Feedback on our animation and overall presentation please.

[Shaz]

Greetings all. So we've been working non stop on a new game recently. But after you've looked at something so many times every day it becomes harder to evaluate.

So can you offer some feedback on this stage of development. In particular, the animation and overall presentation. And no I'm not looking for a pat on the back but constructive criticism

Our aim is that when the game is finished it can stand shoulder to shoulder with
mobile games made by the bigger studios.

Cheers

UPDATE: JULY 2012
We had a lot of feedback on the run animation. So we changed it to make the main character more upright.


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[Markus Hanka]

Hello, I write only some short notes. I hope it doesn't come across unfriendly.

There should be the logo of the game right at the start
Typo instead looks like a bad power point presentation

The moving of the camera in the intro animation seems overall wrong
no use of depth of field. Everthing is in focus. no sense of size and distance
the motion of the camera zooming out is really weird and jumpy
the boss is painted too crooked and unsymetrical to look big and impressive
the surface of the boss looks dull. this is increasing the impression that he is rather small
though there is the woman standing in the foreground, she is obscured by the background
there is no ground shown giving a sence of depth and size
The eyes and mouth of the girl staring up should be animated
her shoulders are wrong
overall the colours are too grey and unattractive

the following 60 seconds ingame scenes are too long
it is all the same scene. At some point I'm starting to think this one screen is the whole game and getting bored. I have seen it all so why play the game?
30 sec should be more than enough
the ending is bad for the same reasons as the start. those clouds are ugly

overall it makes an amateurish impression

[HeliApps]

The thing that straight out doesn't look right to me is her stance when running forward ... seems too extreme (the forward lean)

[Shaz]

Originally Posted by Markus Hanka

Hello, I write only some short notes. I hope it doesn't come across unfriendly.

Hi Markus - no don't worry your feedback doesn't come across as unfriendly. I actually prefer it when people give me their feedback in a straightforward and honest way, as you have.

There's a lot to think about there so thanks for taking the time to list what you'd change about the game so far.

As we develop the game more I'm sure we'll be adjusting and refining many things.

Cheers.

[Shaz]

Originally Posted by HeliApps

The thing that straight out doesn't look right to me is her stance when running forward ... seems too extreme (the forward lean)

I have heard that from someone else too - so one more thing for us to think about, cheers.

[DrummerB]

Hi,

- I would change the running animation too. The blur effect looks nice, but either she should run faster or not lean forward that much.
- I think the sprites are a bit offset, because when she changes direction, she seems to teleport a little bit and not turn around her own center.
- The graphics are a bit strange. I'm nor sure why. I think you should either make it clear that all of the game looks like it was hand drawn, or try to hide it some more (maybe by adding some more color), because tbh. especially the very first image of the character looks like it's a concept drawing rather then a final product (around 0:06 it's much better).
- The sound effects are fine. Consider adding some fighting screams and combo effects.

[Shaz]

Originally Posted by DrummerB

Hi,

- I would change the running animation too. The blur effect looks nice, but either she should run faster or not lean forward that much.
- I think the sprites are a bit offset, because when she changes direction, she seems to teleport a little bit and not turn around her own center.
- The graphics are a bit strange. I'm nor sure why. I think you should either make it clear that all of the game looks like it was hand drawn, or try to hide it some more (maybe by adding some more color), because tbh. especially the very first image of the character looks like it's a concept drawing rather then a final product (around 0:06 it's much better).
- The sound effects are fine. Consider adding some fighting screams and combo effects.

Ah yeah, you're right about the offset - well observed

But not quite sure what you mean by either making the hand drawn graphics more clear or hiding them.

Thanks for the feedback.

[mr.Ugly]

Originally Posted by Shaz

Ah yeah, you're right about the offset - well observed

But not quite sure what you mean by either making the hand drawn graphics more clear or hiding them.

Thanks for the feedback.

The biggest problem with hand drawn art is that it often tends to look half finished.

Especially if the edges are not properly clean. Biggest beef i would have with the game so faar are the animations and the physics. The females movement looks wrong, somehow too floaty, like she weights nothing.

So how she moves and what it looks like is oddly off imho.

[Shaz]

Originally Posted by mr.Ugly

The biggest problem with hand drawn art is that it often tends to look half finished.

Especially if the edges are not properly clean. Biggest beef i would have with the game so faar are the animations and the physics. The females movement looks wrong, somehow too floaty, like she weights nothing.

So how she moves and what it looks like is oddly off imho.

Hmm, seems quite a few people think the look of the movement doesn't feel right.

I'm glad I posted the video here - all the opinions given will be be useful so we can make the game better.

Cheers

EDIT: Do the same general criticisms apply to the first vid too? (see above in first post)

[mr.Ugly]

the first video was the boss fight?

or you mean your running video..

and yes there it applies aswell but of course the is not doing as much acrobatics.. but for example she floats again.. if you check her leg movement and then see how slow the floor scroll you see she is either running to slow animation wise or moonwalks on half of her moves..


the question is where you want to be headed.. realism or over the top action animation.. but no matter the "weight" of things must be right..

for example if you look at cartoon action series whatever manga stuff.. there is usually good weight in the animations.. especially if they do over the top stuff.. so if you make a mega jump and jump physicall 10 metres ingame, but use a generic "hop" animation it feels off..

you need to show the "power" that goes into the move.. bending your knees, stiffening your muscles and then boom.. jump upwards like an japanese manga kid on steroids..

the same can be said about the forward lean.. this much forward lean can work optically.. but hell she must be alot quicker running that on the videos.. more like this guy



and he is very fast..