[WIP] Adventure of Wex - Platformer (Flash)

[tehwexxl0rz]

I'll post elements of the game here as I finish them and a mockup as soon as I've put together a decent tileset.
C+C is appreciated for anything!

This is still in the veeeeerry early stages, so I apologize that there isn't much to critique yet.

Wex:


Idle:

(I'm gonna speed it up a bit so he seems more hyper than relaxed.)

Run:


Grass:


I don't really know what to do with the dirt. I think I'll go ahead and make it rocky/receding into darkness. I originally imagined that he'd walk in front of the dirt that supports raised platforms, as shown in the current demo (below), but now I think the raised platforms will be made of something else entirely. Possibly floating? Hovering? Mechanical?

If you have any ideas as far as enemies go, I'd love to hear.

VERY Rough Demo:
http://www.freewebs.com/subrosian/wex.htm
(Warning! Do not run off the edge of the level!)

Arrow keys to move, Shift is jump

[tehwexxl0rz]

Update! Is the hair bounce too distracting....? I can't decide.....


Creating a run cycle from scratch is intimidating.

[Atnas]

I don't like the idle animation at all. It looks like you just shifted stuff around, poorly. The base is great, but the animation made from it is not.

Take Zero's idle stance as an example. It isn't constantly moving. An idle stance is just that. The character is idling so he can conserve energy, not working out his calves.

[tehwexxl0rz]

 Sorry, overreacted. Just didn't think that was toooo constructive.

[Atnas]

I used zero as an example because the pixel artist who animated him didn't simply move around all of his limbs with a selection tool. The torso and thighs of zero were actually sprited differently on each frame. If you don't want to take advice, fine. I just felt that your sprite was moving too fast, and too statically, without the sense of form.

I know that bouncing helps, I do it all the time as I fence. But if I do it too fast, I get off tempo and my attacks don't land right. Slow things down a tad. Also, I find it hard to believe going up and down on both legs at the same time is helpful - you need to shift the weight. I believe that Zero was a bad example for the shifting of weight, but perfect for the respriting aspect of animation.

[tehwexxl0rz]

Update!
>>>>>>

If you don't want to take advice, fine.

Advice I have no problem with, but in that first post, you told me you don't like my animation and that I animated it poorly, but you didn't suggest HOW I improve it (other then slow it down, so thanks for that).

[Kren]

tehwexxl0rz don't put words into Atnas mouth..  He wanted you to see how Zero animation worked.. but going on topic. IMO The stance doesn't look like a human stance, he seems that he is going to fall backward..

that might help.. also don't make it be that side view as the one I posted.. make it more dynamic.

[tehwexxl0rz]

IMO The stance doesn't look like a human stance, he seems that he is going to fall backward.

I know it's unrealistic, but stylistically I like it. Thanks anyway. 

tehwexxl0rz don't put words into Atnas mouth.

Sorry, words removed from mouth.... I was... disgruntled.....
I just can't stand when people talk down to me, and that's what I got from his tone. Sorry, Atnas.


In other news, I'm gonna start working out some kind of background.....
If anyone wants to rough out a run cycle, feel free. I just don't feel like it right now, heh.

[Atnas]

I will by no means ever talk down to anyone. X3

If you got the impression, I'm sorry. I really like the new edit, you fixed what I had complained about (shifting things in blocks up and down)

--------------

I might try to give an example run cycle, if I do one I'll edit this post.  Nevermind :x

[tehwexxl0rz]

Nevermind :x

Aww, c'mon! Anyway, not what I came here to say... I think I'm actually gonna try to make a platforming game with this guy in flash. I have moderate experience with actionscript and I've already developed somewhat of an engine.

As far as pixelling goes, I've drawn a grass tile I'm pretty happy with that I'll post here shortly, but I don't really know what to do with the dirt.....

[yosh64]

hey

I like the character and such...


Anyhows here are a couple of ideas for the grass.

edit
I just wanted to add that I actually prefer the faster animation. I think the animation looks smoother in it, and it looks more upbeat like they are ready for some platform jumping or whatever, hehe. But yea, if you want the character to appear more cool and layed back then ya should probably go with the slower one.

I was just thinking, have you thought about doing multiple idle animations? like if the character has been running for ages then ya can make him puff and look buggered, otherwise if they have just got a power up then ya could make them look energised like the faster animation, otherwise you could have just a relaxed sorta animation.

cya

[yosh64]

Oops wrong thread, sorry... meant for other thread :\.

edit
BTW, I don't mean my previous post, but the post I just made/removed from here, hehe.

[tehwexxl0rz]

hey

I like the character and such...


Anyhows here are a couple of ideas for the grass.

edit
I just wanted to add that I actually prefer the faster animation. I think the animation looks smoother in it, and it looks more upbeat like they are ready for some platform jumping or whatever, hehe. But yea, if you want the character to appear more cool and layed back then ya should probably go with the slower one.

I was just thinking, have you thought about doing multiple idle animations? like if the character has been running for ages then ya can make him puff and look buggered, otherwise if they have just got a power up then ya could make them look energised like the faster animation, otherwise you could have just a relaxed sorta animation.

cya

Thanks! Hmm.... for the dirt, I'm thinking I'll want to go with a lighter color (even more than my placeholder fill), so that visibility of the character will still be good if he walks in front of it. But then again, I'm considering making the higher platforms out of something else entirely, so dark might be fine. <---Yeah, that's what I'm gonna do.

I might agree with you about the faster idle animation.... I'll make a version 3 that's fast like like the first one and has the arms going straight up and down, but with more fluid motion for the legs, shoulders, and hair like the second one. I don't think I want to have multiple idle animations, except maybe for a speed power up; that would be cool.

EDIT: Actually, I tried just speeding it up in flash by cutting the number of frames down, and I think the arm motion is okay. I do like it faster.

I've made a lot of headway on the programming side of things, but I won't bother updating the flash here until I have some more graphics to drop in or at least the run cycle done.

guhh, spring break just ended and already friggin homework is eating up all of my time....

[tehwexxl0rz]

Run cycle!!



I'm actually very pleased with how this turned out.

It's the first run cycle I've ever done, excluding little 16x16, 3-frame retro-types.

Anyway, C+C?

[CaKsTeR]

Not bad, but the neck/head looks too stiff in the animation, and theres two black pixels on the chest that don't seem to do anything?

[tehwexxl0rz]

Not bad, but the neck/head looks too stiff in the animation, and theres two black pixels on the chest that don't seem to do anything?

How do you suggest I change the neck/head? Also, those two (actually three) pixels are part of the sleeve of the forward arm. I was thinking that would be more apparent once it's colored, but now that I think about it, the sleeve isn't that loose anyway..... Thanks.

[Kaczor]

Just a small thing you may want to consider .


Nice work overall!

[yosh64]

hey

I dunno if it's the way the body is balanced or the motion of the legs, but it doesn't look like they are running to me, but rather some sorta power walk.

I think usually when you run your body is leaning forwards more, and you bring your knees up more without flicking your legs out forwards or whatever.

Hmm, I actually remember a nice running animation I think might be helpful and that was done by someone called frostbite for a 72 hour side scroller game, so I might try dig it up for ya. Otherwise I might make an edit or something.

I can understand that you may have spent alot of effort on the animation and may be reluctant to make any changes, but the more practise the better you will get, but I dunno.

cyas

[tehwexxl0rz]

hey

I dunno if it's the way the body is balanced or the motion of the legs, but it doesn't look like they are running to me, but rather some sorta power walk.

I think usually when you run your body is leaning forwards more, and you bring your knees up more without flicking your legs out forwards or whatever.

Hmm, I actually remember a nice running animation I think might be helpful and that was done by someone called frostbite for a 72 hour side scroller game, so I might try dig it up for ya. Otherwise I might make an edit or something.

I can understand that you may have spent alot of effort on the animation and may be reluctant to make any changes, but the more practise the better you will get, but I dunno.

cyas

I guess I really should call it a jog cycle. As long as it looks like a nice power walk, I'm okay with that, because I don't really want him running at full tilt. Maybe a little more tilt though, heh..... I was a little unsure of the balance. I'll experiment. Thanks!

Oh and don't worry, I'm a perfectionist; I never stop fixing things and thus I never get anything done. I'm working on finding a balance....

[yosh64]

hey

Well I finally found this run cycle of frostbite's I was talking of . Anyhows I think it was done for some 72hr game, which I managed to find on Porko's Game Site (it's called Midnight Snack).


Anyhows I've just made a gif of the frames here, I hope frostbite don't mind... well I haven't heard from them for years, hehe. I noticed there is no head bob and such in the animation, but I think the posture and the motion of the legs is nice and thought you might beable to learn something from it.

Hmm, I've also done an edit on your animation, but it's not quite ready yet.

cyas

[tehwexxl0rz]

Just a small thing you may want to consider .


Nice work overall!

Hmm... I think I'll delete the back corner pixel of that foot in the running frame. I want to show that the pants leg is sagging, but not add more to the footprint. I'm okay with 9 instead of 8 though, since it's a liiittle more in the foreground and more prominently featured. Thanks for pointing that out.

I noticed there is no head bob and such in the animation, but I think the posture and the motion of the legs is nice and thought you might beable to learn something from it.

Hmm, I've also done an edit on your animation, but it's not quite ready yet.

cyas

About the motion of the legs, I'm definitely going to lessen the "flicking out" of the forward leg. About the posture, I see what you mean about leaning into the run. Like I said before, my guy is really doing more of a jog, so I don't want to make the angle THAT intense but he should be leaning at an angle relative his speed and your example illustrates this concept very well. Thanks.

I'm looking forward to seeing your edit!