Einar has hit the nail on the head I think. Until I saw his image, my brain didn't process the outline of the head at all - it looked like some guy wearing the helmet from Knightmare :-) To be fair though, now that I have seen it the way it should be, I'm finding it quite hard to un-see it again, so I'd imagine that it'll look just fine to anyone who's played the game for more than two minutes.
Having said that - if I may suggest the following two-pixel tweak that seems to fix the problem, at the cost of making it possibly slightly less koala-y and more of a generic bear...
I've been trying but I can only see a bear in these!
Well, a koala is kinda a small bear, so I don't see that as a problem.
I've been looking at the sprites from Atic Atac and Sabre Wulf, and they're no better or worse than Mark's koala. Once you take these small monochrome sprites and blow them up to 800% you'll see all the details and then it doesn't look quite as good as we perceive them to, anymore.
Besides - once things start moving nobody is going to notice anything less than a swastika on its stomach. :razz:
Well, a koala is kinda a small bear, so I don't see that as a problem.
I've been looking at the sprites from Atic Atac and Sabre Wulf, and they're no better or worse than Mark's koala. Once you take these small monochrome sprites and blow them up to 800% you'll see all the details and then it doesn't look quite as good as we perceive them to, anymore.
Besides - once things start moving nobody is going to notice anything less than a swastika on its stomach. :razz:
Sorry I should have stipulated koala! I don't know the backstory to Dingo. Just trying to say I like the sprite and can't see a helmety thing or a pigs snout.
Instead of looking at the centre of the sprite, focus on the very top of the head and you'll see a big rectangular chunk missing from the top of the head.
But I think gasman has it spot on with those two extra pixels.
Instead of looking at the centre of the sprite, focus on the very top of the head and you'll see a big rectangular chunk missing from the top of the head.
But I think gasman has it spot on with those two extra pixels.
I think it should be left as it is now. If Mark wants to make amendments based on this thread, then so be it, but this is not a game designed by committee - pretty much why I mainly ignored and will still ignore a lot of what I've been told to do when doing the graphics for Double Dragon Redux.
I think it should be left as it is now. If Mark wants to make amendments based on this thread, then so be it, but this is not a game designed by committee.
Yes, what is it with all the suggestions...I can't recall that happening for any other games.
For what it's worth - Gasman's 2 extra pixel suggstion is pretty good, but will be close to unnoticable when the game is running. I like Joe's more bearlike version too, but I actually think it looks too much like a bear and not enough like the original arcade sprite. Ralf's version is even more bear-like, but I think the head is too small and - again - it doesn't look like the original sprite.
I like Mark's version and if he wants to tweak it for the better that's okay, but I'm happy with it as it is.
Yes, what is it with all the suggestions...I can't recall that happening for any other games.
Double Dragon Redux! Everybody has their own idea and opinion, which is great, but y'know, they're not actually doing the graphics and I'm not a robot doing what they want. I'm doing how I see it. That's not to say I won't take on suggestions, it's just..well, I tell you what - you do some graphics and then you sit and see how you feel when everybody else tells you what they want and how they see things and how they think it should be done.
With Spectrum graphics there is also an element of your imagination filling in the blanks/details. That's what I love about Spectrum graphics. For example, I wonder what would happen if I was to mention that the koala looks like he's on wheels or some sort of tank track.....
If you are out of ideas for the "end-game finale" screen, you could show the victorious koala congratulated by all his koala friends... which is actually just an excuse for not wasting the countless head variations and angles that this thread is attracting :)
That's the way it works, Mark, i'm afraid. They wait until a graphics person from the industry agrees to do graphics for a game, lull them into a false sense of security rejoicing their decision to do graphics, put them at ease by stating how amazing the graphics are and then BAM! they strike, ripping you to shreds.
Damn it!!... you've ruined it now!... Now all I can see are smashTV-type koala on tank tracks!!!!... :grin:
Thats like mentioning the DM Bra... tooks us all ages to get over seeing DM's avatar with a bra once that was mentioned... :grin:
I just think it's funny everyone thought it was a bra even though I'd said I got it from the road rage section of the Indiana Highway code booklet ages before the bra thing was even mentioned.
Unless of course people here are accustomed to being angry cross dressers who flash their concealed ladywear at the traffic lights when people cut infront of them? :D
Ha! You should have seen the stick I got for one pixel out of place in a font.
Or for suggesting combining the graphic rendering loop with the sound generation loop.
Or for asking about timing in different Speccy models but not a billion different other home-made clones.
You got off lightly!
Not exactly rocketscience - Mark posted the artwork after all, but I couldn't resist printing out a cassette cover.
...now I just need to finish the game to go with it. :lol:
Well, the game is essentially complete and fully playable, but I'm currently working on improving and (semi) optimising certain stuff. Hopefully I'll be able to finish work on the third sprite routine in there (of 4) before I go to bed, so that'll be one more thing I can check off the list.
Unfortunately a number of bugs has popped up when I rewrote the first one so that'll take a little while to figure out. :sad:
The one big thing I still want to improve, but don't know how to (yet), is better collision detection between the player and the enemies, as the game is currently using boxcollision checks for that.
Mark also gives me lots of feedback, and the occasional requests to change something but hopefully he'll stop at some point. :lol:
...I'll also need some tunes and jingles. I've been in contact with Mister Beep but his music is too fancy for this game...I need something more simple and Ultimate-ish. :-P
The plan is for it to be completely finished so it can be shown at Replay.
Not exactly rocketscience - Mark posted the artwork after all, but I couldn't resist printing out a cassette cover.
...now I just need to finish the game to go with it. :lol:
Comments
Ex-Ocean Software graphic artist -
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https://twitter.com/MarkRJones1970
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Having said that - if I may suggest the following two-pixel tweak that seems to fix the problem, at the cost of making it possibly slightly less koala-y and more of a generic bear...
I've been looking at the sprites from Atic Atac and Sabre Wulf, and they're no better or worse than Mark's koala. Once you take these small monochrome sprites and blow them up to 800% you'll see all the details and then it doesn't look quite as good as we perceive them to, anymore.
Besides - once things start moving nobody is going to notice anything less than a swastika on its stomach. :razz:
My games for the Spectrum: Dingo, The Speccies, The Speccies 2, Vallation, SQIJ.
Twitter: Sokurah
Sorry I should have stipulated koala! I don't know the backstory to Dingo. Just trying to say I like the sprite and can't see a helmety thing or a pigs snout.
But I think gasman has it spot on with those two extra pixels.
- IONIAN-GAMES.com -
*checks a nearby gum tree*
Yup. Looks like a koala to me now :)
Save that for the shameless Care Bear tie-in sequel.
Here is my attempt :)
Maybe a generic bear, not koala though :)
But, anyway, here's my suggestion.....
;) These are not serious suggestions
Yes, what is it with all the suggestions...I can't recall that happening for any other games.
For what it's worth - Gasman's 2 extra pixel suggstion is pretty good, but will be close to unnoticable when the game is running. I like Joe's more bearlike version too, but I actually think it looks too much like a bear and not enough like the original arcade sprite. Ralf's version is even more bear-like, but I think the head is too small and - again - it doesn't look like the original sprite.
I like Mark's version and if he wants to tweak it for the better that's okay, but I'm happy with it as it is.
My games for the Spectrum: Dingo, The Speccies, The Speccies 2, Vallation, SQIJ.
Twitter: Sokurah
Double Dragon Redux! Everybody has their own idea and opinion, which is great, but y'know, they're not actually doing the graphics and I'm not a robot doing what they want. I'm doing how I see it. That's not to say I won't take on suggestions, it's just..well, I tell you what - you do some graphics and then you sit and see how you feel when everybody else tells you what they want and how they see things and how they think it should be done.
With Spectrum graphics there is also an element of your imagination filling in the blanks/details. That's what I love about Spectrum graphics. For example, I wonder what would happen if I was to mention that the koala looks like he's on wheels or some sort of tank track.....
Damn it!!... you've ruined it now!... Now all I can see are smashTV-type koala on tank tracks!!!!... :grin:
Thats like mentioning the DM Bra... tooks us all ages to get over seeing DM's avatar with a bra once that was mentioned... :grin:
- IONIAN-GAMES.com -
;)
Ex-Ocean Software graphic artist -
Download my FREE PDF 'LOAD DIJ DIJ' (180,000+ words): https://ko-fi.com/i/IG2G3BEJZP
ZX Art page: https://zxart.ee/eng/authors/m/mark-r-jones/
https://twitter.com/MarkRJones1970
https://www.facebook.com/OceanSoftwareLtd/
https://www.facebook.com/ultimateptg/
I just think it's funny everyone thought it was a bra even though I'd said I got it from the road rage section of the Indiana Highway code booklet ages before the bra thing was even mentioned.
Unless of course people here are accustomed to being angry cross dressers who flash their concealed ladywear at the traffic lights when people cut infront of them? :D
;)
Much respect
Well was a sub contractor at the most! :-P
But it has been interesting to see what different graphic artists have produced for the same sprite.
And Joefish - I am available to do graphics :)
Or for suggesting combining the graphic rendering loop with the sound generation loop.
Or for asking about timing in different Speccy models but not a billion different other home-made clones.
You got off lightly!
- IONIAN-GAMES.com -
...now I just need to finish the game to go with it. :lol:
My games for the Spectrum: Dingo, The Speccies, The Speccies 2, Vallation, SQIJ.
Twitter: Sokurah
How close do you reckon you are to completion?
Unfortunately a number of bugs has popped up when I rewrote the first one so that'll take a little while to figure out. :sad:
The one big thing I still want to improve, but don't know how to (yet), is better collision detection between the player and the enemies, as the game is currently using boxcollision checks for that.
Mark also gives me lots of feedback, and the occasional requests to change something but hopefully he'll stop at some point. :lol:
...I'll also need some tunes and jingles. I've been in contact with Mister Beep but his music is too fancy for this game...I need something more simple and Ultimate-ish. :-P
The plan is for it to be completely finished so it can be shown at Replay.
My games for the Spectrum: Dingo, The Speccies, The Speccies 2, Vallation, SQIJ.
Twitter: Sokurah
cool man 8)