Eternal Dreams

DragonBlood · Joined: 07 Apr 2008 Posts: 83 Location: Prattville, AL

I lost Moonlight in a crash, losing all my progress for that game kinda broke my motivation towards it, so I started a new game, "Eternal Dreams".

I would appreciate any help you could give me with the hero.

Here he is:

I'm TERRIBLE with left and right animations and graphics, and haven't done his forward and back animations.

What do you think..?
What needs improvement?

Ronin Catholic · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008 7:51 pm Post subject:

I'd say he needs one of the following:

- Spiky blue hair
- A tail
- A cape or cloak
- An impossibly large sword

But that's just my player's opinion, and I think all characters lacking these features could be improved by their addition.

As a fellow person who sucks at side animation, I sympathize with you.

Now, on to the real critique. It looks like he's extremely tense, awaiting an attack or something, judging by his stance. His legs and arms are sort of held out(I'm familiar with this pose because it's the way my characters in FFTA look half of the time). If that's what you were going for, kudos!
_________________
"I didn't start the flame war;
I don't know what you thought here
'Twas that way when I got here"

"I didn't start the flame war;
I can't understand a word you're saying
nor the game you're playing~"

DragonBlood · Joined: 07 Apr 2008 Posts: 83 Location: Prattville, AL

Nooo..... that wasn't quite the look I was going for...

What impression does he give you now? (The one furthest to the right):

Ronin Catholic · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008 8:42 pm Post subject:

To be quite honest, I think he looks kinda bored. He looks more natural and less tense, but the legs still don't seem quite right to me.
_________________
"I didn't start the flame war;
I don't know what you thought here
'Twas that way when I got here"

"I didn't start the flame war;
I can't understand a word you're saying
nor the game you're playing~"

DragonBlood · Joined: 07 Apr 2008 Posts: 83 Location: Prattville, AL

Well, what could I do to the legs to make them look better?

Gizmog1 · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008 8:59 pm Post subject:

Well, it depends on what kind of a character he is. The one where his legs are spread wide apart makes him look like a cowboy. His new legs look a lot more casual, which goes with his attire.

EDIT: Yes, I thought the legs were fine as they are. Though I agree with that Newbie that it's probably not very practical for a walking animation.

DragonBlood · Joined: 07 Apr 2008 Posts: 83 Location: Prattville, AL

Does this mean the legs are good as they are...?

Newbie_Power · Joined: 04 Sep 2006 Posts: 1762

Your pose on the right is still superior, even if he does look bored. The pose you had before was a "DRAW!" that would have made more sense for a Western showdown.

For the legs, you will need to have them together for a standing animation. For such a small sprite, it's difficult to represent space between the legs by putting a space between them, you have to let imagination take over by getting the pose decent.

I did edit the legs. I gave your character a pose for kicks, but the pose would be unpractical for a walking animation. In any case, what would help most would be a walking animation to help your character look slightly less bored, though in the end your character is an everyman so you probably won't have to go for INTERESTING AND EXCITING if that's not what your character is about, just what looks natural.
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TheGiz> Am I the only one who likes to imagine that Elijah Wood's character in Back to the Future 2, the kid at the Wild Gunman machine in the Cafe 80's, is some future descendant of the AVGN?

DragonBlood · Joined: 07 Apr 2008 Posts: 83 Location: Prattville, AL

I fixed his legs, and shortened his body, although I don't know if it was for the best...

What do you think:

Newbie_Power · Joined: 04 Sep 2006 Posts: 1762

Why did you shorten his body? He was actually fine the way he was. Sure, his legs were technically short, but his feet were so huge that it offsets that and still managed to give me the appearance of someone normal looking.
_________________

TheGiz> Am I the only one who likes to imagine that Elijah Wood's character in Back to the Future 2, the kid at the Wild Gunman machine in the Cafe 80's, is some future descendant of the AVGN?

DragonBlood · Joined: 07 Apr 2008 Posts: 83 Location: Prattville, AL

I was experimenting, and don't like it, so I'm going to change him back.

Any other suggestions, or is he fine as he is (Minus the
shortened body)?

Edit: Here he is, with decent height:

Gizmog1 · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008 9:47 pm Post subject:

I agree. He's a little bit too stumpy now. Just one or two pixels can make a big difference like that.

DragonBlood · Joined: 07 Apr 2008 Posts: 83 Location: Prattville, AL

Now that I'm satisfied with his front and back, I need some
criticism for his pitiful sides.

Gizmog1 · Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 12:19 am Post subject:

The sides actually don't look that bad. I might move the head back a pixel, but that's just me.

Newbie_Power · Joined: 04 Sep 2006 Posts: 1762

Make his hands the same size as the hands up front.

Make his shoes more profound in size, because the highlight you have in the front of the shoe on the front view helps suggest the size of the shoe.

You need to lengthen the arm to be consistent with front view, and make the hand just as large. Your front view has shoulders that are quite large, so try to imply that in your side view as well, making them go as high as they do in your front view.

You will either need to alter the front view or the side view to make either the side view weightier, or the front view skinnier, because they are very different in that respect.
_________________

TheGiz> Am I the only one who likes to imagine that Elijah Wood's character in Back to the Future 2, the kid at the Wild Gunman machine in the Cafe 80's, is some future descendant of the AVGN?