(http://penguinx.org/illustrations/albertWalkcycle.gif)
I think that if you were sort of hunched over with a really long tail protruding from you, you'd have to move the arm and leg of one side at the same time while twisting your body sideways to move that sort of bulk. This is my interpretation of that. I slowed it down a bit. It could probably use a few more tweens, too, but this gives you what I was aiming for. Next'll be to grid it up and pixel it out, I guess. I might try brush work, though, like I eluded to in a previous post.
Whattya think?
I think he's a bit out of balance... If the frames that show him looking sidewards where less extreme it would do perfectly.
But besides that I like it!
~Yurina
I really like the design - reminiscent of the "Deep Ones" from Lovecraftian mythos. Scary stuff. In the current version it looks like it's seen from below whenever it lifts it's head back - like there's a vanishing point at the center of it, and that makes it seem very big (twice human height), which might be cool for a cutscene where it takes up most of the screen - but i'm uncertain how that effect will come out if the sprite is shown at normal sprite size in a game background. But you've probably already considered how the sprite will be used, so good work :)
Thanks for the encouraging words! I'm going to tweak his head's angle a bit and get to work.
I really love the motion of the lower half of the body! The only thing that bothers me is the way the head suddenly jolts to the sides and the shoulder jumps up on the extreme frames. I wouldn't make the motion less extreme, I'd just make the in between frames tween the motion better.
Instead of
shoulders: square, square, square, left, square, square, square, right, ...
head: straight, straight, straight, left, straight, straight, straight, right, ...
I'd make it*
shoulders: leaning right, square, leaning left, left, leaning left, square, leaning right, right, ...
head: turning right, straight, turning left, left, turning left, straight, turning right, right, ...
Does that make sense?
*If I had any sort of artistic ability.
I'd say eliminate signifigantly alter the frame with the severe head turning.
At first I thought it was done well, even with the slightly overturning head... then I noticed his tail isn't on the ground at all...
My initial impression was he way using his upperbody movement to pull this heavy thing attached to his lower half a bit off the ground to make it a bit easier to move with his legs.
Since his tail isn't on the ground, that type of head and shoulder pull would have that tail whipping about much more than it does now. So I would say either put the tail on the ground, make the tail whip around more, or lower the severity of the shoulder pull and head movement.
Good criticisms, all. Wow, you're totally right about the tail. That heavy thing should be on the ground. It'll be easy enough to do that last, so I'll mess around with it some more.
About the extreme most frame, I may add a tween. I like going for something just over the edge of normal in these things, but I don't want it to not jive either. If the tween doesn't work, I'll make it less extreme!
(http://penguinx.org/illustrations/fishmanInked.gif)
It needs a mess of tweens. :P
Looks nice aside from the several phalic references I percieve. Though I do posess a dirty mind.
Hey, if four blockbuster movies can be centered around a phallic creature, it can't be a bad idea...
I think his feet (can I call them feet?) are way to small in the position behind him.
For the rest it looks very nice!
I think adding a few frames would do wonders though!
I think it is quite nice. The head turning frames seem to be in the right idea, however would make a bit more sense with a few tween frames to explain how the head is getting to that position and how it is getting away from it. If that makes any sense. Good stuff, anyway.
I like it! Only comment I have is the hands/arm position when the legs are going back, it looks as if the hands are attempting to PUSH the legs apart, or something like that. Hard to explain. Look at the 2 frames, when each leg begins to go back, his hand appears to be resting sort of on the thigh of the leg, and follows it as if it's attached.
Understand? :-\
Yeah, it's unfortunate how closely his hand ends and his thigh begins. I need to rework a few things. I really appreciate the criticisms, all!
he is moving same arm as leg... SAME ARM AS LEG!!!!!
Is it intended? cos i accidentally did the same thing to my character once.
Heh...dumb, nitpicky thing, but...why would something living underwater have hair on its body? :) Otherwise, totally sweet looking fishman you got there.
The hairy chest, nipples and what seems to be male genitals lead me to believe it is a half man-half fish.
I would also suggest you try your best to fix the same arm/leg movement... although this does have its own charm to it.
Quote from: n3tgraph on Fri 21/07/2006 07:44:04
I think his feet (can I call them feet?) are way to small in the position behind him.
For the rest it looks very nice!
I agree with this. his feet at far-back position are way to small in comparison with rest of his body.
and he
does move same leg and arm so he isnt well balanced. tail could've improved that if it was positioned at the opposite side, so that would make sense - he is moving left arm and left leg but for balance it swings tail to other side (right) and vice versa. this way u get too much inertia at same side so he would prolly fall to the side in real life. i hope this helps..
same arm same leg? I honestly think that he wasn't SUPPOSED to walk naturally. I think Penguinx is capable of creating a fully normal walcycle if he wishes.
Quote from: Redwall on Fri 21/07/2006 06:36:59
Hey, if four blockbuster movies can be centered around a phallic creature, it can't be a bad idea...
Batman is phallic?
I was trying for a sort of Thriller-video-ungainliness! I agree about all your concerns, though. I'm working to try a version of this walkcycle slightly modified with more tweens and some clarifed limbs at the moment. I will post the results! :)
I rather like the unified limb movement ...
I mean, he's a fish out of water. Stands to reason he'd be a little awkward and ungainly. I like the lumbering ... it seems as if he's really uncomfortable having to walk, rather than swim.
While it could, as mentioned, use a few more tweens, over-all I like the direction.
Quote from: SSH on Tue 25/07/2006 12:43:24
Quote from: Redwall on Fri 21/07/2006 06:36:59
Hey, if four blockbuster movies can be centered around a phallic creature, it can't be a bad idea...
Batman is phallic?
I THINK he meant the "Aliens" tetralogy.
And I second (or third, or fourth) the same arm same leg movement. It does make it look more unnatural and twisted.
The comment regarding making the tail move in the opposite direction makes want to tinker a lot more with it. I may scrap what I have entirely. I'd rather make it right :).
omg Haddas i never said penguinx cant make a walkcycle etc i just said that from a point of physics he would sway dangerously to his side since great part of the weight (hand,leg,tail) is thrown to the same side.
i aint saying that it might contribute more to whatever penguinx is trying to accomplish there, i just stated what i thought at that moment.. theres no need to defend his artistic and other skills
sheesh :/
Quote from: TheSaint on Tue 25/07/2006 23:57:09
omg Haddas i never said penguinx cant make a walkcycle etc i just said that from a point of physics he would sway dangerously to his side since great part of the weight (hand,leg,tail) is thrown to the same side.
i aint saying that it might contribute more to whatever penguinx is trying to accomplish there, i just stated what i thought at that moment.. theres no need to defend his artistic and other skills
sheesh :/
Don't sweat it mang, I'm not personally insulting you, or anyone. It was just the general feel of the comments, asking for the fixing of the walkcycle. I'm sorry if I offended you. I didn't mean to. I clearly came off as a jackass and I apologize.
I believe he mentioned right at the start that the same arm/leg thing was deliberate, as this can give a sense of size. Many large animals (elephants, eg.) move both limbs of one side at a time, rather than alternating like us puny humans.
In my opinion, the lumbering DOES make it seem bigger, possibly too much so. I'm not sure how large it is supposed to be, but when I look at him I get a sense of something about twenty or thirty feet tall. The shrinking rear foot adds to that sense, although that is still too extreme even then.
If he is supposed to be that big, cool. If not, you may want to tweak it a little bit to show that. Don't redo too much, it's awesome, just little things, like fixing the foot and maybe increasing the speed a teensy bit.
Just my $0.02.
HoN
Quote from: Haddas on Wed 26/07/2006 00:47:14
Don't sweat it mang, I'm not personally insulting you, or anyone. It was just the general feel of the comments, asking for the fixing of the walkcycle. I'm sorry if I offended you. I didn't mean to. I clearly came off as a jackass and I apologize.
no offence taken mate ;D, i was just amused how ppl went defending a work that clearly states that good artist is working on it
regards,
O:)
QuoteI believe he mentioned right at the start that the same arm/leg thing was deliberate, as this can give a sense of size. Many large animals (elephants, eg.) move both limbs of one side at a time, rather than alternating like us puny humans.
He's supposed to be heavy, lumbering, and awkward, but only of slightly above average heighth. So, yeah, some reworking is in order.
For sake of argument, here's a pencil sketch of his arch-nemesis, the Fenrir. The tiny adventure game I have in mind puts him against the Fenrir and a Golem. This is more a character sketch than anything, but this guy IS a giant.
(http://www.penguinx.org/illustrations/fenrir3.png)
Awww it's a puppy! :D
I think the 4 movies he means are of the Tremors series.
fishman:
I think the perpective may be a little too exxagerated for a ingame walkcycle, but it would work wonders in a cutscene. What will it be used for?
The naked version of the fishman will appear in the first one or two rooms of a small, small game. Once I have the art assets done, I intend to get some scripting help from one of the many talented AGS'ers out there, 'cause I suck.
Color test of the big guy.
(http://penguinx.org/illustrations/fenrirColorTest.jpg)
He looks ugly, evil, sad and frightened. Is that what you were going for? The fur is nice, but I think I personally would like it more if it was Dark brown.
That's exactly what I wanted to convey. Woo!