Yaaaarrrgh! Here be a pirate! **UPDATED** Mock up added

[monteboyd]

Hi everyone,

I posted some pixel sushi here ages ago have been a regular lurker since. I've finally found myself with some time to work on something I've had in mind for a while, a pirate platformer. Kudos to Traps 'n' Treasures on the Amiga for inspiration from when I was a kid. Here's just the hero character for now, looking for plenty of C+C as this is still WIP:

-> -> ->

I'm using Arne's V20 palette. For the final mock up I'm planning (and actual game if I have the time) I may change this.

**UPDATE**

Here's the run animation.

->

**UPDATE** 12/07/2008

Finally got some time to come back to this.
Here is the final hero character, I've moved away from Arne's palette now (I'm not using any colour restrictions) but it was a great starting point.



And the final run animation. Haven't had a chance to recolour this to the same as the above still shot.



And a mock up!



No enemies as yet. This is the main thing I'm looking for feedback on as the character I'm pretty finished with now.

And, a spinning coin.

[Tremulant]

He's a cute little guy, and not at all what I was expecting. 

I think the black is unnecessary, you probably only need one of the bluish grays and darker orange colours, and the hat seems a bit off centre. Otherwise, I like it very much.

[monteboyd]

Thanks Tremulant. Yeah I agree about the hat, I kept nudging it back and forth and then kind of lost sight of where it looked right. I'll try working without the black too as you suggest.

Oh, and I think some of the enemies I'm planning would be more what you were expecting from the post title. All grizzled and beardy with eye patches, wooden legs and such.

[Tremulant]

Forgive me. I am a liar. I think the colours are all OK...

In fact, I've changed my mind entirely and now think there should be more black, or at least a significantly dark 'close-to-black' colour. I tried to get the hat more centred, and shifted some stuff around (his head, a leg, one arm) to make his stance more balanced because I thought he was leaning a bit far forward.

Can't wait to see him animated (if you're planning on it).

[monteboyd]

Thanks again Tremulant. I've made some changes incorporating some of what you have suggested. New version:

[Faceless]

I really like it, but the ear needs some work.
Any plans of a Cutlass?

[monteboyd]

Thanks Faceless, any tips for the ear?

Weapons will be coming (Cutlass included!) next step will be walk/run animation methinks.

[Faceless]

Had a go at an edit myself - hope it helps:

Slight variations on the face. Tried to keep the charm of yours' in the second but failed.

[monteboyd]

Here's the run animation.

[EvilEye]

The run animation is great but his feet become too flat when they push back behind him.

Also also you outlined the right side of his head in black but not anywhere else, it doesn't look consistant. Especially considering the light source is in front of him.

Good job on the coat'tails ( sp? ).

 

[Xion]

He has a massive ear.
Like EvilEye said, his feet get real pancakey what with the 45 degree lines on the back-kick and whatnot. In fact, I don't even think the feet should be at that wide an angle. Maybe something more like / ?
Also,
He has a massive ear.

[monteboyd]

C+C noted, thanks guys I'll see what I can do about it.

Originally I designed him with a massive ear because I was going to give him an earing. But then the earing just added readability issues so I took it out. I'll reduce the size of the ear.

[monteboyd]

Some changes to outlining and feet on the run. I've actually kept the big ears and added the earring. I tried taking away the big ears and kinda felt like he was losing some of his character.

[Fool]

Thats a nice character.=) The only issue with animation i see - his arms are way too long compared to the stil. Try to combine run cycle with a standing and you'll see the problem.

Also with his head rotated that much I got a feel he doesn't have a neck and his head attached straight to the shoulders since it follows directly. Oh well, maybe just me.=)

[EvilEye]

Nice, but maybe you should use a different color for the earing, it looks like part of the ear to me.

[Xion]

I agree with fool, the head rotates too much.
earring looks awesome.

[monteboyd]

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I'll reduce the amount of rotation in the head and shrink his arms a little in the run.
I'll also change the colour of the earring - make it more gold - although that will mean I'll have to stop using Arne's 16 colour palette. That was bound to happen eventually as keeping to a 16 colour palette is not the aim of this project but it was a great starting point.

[PypeBros]

Some changes to outlining and feet on the run. I've actually kept the big ears and added the earring. I tried taking away the big ears and kinda felt like he was losing some of his character.

wow. That one will really be fun to play with... i can't wait to see him shoot a hookshot to reach treasures and slay cannibals with his saber ^_^

[AdamAtomic]

Classic animation problem here!  This is something I used to do ALL the time and it always bugged me and it wasn't until I had to do like 5 or 6 straight runcycles on different characters for a job that I figured out what was going on.

The issue here is that your intervals are too even.  This is a really natural thing to want to do when animating pixel art!  For example, when animating the arm that is closest to us, one would instinctively place the hand say 3 pixels from its former position on each frame.  That is, the hand would move at 3 px per frame in a uniform fashion.  This has a tendency to yield a fairly wooden, boring, but also an oddly reversible result that can create a bit of an optical illusion.  I would advocate trying out something like this:

Assuming this is a 6-frame animation that starts at one of the key frames (arm fully extended either to the front or the rear):

Old Intervals: 3-3-3-3-3-3

New Intervals: 2-5-2-2-5-2

Or something like that.  Essentially, slow the hand down as it approaches the apex/zenith/whatever.  This will add some weight and acceleration when played back at a steady framerate, and it will look pretty sexy!

[monteboyd]

Thanks for the advice Adam and right you are about the first frame being a key with arms and legs extended. I will definitely give what you've mentioned a shot as I was going to shorten the arms as per Fool's advice as well.

[Fool]

Had a chance to take a close look at the frames, here the suggestions i got, hoping it'll help a bit.=)

fr1. Seems okay as it is, except arm length
fr2. far leg moved forward witch is rarely happened while body doesn't get full support with another leg - his front leg just step on the ground and do not support body just yet.
fr3. Heads position  unbalancing figure a bit , i'd move it one pixel to the right.
fr4. figure falling backward - head again making sudden jump to the left. Also far feet might change angel, delay it's position a bit to make a floppy move as a joint expression.
fr5. falling backward again, normally it tends to fall forward with a leg up high.
fr6. falling backward once again - front foot is moving forward at the same moment another one just touch the ground.
fr7. Same as fr3.
fr8. Front leg shrink a little.

Hope all that make any sense to you.=)
Here a quick edit with some fixes, if you won't mind.=) Some changes i made not critical - just automatically, perhaps are the matter of taste.

[monteboyd]

Latest.

[EvilEye]

 Love those clouds at the top, awesome job.

 The coin looks more like a yellow donut with filling.

 You need to break up that water line a little.

[Portrait]

I agree about the waterline but the Coin i think looks nice. And LOVE the character. So cute! 

[rudydbooty]

Really Nice Work but i do think you need to fix your waterline.