Walkcycle for crit and a question

[yourhumblecartoonist]

Please criticize this:
http://www.deviantart.com/view/23304312/

So I've been working preproduction phase of this game for a while, just got this walkcycle worked out.  I've done several backgrounds already, but lately I've been thinking I should redo them all and have them just be a 2-d sideview.   This isn't just out a desire to avoid the back and forward walking animations, I also think that a sidescroller would reflect the heiroglyphic style of the comic the game is based on.  But I'm not sure how exactly to make this sidescroller backgrounds, with building and tables and such.  Does anybody have any advice on doing sidescroller adventure games?  Or should I just draw the walkcycles and use the standard three dimensional rooms?

[RyRayer]

I think, that your character's feet are almost finished, but you have to do something with those hands and you should make his head and body more bumpy.

[PsychicHeart]

i think you should make the expression on his face change a little every now and then, y'know, for a more realistic feel.

[esper]

The entire torso should sway so that it makes about a quarter rotation on it's Z axis (away from you, then towards you). This could be easily accomplished by making the arm closest to you move to the right when the facing leg is extended and back to the left when the leg goes back. The arm in back should disappear a bit further behind the body when the leading arm comes forward, and then should come back out when it declines. Also, the rear leg movement is nearly perfect, but the forawrd leg steps up too high and then comes down too sharply, making it seem more like the walk of a woman wearing high heels.
Also, when RyRayer says "bumpy" I think that means the torso and head should go up and down (think DOOM) as he walks.
Otherwise, this is better than I could do, since I have no patience with walkcycles (yea, verily, or any other type of animation)... You might also consider closing his mouth entirely and closing his eyes partially.... He looks like he's running away from a ghost he's just seen.

As for your question about sidescrollers... Maniac Mansion was ALMOST a sidescroller... Only a couple rooms had any real depth. If you want to do this, you would just need to make two layers in your room. Draw it out entirely, and make the foreground a walkbehind... Here's a quick one I drew up in Paint just so you can get what I'm saying...


Where blue=foreground/walkbehind and red=walkable. It's still kind of 3d, but it's probably the best you'll be able to get. Only make a right and left-facing walking view, but make a special "facing up" and "facing down" view for when the character goes through a door or inspects something that is in either the foreground or background.

[yourhumblecartoonist]

Thanks for the response guys.  Yeah, there are still a lot of kinks I need to work out with this guy, but not bad for a first attempt, eh?
Esper, that is a brilliant idea, and exactly what I shall do.  Thanks for drawing up that example, it really helped me visualize it.