256-color views for SCI1.1 - a modest proposal of sorts

[Kawa]

Now that we can make SCI1.1 games, and considering the state of this site's views gallery, I'd like to make a nice set of starting views drawn in such a way that one might easily add things like shirts or jackets and such, maybe different hairdos, by simply pasting them onto the bare doll in one's favorite bitmap editor, and maybe have a couple preset combinations in .v56 format that you can stick in SCI Companion's sample folder and then recolor as needed okay let's face it you get the picture.

My only problem is that to make a base of adequate quality, I need another base, to paint over if not use a guide. So my question to the good folks of SCIprogramming.com: what games, not necessarily SCI, would you suggest be used as the foundation for this undertaking? The only requirement is that your suggestion has diagonals and standing frames.

[MusicallyInspired]

I've been wondering about this myself. I'd think maybe PQ3 would be a decent base as it seems generic enough, but it doesn't have diagonals. PQ1VGA does, but most of them are kind of a top-down view instead of head on. There must be a head on view in there somewhere, though..

[troflip]

That's a great idea.

If I were going to generate some default views, I would probably find a 3d model (and walking animation) I could use, and then render it out in various orientations. I dunno if it would work, but given how bad I am at drawing 2d animations, it's what I might try first.

[Kawa]

I've been wondering about this myself. I'd think maybe PQ3 would be a decent base as it seems generic enough, but it doesn't have diagonals. PQ1VGA does, but most of them are kind of a top-down view instead of head on. There must be a head on view in there somewhere, though..

PQ1 and 3 alike so do have diagonals. In fact, the only differences between regular uniformed Sonny in PQ1 an PQ3 are that PQ1 has a different global palette and Sonny's head is different -- both in art and attachedness. His body, fleshtone aside, is exactly the same. My only gripe with these sprites is that you can tell they're digitized from video recordings, compared to GK1 and KQ6.

Which brings me to another thing to consider when picking a base: what height would you go for?

Larry gtfo outta here you're too cartoony to be eligible for this!

If I were going to generate some default views, I would probably find a 3d model (and walking animation) I could use, and then render it out in various orientations. I dunno if it would work, but given how bad I am at drawing 2d animations, it's what I might try first.

I actually tried that some time back, and frankly it looked like Sonny and WD-40 got bizzay in all the wrong ways.

[Collector]

No reason that we shouldn't build a library of different styles of ego views. Maybe periodic community contests?

[Kawa]

hahaha omg



Insert ancient aliens macro here.

[MusicallyInspired]

Check again, Kawa, those Views from PQ3 (0-10 or whatever) are all top-down view angles and not head-on angles. PQ3's head-on angled view (View 123) has 4-directions only. Also, your height meter for the Sonny sprite isn't reliable because it's also a top-down angle, making him appear shorter than he is. This is PQ3 Sonny's actual height from View 123. PQ1VGA's Views all seem to be top-down. At least I can't find any head-on Views after a quick peruse through the resources.

Sonny's uniformed head-on View from PQ3 is 124.

[Kawa]

I never said he wasn't. You sorta kinda implied PQ3 was head-on but had no diagonals. All I said was yes it did have diagonals, mistaking your comment as referring to the first view, not the special case you meant.

But more importantly, if the head-on sprite doesn't have diagonals... well, it's a blurry mess anyway.

[MusicallyInspired]

Well, if they're top down I'd consider them not worth it...unless someone wanted a top-down Ego for all their rooms, I guess. Or even specific ones. But then we'd technically need bases for 16 directions, instead of 8.

[Cloudee1]

As for height, I would say a medium sized one... so the Hero or Roger I guess. Especially considering the scaling ability of SCI1.1.

I agree that a little cartoony is better than the PQ digitized images.

As far as clothes go, GK is probably the best choice in body... white shirt an jeans. In actuality, that is probably the direction I would go with size personally as I prefer a larger ego. At least I did with sci0 and 16 colors but that is just me and not something I would expect from most people. The larger the ego, the more detailed room, the less playable area.

[Kawa]

Sixteen of 'em... *shudder*

So yeah! I'm kinda partial to Gabe myself anyway.

[MusicallyInspired]

As far as a starting point, I was always thinking that we should just make a VGA version of the SCI0 Template Ego and branch off from there. Blue shirt, black pants, black/brown hair. If it's cartoony we're going for, though, SQ1VGA might be a good one to grab as it wasn't filmed from live action like SQ4's was. SQ1VGA's Roger is a little taller than SQ4 as well. I like the Gabe option too.

[Kawa]

Studio template ego was actually on my mind when I wrote about presets in the OP.

Updort: take one, from scratch. Note that Gabriel and Devon are scaled to Roger's size.

[Kawa]

Updort: first attempt at animating what I drew earlier. No hotspot centering, no filters.

Yes I am aware of the jerky arms.

[MusicallyInspired]

Wonderful work!