[C+C] Mockup of a generic endless runner/platformer set in space

[noxoc]

Hi there!

I've been doing pixelart for a while now, but with no ambitions whatsoever. Recently I decided to take it to the next level and be more serious about it. So I signed up here, hoping to get some criticism and advice.

A mockup for a lowres endless space runner/platformer.



Used DB32 palette.

[heyguy]

Good stuff! Keep making more art. I'm not sure what I'd say to improve this. Maybe you can animate the character now while others comment? Looks like that would be fun looking at his pose. I think this is quite nice and I like the stylized look you've got going on. I might recommend more variation in height for the flames in the background. I think your enemy character might need some more attention too. What's the creature supposed to be? It looks like maybe a metal ball with a gold teeth grill and eyes.

[noxoc]

Good stuff! Keep making more art. I'm not sure what I'd say to improve this. Maybe you can animate the character now while others comment? Looks like that would be fun looking at his pose. I think this is quite nice and I like the stylized look you've got going on.

Whoa, thanks for the nice words! I try create a piece of pixel art daily; regardless of complexity.

I already started animating it. But I never animated a full blown mockup and it's hard I truly believe it would have been faster just to create a prototype of it instead of animating a mockup.

Started with the runcycle: not sure about the fixed reflection though - or if it's going to be visible at all anyway.

I might recommend more variation in height for the flames in the background.

Good point! When I started out, I was thinking of animating them, but now I'm not so sure if I have the endurance to do so.

I think your enemy character might need some more attention too. What's the creature supposed to be? It looks like maybe a metal ball with a gold teeth grill and eyes.

Actually, that's probably part of the problem with it. I have no idea what it's supposed to be. I rushed it in, because I felt it helped the composition and dynamic to have a floating enemy there probably should've spent some time actually thinking up a decent enemy.

[eishiya]

If you create a single tiling flame animation where you're very careful with how it tiles, you can have the flames vary in height by having the same animation, but starting at different frames (so they're not all in sync). That way you can get a whole lot of background for relatively little work. The hard part would be making sure each frame tiles with every other frame, but if you keep the silhouettes simple, it might not be so bad.

[MysteryMeat]

Started with the runcycle: not sure about the fixed reflection though - or if it's going to be visible at all anyway.

you definitely want to make that reflection more static, I don't see why a movement that slight would change the lighting that drastically

[noxoc]

Started with the runcycle: not sure about the fixed reflection though - or if it's going to be visible at all anyway.

you definitely want to make that reflection more static, I don't see why a movement that slight would change the lighting that drastically

Good point. Will make it more static.

If you create a single tiling flame animation where you're very careful with how it tiles, you can have the flames vary in height by having the same animation, but starting at different frames (so they're not all in sync). That way you can get a whole lot of background for relatively little work. The hard part would be making sure each frame tiles with every other frame, but if you keep the silhouettes simple, it might not be so bad.

That sound's like a good idea, but I'm not sure how I'd do such a thing efficiently.