Strength, Speed, Chi and Toughness

[Zizka]

This once again is for the game I'm working on. Instead of having text, I want to have icons to represent the four basic stats.

Strenght


V.2:



Speed is done but I'm having trouble with it. The thing is I'm using transparency for the speed blur but I can't keep my alpha channel when saving as a .gif. Is there any way around this? It's kind of annoying  .

I'm looking for criticism, comments, just about anything, thanks.

[Lachie Dazdarian]

Interesting ideas (I hope) I found via Google:



Chinese symbol for Chi:



Maybe this for Chi:



Toughness....hrm...when trying to differentiate it from Strenght...difficult.

[Zizka]

Thanks for the ideas, Lachie Dazdarian.

It give me some idea:

Speed


Again, this is still WIP but the main idea is there.

[ptoing]

That speed one reads like nothing really. Unless that is what your player looks like. A blob.

How about something like a winged boot?

[Grimsane]

agree, rather difficult to read as anything logical. and the old Hermes referencing winged boots would definitely be a viable approach, it's already widely associated with speed.

and no one has mentioned yet but you've got a typo in your topic and message, strength *

[Zizka]

The hero is a blob  .

Here's an older build of the game (now defunct) but should give you guys a better idea:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2C7RQkYh3Ts

Here's an attempt for Chi:


Had this one as well for Speed but it looks like crap without transparency unfortunately (and the framerate is all messed up as well):



Now, I know some are missing frames and whatnot but this is just a WIP, I'm trying to find what looks better, animated or still, with or without frame, if with frame, static or animated, etc... This is a research process if you will.

[Ürch]

I really don't think these need to be animated to demonstrate things like Speed, Strength, Chi, or Toughness. You could convey these sorts of things just with static symbols or objects. If you want all of them to be animated, that's different, but 'Strength' is done very, very differently from the others, then.

A flexing arm for strength works fine. For speed, you could probably have a winged shoe/sandal, or just wings. Toughness could be a shield, maybe. Chi... not sure, maybe some sort of energy ball or a spiral shape.

[Zizka]

Thanks for the feedback, Ürch.

When you level up in the game, you get to spend points in one of your four stats. I was thinking that the stat you select would become animated while the other ones would remain static (until they are selected if that makes any sense).

I'm hesitating to use the protagonist of the game in each stat or just symbols.

For speed, I'd rather stay away from the winged boot because the boot is already used elsewhere in the menu (for accessory). I suppose I could always change my accessory icon though.

[Zizka]

Ok, again, this is wip.

Toughness:


*The game is to learn Japanese, so I'd like to keep things a bit oriental focused (which is why I chose a samurai helmet instead of a shield).

[Lachie Dazdarian]

Maybe the face showing more resolution, not only a bold smile.

Like this: