REQUEST - Clone horseman gallop to knight.

[Jetrel]

Sleepwalker recently made this:




zip file of the pngs here: http://forums.wesnoth.org/download/file.php?id=49588

Simply, I would like our community to clone this animation over to the knight. Feel free to do just one direction - that'll be a ton of work in itself. The new base frame is attached, pay close attention because it is proportionally bigger in most parts (rider's body, horse's length from head to tail, horse's height, horse's width).


We owe it to sleepwalker to get all of the in-game horses up to his new standard.

[Neoskel]

I'm gonna take a stab at this, i have a week off from school next week so i'll probably have time for it. Already did the idle/bob animation and plan to do the south-east run animation next. So if someone else wants to work on this they should do the north-east run animation first.

Edit: dern boot, so much fiddling.

Edit2: fixed a couple annoying issues.

[Jetrel]

We salute you.

So if someone else wants to work on this they should do the north-east run animation first.

Bonus points - folks, this is the right way to delegate work. Anyone watching should keep this in mind.

[Skrim]

Since I'm not an artist and can't post in the Art Dev forums, I'll say it here: Epic job on the new horses! They look brilliant.

Salutations to all the artists working on them.

[thespaceinvader]

I wonder, looking now, whether the glove holding the reins should move relative to the chest plate during the bob - it looks a little odd that they move together. The same question regarding the original horseman bob, too, if the issue exists there.

[Frogger5]

Fantastic animations. When will we get to see them in game?

[Neoskel]

I wonder, looking now, whether the glove holding the reins should move relative to the chest plate during the bob - it looks a little odd that they move together. The same question regarding the original horseman bob, too, if the issue exists there.

I've looked a bit into this and concluded that any easy changes just make it look worse, and it's not too glaring an issue to start with, so i'm leaving the arm as is. There were a couple other details that looked a lot worse (like that jumpy pauldron) that i did clean up. I'll edit my earlier post with the fixed frames.

[zookeeper]

A bit of criticism and some suggestions: firstly, a bobbing horse looks pretty odd to me. I realize that the standing animations aren't intended to be realistic as such, but to me the fact that horses tend to stand completely still (excluding the head and tail) is a sort of a distinquishing characteristic for them (unlike for example for humans, wolves or cuttlefish) and having them bob makes them look somewhat fundamentally unlike a horse. If I may, I'd suggest removing the movement of the body entirely (and here I mean changing the outline of the body; slight changes in shading to indicate subtle movement are probably fine), and only having the tail, mane and head move, and that the head should rather tilt up and down and to the sides very slightly instead of sliding up and down in such a drastic way. Shifting weight, shuffling feet, shaking its head and that sort of things would be good ideas to make the horse seem more lively, but they're better suited for idle animations.

I mean, this is what horses tend to be like when they're just standing around doing nothing.

[Atz]

A bit of criticism and some suggestions: firstly, a bobbing horse looks pretty odd to me.

Is this the place to raise that? Sleepwalker's Horseman animation has the horse bobbing; this thread is a request to clone Sleepwalker's animations to the other units in that line. Though it's true that TSI didn't include the standing animation in the first post...

[zookeeper]

Is this the place to raise that? Sleepwalker's Horseman animation has the horse bobbing; this thread is a request to clone Sleepwalker's animations to the other units in that line. Though it's true that TSI didn't include the standing animation in the first post...

Oh, right. Because it didn't appear in the first post, I thought it was something Neoskel added himself.

[Sleepwalker]

Nice work Neoskel and thanks for the crit/encouragement all, I posted the updates in my dev thread.

[Reepurr]

I'm among the interested people in seeing the horses and their new graphics upgraded to the point where they can actually be in-game! (Wait, are they? Did I miss something in the weeks I spent away from computer?)

I'm having a few, er, scale gripes though. It seems to be that the knight is actually the same size as the mid-gallop horseman. It's confusing me. Is it really, or should I go with making him bigger in places where he doesn't seem to be?
Thanks.

EDIT: Assuming you want it to stay the same size, is this the sort of thing people were looking for? Not finished yet of course.

neigh.png (3.24 KiB) Viewed 10913 times

[shiremct]

...I can't believe I'm just now noticing this, as I've been following the topic in the development forum, but the nose on the level 1 horse! Yay! <3

The lvl 2 horse base-frame still has the single dot nose which has been carried through in the animations but should be easy to sort out.

And of course, excellent work to all involved! The new base frames are a big improvement and the animations are amazing. Sleepwalker, I've learned a lot examining your sprites, and hope to absorb some more of your mojo if I ever get deeper into animating; Your work is top-notch.

[Jetrel]

I'm among the interested people in seeing the horses and their new graphics upgraded to the point where they can actually be in-game! (Wait, are they? Did I miss something in the weeks I spent away from computer?)

I'm having a few, er, scale gripes though. It seems to be that the knight is actually the same size as the mid-gallop horseman. It's confusing me. Is it really, or should I go with making him bigger in places where he doesn't seem to be?

The knight's torso is 1 pixel taller than the horseman's. What might confuse you is that his breastplate's hanging leg-guard is positioned differently.

Go ahead with making him mildly bigger if you feel it's warranted. If anyone can just get the majority of the animation done, even with an issue or two latent on it, it's still enormously helpful.

[GbDorn]

** Uses necromancy on thread **

It is a cool looking animation but there are some issues if it's intended to be a gallop (especially the 1st and 2nd):

1. It's not a gallop. Both right feet hit the ground at the same time. The sequence is 1.HL; 2.HR+FR; 3.FL (Hind, Fore, Left, Right) when it should be either 1.HL; 2.HR+FL; 3.FR or 1.HR; 2.HL+FR; 3.FL. See here or here for reference.
2. It is disunited. The right leg is leading (=advances more than the other) in the rear while the left one is leading in the front.
3. It seems the suspension phase is a bit too long and the first beat too short.

Also the overall impression I get is a hopping horse so I'd like to fix these later. Meanwhile here is a WIP for the Knight's SE move animation. This is just a recoloring of the Horseman for now. I know it should be bigger and I'll do it. I posted here because I don't understand what is the golden thing between HIS right hand, his leg, and his abdomen (see the baseframe in first post).

his breastplate's hanging leg-guard is positioned differently

Is it just that? I don't understand the shape or the material though. Is it a piece of armor (like the Horseman) or is it cloth (like on the Knight's portrait with a split on the side)?

knight-se-run.gif (11.36 KiB) Viewed 8513 times