Main Character Shooting Animation; C&C

[Penguinx]

I haven't had ANY free time lately, but decided last night (about 2:00 am) that I had to do something towards the game I've been working on.

Here is that something:


And here is that something slower and at 300% size:


Thanks in advance for any comments! (And to the people waiting on logos, I haven't forgotten!)

[Dart]

It seems kind of odd that legs don't move at all while the upper body recoils extensively from the gun. The legs should at least move just a bit, because now the man looks as if he's going to fall.

Other than that, it looks great.

[Haddas]

When his hands reach the gun again, make it do a little bounce. IMO it'd look a little more natural, or at least a little smoother

[Darth Mandarb]

The facial animation rocks big time!

I think it might look a little more natural if he backsteps a little to regain his balance.Ã,  Or maybe just have his back leg slide back rather than step.

Also, and this is just me being picky, the gun's top should slide back exposing the barrel.Ã,  Just on the first frame.Ã,  It's how automatic hand-guns of that style reload.

Like this:


Your art-work continues to amaze me!Ã,  Can't wait to see more!

[Phemar]

Love it, adore it, want to sleep with it under my pillow...

Brilliant, love the face...good work there...

[Penguinx]

Let me ask your opinions about the legs. The character is going to be used in a platformer. Do you think having the characters footing change position during the firing animation will throw people off at all?

The only reason I canned the leg movement was because I didn't want for the art to get in the way of the gameplay. I'm curious to see what your opinions on the point are.

Also, Darth, I am such a shmuck. As an avid gun collector, I think they are going to take away my NRA membership for missing that detail!

[Igor]

First, this is bloody gorgeous!
It's so good that i honestly don't think there's a need to change anything.

About legs- animation is perfect as it is, but if you really want to bother, you could just add a bit of back or down movement to legs (while the feet should stay in the same spot)... this, and you could add some folow-through motion to hair- right now they just stop moving when the head comes back to original position (longer hair are such a gratifying thing to animate, that it's a shame not to take advantage offÃ,  ).

Nah, don't mind me, i'm seriously nitpicking here.

Did i mention it's gorgeous?... Bloody!

[ElectricMonk]

Let me ask your opinions about the legs. The character is going to be used in a platformer. Do you think having the characters footing change position during the firing animation will throw people off at all?

As long as they're back where they were at the animation's end, I think you're safe.

[MrColossal]

I am officially agreeing with Igor on the follow through in the hair and am adding a request for follow through on the shirt.

My concern is that his shot takes a long time and what kind of game is it? Not one like Metal Slug I hope where you have to shoot 800 bullets in a minute cause the animation will seriously slow down the rapid fireness of it all.

Otherwise he's really cute!

My name is Eric Feurstein and I approve of this message.

[Evil]

Hmm, well I second the time length. I also think that the arm goes way far back. I doubt it would come off the gun that much if not at all. I dunno, I'm picky.

[Penguinx]

Thanks for the comments.

I would like to post something to show why the left hand gets kicked back the way it does and why the legs don't move as is.

Aside from the animation needing to be able to loop if the person is rapidly pushing the fire button, the animation needs to make some sense if the person doesn't fire agian.

Below is the fire animation being abruptly stopped and continuing with the idle stance.


It's a bit choppy, but it may be the best compromise available. Luckily, the game is not a frenetic shooting game ala Gunstar Heroes or the Metal Slug series (though I am inspired by both). This allows for a longer, more-fluid shooting animation. I'm thinking of adding one more frame to it based on everyone's comments. Something to let the hair flow better, the shirt settle slower, and the hand move smoother. However, that may pose a problem for a single shot that returns to an idle stance, ya think?

Anyhow, here are a few other things I've been working on:

[DanClarke]

thats fantastic man, i love your anims! 

[Darth Mandarb]

The animation makes more sense in that context.

Of course, I thought it made sense before to!

I look forward to seeing this game with your animations in it.

I like the two new baddies as well (even the unfinished one).Ã,  It reminds me [kind of] that creature in Doom ... can't remember the name of the thing.

Keep it up!