graphics.
I decided to step away from the mega man look and go for something else...
so here's my char atm... I haven't decided if he should wear the hat or not. or perhaps make the hat as an equippable item


Edit: added animation of the main char:

[Atnas]

Hey! Quick edit, there is some sloppy placement in mine but the idea was to clean up and give the pixels a little more room to breathe! It's very easy to get carried away with shading, but when sprites are this tiny you can actually describe form better with shapes than you can with shade. Pay attention to the pixel clusters rather than trying to smooth every line. Use shadow along the edges minimally, and when you do, block out large areas.

[Elrinth]

Hey! Quick edit, there is some sloppy placement in mine but the idea was to clean up and give the pixels a little more room to breathe! It's very easy to get carried away with shading, but when sprites are this tiny you can actually describe form better with shapes than you can with shade. Pay attention to the pixel clusters rather than trying to smooth every line. Use shadow along the edges minimally, and when you do, block out large areas.

Oh my god, I love what you did with the hat! I'll definitely take that to the next version

[Elrinth]

I try to constraint myself to NES color restrictions.
It seems capcom drew the face of megaman on after his body in order to come up with the additional colours required.