AuthorTopic: Indie game dev project <- starting with the peoples  (Read 8386 times)

Offline Zolthorg

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After reevaluating my runaway train thread from before
I looked at my design document, and realized i lacked a good amount of artistic direction
I designated 4 desirable areas, my aim for for the first playable copy of the game
as follows

The Plains

 - A large grassland with gently rolling hills, small plateaus adorn the corners and large rocks adorn the landscape.

The Cave

 - A twisted complex of passageways and chambers

The Seaside

 - A shore and small islands connected by bridges are woven around a Bay like area.

The Mountain

 - Pathways surround a central spire

However, in order to ensure that I create unconfusing backdrops, and in order to give myself restrictions to sizing objects such as bushes, or bridges etc. I needed to have some frame of reference.
People are a big weakness of mine, so i deliberately forced myself to draw in a 32x32 square so i could work on getting things to look like.. people!
Perspective is gnawing on my brain however


1, 2, 3,
4, 5, 6, 7

2, 3, and 7 are my original drawings
6 is an inbetween step
and 1, 4, and 5 are my current most perspective-ized versions of the character

currently he is in modern clothers and sporting a spellbook, but i hope to end up with 3 main body types, as well as a bunch of customization options. However before i go ahead and begin detailing, i'd really like to know what you think. As i begin to second guess some changes i make.

Offline Xion

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Re: Indie game dev project <- starting with the peoples

Reply #1 on: July 14, 2007, 04:35:31 am
Lookin' cool...
but...
In 4 and 6, it looks like his butt is sticking too far out or something. I think that, for the angle of his body, the (our) left legs are too far back. Or move both legs 1px right, maybe?
5 is an improvement from 7, but I preferred the original's book-holding shoulder. Now it sort of caves in too much, where the original looked like it actually had something under it.
Glad you changed the eyes. He looked surprised.

Offline Zolthorg

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Re: Indie game dev project <- starting with the peoples

Reply #2 on: July 14, 2007, 08:07:14 pm
These are supposed to be in a 3/4 perspective and i'm attempting to use the old turned towards the player to show detail trick

I think i need to move the book down on the side views
the head shape is still bothering me too

Offline robotacon

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Re: Indie game dev project <- starting with the peoples

Reply #3 on: July 14, 2007, 08:36:22 pm
Much better, they look more consistent in that last grid.
I like the new position of the eyes. Now they are distinct from the ears.

Is that just a template that you will use for different characters?
If they are let us have a sample of how they will look too. Clothes, hair etc.

Offline Xion

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Re: Indie game dev project <- starting with the peoples

Reply #4 on: July 14, 2007, 11:09:26 pm
Better, but now in the side views, either the eyes are too low or the ears are too high. Or both.
And you say you're going for that half-sideways kinda rpgish pose, but...I dunno, man, something just isn't adding up.

Offline Zolthorg

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Re: Indie game dev project <- starting with the peoples

Reply #5 on: July 17, 2007, 07:23:12 am
The book idea has gone out the window for design purposes
but i managed to make some progress
appologies for the garish filmstrip, i promise i'll fill it out



i felt like i was ready to begin tacking the animation, barring the correction of a few quirks i hope your fresh eyes can spot.


animation!

unfortunately,



unfortunately it's more of a slide than a run, any advice on how to inject a more speed into the animation?

(it turns out the ear/eye problem was a misinterpretation of the height of the features from the 'top' of the skull

details will come in my next update, i promise  :D

Offline robotacon

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Re: Indie game dev project <- starting with the peoples

Reply #6 on: July 17, 2007, 09:44:30 am
It's a slide because you have animated a walk and is using it as a run. For a run to work the feet needs to touch the ground only for a couple of frames.

I think the animation is a good start. I would animate it differently but you should definitly go for your own style.

A couple of pointers:

The arm shrinks when it goes back. This is because his shoulders does not move.
I'd say that there is too much foreshortening on his left leg.
It looks like the character is floating on his step. This would work if it was a run but it doesn't look like he's running, it looks like a walk.

This reminds me of the grandaddy of every FPS, RTS and Hack n' Slash: Gauntlet!!!
Don't make it into a Final Fantasy clone, I'm terrible tired of that estetic.
« Last Edit: July 17, 2007, 12:56:08 pm by robotacon »

Offline tocky

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Re: Indie game dev project <- starting with the peoples

Reply #7 on: July 17, 2007, 10:08:24 am
Ditto on both-legs-off-the-ground.

See this [err... nudity] run cycle, courtesy of Eadweard Muybridge, motion capture pioneer. You shouldn't follow it straight up, but it's a pretty good reference for how people look when they run.

(edit: linkfix. tanks, selur.)
« Last Edit: July 17, 2007, 01:17:23 pm by tocky »

Offline robotacon

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Re: Indie game dev project <- starting with the peoples

Reply #8 on: July 17, 2007, 12:29:39 pm
Actually I take back that the legs need to be on the ground for only a few frames.
You can create running cycles that only leave the ground for a single frame and it still looks awesome.

Offline Elrinth

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Re: Indie game dev project <- starting with the peoples

Reply #9 on: July 17, 2007, 12:48:24 pm
It's a slide because you have animated a walk and is using it as a run. For a run to work the feet needs to touch the ground only for a couple of frames.

I think the animation is a good start. I would animate it differently but you should definitly go for your own style.

A couple of pointers:

The arm shrinks when it goes back. This is because his shoulders does not move.
I'd say that there is too much foreshortening on his left leg.
It looks like the character is floating on his step. This would work if it was a run but it doesn't look like he's running, it looks like a walk.

This reminds me of the grandaddy of every FPS, RPS and Hack n' Slash: Gauntlet!!!
Don't make it into a Final Fantasy clone, I'm terrible tired of that estetic.


how is gauntlet grandaddy to fps? and what is rps? roll playing strategy? rocket propellered stuff? gauntlet only has very few similarities to an FPS. You kill things in it, it's a game, you move a character, you interact with the world.
there were plenty of games before gauntlet which had those things.

looking forward to see the ear being moved and improved walk/run cycle!
"Truly, if there's evil out there, it lies within the heart of mankind!" - Edward D. Morrison
Mai fav games: Seiken Densetsu, Rockman, Doom, Final Fantasy, Zelda no Densetsu, Metroid, Kid Icarus
Fav consoles: Sharp Twin Fami, Super Nintendo Jr., Wintendo Gamecube