Character animation

[Kal]

One minor qualm I have with the animation:  is there a "hit" animation, or even flashing red whenever Naija gets hit?  If there is, I didn't notice it...

I say because, without the sound, it's a little tricky to tell when you actually take damage unless you're watching the health gauge (there were several close shaves whereyou ALMOST get hit, but she only takes damage in the few seconds towards the end of the fight).  To tell you the truth, I watched it first with the sound off, and I didn't notice you almost died until the screen border glowed red (another nice effect, btw).  On the other hand, I didn't really notice the idling animations, so...yeah, did I miss this one as well?

[Alec]

She flashes red, does a short hit animation and spawns some "Naija blood". (but don't tell the censors that!) The screen also shakes, with the amount determined by the damage.

Are you watching the YouTube video or the XVid one?

[Kal]

Youtube.  The latest one.  I guess I'll keep a closer eye out for it next time?

[Alec]

I mean that its probably hard to see in the YouTube version because its small and blurry. There's a higher quality XVid download on the blog that might be clearer.

[Kal]

Yeah, the DivX vid is oh-so-damn-much clearer.  Yeah, I retract my previous statement.  And I do think the "random" idle needs a little bit more scaling in the choices...the brushing-hair animation shows up very very often.  Unless...I don't know, might wanna check it in the testing, maybe we just got unlucky.  It's a nice touch, though.

[Guert]

Don't worry, Alec just got unlucky when he made the video...
I'd also like to point out that the game is very intuitve... You guys were wonderin about if it was clear that the character gets hit when it happens. It is! It's always hard to tell from a video...

[Hiro]

I took the original as a diss to the animations, but I'm not sure if its intended that way.

A lot of people criticized Naija's swimming animation in the first full trailer. After getting bombarded with all the crap that people were flinging because of that, I went in and retooled it. I think it looks a lot better now. The more recent videos have the new swimming animation. (we also added some layered idle swimming animations that'll play as you go, and we gave her body a "breathing cage", which is really hard to notice unless you're zoomed in)

What really annoys me is not when people criticize something about the game, but when they do so in a heartless way without any attempt at understanding or explanation. Its like, if certain animations or other little details in the game aren't good enough, then tell us... 'cause we're working on the game, and we can fix that stuff up! Some people just assume that "that's it" and dismiss the entire game because of one minor detail. I don't really understand that, and I find it a painful thing to deal with.

I've tried to put as much as I can into making the animation system fluid and powerful. It has different types of lerp keys (ease), the ability to bend sprites, layering animations on different parts of the "skeleton" at once, insertion of particle effects timed to the animations...

But yet some people are just like "ITS NOT PIXEL ANIMATION, THEREFORE I HATE THIS GAME".

Ugh.

Hey, I for one really like the way she swims. although since you mentioned being constructive with criticizism: Is there really no "firing" animation when you launch off those fireballs agains N. Prime? Because I didn't notice any. Well, when you do the 4 fireball attack thing there is, but when you just launch off single ones there isn't (or not that I saw). It looks kinda funny with her just swimming and fireballs fly out of her hands.

Oh, and a friend of mine said there should be a turn-around animation when you go past the 90 degrees limit facing down or up.

But really, I can't see anything wrong with the animations and stuff. everything wavers beautifully, and the extra little things Naija does really make her a non-static character. This game is going to be soooooo good.

[Alec]

She moves her arm when she fires, its subtle, but its there. I feel it would be kind of annoying if she did a full body animation with her firing that much.

As to the turning animation, I have no idea how you'd accomplish that without drawing special frames of animation just for that. It doesn't seem like such a small effect would be worth all that work for us. (there's a lot of variation of Naija's graphics, and those frames would have to be drawn again for each one... I'd rather Derek spent his time making new creatures graphics )

[Hiro]

I agree. I didn't mind the turning thing, just a friend pointed it out.
As for the firing, it's not like we will be focusing on her arms when fighting some serious underwater creeps anyway. If you say there is an animation, I'll just trust you and look for it when I play the game (it's kinda hard to tell when you aren't in control ).

Make sure Derek makes some kickass creatures for us!

[ZealousD]

I took the original as a diss to the animations, but I'm not sure if its intended that way.

I don't think it was intended that way. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLlJfGybBcc

You'll notice how in order to animate his characters, Gilliam gives his cutouts joints and then moves the limbs as needed. For somebody who's unfamiliar with the concept of jointed sprites, the comparison could be made.

[2disbetter]

Let me start off by saying that I am enthralled with your graphics engine. It is smooth, and really draws the viewer in.  While I know you already commented on some of these, I woudl like to suggest them again.

2 things I noticed on the animtations that I think might help:

- While swimming it would help if every once in a while she would use her arm or contour her body so as to make it look like she is actively guiding herself through the water with more than just the pumping of her legs. Even if you don't do this the swimming still looks great. It you want to go with a more dynamic swim though I feel as though this is key. Maybe implement a way for the game to know when the player is changing course more than say 45 degrees, and allow the body to contour appropriately in relations to the change in direction. I know a new couple of cells would need to be created for this, but I think the work will pay off in overall quality. (which is already abounding)

- When coming to a stop there should be a little drift action before she comes to a full stop. You might have this built in some what as I think I see it a few times. If you could add an animation to help show her stopping herself it would be great. Her arms would be the perfect thing to use in creating the stopping current. As a sub idea on this while idle and not swimming she could slowly sink lower, or you could add a simple treading water animation (Edit: I've seen this on the new trailer, looks great).

I love the way things look now, if you where to even think about implementing some more animation on these parts, I really feel it could be used to breathe a little more personality into her. (the way she gracefully changes directions, or her care free idle while not moving as examples) You could use the same system you use to detect a movement change to implement the new extra few animations. I really think it would be worth both of your times.

You're doing a great job, and I can't wait for the game to be finished.

2d

Edit: P.s.: If you don't mind me asking, but what Direct X SDK are you using?

[Azuu]

Now i know you upgraded the swimming and other animations, are they still of file for those of us who would use it?

[Alec]

Now i know you upgraded the swimming and other animations, are they still of file for those of us who would use it?

I have no idea what you're talking about. 

[Azuu]

I took the original as a diss to the animations, but I'm not sure if its intended that way.

A lot of people criticized Naija's swimming animation in the first full trailer. After getting bombarded with all the crap that people were flinging because of that, I went in and retooled it. I think it looks a lot better now. The more recent videos have the new swimming animation. (we also added some layered idle swimming animations that'll play as you go, and we gave her body a "breathing cage", which is really hard to notice unless you're zoomed in)

What really annoys me is not when people criticize something about the game, but when they do so in a heartless way without any attempt at understanding or explanation. Its like, if certain animations or other little details in the game aren't good enough, then tell us... 'cause we're working on the game, and we can fix that stuff up! Some people just assume that "that's it" and dismiss the entire game because of one minor detail. I don't really understand that, and I find it a painful thing to deal with.

I've tried to put as much as I can into making the animation system fluid and powerful. It has different types of lerp keys (ease), the ability to bend sprites, layering animations on different parts of the "skeleton" at once, insertion of particle effects timed to the animations...

But yet some people are just like "ITS NOT PIXEL ANIMATION, THEREFORE I HATE THIS GAME".

Ugh.

do you still have the old animation that you retooled?

[Alec]

do you still have the old animation that you retooled?

I really don't know why you're asking that.

There were many versions of Naija's animation file. The newest one is the best. Why would you want an old one?