[WIP] Raiders of the Lost Ark Graphic Adventure (UPDATED 09-28-08)

[Radek Smektala]

The colours you're using are the default ega palette. None of the screens you posted are from the c64: double-wide pixels isn't strictly a c64 thing, and the c64 palette is different. Ptoing's website has a guide about c64 restrictions: http://ptoing.net/html/c64info.htm

I have been hoping for something like this, thanks.

The palette is taken from a C64 game, but emulated on the PC. Is it possible that the emulator swapped colors?

[tocky]

Did you take the screen yourself in a c64 emulator? I'm pretty sure that the c64 pallete doesn't map to ega exactly. Possibly it's just an ega port of the same game?

[Radek Smektala]

Did you take the screen yourself in a c64 emulator? I'm pretty sure that the c64 pallete doesn't map to ega exactly. Possibly it's just an ega port of the same game?

No, I did not, although I am certain that the game in question has single pixels on PC. The shots were most probably taken using Scumm VM which is actualy an engine that interprets code and uses it in its own way, so maybe it maps to EGA.

Anyway, I have edited my previous post. Is that more authenthic?

Thanks again.

EDIT:

A quick edit to match the in-game sprite.



A quick edit of the above:



EDIT:

Okay, back to the sprite.

(it's not the soldier, but all characters will have the same "base", so it shouldn't matter much)

I was very displeased with the original C64 sprite (seen in the mockup) which I based on how Lucasfilm Games used to do them in that era. It was way too big and looked ugly (jagged) when animated. Part of that is of course my inability to animate, but I decided to make something that I could handle.

So, this is the first version I did:



I was quite pleased with it, but the animation still looked like crap. My problem was with how wide the edges were, so I made a thinner sprite:



"Still too wide", I thought.

Enter this guy:



At this point, it started to look less like C64 and more like Atari 2600 - not exactly what I had in mind.

I surrendered and went back to the original EGA sprite I did and reworked it for C64 palette and resolution.

> FLAT > SHADED

My question is-- Would a sprite of this size be possible on Commodore 64? I made some comparisions and the characters in Barbarian (the action adventure one) are just as big, but something tells it comes at a price. What price may it be? Less colors? A lesser number of sprites per screen? Please let me know so I can settle on a sprite and fix the walkcycle based on sharprm's suggestions.

[tocky]

Here's an edit, and some notes:
-use outlines mostly just to define shapes and indicate shadow, or inside the sprite just to break up similarly-coloured stuff. Outline enough that the sprite stands out against different backdrops, but don't worry about it too much.
-shading with the skin colour on clothing is probably a bad idea, just because you want the skin and the clothing to be easy to distinguish.
-make sure you get the basic step/recoil action down. lots of places on the web tell you how to animate a walk, so you could hunt around a bit, but I like Manning Krull's tutorial: http://www.manningkrull.com/pixel_art/tutorials/walking.asp

[Radek Smektala]

Could you please put him in a tuxedo so I can marry him?

Your sprite is perfect! Regardless of pure craft on display, it also has one thing I doubt I will be able to recreate in my work - character.

God knows I've tried, though:



So yeah, Duck Adventurer.

Although I wonder if the slog on the second frame of your walkcycle is intentional. I got to amdit I have found it a bit jarring.

Anyway, I've used your suggestions and Manning Krull's tutorial to make the following:



Does anyone of these cut the mustard?

There's one thing I'd like to mention at this point - If my posts seem like written by an imbecile, it's because English is not my first language. That's also why the alphabet in my font is pretty weird - I was remembering letters as I was going along

[thedaemon]

Please bend the knees. Try walking with straight legs, very awkward.

[Radek Smektala]

Please bend the knees. Try walking with straight legs, very awkward.

Hey! They bend! Sure, his legs magically extend when the knees bend, but they bend all the same! Or don't they...? Could you please show what you mean on an example?

The latest sprite is this one:



Don't his knees bend here?

EDIT:

A small experiment. Is that better?