Sticky X/Y Sprite Project

[princessofmusic]

What the fearless leader means is that your edit doesn't resemble the official base Mawile stylistically.

Legit's was already animated and suits BW style better, so I'm saying no to this one. I like your style, though, and I'm humbled by the time you're devoting. I don't want to spam the thread, but if you're ever confused about exactly what kind of changes I'm looking for, send a PM.


Well, I got ninja'd as I'm writing this post so disregard my first line

 

[Speed-X]

I completely understand. I think I went a little crazy with Mawile: in fact, I probably just need a break for a couple of days. I really appreciate everyone's help and patience with my ambitious nature.

I have one last edit to this Mawile I'll post up just to see if you guys think it looks a little more accurate, shading style-wise. After this, no more Mawile. If it will be a hassle as of now since it's already been animated, I don't want to make anyone's job harder.

Just throwing this edit out there. ^^; I think I managed to tame the shading beast a little bit, lol

Goodnight everyone, I totally should be in bed right now

 

[Layell]

Wobblebuns has been busy, I know he had a different Helioptile but we are sticking to this one. We are also maxed out on colours for the evo so we can't have the open mouth business (we really need it sorry typhlito).

They are approved for animation

 

[Speed-X]

If I'm not terribly mistaken, I believe that shiny Heliolisk's fringes are actually yellow instead of orange.

 

[Kyleo]

If I'm not terribly mistaken, I believe that shiny Heliolisk's fringes are actually yellow instead of orange.

Like so? Does mean the shiny sprite isn't a straight palette swap for obvious reasons but it seems like that isn't feasible for Heliolisk.

 

[Speed-X]

What I'm wondering, though, does it really need to be a "simple palette swap?" The engine being used isn't limited; and neither is the graphics engine in X and Y, as one could tell by the outrageous shiny palettes for the new Kalos Pokemon. If you have to change colors and color order around differently besides via palette swapping, is it really that difficult?

I dont mean to sound rude or condescending, but I've been wondering this. I understand color limitations because it's true to the BW style, but otherwise...what's stopping us? I think as long as a shiny palette is still under the color limit then it should be acceptable.

Sorry, this point has just been bugging me. No disrespect intended.

 

[Kyleo]

What I'm wondering, though, does it really need to be a "simple palette swap?" The engine being used isn't limited; and neither is the graphics engine in X and Y, as one could tell by the outrageous shiny palettes for the new Kalos Pokemon. If you have to change colors and color order around differently besides via palette swapping, is it really that difficult?

I dont mean to sound rude or condescending, but I've been wondering this. I understand color limitations because it's true to the BW style, but otherwise...what's stopping us? I think as long as a shiny palette is still under the color limit then it should be acceptable.

Sorry, this point has just been bugging me. No disrespect intended.

Whilst I don't have a definitive answer, my reckoning is it's to make the 'shiny' process that little bit easier - rather than having to edit each individual part of the sprite with shiny colours (a time consuming task for more complex sprites), it ensures all colours can merely be swapped, taking a matter of seconds to complete.

 

[princessofmusic]

Speed-X If the palette swap has to be manual, in order to create the shiny animation, we'd have to recolour each frame individually. ain't nobody got time for that

 

[Speed-X]

Speed-X If the palette swap has to be manual, in order to create the shiny animation, we'd have to recolour each frame individually. ain't nobody got time for that

http://i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/284/529/e65.gif
Actually, I didn't think of that point. Suddenly it all makes more sense. Thanks for clarifying!

 

[Kyleo]

On request of princess, a bit of colour alteration on the Helioptile and Goomy lines (just the shinies for Goomy though) - and unlike the Heliolisk edit I made earlier, these are most certainly palette swaps.

 

[Typhlito]

Hey Layell since heliolisk maxed out on its colors, does that mean I cant make its frills change colors like zebstrika? I mean the colors would alternate between frames so there would always be just 16 colors per frame but in reality, it would be one extra color unless I use a color thats already in the palette. Anyway, Im gonna start on this guy since I've been so lazy with banette. (Especially after nagging you and pom about getting helio done xD) Surely I would get back into banette after helio. Not having an open mouth is a bummer but dw. I could work around it. :]

 

[Layell]

Typhlito You have a good number of tools available for electric frills, you have the white and blue in the eyes (zeb uses the eye colour too) as well as the yellow on the mouth (same for both regular and shiny). I think it's doable for sure but opening the mouth is a no-go at this point.

pick what looks best.

 

[TrainerSplash]

well well, it seems that I'm not dead. (okay about 1-3 weeks but I was on vacation for a week) I started getting to the back sprite of Mega sceptile. Then I realized how much of a pain it was. I'm not far into it. but I'm starting on the cross on it's chest. I'm really confused on how to do the tail. does anyone mind doing the tail part for me?

 

[princessofmusic]

Update:

Hide

I had major help from aXl with Noibat. All approved.

As a side note, I will be travelling out of the country from the 25th to the 8th. In the meantime, please forward all general sprite inquiries to your local neighbourhood Layell.

 

[Kyuzeth]

well well, it seems that I'm not dead. (okay about 1-3 weeks but I was on vacation for a week) I started getting to the back sprite of Mega sceptile. Then I realized how much of a pain it was. I'm not far into it. but I'm starting on the cross on it's chest. I'm really confused on how to do the tail. does anyone mind doing the tail part for me?

Perhaps it's better to wait with the backsprite until we get some definite screenshots of Mega Sceptile's backsprite. I do, however, know its body faces to the right, its tail emerging from the left and pointing forward.

 

[Layell]

I am not sure how many of you realize the insane dedication that princessofmusic has to what is really this little project. Not many of you realize that she and I talk every day if not every other day on one sprite or another, or how the progress of this and that is doing. There are multiple things going on in that update that because she is the incredible perfectionist that she left her to post these all three days before leaving for her vacation. With all that she also finds time to pass critique to multiple spriters here so that they end up posting essentially perfect 'finished sprites' (you can see her advise in all of them), along with doing things like fixing some of these pesky animations. I had totally forgotten about Spritzee and the missing hair tuft on the back animation and she went in and edited it all to ensure it was included.

I say this with no doubt this project would be nowhere without princessofmusic, and we all need to show some love and like that amazing update post because I know for a fact that last month she was still at it while her index finger was swollen to the size of a plum. There is nothing stopping her, even when I say she shouldn't bother with something that might be way too much work she goes ahead and does it because she is the dang co-director and she will not rest until this entire thing is perfect. Soon it shall be too.

So enjoy that vacation now ok

EDIT: Also the skype log that the two of us share is 278+ pages when used with Times New Roman 12 point font.

 

[Snivy101 (Chris White)]

For Hawlucha, It's looking good. But we had a different pose for the back sprite awhile back:

I like this pose better, but what about you guys?

 

[Legitimate Username]

There's still no way that I can agree that Xerneas is finished. The proportions of that version are still very heavily flawed, with an oversized head and some other problems.
I made a fix a while ago, although I haven't and probably won't get the chance to transfer the changes to the backsprite.

The front legs' pose also does not work at all for the sprite, it looks like its tripping over itself. They should look more like this (sadly I don't think I can pull off this edit myself):

reference

Fletchinder still looks pretty off, I think that the wing pose is just too dynamic for a static sprite. It all looks flat and bent out of place.

Sorry to be bringing up so many things that I won't be able to fix, everything else in that update looks pretty great though.

 

[princessofmusic]

Legitimate Username "proportions = heavily flawed"

I didn't brush off your intended edit without comparing both versions to other BW sprites. Don't cite the official art or other media because Xerneas in a 3D promotional doesn't have the same hang-ups as Xerneas in a box that's 96 by 96 pixels. Gen VI contains a lot of apparent eating disorder victims, and we don't have the luxury of portraying them like the 3DS does. For example, aXl's Dragalge isn't long and thin enough compared to the in-game model and official art. It's already hitting 95 pixels in height, but it's still fine as a BW-style sprite. Talonflame is an old sprite that also suffers from proportional issues, but if the body were any bigger, the wings would break the canvas. Anyhow, I went on a tangent, but Xerneas's head in your edit isn't large enough to comfortably accomodate its eyes and when compared to the official BW sprites, which generally have larger heads all around.

I don't care enough for the leg edit to do it, and if someone else edits it, I won't take it if the quality is worse. It's a nice-looking sprite as it is, and I don't feel like toying too much with N-Kin's lovely work, which he graciously donated to us.

As for Fletchinder, ever since I made that sprite in November, I've stated several times to various people that this pose was intended because I had tried the upstroke and it was too stiff, and the downstroke is out of the question because the wing blocking the body would make the animation more trouble. I know that it seems unorthodox, and if you disagree, that's understandable.

 

[TrainerSplash]

Well princessofmusic, you are an awesome contributor to this project and how you sprite is really awesome with adding in the little details missed. We can see that you not having time is a problem along with you being exhausted. But don't push yourself over too much. Take breaks if you need to, you deserve that vacation :)

As for an actual critique, you edits were done very well and I can't see anything wrong with them if there is. I think my favorite is the Fenniken.

As for the Mega Sceptile back sprite, Kyuzeth, should I try working on the front sprite, I mean it looks done, but there is no shame in adding more.

Edit: I will also like to say, that I do livestreams and I often make the sprites for this project. So instead of constantly sending updates I could possibly do livestreams and get feedback there. I'm possibly going to do one today. Would this be fine?

 

[Kyuzeth]

As for the Mega Sceptile back sprite, Kyuzeth, should I try working on the front sprite, I mean it looks done, but there is no shame in adding more.

I'm about to post a slightly edited frontsprite in a bit, so if you can gimme a minute or 15-20 I'll try to get it up. But yeah, frontsprite still needs some work. Looks solid, but the edges of the gem haven't been polished yet.

EDIT: I'm gonna need some more time than that, but I'll try to finish it ASAP.

 

[Kyleo]

I'm about to post a slightly edited frontsprite in a bit, so if you can gimme a minute or 15-20 I'll try to get it up. But yeah, frontsprite still needs some work. Looks solid, but the edges of the gem haven't been polished yet.

EDIT: I'm gonna need some more time than that, but I'll try to finish it ASAP.

Don't worry about time, take as long as you need - quality over speed is the key here.

 

[Kyuzeth]

Don't worry about time, take as long as you need - quality over speed is the key here.

-----NEW --------OLD-----

Man, have I been working my ass off on this QC. Took me a good 130 minutes or so. I closely referenced the official artwork for the new rendition, here's a changelog:
- Leaf crest now more resembles that of Sugimori art
- Seed position and red ridge (including red tail segment) have been fixed
- Its arms have been made thinner to correspond more with the Sugiart (it really has thin arms, +40 Special Attack confirmed)
- Applied the 'cuts' in the arm leaves for as far as possible
- Neck is one pixel longer (it's got a long neck than one'd expect, but it IS taller than regular Sceptile (5'07"), standing at 6'03")
- Much thinner frame (the old one was too bulky), since Sceptile is, has been and will forever be a frail bastard
- More Special Defense, less Speed. Because fuck yes.

I hope I've at least made a useful contribution. I know it's still quite a ways away from perfect, but I'd love to work more on it. Thanks for taking the time to look and please provide some feedback - it's what keeps us artists going, after all!

Music played during most of this QC: Dusk Forest (Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time/Darkness/Sky)

 

[Typhlito]

I like that edit to the neck. Forgot to mention it before but it kinda looked like it snapped its neck from how far its turning its neck. The head can still be adjusted but its an improvement.

 

[Kyuzeth]

I like that edit to the neck. Forgot to mention it before but it kinda looked like it snapped its neck from how far its turning its neck. The head can still be adjusted but its an improvement.

Thanks! The neck's position irked me as well, but as I've stated, the sprite's got a ways to go, still. I, too, am in favor of adjusting the head somewhat, so that it doesn't look awkwardly angled.