Hey guys,
I've been spending a lot of time today trying to nail down a final look for the main character for our next game.
She's around 30, an adventurous, outdoorsy type. The game is set in the late 19th century in the UK, and is 320x180 resolution.
[imgzoom]https://i.ibb.co/s544w1m/test.png[/imgzoom]
I still feel it could be quite better. The game is set in kind of a cold climate so I guess she perhaps should be wearing some kind of coat. What do you think? Very much open to criticism and suggestions :)
Many thanks,
Shaun
She looks good, just not sure tan is the best color for contrast with the flesh colour. Also she looks rather pale.
My immediate thought was that she looks very modern. Someone with a better background in Victorian era history might want to correct me here, but I do believe that even if she was of the more emancipated lot who would wear trousers and endorse outdoors activities, she would still usually sport a hat. Also, the late 19th century clothes tended to be more bulky and they would rather conceal the body curves.
I think her waist is too thin. If she is outside on adventures, she wouldn't wear such a tight corset. Besides, it doesn't really reflect a late 19th century fashion style. Google "fashion 1880" and "fashion 1880 male" to see some examples.
Quote from: cat on Sat 28/09/2019 21:23:53
I think her waist is too thin. If she is outside on adventures, she wouldn't wear such a tight corset. Besides, it doesn't really reflect a late 19th century fashion style. Google "fashion 1880" and "fashion 1880 male" to see some examples.
Basically this, but the dress style itself isn't
that far off for an adventurer in that time.
Check out Amelia Earhart's swag (more early 20th century than late 19th, but could work, depending on how flexible/specific your game dates are). Of course, in most of her pics she's wearing a pilot jumpsuit, but you could get a couple of ideas from other photos of her:
(They're huge, so spoiler tags it is)
Spoiler
(https://www.nationalgeographic.com/content/dam/archaeologyandhistory/rights-exempt/history-magazine/2019/07-08/amelia/05-amelia-opener.adapt.1900.1.jpg)
Spoiler
(https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/nintchdbpict000000824690.jpg)
I would certainly try to be more bold with colour contrast and shading. Bigger contrast also gives you more options when drawing facial features and hair or creating different textures. I'm seconding cat, the waist looks too thin, but if for some reason you want to accentuate that part, you can try a bigger belt or use some other fabric/colour tricks to draw attention. The shoulder-to-hip ratio might also need some adjusting, but that really depends on what sort of body type you are going for. Additionally, the front and back views look kind of stiff and the feet size seems slightly different when compared to side view.
As for the outfit itself, then as others have implied, it reminds me more of the first half of the 20th century, something you'd see in an Indiana Jones type of setting, like Faye in the Flight of the Amazon Queen, for example.
Some quick mockups to illustrate:
[imgzoom]https://i.imgur.com/BgdxSJn.png[/imgzoom]
Damn, Hobo! That one on the far right is a thing of beauty!
Thanks everyone for the feedback and suggestions - this has been extremely helpful :)
We are OK with her look being a little unusual for the period, as it will provide a nice contrast to the other characters in the game, who will be very traditionally Victorian in appearance (this contrast suits the narrative of the game). She will have a couple of sprite sets - the other she will be wearing a more traditional dress/hat. The one we see here is when she is out in the fields digging for treasures ;)
Hobo - wow - those sprites are brilliant. Gorgeous! Thank you for your time on it. I've used influences from them to work up another possibility - seen below on the left. On the right is another AMAZING suggestion from Ben Chandler - beautiful stuff. I think in the end we will combine all these influences, and possibly make her neckscarf red for a bit more contrast. But almost there! It's going to be fun translating this more detailed style to the front and back views of the sprite.
What do you guys think?
[imgzoom]https://i.ibb.co/drTbv0L/benchandler.png[/imgzoom]
(Note this image is not to scale)
Thanks again <3
Both look great, but I especially love the one on the right! <3 (mostly because of the hair and of course, the pose.) And I'd suggest keeping the purple scarf, it's lovely and much less of a cliché than a red one would be (nod)
I really love both, but I prefer the second one (on the right). The character gives me a lot feelings of lucasarts games (specially indiana jones). I hope we can see more things about this game soon.
I'm not sure for what i should comment on. The one to the left (last picture of two prototypes) looks to me.
Not trying to be offensive here even tho i know it sounds like it :-D. Looks like a trans/changed gender type of girl. I feel exactly like the guy said in a previous post Faye from Amazon Queen might be a good inspiration for this type of style. I too like the right one the most. It's perfect for what it is, but the question remains in my head. How high detailed are the bakgrounds going to be? If they are more simplified maybe the more shading/textures of the right character needs to go away. It would still look great for sure! It's hard to tell if a sprite feels "right" when you have no context. No overall "game presentation" if you know what i mean? Good luck with it tho, all guys did a great job on the sprite prototypes! :)
Just go with your guts, don't rely so much on what other people think, it's a dangerous way to walk. "What do you think about this, and that". Try to avoid! (laugh)
Nevermind... I regretted my post.
Quote from: Olleh19 on Sun 06/10/2019 22:14:39
I'm not sure for what i should comment on. The one to the left (last picture of two prototypes) looks to me.
Not trying to be offensive here even tho i know it sounds like it :-D. Looks like a trans/changed gender type of girl.
Are you fucking serious here? What cave did you just crawl out of? And has it even crossed your mind that there are trans people in these forums reading this right now?
Like i've said in the post (Which you clearly didn't read). It was NOT meant to offend, even tho it sounds offensive. It looks like a transgender girl to me, best way to explain it. What should i have said instead? It's not helpful to say something like "I don't like this" "it's not my taste", bla bla. "The colors are wrong", those kind of comments wouldn't explain how i saw the particular sprite.
I wanted to explain why i don't like it. It doesn't mean i don't like gay/transgender etc. Chill out. (roll)
If that is what he wants tho, go for it, but i liked the other one better, since that looks more like a regular girl which it sounds like to me, he is looking for.
Spare me the lecture :P
No, I will NOT spare you the lecture, because what you said was offensive AND disrespectful. If you're saying that you don't like a character "because she looks trans" you're saying that being trans is bad, ugly, undesirable, something you don't want your character to be, or to look like. Saying that you don't like a character because "she looks trans" and then saying "it doesn't mean I don't like transgender" is straight up bullshit. Especially when you finish with "I like the other one better since that looks more like a regular girl". Are you shitting me?
So no, I will not "chill out" and let this bullshit go by without calling it out. Anybody here would say the same if you had said "oh I don't like her, she looks too latina" or "she's too fat" or any other discriminatory implications. I don't give a shit if you didn't "mean" to offend. It was offensive anyway.
Quote from: Laura Hunt on Tue 08/10/2019 13:12:15
No, I will NOT spare you the lecture, because what you said was offensive AND disrespectful. If you're saying that you don't like a character "because she looks trans" you're saying that being trans is bad, ugly, undesirable, something you don't want your character to be, or to look like. Saying that you don't like a character because "she looks trans" and then saying "it doesn't mean I don't like transgender" is straight up bullshit. Especially when you finish with "I like the other one better since that looks more like a regular girl". Are you shitting me?
So no, I will not "chill out" and let this bullshit go by without calling it out. Anybody here would say the same if you had said "oh I don't like her, she looks too latina" or "she's too fat" or any other discriminatory implications. I don't give a shit if you didn't "mean" to offend. It was offensive anyway.
I disagree. "oh I don't like her, she looks too latina" or "she's too fat" Those are statements that has absolutely nothing to do with the characters gender, or the characters place in the particular time period. Which is clearly the case here. It looks like a guy who changed gender, or perhaps a guy with a wig. Take into account the age period this game is based in. But again it's just my opinion, maybe others don't agree that the sprite looks like a guy who changed gender with a wig.
I could stretch it to say it was bad choice of words, for sure it could indeed sound offensive i get it, which is why i apologised in the original post, perhaps i should have written a guy with a wig. (roll) Whatever. Off-topic. If you wanna argue with me you can do it in PM.
Oh ok, then "trans woman" = "guy with a wig", perfect, that fixes everything, not offensive at all, nope.
jfc why do I even bother.
Quote from: Laura Hunt on Tue 08/10/2019 13:28:18
Oh ok, then "trans woman" = "guy with a wig", perfect, that fixes everything, not offensive at all, nope.
jfc why do I even bother.
(http://imgur.com/a/Ek9kRwc)
Forum doesn't seem to work, https://imgur.com/a/Ek9kRwc (https://imgur.com/a/Ek9kRwc)
hobos edit is really great!
this heap of pixels is not a politicum?!!!!
Random note - you don't wear suspenders with a belt! It's one or the other! If you can't trust your suspenders to hold up your pants, you can't be trusted period lol
Quote from: CatPunter on Tue 08/10/2019 14:37:55
Random note - you don't wear suspenders with a belt! It's one or the other! If you can't trust your suspenders to hold up your pants, you can't be trusted period lol
You have to assume the audience already has some suspension of disbelief.
Everyone knows you only wear suspenders with stockings.
Only? Oh yeah (nod)
Olleh, you don't get it, do you? The problem isn't your "bad choice of words", it's the content of your words. Of course it's offensive.
You always use this trick where your side views are not completely sideways but rather three-quarter face with both feet at the same level (
Pendek, Football Game). It's OK but I feel it doesn't convey much depth.
QuoteRandom note - you don't wear suspenders with a belt! It's one or the other! If you can't trust your suspenders to hold up your pants, you can't be trusted period lol
Suspenders and belt is what my boss tells me when she wants me to be extra-careful with a customer :-D
I like Ben's and Hobo's edits a lot - look like something straight out of Lucasart's indy games. Of course, it might be bit harder to animate them with the added details and shading.