AuthorTopic: [C+C] Some RPG combat sprites  (Read 5927 times)

Offline API-Beast

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[C+C] Some RPG combat sprites

on: April 17, 2016, 12:11:20 pm




Empire

Warprince Marius
Highly efficient fighter
Riposte throws melee attacks back.
Can Impale characters, for heavy bleeding damage.
Pose-Reference ("Pflug"-Langschwert stance)



Hand of Steel

Lord Steelclad
Metal Manipulator
Lightning Magic
No Reference

Steel-Guardian
No Reference

Lightning-Orb
Casts a strong lightning attack after charging up.
Used 3D base constructed in Blender



Damned Souls

Charon
Summons ghost versions of previously defeated bosses.
No Reference
« Last Edit: April 21, 2016, 12:11:01 pm by API-Beast »

Offline Roach

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Re: [C+C] Some RPG combat sprites

Reply #1 on: April 17, 2016, 12:52:17 pm
Wonderful style. I especially enjoy the 2nd sprite. Do you plan on animating these?

Offline wolfenoctis

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Re: [C+C] Some RPG combat sprites

Reply #2 on: April 17, 2016, 06:05:53 pm
You currently have too many colors on these, animating them would be a pain. I think you can significantly reduce the color count without really losing detail, an edit to illustrate:
« Last Edit: April 17, 2016, 06:16:19 pm by wolfenoctis »

Offline API-Beast

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Re: [C+C] Some RPG combat sprites

Reply #3 on: April 17, 2016, 07:50:32 pm
You are right, I don't plan animating these, but the workload is still a bit much and lowering the color count should make creating new sprites faster.

The reason why they use so many colors is because I use one big palette with around 100 colors, which I extend as needed. I created that palette by drawing different materials and figuring out which colors I need to give them all a high fidelity look, more akin to digital paintings than pixel art. I did that to get a consistent look for them.




I now have reduced that palette down to ~64 colors.




Afterwards I remapped the sprites, shaving off ~10 colors on each.

This isn't much difference yet, but should improve future sprites a little. I want to maintain a high fidelity style, but I will have to experiment a bit more to find a good middle-ground between detail and work load.
« Last Edit: April 20, 2016, 12:26:50 pm by API-Beast »

Offline API-Beast

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Re: [C+C] Some RPG combat sprites

Reply #4 on: April 20, 2016, 11:47:34 am


The first sprite is for "Lord Steelclad" as I dub him currently. He is powerful mage who perfected metal manipulation and has near endless control over it. His sprite was actually the first one I drew in the series but I left him out of first post because I think the quality is rather lacking in comparison to the newer ones.

The Hand of Steel is a small cult centered around him. Apprentices who want to learn from him and the magical constructs he animated as his personal guard.

Offline Curly

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Re: [C+C] Some RPG combat sprites

Reply #5 on: April 20, 2016, 09:27:09 pm
Those sprites look pretty good!
But you can still remove a lot of colors from the palette.
I'm not a pro but you have pure white (255,255,255) and 254,255,252. The difference is not noticeable so it's better to remove one of them.
Same for the 100% black (there are two pure black squares btw) and the 95% black in the middle. I don't think you having those two colors in the same palette can be useful :)

Offline Gil

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Re: [C+C] Some RPG combat sprites

Reply #6 on: April 20, 2016, 10:25:47 pm
I definitely notice the difference between the whites you mentioned, maybe your monitor needs calibration Curly? The two dark blacks look the same on my monitor though, maybe I also need some calibration.

Offline tsej

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Re: [C+C] Some RPG combat sprites

Reply #7 on: April 20, 2016, 11:51:27 pm
@gil

The first and the last white seem almost similar to me.
And the blacks do seem almost the same too.

I think api-beast is trying to stay at 64 colors?
I do love the reduced colors, api-beast. Keep it going!
Correct me if I'm wrong

Offline Gil

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Re: [C+C] Some RPG combat sprites

Reply #8 on: April 20, 2016, 11:58:34 pm
I can see a difference between the whites, but not the blacks. I do agree they're too close to be useful though.

Offline API-Beast

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Re: [C+C] Some RPG combat sprites

Reply #9 on: April 21, 2016, 08:50:16 am
He was referring to these two colors. Which are really similar and I simply overlooked. I actually never used both in the same sprite so they can go.

I also removed two other "whites", they are clearly distinctive (very bright gold and silver) but the pure white can be used for the same effect.

The almost black is used a lot and can't be replaced by another color easily.



Also tweaked the guardian a bit, just to make him that 20% cooler.
« Last Edit: April 21, 2016, 09:49:50 am by API-Beast »