[wip] rpg character template

[r1k]

Im making an rpg char template and Im having a bit of trouble cause Im trying to fit it into 20x20 pixels.  anyways heres my first try at it

the heads look a little bulbous but they are meant to be covered with hair so thats the only reason the clothed character is there, to show it with hair, but I dont actually plan to use that as a real character.  View it at 2x also.

[Justinth]

you see the first frame? Select the upper part of its body (ie arms and chest) and flip it horizontal, then put it as the third frame.

[Gil]

Why would flipping it change anything? 

[r1k]

I should clarify the left frame is supposed to be the female template and the right the male.  With the male I tried to make the pose a little less stiff by having one leg slightly in front of the other and one arm slightly more foreward but I but think it worked due to the size.

[HughSpectrum]

I think you're trying too hard to put minute details that are smaller than pixels as actual pixels.  The trick to small spriting is to use your shading and highlights to create a general shape that the imagination fills in.

[r1k]

ya I guess I did try to put too much detail into it.  But Im still concerned about the overall shape of it.
well I tried simplifying it a bit and just went and made them symetrical, and went for a solid outline rather than having the AA in some parts of the outline.

is it getting any better?

[HughSpectrum]

You should have kept the poses, added character.  The new sprites are an improvement, but there's still some improperly handled attempts to separate parts of the body (especially single pixels that are essentially dithering) from each other and there's a proportion issue concerning the female torso.  It's hard to describe, so I think an edit is best:

[r1k]

ok I see what you mean.  I still think the pose looks wierd on the guy though, looks fine on the female though I guess.

edit: ok update

[redballoon]

I designed some characters very similar to that view (and 2D Zelda) for a ZX Spectrum game.
I've found the animation for them walking diagonally but I'll produce one for all 8 angles.
The each have 4 frames of animation each and fit into 16x16 (the animation below is double size). With the limitations I think I've managed to pull of a good sense of walking.

Anyway, here's 1 diagonal animation, I'll post the other animation when I produce them from the individual frames. Hopefully, they might be able to help you out.



Found them already. Here's walking down at the actual size for 1 of the characters.



And here's a rotate of the character standing still.

[r1k]

well Im not really worried about animating them, Ive done rpg templates before, but they were 32x32 and 16x16 (but the 16x16 one was intended to be more catoony so wasnt really a problem).  These are for a game I intend to be more serious so Im trying to not have them too cartoony.  Anyways though, I tried starting the side view one

those are 3 different poses I tried, not an animation.  ON the 2nd and 3rd one I wanted to try having it look like one foot was in front of the other to give the pose atleast a little more character, but maybe it just looks like hes taking a step instead?  Second one the back arm is supposed to be foreward a little so you can see it, but maybe it just looks like hes fat instead?  Anyways thats just the male one for now though.  I also tried making the colors a little lighter.

[r1k]

well Ive done a bit more work on this now so what do you think about these so far:

theyre supposed to be (from top to bottom) male, female, male.

[r1k]

ok heres all the poses

comments?

[r1k]

ok well Ive decided that I would use the small template for the overworld map and a larger template for inside towns castles, caves etc.  So heres my start for the larger template

trying out a few different front view poses, side view is pretty terrible at the moment, but Im sure they could be better so crits please/