[WIP] Partisan Tactics Battles : Animations, woah

[Faceless]

I actually think the first portrait in that sequence suits your sprites really well.
Following that, I think the FFIII (is it?) portrait works second best.
Keep well clear of the Fire Emblem style as it really doesn't match your sprites or tiles.

[Arachne]

I think the NPA style looks promising, although it looks a bit too dull and blurry compared to the sprites, so I'd sharpen it up a bit and emphasize the facial features a bit more for contrast. Maybe if you just scale it down without interpolation and clean it up a bit, it might fit better while still saving you time?


Here's my semi-realistic take on the portraits, where I used one of Nathan's earlier portraits as a template.

[ndchristie]

thanks arachne.






just a quick fill-bucket change shows that white houses are interesting:  edit - played even more, though these are only quick photoshop changes not actually done properly with tiles yet -



Not for Panto, but perhaps for another town.

the biggest issue i tihnk with the lighter walls on the dark wood is that it makes the house much more interesting as an object, but it's supposed to be the background.  if i do go with white walls, i'll need to also lighter the wood etc so that the overall contrast remains muted.

[AlienQuark]

I'd say that the white and yellow versions of that wall are just so great, and they don't detract from the character at all IMO. I think you should definitely consider that for some of the towns. It's a nice clean contrast to your more intricate tiles.

[Helm]

Just wanted to say that I read through this thread again from the top (well I skimmed some things) and it's a really enjoyable 2 year thread. Great critique in places, just plain interesting stuff in others. I don't know if we'll ever see this game in the end, but this thread is cool on its own anyway. Keep posting, let's make it another 2 good years of Partisan Tactics commentary and critique. And thanks to Ad... ndchristie for having us!

[Locrian]

I don't think you have to go as extreme to give the impression that the walls are white.

I also prefer your roof variants that aren't as high contrast.  The harsh shadow/light division looks a little weird to me.  In your examples I prefer the top right, and bottom two roofs.  Maybe I'm just being finicky.  But hey, pixel art is finicky.

I agree that the last portrait clashes with the game.  Your pixel art has a cutesy look to it that the portrait doesn't have at all.  Simplifying it may be the key... but I think many of us are so used to seeing Japanese style portraits to go along with Japanese style pixel art.  We see chibi heads with large eyes on the sprites and assume the portraits will be the same.  Finding a balance could be tricky.

Love the house by the way.

[ndchristie]

I also prefer your roof variants that aren't as high contrast.  The harsh shadow/light division looks a little weird to me.  In your examples I prefer the top right, and bottom two roofs.  Maybe I'm just being finicky.  But hey, pixel art is finicky.

No, the high-contrast roof was actually a mistake that arose when i recolored a path tile that shared some palette entries, i just never went back to fix it.  Also, as a quick note - we don't get to choose the shadow color of the walls - it is defined by a flat overlay.  in these mockups, the shadow overlay color is (roughly) the same as the background color (that light blue) set on multiply.  Arne will get me for that one I'm sure (shadows don't add!  SHADOWS DON'T ADD!!!) but it's as close as we're coming (the alternative, a screen or even color dodge layer, doesn't look good at all, lags like hell, and doesn't allow for characters moving in and out of shadows properly)

I agree that the last portrait clashes with the game.  Your pixel art has a cutesy look to it that the portrait doesn't have at all.  Simplifying it may be the key... but I think many of us are so used to seeing Japanese style portraits to go along with Japanese style pixel art.  We see chibi heads with large eyes on the sprites and assume the portraits will be the same.  Finding a balance could be tricky.

I just can't draw good anime, which is a problem.  To do portraits in that style requires either going way out of my way to adapt new stylistic points, or finding someone willing to join the team.

[Locrian]

also not sure if you're aware already, but theres something weird going on with the roof.  Due to the diagonal on the inside corner of the roof, an optical funkamajig happens where the roof looks like its simultaneously on top of the house and inside of the house.

[Lawrence]

Maybe if you just scale it down without interpolation and clean it up a bit, it might fit better while still saving you time?

Rescaling with bilinear filter gives a crisper result compared to bicubic, you can try that as well. it's what i use when rescaling low-res textures for my 3d work.

I think the design of NPA character looks fine as it is, I wouldn't force clichéd anime or anything like that.

[ndchristie]

a few animation sketches - nothing well-finished, but they do exist


Two-handed hammers, spears/bills, muskets

running, marching

there's a few more but they need to be complied.  I'm trying to wiggle all of the attacks and animations in with about 12 frames (which is harder than it sounded at first ^^)