Running Sprites

Doubi · Post by **Doubi** » 04 Feb 2008, 14:39

Hi everyone. I wanted to attempt to contribute something as useful as possible, and I was told that at the moment running sprites wouldn't be a bad place to start.

Only stick figures at the moment I'm afraid, I'd like to get some opinions on the number of frames needed before I start.

Modanung suggested that four frames might do for running:
(obviously, I haven't done the limbs on the opposite side here, they're only stickmen after all~)

However, I thought that looked almost comical. Reminded me of Super Mario World. So here's what 6 and 8 frames would look like respectively. The 8-frame version would be the 6 sprites, but with one of the transitional sprites used twice. Clearly speed can be tweaked later, so here just thinking about smoothness:

6 frames:

8 frames:

By all means, if the consensus is that 4 frames would do, whoopee, less work

Also, I have to say I don't fully understand the whole xml animation thing, so please correct me if the reusing the same sprite twice thing wouldn't be possible for the 8-frame version.

So, let me know what's what and I'll try it with sprites.

Cheers!

Jaxad0127 · Post by **Jaxad0127** » 04 Feb 2008, 14:43

Reusing the image wouldn't be a problem, just more XML. I think they all look quite comical. The character looks like he's floating.

Post by **Crush** » 04 Feb 2008, 14:58

I think we should do without a running animation in addition to a walking animation. Remember that the animation frames have to be added to all current and future equipment graphics.

But when you want to contribute to the player sprites it would be most productive when you would continue modanungs work at the slashing animations. The same argument applies here but slashing animations are something we really need. http://forums.themanaworld.org/viewtopic.php?t=1176

Regarding your question about the animation definition files: yes, you can use the same frame multiple times in the same animation or even multiple times in different actions.

Doubi · Post by **Doubi** » 04 Feb 2008, 15:01

jaxad0127 wrote:Reusing the image wouldn't be a problem, just more XML. I think they all look quite comical. The character looks like he's floating.

I see what you mean

My thinking was that I was trying to make it noticeably different from the movement of the walking sprites. And I was trying to notice and think as I run about on my daily business, and you do tend to leave the ground when you're jogging. Any suggestions on how to make them less floatycomical?

Also, I should point out that there'd be more noticeable upper body movement in the final version. On the 8-frame version there, the arms appear to swing from a fixed position, while I'd actually want to have the shoulders swinging back and forth like real life, just a pixel or two. So the frames at either extreme would show a little of the chest / back, I should think.

Post by **ElvenProgrammer** » 04 Feb 2008, 15:06

As Crush stated making a running animation at this moment is quite useless. We could use some help with an attack animation. Personally I'd like to see the spear attack complete since the front part is almost done.

Post by **Dave** » 04 Feb 2008, 18:25

I hope running won't always just look like really fast walking, though.

Post by **Matt** » 05 Feb 2008, 10:26

I like this running animation

Holy · Post by **Holy** » 05 Feb 2008, 23:55

lol pretty cool man.

Doubi · Post by **Doubi** » 06 Feb 2008, 00:28

Matt wrote:I like this running animation

It is cool, the problem is though it uses twelve frames of animation, double the number used for the current walking sprites. It'd create an awful lot of work for anyone wanting to make armour / weapons in the future, which would ultimately mean less people contributing, so less content.

It's a good animation for reference though. I'd based those animations up there on a "jogging" pose, where the trunk of the body is more upright, but I like how it's leaning forward here, it looks stronger. I'm not sure if it'd look as natural with half the frames though; something to experiment with in future.

In any case, I won't be working any more on running sprites at least until some new weapon-using sprites get done, possibly spell-casting too. So not for a while

Post by **Modanung** » 06 Feb 2008, 04:09

I thought the running to be more leaning forward. Like he's throwing himself forwards.

Post by **Matt** » 06 Feb 2008, 16:45

Like in SoM?

http://tsgk.captainn.net/sheets/snes/se ... _sheet.png

Post by **Dave** » 06 Feb 2008, 19:36

That looks like a shyguy telling us to not steal bandwidth.

Jaxad0127 · Post by **Jaxad0127** » 06 Feb 2008, 20:29

Copy and paste it into your address bar to get around that.

Post by **Dave** » 06 Feb 2008, 23:08

jaxad0127 wrote:Copy and paste it into your address bar to get around that.

Jetryl · Post by **Jetryl** » 07 Feb 2008, 07:17

Matt wrote:Like in SoM?

http://tsgk.captainn.net/sheets/snes/se ... _sheet.png

Also, like in the real world. When people run, they lean forward to compensate for the fact that their legs are moving forward faster than their body is - effectively, they cause themselves to be in a constant state of "falling fowards", which is perfectly balanced by the inertia of the body, the "normal/perpendicular force" coming from the feet hitting the ground, and a bunch of other jive. The point is that if they didn't, they'd fall over backwards.

The point is also that any running animation which doesn't want to look like "Clutch Cargo"* is gonna need to do this. So do it.

*huh? It was a -notoriously- badly animated american cartoon:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clutch_Cargo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFnLirXjjto