I have started working on a game, and here is the basic template for the characters (the actual characters would have varying clothes, hair, etc.):
(http://crabshack.bythegoddess.com/ags/Cha.gif)
(my game is populated by slime-blobby things ^_^).
Now that the time has come for animating, I don't have any clue as to how this thing would move... should all three "legs" come forward at once (kind of like a caterpillar pulls itself along)?Ã, Should the character waddle?Ã, etc.
I would appreciate it if you could give me some ideas ^_^
UPDATE:
The walkcycles:
(http://crabshack.bythegoddess.com/ags/ChaTemplateFront.gif)Ã, Ã, (http://crabshack.bythegoddess.com/ags/ChaTemplateSide.gif)
UPDATE#2
(http://crabshack.bythegoddess.com/ags/TomWalkfront.gif)
A very quick animation I did of what came to my mind the moment I saw it.
(http://img355.imageshack.us/img355/2298/chaanimated1qh.gif)
I somehow find this green bobbly thing quite ... alluring. ;D
i would make go around jumping like the tentacles in DOT.
but that can be quite annoying while playing....
Love the blob :D Ehem, I have this icky image in my mind of a spiderlike creature walking by moving one leg to the front at the time. I suppose you could use that in here too, right?
.Sklate.'s animation won't load up so I don't know what they did, but I'd say the 'legs' would wobble like some kind of deformed tank. As he moves his body might bounce a little.
EDIT: Yeah, I mean like how Krysis described it.
Use a wavy kind of motion. Like a sinosoide or something, excuse my frenchÃ, ;D. A snail moves in a interesting way. You might want to check that too.
Thanks for the suggestions, everybody.Ã, I like the idea of a "sinusoidal tank" ^_^
The hopping motion is a good idea and would be cute, but I think it would be too hard for me to animate once I add the clothes and hair.Ã, I think the spiderlike motion would be neat as well, but I think it would be a little too complicated for the style of character.
Thanks again ^_^ I will probably be posting the walkcycle sometime soon, as it is almost certain I will need help with it!
Quote from: .Sklate. on Sat 20/05/2006 19:05:00
I somehow find this green bobbly thing quite ... alluring. ;D
It's the beady eyes, isn't it...Ã, ;)
Judging by those crabs on your website, you'd like this little paintover:
(http://img417.imageshack.us/img417/9384/shibiified6jx.png)
I like the idea of wavy motion. Like those amoeba brother guys in Powerpuff girls. Its pretty simple (I think) but it looks great.
I think the bottom should wiggle and it should just drift, like a gelatinous Morticia Addams.
I think it should roll in a gelatanous ball and reform into an upright blob when it stops.
Quote from: Mr Flibble on Sun 21/05/2006 15:48:45
I think it should roll in a gelatanous ball and reform into an upright blob when it stops.
That would be a tad bit hard to animate with different assortment of clothes and hair and what-nots ;D
But it'll be quite interesting to see a whole city-scape with green blobby things rolling about :)
Quote from: Krysis on Sun 21/05/2006 08:17:30
Judging by those crabs on your website, you'd like this little paintover:
I don't like that paintover... I LOVE it!!!Ã, It is now tucked safely onto my harddrive ^_^
Mr. Flibble, The rolling balls would look cool, but like .Sklate. said, too hard to animate for me.
In the mean time, I have completed my first walkcycle ever.Ã, Please comment:
(http://crabshack.bythegoddess.com/ags/frontwalk.gif)
To be honest, I'm baffled.
Had I not seen web gallery, I'd say you just don't beleive you can draw humans adequately, so you figured out that if you populate your game with amorphous blobby this, you won't have to draw humans. - I had the same idea for a platform game, some 10 years ago or so. - This of course is cheap and nobody will fall for it. The game will just suck.
..But I've seen your gallery, sporting many beautiful drawings, so I know that can't be the case. (At least if those really are your drawings).
But hey, what's with this blobby thing? I don't want to be mean, but this doesn't look like a work of a skilled artist, which you undoubtedly are.
Even if it's just a blob, it must be a 2D-rendering of a 3D character, not just a flat circle-exercise. It should have personality, style, flexibility (or else how will you animate it?), some interesting anatomy.
No harm feelings, I like your art very much - so I know you can do better than this!
No harmed feeling ^_^.Ã, I see your point, but I think this type of character suits the tone of my game (which is light-hearted).Ã, Before I joined AGS I had never animated anything--I made my first ever animated gif about 2 weeks ago.Ã, I'll admit the ease of animation did factor into why I chose to populate my game with slimes, but it was not the sole reason.Ã,Â
Also, remember that the character is not done yet; here is a design for the main character:
(http://crabshack.bythegoddess.com/ags/Chasketch.jpg)
As you can see, while he is still simple, he is more complex than the one I had previously posted.
And I am challenging myself artistically in other ways... for example, I have lots of problems drawing backgrounds, but I chose to keep backgrounds semi-realistic (background of a hatshop, not yet complete):
(http://crabshack.bythegoddess.com/ags/Hatshop.jpg)
(I like the contrast between the highly cartoony characters and the painted background).Ã, So, I'm not just taking the easy way out... I am trying to make this game look nice and appealing.Ã, The slime characters appeal to me, personally.Ã, If others feel differently, and think they are just silly, then please do say so...
NOTE: since I posted some other stuff, everyone feel free to comment on those too.Ã, The background is not full size.
Fantastic. Just keep doing what you're doing!
I have a couple of ideas if you are still looking...
1. have him hop around more like the tenticles in DOTT
2. Add more of a wobble to it so it gives him more of a not made out of cardboard feel
and if you really like what you have i just say add a few more inbetweens to try and make it look less jerky
I think I like what I have as a general concept, but I still have some tweaking to do.Ã, For example, adding a more lively bounce to his step ^_^.Ã, I will post a revision later.
i think the slimes are cute, i like them. if you want them to be even more cute it might help to make the eyes slightly larger so that you can put a small highlight in them.
Hmm... that could be a good idea. I'll take a look at the eyes and see if a shine would help... I don't want to make the eyes too large, though.
Here are the new walkcycles:
(http://crabshack.bythegoddess.com/ags/ChaTemplateFront.gif) (http://crabshack.bythegoddess.com/ags/ChaTemplateSide.gif)
I think I'm pretty happy with them... they're not the smoothest animations, but they get the job done ^_^. Please do comment though--I've been working on these for so long I might be missing obvious problems...
PS: ignore that little green line on the side view; that shouldn't be there :P
looks alot better I really think you nailed the down left animation
Oh my, that background you have there looks gorgeous! :o
Any yep, I think you've got a pretty nifty walk cycle there :)
Lovely jelly blob character!
One thing that annoyed me though, was that it's animation was too symmetric (in his "legs" part, wasn't that apparent in the side view though). I'll suggest a cyclic movement or some alternating moving patterns (like real character legs, and the hands you drew):
(http://www.imag.us/x/gilbert/jellyblobfrontgc.gif)
Also, I think a bit highlight on his forehead helps to make him less flat and more "jellyish" (like above).
That's just my personal preference, sorry about that.
Nothing major to add, except I think he'd look adorable with a hat. :-D
I like that walkcycle Gilbot! Thank you, I'll try to incorporate some of the leg alternation into my animation ^_^. I agree the head shine looks better, but the actual characters will have hair and clothes, so most of the head and trunk won't be visible.
@Dave Gilbert: Ironically, he's a hatmaker who hates wearing hats ^_^
Hmm when I looked at the original sprite I thought it should be a hovering ghost
(with the bottom part fluttering extremely fast like it's a piece of cloth in hard wind)
Think that would be cooler than a slime blob.
But since you've already gone down the slime path might as well stick with it.
The current animation looks good
....but since this is the critics lounge:
Don't think it's slimey enough!
Looks like a person trapped in a green plastic bag trying to walk.
I think he should have much less of a normal waliking animation, and more of a gliding and sliding animation.
Like he's a jelly blob on a soapy floor.
Thanks for the suggestions Hajjamujja, but I think I'm happy with the general walkcycle now ^_^.
Here is the cycle, complete with clothes and hair:
(http://crabshack.bythegoddess.com/ags/TomWalkfront.gif)
Unless there are major changes to make, this will probably be the last time I update about this walkcycle... I must move on! ^_^
Looks great! Even though that it on first sight looked like an... erm... Adult toy.
The walkcycle looks great now. Interesting!
However, I have a small idea/sugestion (and please, this is not to be considered as critique towards your design/drawingskills- which we all know are exceptional) about the hair:
Considering the "forehead" gloss that's been suggested... I thought it might be cool if he didn't have hair, but more jellostuff- shaped like a *gaa* Loosing my english here... Like a this:
(http://www.planetmidian.com/ags/TomWalkfront2.gif)
Hair and jelly don't match too well IRL=p
That's a very good suggestion, thanks Maltjik!Ã, I don't know what to do now! ^_^Ã, I'll have to think about it... does anyone else have opinions on making the hair more jelly-like?
EDIT: if it helps, here is the animation.Ã, I would modify the shines a bit if I do go down this route:
(http://crabshack.bythegoddess.com/ags/TomWalkfrontblue.gif)
I personally like this better. I find the idea of jelly sprouting hair somewhat... vulgar.
Also more logical, if logic is to be applied when thinking of little dudes made out of jelly... I think.
(http://crabshack.bythegoddess.com/ags/ChaTemplateFront.gif)
I must admit that I like this one more...
Anywho well done on the animation MashPotato! WOW aswell as that snazzy looking background!