Pixelation

Critique => Pixel Art => Topic started by: Q Dervish on March 03, 2009, 05:22:46 am

Title: Small mockup + sprite
Post by: Q Dervish on March 03, 2009, 05:22:46 am
Hi, I've been exploring all the great threads on this forum for a while, studying up on all sorts of pixel techniques, learning about colour ramps and other crazy stuff, and I figured that I ought to actually put some of this stuff to use, so I started making some mockups for a game I've had designs on for a while, really basic stuff, using arne's 16 colour palette. It's been an interesting challenge, and I think I've learnt a few things. Anyways, here is a main screen
(http://qdervish.netfirms.com/img/mockup-v4.PNG)
the hand cursor and the moon went through a couple iterations, the cursor because I accidentally saved to gif and goofed all my colours  :yell: but I think it did it a lot of good, because it forced me to rethink the whole thing
(http://qdervish.netfirms.com/img/hand-cursor.PNG)(http://qdervish.netfirms.com/img/hand-cursor-v2.PNG)
(http://qdervish.netfirms.com/img/moons.png)
I also tried my hand at a small character sprite, the latest iteration of which looks like this: (http://qdervish.netfirms.com/img/char-v4.PNG)

I couldn't come up with a nice font/button for the new game thing, and it's still pretty bare. Also I notice now that the guy's buckle gets a bit confused with his sword.

edit:
I've started to animate a basic walk cycle for this guy, just a simple 8 frame thing, but I'd like to have some more input on before I continue it any further. (http://qdervish.netfirms.com/img/char_anim.gif)

C+C very welcome.
Title: Re: Small mockup/sprite
Post by: Joel on March 03, 2009, 10:36:42 am
It all looks pretty good so far, is there more coming? It might help to see a little more so that better advice can be given on a whole with the title screen. The sprite for the character looks nice, but the skin tone doesn't differentiate enough from the hair colour, originally I thought he was sporting a really large ear on the side of his head.
Title: Re: Small mockup + sprite
Post by: Q Dervish on March 04, 2009, 08:26:16 am
Added the dudes head to the animation, as well as arms. (http://qdervish.netfirms.com/img/char_anim2.gif) changed the guys hair to be a bit darker, as well, so it's more visible.
Title: Re: Small mockup + sprite
Post by: xbogx on March 04, 2009, 09:02:41 am
i think those arms are swinging too much, especially the shield.
Title: Re: Small mockup + sprite
Post by: Q Dervish on March 04, 2009, 09:37:20 am
Yeah, i think you're right about that, it's a bit over the top. Edited: (http://qdervish.netfirms.com/img/char_anim2_1.gif) I think I'm probably going to make his head turn, as well, since his shoulders are moving quite a bit. We'll see, I suppose. My gif animator seems to have some palette issues, as well. Hmm.
Title: Re: Small mockup + sprite
Post by: Dr D on March 04, 2009, 09:58:28 am
I still think the motion is a bit exagerrated, most notably, the shield swing back. I don't think it'd be natural for a soldier, carrying not only a heavy shield and weapon, but also armor and helmet, as well as other piece of body gear I probably don't know about, to be moving that wildly and freely.. It's as if there is no weight on him. You have to account for how it would be to walk comfortably whilst carrying this huge load. The guy doesn't look too bulky either, so he wouldn't be able to carry it as good as a stronger/bigger guy.

The walk itself, the leg motions, seem a little bit funny. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it seems something to do with him putting his foot down and sliding it back, unnaturally.. I don't know, maybe it's because I'm not seeing it actually move.

I like your title screen (although the title 'Hoarfrost' might spark some interesting discussions..), and it's always cool to see a new a topic with Arne's color palette.
Title: Re: Small mockup + sprite
Post by: Q Dervish on March 04, 2009, 10:50:34 am
Yeah, I think you're right, it's a bit of a cartoony walk for him to have. I did finish up a colouration of it: (http://qdervish.netfirms.com/img/char_anim3.gif)
It seems a little silly for him to be so quick, I guess, I kind of am picturing him as maybe a bit of a Guybrush, with a rapier and maybe a not too heavy wooden shield, but he'd also be a bit wimpy so maybe not so good at carrying a shield...
Yeah, the word's a bit funny, I just have always liked the look of it.. It kind of features in the story I have in mind for this game, too :)
I'm finding working with the palette to be an interesting challenge, but also quite helpful because colour is usually my biggest weakness. It's got me thinking in ways of combining colours for shading, etc.
Title: Re: Small mockup + sprite
Post by: NaCl on March 04, 2009, 10:52:15 am
Hey Q, nice stuff so far.

I quite like the walking guy, he's pretty sassy. Not perfect though. I think the main issue with him is the movement of his arms. When we walk, we swing our arms in a pendular motion to help balance. If I was going to be formulaic about it, I would say that when he is in the passing position with his legs, then his arms are also passing and thus are hanging down (though they may be bent). Then, on the contact frame, when his legs are at full extension, his arms are too. Now, with an 8 frame walk cycle, you have two frames on either side of each contact frame (highpoint and recoil). To give a pendulum like movement, then in these two frames the arms should be slightly lower then they are in the contact frame. It's all about the amount of change between frames. A lot of change suggest that the object is moving fast, while little change indicates that it is moving slow. By having a larger movement from the passing frame to the highpoint, you are suggesting that the arm moves rapidly up, then with a small movement up to the contact position, you suggest that the arm slows down. Then, another small movement from the contact to the recoil shows that the arm is gaining momentum. The idea is pretty simple, so hopefully I didn't over-complicate it here. I just didn't want to say, "do this" without explaining why.

For a better explanation, read this thread (especially baccaman's posts):
http://www.wayofthepixel.net/pixelation/index.php?topic=2913.0

I tried to quickly pendulate (if that's not a word, it is now) the front arm in this edit:

(http://i42.tinypic.com/9ig5na.gif)
Title: Re: Small mockup + sprite
Post by: Q Dervish on March 04, 2009, 11:30:31 am
Thanks for the positive feedback :) I tried to add a bit more swing to his arm in this edit, and I turned his head sideways as well. I think it was getting mucked up on the high point, because the arm was maybe a pixel or two shorter there. I think i got confused somewhere when I was trying to block in the shoulders, since they need to move opposite to the hips, to maintain balance, but I think I did it the wrong way round. :S. Anyways:
(http://qdervish.netfirms.com/img/char_anim3.gif)(http://qdervish.netfirms.com/img/char_anim4.gif)
old --- > new

I've also started making a bit of a tile set:

(http://qdervish.netfirms.com/img/tileset.png)

character's just on there for reference.
Title: Re: Small mockup + sprite
Post by: PypeBros on March 04, 2009, 09:03:40 pm
Imho, you're still doing it weird with the swinging shield. I'm mentally checking Link as a reference, and with such a long shield, it would better to keep the shield vertical, either on your side or in front of you, or it's going to hurt your legs soon or later. Iirc, roman soldiers (who also had such long shields) would carry the shield on their back when walking long distances to avoid discomfort of carrying it along.

Love the rocks of your tileset and how some of them are deeper than others. You may have more shadow casted by the grass on the first rocks line and you might want to reduce the contrast in the "rear" grass line to improve depth feeling.
Title: Re: Small mockup + sprite
Post by: Q Dervish on March 05, 2009, 02:10:39 am
Hmm. I was thinking about this when I was considering a run animation for this guy, as I was planning to have his arms just loose by his side. I dropped the shield swing, but now I'm not sure if he's totally off balance, and whether I should just drop the arm movement altogether.
(http://qdervish.netfirms.com/img/char_anim3.gif) (http://qdervish.netfirms.com/img/char_anim4.gif) (http://qdervish.netfirms.com/img/char_anim5.gif)
I was thinking about adding a bit of lag on the shield too, but I think that would be even more painful on the arms.
Title: Re: Small mockup + sprite
Post by: NaCl on March 05, 2009, 02:26:11 am
I think the last one, where his shield is not swinging, looks the best. However, I still think you should pendulate the arm correctly. Right now it is dallying at the top of the foreward arc, then jerking back, then moving up to the forward peak at a steady rate. Read the thread I gave a link to, there is an excellent explanation of what I am talking about.
Title: Re: Small mockup + sprite
Post by: Q Dervish on March 05, 2009, 04:13:35 am
I've reworked the arm entirely, to try to get it to swing in the correct arc as you suggested. Here are my results:
(http://qdervish.netfirms.com/img/char_anim5.gif) (http://qdervish.netfirms.com/img/char_anim6.gif)
old --> new
Title: Re: Small mockup + sprite
Post by: Chris2balls on March 05, 2009, 10:00:48 pm
That's better already :)
Title: Re: Small mockup + sprite
Post by: PypeBros on March 05, 2009, 10:03:25 pm
you may optionally add some move to the left arm by slightly rotating the shield around the spine axis (following the shoulder movement).
Title: Re: Small mockup + sprite
Post by: eobet on March 06, 2009, 10:38:53 pm
I'm getting such a Psygnosis Barbarian 2 or Spirit of Excalibur vibe from those graphics! But that's a good thing.  :y: