[WIP] Zerberk - running animation

[Lazycow]

Hi, I am a pixel-padawan, trying to create a mockup with improved graphics of an old Amiga game.


(left: inspiration / right: latest mockup)


(1st try)

My inspiration: http://www.wayofthepixel.net/pixelation/index.php?topic=3696.0

I used some kind of isometric projection, I guess. Although the geometry looks ok for me, it seems quite boring. Where do I add more colors? Or do I have to put some details in the walls to pimp it up? C&C are welcome.

[sharprm]

Where the door is, for the top it is wider in that section, but you haven't adjusted the bottom to have the same width. Are the walls slanted or is it perspective? Looks good so far. The diagonal lines near the door should be removed unless it the wall is curved at that part too. You should add texture and lighting if its appropraite for the game. An example of using cracks etc from cannon fodder.

[Lazycow]

The walls are meant to be smaller on the top (except at the door), so the walls are slanted, yes. Hm, indeed, the lines at the door look a bit strange, but I do not know how to change that, yet. But I tried to add some texture and lightning.



Thanks for the screenshot. It was not visible here, but I found it in the net. Some walls have shadows there, but is it appropriate for indoor walls to drop shadows? When there is a light source in the middle of each room, then only stuff at the floor should have shadows. No?

[Lazycow]

Ok, here's a revamped floor with centurions...


Template (left) and the shading-attempt (right)

[smiker]

you should add the enviroment color blended on the texture of the robot to make some reflections. Also, i thought it needed more contrast.

[sharprm]

Not sure about the lighting. In reality, if you had a light in each room in the centre, you're right about no shadows. In games like chaos engine, they have the shadow like there is a sun from the north-west, but they were all outdoors.

I like the walls. About the door, what if you remove that black vertical line and extend what you did on the wall. In other words, imagine there was no door and you extend wall all the way across. Then for the door only edit within the V shape. I prefer the old floor.

Characters seem out of perspective. Try drawing one on sideview and you'd see my point. If the one you drew is facing 45 degrees, need to move one shoulder and leg down more to make it fit with perspective.

Looking good so far!

[Lazycow]

Thanks for the comments!


Smiker: What means 10, 16, L, P? Amount of blending? Anyway, I have increased the contrast, while the hue is there where it should be, I think.


Sharprm: new floor. You are right, it looks more boring now. But the old one had too much texture. I added more details, but I'm not satisfied, yet. Perspective: 45 degrees? Isn't it 30 degrees in isometric view? Anyway, I made a test picture. B) has raised its left leg one pixel. Better? Hmm... I am just realizing it should raise its left arm too. Finally, some perspective rotations.

[sharprm]

oops. I forgot the walls were slanted and got confused about the perspective. Sounds like you know what your doing, A) looks better, but raising the shoulder would be a good idea.

[baccaman21]

couple of things...

Short History lesson - Zerberk (amiga sharware game) was Originally Berzerk (Arcade Game from 1980) I played it first on the Dragon 32 when it was called Android Attack - halcyon days...

So, bearing that in mind - If my memory serves me correctly, weren't the walls deadly to the touch? If so, perhaps you want to make them look more like pulsating forcefields - as opposed to steel hunks of chunk? Additionally, (from a theoretical gameplay POV) you'd be able to see through them, thus not losing any gameplay space / have hidden areas.

Just a thought...

 

[Lazycow]

baccaman21: Hey, I like the idea of pulsating forcefields! ("historicly correct", indeed)
But how do I draw such things? Well, I tried. Any clue about about "pulsating"?


About that "hidden area" thing: Ok, let's say energy fields are transparent. How would I handle such stuff on a systems without alpha-blending? (masking only) I tried to draw some animated wave over the 4th robot. Hmm... but you cannot see a "wave" in the animation, can you?

[baccaman21]

It depends what system you're aiming for...?

I know on the GBA you can have alpha masks applied to a background layer - thus effecting the sprites (dependant where they lay in the z-plane) so essentially you could have the force fields with a semi transparency applied.

Therefore if I were you I'd avoid the pixel dither effect you're attempting as it could be handled by hardware.

[Lazycow]

A) The centurion-robot in corrected perspective (thanks, sharprm)
B) Finally, here he is. Our hero. Brave enough to kill all robots. Sort of. Well, somehow he lost his pants...
C) Finally, here he is. Our hero. Brave enough to kill all robots. (he is unnamed, yet)
D) Our hero (with trousers and more shading on the breast, better?)
E) Our hero (He needs a gun, of course)

It seems like he is too small for a face, isn't he? It was somewhat hard to shade him, does not look as good as the robot. 

[Lazycow]

Yes, I am still alive... I tried different types of doors, but failed. So I used the energy walls for the doors. (They could fade away maybe) And there's a new type of floor. And a status display with item select and radar. So, maybe no longer wip...

[Lazycow]

The running animation... (using the run part of the "movements of the two-legged figure" as template. But with streched legs and turned into isometric view in order to match the shape of the hero)

[ndchristie]

there's something un-fluid about the arms, but that's all.  maybe bring the lower end down in the middle frames.

[sharprm]

Copying a tute is okay if your are after a uber cartoony look (liquidy arms) but I would've thought something more realistic would be better. If you want something more realisitic (the arms are rigid and rotate) look at some other sprite sheets to help.

For man sprite, I think colors are a bit too grey and outlining is inconsistent. Here is my shot at it but of course u can do something different.

[Lazycow]

@Adarias: Yes, seems like stretching his arms in the middle is a good start. I am currently working on that.

@sharprm: Hey, thanks for your edit - that helped me a lot! You are right, your colors are much better. The shading in your edit is also more advanced. I have had a hard time to figure out how you achieved that. Well, I have removed the old outline-style of the figure and altered the colors, but I am not sure if I like the black outline of your edit. Depends on the background, maybe.


yours - old/new

better?

[sharprm]

If you have consistently dark backgrounds, i think you dont need outlines so long as your sprites are bright. ie. your 'new' one can work.

With the last edit, maybe it was too hard to understand because I might have been incorreclty trying to squeeze anatomy in the small sprite. So the above edit has two versions, one on left is simpler. Are you going to have a cartoony character? Whatever shading method u use make sure you are comfortable with it. But one thing that strikes me as odd is the 'flares' (pants) and the grey in the hair.